Here are some topics from the last Board of County Commissioners meeting. If you want to know more about what was discussed and decided, you can read the agendas and minutes as they get posted. You can watch the meeting in full on our Facebook page or website.
Planning for the future of your Clay Parks
A master plan for Clay County Parks and Recreation has been developed to provide a ten-year road map for the future of our park system. The plan aims to explore ways to enhance recreational opportunities for our community and accommodate growth. Public input was gathered through a survey, focus groups, and six public workshops and incorporated into the planning process. Five key themes emerged: accessibility, walkability and connectivity, security and comfort, maintaining existing parks, and planning for the future. This 10-year plan evaluates our current 63 parks, identifies the level of service gaps, and recommends the development of undeveloped park parcels and or acquiring new park property. It also emphasizes bringing parks to the County's rural northwestern and southern neighborhoods to serve areas currently more than five miles away from a local park. You can view the complete master plan attached to this agenda and listen to the presentation at the 4:00:50 time stamp.
Moratorium on increased residential densities in the Lake Asbury Master Plan area extended
Commissioners have approved an ordinance to extend the current moratorium on applications filed on or after November 9, 2021, for land use amendments to the Clay County 2040 Comprehensive Plan. This moratorium affects the rezoning of parcels that would effectively increase allowable residential densities within the Lake Asbury Master Plan Area for another year. Initially enacted in 2021, the ordinance has been extended each year during the ongoing construction of the Bonded Transportation Program to allow time for completion of necessary infrastructure improvements before the Board will consider allowing increased residential density. You can listen to the discussion and public comments at the 2:53:11 mark.
Selection of new BCC Chair and Vice Chair
During the annual reorganization process, Commissioners nominated candidates for the BCC Chair and Vice Chair positions. Commissioners voted to approve District 4 Commissioner Betsy Condon as chairperson of the Board of County Commissioners, while District 5 Commissioner Kristen Burke was voted in as BCC Vice Chair. Their terms will begin immediately and run until the end of November 2025. The County Manager congratulated both the new chair and vice chair, as well as District 1 Commissioner John Sgromolo, on the start of his first term. You can watch the vote at the 4:27:03 mark.
Seeking residents to help meet the transportation needs of our community
During the Commissioner Comments portion of the BCC Meeting, new BCC Chair Betsy Condon encouraged residents to consider serving on the Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board. This Board works to identify local service needs and provides information, advice, and direction to the Community Transportation Coordinator regarding services for the transportation disadvantaged within the local community. There are currently six open positions and representation is needed from public education, community action, someone who understands the needs of residents with disabilities, a citizen advocate user, someone working with at-risk children, and a private for-profit transportation representative. The Board meets four times a year and can significantly impact transportation for seniors and economically disadvantaged residents. If you want to serve your community on this board, please email Teresa.Capo@claycountygov.com. You can listen to the commissioners' comments beginning at the 4:30:01 time stamp.
