By JAMIE WACHTER on Friday, April 4, 2025Subhead

Admin out 4-6 weeks following heart surgery.

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• Suwannee County Administrator Greg Scott is expected to be on leave for 4-6 weeks after having heart surgery this week. (FILE)

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LIVE OAK — It is all hands on deck for Suwannee County while its administrator recovers from surgery.

With Greg Scott expected to be on leave for 4-6 weeks following open heart surgery Tuesday, County Commission Chairman Travis Land said it will take a team effort to keep the county’s operations running smoothly in his absence.

Land said Mandy Frederickson, the county’s administrative manager or Scott’s “right-hand woman,” Brenda Flanagan, the county’s project manager in public works, and Jason Furry, parks and recreation director, are handling the day-to-day operations of the county while Scott recovers. The surgery went well and Scott’s recovery is going well, according to Land.

“There’s collective decision making on what needs to be done day-to-day” he said. “Then on some of the bigger things, if there’s significant cost, they’ll call me as chairman and see what my thoughts are.”

Land added other department heads are also available as needed for support as well.

“It’s taking the whole team,” Land said.

Scott received permission from the commission during its March 18 meeting to begin searching for an assistant county administrator, a search that was set to begin in-house.

Scott has served as the county’s administrator for a little more than two years, taking over in December 2022. He had been the county’s parks and rec director for 34 years prior to that.

In addition to serving as the county administrator, Scott also is the county’s public works director. Flanagan, as the project manager, is responsible for a lot of the day-to-day operations in public works 

By JAMIE WACHTER on Friday, March 21, 2025Subhead

County threatens trespassing Matco after 120 days.

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• Suwannee County Commissioner Travis Land, pictured speaking at a press conference, said Matco Industries has shown no ambition to build its own rail spur at the county’s Catalyst Site the past 10 years. (FILE)

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LIVE OAK — Suwannee County is sending a letter with a clear message to a business at its Catalyst Site: “It’s time to put up or shut up.”

During its meeting Tuesday, the commission unanimously authorized County Attorney Adam Morrison to send a letter to Matt Furber, the owner of Matco Industries, that gives the company 120 days to build its own rail spur off the county’s spur at the industrial park or be trespassed from utilizing that line. Morrison was also authorized to negotiate a hold harmless agreement with Furber in case any incidents occurred in that time on the county’s spur while it is being used for the company’s trainload operations.

“I’ve heard enough from Mr. Furber,” Commission Chairman Travis Land said, adding he’d prefer if the county began fining the company for any delays past the 120-day mark to build its own spur. “He’s had 10 years to build his spur and he’s basically played the county, he’s played me, he’s played the board.

“The game is over. Build your spur and get off of ours.”

The county and Furber entered into a memorandum of understanding in January 2024 about the construction of the company’s own spur that was to be completed in July.

No work has begun.

Land said in a meeting 18 months ago with Furber, the county was told that all the materials were already on site and construction was ready to start and would be done within 180 days.

In an email to Morrison on March 14, Furber apologized for the delays, saying the railroad’s current design for the company’s own spur was too large for what was currently needed. He added the company also had been focused on opening a limestone quarry in Marion County and now that that job was completed, equipment would be moved to Suwannee to begin the work on the spur. He added limestone from that quarry would be used for the base of the new spur.

Morrison added he had a phone conversation with Furber on Monday in which he told him basically, “It’s time to put up or shut up. Promises to do it isn’t getting it done any more.”

Matco was one of the first companies located at the county’s Catalyst Site and the county originally agreed to let the company use its spur, once it was completed, as an incentive to get the company to agree to begin its operations in Suwannee County. Those operations do not include a building or any infrastructure. Rather it brings in materials on train cars and offloads those materials onto trucks. That incentive for the use of the county’s spur was until Matco could do its own line off of it.

“He’s had no ambition,” Land said of actually constructing that spur. “He’s used our spur for 10 years to run his business.”

Land added that the county previously had to spend six figures to address an accident that occurred on the rail spur due to the company’s operations. That led him to requesting the hold harmless agreement for any future incidents.

Commissioner Franklin White said he shared Land’s frustrations, noting he’d had meetings with Furber previously when he served as the board chairman too.

White added that there was also a grant available from the rail company to construct the company’s spur too.

“Why get a car when you can drive momma’s for free,” Land said in response to White questioning why it hadn’t been built yet.

By JAMIE WACHTER on Friday, March 21, 2025Subhead

Newly created position will focus on project management.

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LIVE OAK — Help is on the way for Suwannee County’s administration.

The Suwannee County Commission unanimously approved creating an assistant county administrator position to work alongside County Administrator Greg Scott at the end of its meeting Tuesday.

That position will be advertised internally first, Scott said, before he would look to bring in someone from outside the county’s operations.

There is no timetable for when a hire will be made, but Scott doesn’t expect it to alter the county’s current budget.

“I’m motivated to try and find the right person, quickly if I can,” Scott said Thursday about the process of finding that assistant administrator. “If I can find the right one that can grow and learn what I know and then do better than me where they’re the natural fit as the next administrator, then I’ve done a better service for the county to do the legwork ahead of time.

“It’s exciting times for us, I think. We have a lot of opportunity ahead of us. We get the right people on board, it will really streamline things.”

Scott noted if the hire is made internally, the budget impact would be minimized by the person’s current salary. He also added that there are funds available with Jimmy Norris’ recent resignation as economic development director.

Scott asked the board for permission to seek an assistant administrator as a way to make the county’s operation more efficient. He said too many of the projects the county is working on aren’t getting done as quickly as he’d like.

“We can get closer to projects and get them moving,” he said. “It would lighten the load on the day-to-day things that I have and clean up processes and get more efficient.”

On Thursday, Scott added: “I’m chasing rabbits all day and you can’t really get work done unless you have someone to do the work while you’re chasing rabbits…The problem we’ve always ran into, you’re always working on that thing and you don’t have time to do strategic planning or thinking.”

While Scott mentioned the assistant administrator would oversee some departments during Tuesday’s meeting, he said Thursday that most of the county’s departments are basically self-sufficient and don’t need much oversight.

Instead, he said he views the position’s focus as more on project management and project development, as well as monitoring budgets and providing assistance to any departments when necessary.

“Making sure we have the right consultants or the right staff making projects get done,” Scott said. “We’ve got projects stacked up for awhile and we can’t get out of our way sometimes.”

The commissioners were on board with that direction, noting the county’s growth will mean the need for more staff to provide services.

“Were getting to the size of organization and community growing and demand on that office…it’s something that needs to be discussed,” Commissioner Don Hale said.

In addition to seeking permission to add that position, Scott informed the board that he had officially made Charissa Setzer the county’s economic development coordinator. Setzer, who has been the marketing coordinator for the county’s Tourist Development office, which is combined with the economic development office, will oversee the day-to-day operations in economic development through the end of the legislative session or possibly even the end of the state’s fiscal year in June.

“She’s very capable of taking care of things,” Scott said, noting the county can make a decision later this spring or summer on how it wants to try to fill the economic development director position vacated by Norris earlier in March.

By JAMIE WACHTER on Friday, March 14, 2025Image

• Live Oak City Council President Matt Campbell said it is better for the city and, possibly, Suwannee County to find out about potential solutions to the traffic and parking problems in downtown than doing nothing. (FILE)

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LIVE OAK — The Live Oak City Council envisions a new look to downtown Live Oak.

At its Tuesday meeting, the council unanimously authorized City Manager Larry Sessions to talk with Suwannee County Administrator Greg Scott about a possible joint effort to purchase property downtown that could help lead to an extra lane in both directions on Ohio Avenue (U.S. Highway 129) as well as have discussions with the Florida Department of Transportation about those traffic changes.

“I don’t think it’s any secret there’s definitely issues with through traffic especially on 129,” Council President Matt Campbell said. “It’s been a battle, it’s fair to say, with DOT about eliminating the turn lane and making it not only a turn lane there on 129 and 90.

“I think it’s needed.”

Sessions said the traffic there and the turn lane is one of his top issues to discuss with DOT officials.

The discussion was requested by Campbell who said he wanted to see if perhaps two problems could be solved at one time through the joint effort.

Campbell said by possibly purchasing two properties along the west side of Ohio Avenue in between the Suwannee County Courthouse and the old post office, the buildings could be demolished to make way for additional parking in the downtown corridor.

That additional parking would offset a possible elimination of on-street parking along Ohio Avenue, which could make way for the extra travel lanes.

“I think we have some opportunities to alleviate all the problems,” Campbell said.

Campbell also noted that there could be some pushback from business owners who would lose the parking in front of their businesses. He added the additional parking could also make the vacant post office more attractive to potential buyers and developers.

Other councilors, while supporting Sessions having the discussions with Scott and looking into the cost of the purchases, also had concerns about the total cost of the project.

Councilwoman Gladys Owens noted in addition to a purchase price, there also would be the cost of demolition. Councilwoman Vanessa Robinson said purchasing those buildings would also tax those properties off the tax rolls, negating potential revenue from the city as well.

“I’m not sure it’s the best idea at this time,” she said.

Councilman Tommie Jefferson pointed out that the first phase of the Heritage Square project on the northern side of the railroad tracks in downtown included public parking alongside the Suwannee County Historical Museum.

Still, Campbell said he thought the proposal was worth considering to eliminate the traffic congestion that plagues the downtown area. The extra lane would allow additional traffic to move through the Ohio Avenue and Howard Street (U.S. 90) interchange where currently there is only one lane of through traffic in each direction as well as a turn lane.

“Anything I think we can do is better than sitting here and doing nothing,” he said. “It’s not going to fix itself.”

Resident Cheryl Pruitt thanked Campbell for the idea, noting traffic is horrible on U.S. 129.

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Bill filed to abolish White Springs By JAMIE WACHTER jwachter@lakecityreporter.com The local bill to abolish the White Springs town government was filed in the Florida House of Representatives on Friday. Rep. Jason Shoaf (R-Port St. Joe) filed the onepage bill Friday morning. The bill, which Shoaf and Sen. Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee) voted unanimously to consider this session, calls for the abolishment of the Town of White Springs with all assets and legitimate liabilities of the town being transferred to Hamilton County. The dissolution of the town charter will happen as soon as the bill is signed into law, according to the proposed bill (HB 4079). The town was first incorporated in 1897 with its charter amended nearly 20 times since then through legislative acts. All of those actions will be repealed by the dissolution of the town’s government if the bill is passed. But first the bill must go through a House committee — as of Friday afternoon it was not known which committee will hear the bill — the full House and the full Senate 

By JAMIE WACHTER on Friday, February 14, 2025ImageSmall Image

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LIVE OAK — Despite concerns from both residents and a pair of council members, the City of Live Oak is moving forward with bigger trash cans and an increased cost for pickup.

During its meeting Tuesday night, the Live Oak City Council approved by a 4-1 vote the second reading of an ordinance to increase the monthly fee for solid waste pickup $2.50 to $24.17 per month. As part of that fee, the city will provide all residents one 96-gallon trash can.

Commercial customers in the city who do not use dumpsters will also get just one of the larger trash cans for its base charge of $67.11, also a $2.50 increase. Previously, commercial customers were allowed four 32-gallon cans.

Vanessa Brown Robinson, the lone councilor to vote against the change, expressed that concern during board discussion.

“We’re giving them less and charging them more,” she said. “I’m concerned that we’re charging more for less.”

Gladys Owens, who did vote for the ordinance, also had concerns about that, particularly for businesses in the city. Owens said she’d like to see the city provide a second can to those businesses at an additional $2.50 charge.

The ordinance reads any customer — residential or commercial — that needs a second can will have to pay an additional $7.50 per month.

Eight city residents also expressed their concerns about the trash change, including the potential loss of capacity.

Janice Atkins said her daughter runs a daycare business in the city. She said with the less garbage can space for the business, it could lead to a stinky problem.

“Think of how many diapers will be on the ground with only one trash can,” she said.

Shanice Brown, who said she had experience with the more automated trash pickup service when she lived in Miami, told the council that with just one can, the city needed to expand its pickup. Currently, the city only provides pickup one time per week without an additional charge. Brown said there needed to be at least two pickups weekly.

“It’s not 1997,” she said, noting that many residents do shopping now through Amazon and have countless boxes to throw away. “Everything has trash.”

City Manager Larry Sessions, though, tried to tell the concerned residents multiple times that the city needed to move forward with the services it provides. He added that currently nobody knows how the process will work until the city gets started. According to the ordinance, it will go into effect March 1.

“This is all new to us,” he said, adding that city calculations determined less than 10% of all customers would possibly need a second can. He also said the city is providing the first can where previously people had to provide their own.

NEW P&Z MEMBER

The council also filled the final seat on its seven-member planning and zoning board during the meeting, selecting Adam Collins, an engineer for that spot.

Collins was appointed by a 3-2 vote with Robinson and Owens dissenting.

Robinson had made a motion to appoint Patricia Bennett to the board, which Owens provided the second. That potential appointment, though, failed by a 3-2 vote. Bennett is the bookkeeper of Bennett’s Glass.

Tommie Jefferson then made a motion to appoint Kenny Beasley. That motion died for lack of a second. Beasley works for the Suwannee County Road Department.

HALE CHANGE BACKED

The council also provided consensus to Jason Furry, the director of the Suwannee County Parks and Recreation Department, of supporting the possibility of demolishing and rebuilding the John Hale Community Center instead of renovating the facility.

The city has allocated $100,000 toward restrooms at the center. The Live Oak Pilgrim’s is contributing $75,000 in addition to the $808,614 Florida Commerce Multi-Purpose Community Facility grant that the county received for the project.

After the Suwannee County Commission approved the grant and discussed building a new building at its Feb. 4 meeting, Furry also said he felt it was a better option if the numbers make sense.

The current building was constructed in 1957.

By JAMIE WACHTER on Wednesday, January 29, 2025ImageSmall Image

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LIVE OAK — The new year has brought some new interest in Suwannee County from potential businesses.

That has Jimmy Norris, the county’s economic development director, hopeful not just for a great 2025 but for a great stretch of years coming up.

“We’re positive in our mindset,” Norris said. “It appears as if there’s been more activity. The phone has been ringing a little more. We’re hopeful that’s a great sign for the future.

“We’re hoping this will be a great next several years, not just in 2025 but the next several years.”

That optimism stems not just from those additional calls and revived interest after a slower 2024, Norris said. With last year’s election out of the way and the possibility of interest rates dropping in the months ahead, even some projects that had already chosen Suwannee County as a future home may resume those developments.

Norris said county officials heard from a number of companies last year that they were pushing back on plans to expand and develop for several months or until the new year.

If interest rates do drop, Norris said that should help lead to those plans picking back up.

“The cost of doing business just kept escalating for those companies,” he said. “It just doesn’t make sense. We understand that. We know this is a marathon, not a sprint.”

While some of those projects — Project Shark and Project Snowman as well as Wave Armor, which broke ground before pulling back — have stalled their plans while waiting for a better economic climate for development, the county has not.

Norris pointed to the continued infrastructure improvements the county is progressing with at its Catalyst Site west of Live Oak as an example. Water mains are currently being extended from the plant at the site both to the west and to the east. The plan is for those lines to be extended to the eastern side of the Interstate 10 interchange at U.S. Highway 90.

Additionally, the county is currently having a wastewater plant for the park designed and completed a master plan for the whole area last year. That plan includes not only the water and wastewater projects, but also natural gas, fiber internet and additional roadways.

“That has helped us identify where we’re going, which direction we need to go in,” Norris said. “When people see that, I think they’ll understand how important that site is to us and how seriously we’re taking it.”

While some of those projects at the Catalyst Site have slowed down, the commercial and retail development along the U.S. 129 corridor near I-10 on the north side of Live Oak certainly has not. IN the past year, a Huddle House, Firehouse Subs and Starbucks have opened right at the I-10 interchange. A Mavis Tire is currently under construction in an out parcel in front of the Publix just south of the interchange and more development is planned for that area, including a Wawa, Chick-fil-A, Ellianos Coffee and Tidal Wave Auto Spa.

“We’re working real hard to still support other stuff coming out here and there’s quite a bit coming,” Norris said. “We’re talking with several people about development north of town and at some of the interchanges on the commercial side. That remains steady.”

So does the county’s continued push on a major project north of the I-10/U.S. 129 interchange. The county was selected last year by the state to host a regional storm shelter with the county purchasing 390 acres for that project.

Norris said the county has issued a request for qualifications to do the design of the shelter. The county also has sought support from surrounding communities for the project as it awaits additional state funding for the construction.

“It would be an economic driver, not just for Suwannee but for the whole entire area,” Norris said. “We’re really hopeful in about three years we’ll have something sitting out there on top of that hill.”

Even prior to that, Norris is hopeful the county will have additional good news on other projects, including one possibly announced later this year at the catalyst site.

“We’re very positive about what we’ve got going,” he said.

 Suwannee  administration  moves back  downtown By JAMIE WACHTER jwachter@lakecityreporter.com LIVE OAK —  The hub  of government activity in  downtown Live Oak now  also includes Suwannee  County’s administration. Early last month, the  c o u n t y ’ s  admini s t r a t i v e  office was  moved to  the second  floor of the  c o u n t y ’ s  Building Department office,  224 Pine Ave. It was a move  that had been planned far  earlier before Hurricanes  Debby and Helene delayed  that action. “It wasn’t a priority right  then,” Suwannee County  Administrator Greg Scott  said this week about the  delay in the move. It’s a move, though, that  Scott had wanted to make  in order for the county to  better serve its residents. With the administrative  office now downtown, residents can conduct most all  of their government business within a few steps.  The Suwannee County  Courthouse, including the  annex with the tax collector’s office and property  appraiser’s office, is right  across the street from  administration and the  building department. The  Supervisor of Elections  office is right next door and  the Economic Development  office is also right there. “The intent is being  accessible for folks,” Scott  said. “It makes the hub of  county government right  there.” The move provided an  added benefit, though.  After years of sharing space  in the public works office  near the Suwannee County  Airport on 80th Terrace,  that department now can be  more efficient. “You don’t have extra  things going on out there to  distract them,” Scott said.  “But the idea was so we can  be accessible to the public.” That move has been good,  so far, according to Scott.  But there are a few minor  details that still need to be  cleaned up. For starters,  Scott said the county’s website still needs to be updated  with the address change, as  well as letterhead. He said  earlier this week he went to  send a letter when he realized the old address was still  on the form. Still, those small tweaks  will be done and are a small  price for the benefit of better serving the people of  Suwannee County and making the government operations run better as well. “For me as an administrator, is a lot of our people  are right there,” Scott said.  “I love to be able to walk  through and speak and get  a feel for what’s going on. “What’s nice, too, is the  synergy among staffing  now that we’re together.” 

By JAMIE WACHTER on Tuesday, December 10, 2024Subhead

Christmas on the Square impacted by water main burst.

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• A construction crew takes in the scene above a ruptured water main in downtown Live Oak. (ROB WOLFE/Lake City Reporter)

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LIVE OAK — The water main leak that washed out a portion of Christmas on the Square has been repaired.

But Live Oak City Manager Larry Sessions said more help is needed to take care of the larger infrastructure issues in the city that helped led to the problem that opened up in the intersection of U.S. Highway 90 (Howard Street) and U.S. Highway 129 (Ohio Avenue) in downtown Friday.

“If we’re fixing leaks all the time, how can we spend time to really fix the problem by building,” Sessions said Monday afternoon, noting the leak was resolved over the weekend with a sleeve placed over the broken pipe as a temporary solution.

The bigger problem is the city’s 100-year-old infrastructure, which Sessions noted, has been having multiple failures all over the city recently.

“Lately, every day, multiple ones, all over town,” Sessions said of leaks, noting there currently were other leaks Monday on Mussey Avenue, Duval Street and Miller Street.

Even prior to the break in the main intersection in the city Friday, which led to the snow slide portion of Snow on the Square shut down Friday night and the lighted Christmas parade to close out the community’s three-day Christmas festival Saturday night to be detoured, another issue arose last Thursday on Walker Avenue.

That leak led to a major pressure loss on the city that impacted the water at the Live Oak schools in the Suwannee County School District and also caused the release of a boil water notice.

In all that leak emptied a 500,000 gallon water tank along Walker by the schools, Sessions noted.

Sessions added that fixing that leak and renewed pressure on the system following it likely helped cause the issues that followed.

“I guarantee you these other leaks since Thursday has been because of the renewed pressure in the system has found new places to go,” he said. “These old pipes are brittle.

“Doing my arm like this today may not break it,” Sessions added as he pulled on his left arm. “But tomorrow it will.”

Still, the line breaking Friday during the area’s largest festival may have been a blessing in disguise, Sessions said in trying to look on a positive note. He said originally the belief was the break occurred beneath the snow slide because that is where the bulk of water showed up on the surface. He added very little was seen up in the intersection at first.

However, he said the water ran in between the asphalt and an old surface of bricks down to where the snow slide was set up where it finally burst through. A retention pond in the downtown area near Langford Stadium filled with cloudy water, Sessions said, a sign that there was a lot of limestone getting washed out prior to them finding the root of the problem.

“The event probably saved somebody,” Sessions said. “If that leak had happened at any other time, we wouldn’t have had the road closed.”

Sessions said crews were planning to pave the road where the break was fixed Monday afternoon.

With that issue repaired, Sessions now turns his attention back to trying to solve the city-wide infrastructure issues. He said it will be part of a comprehensive plan he aims to present to the Live Oak City Council in January on how to improve and grow the city.

Doing so, though, will also require funding. That will probably have to come with help from the state.

Still, Sessions said he is ready to do whatever it takes to solve the problem.

“It’s a challenge,” he said. “I’m that guy. I’m going to make it happen or die trying.”

By JAMIE WACHTER on Wednesday, November 20, 2024Subhead

Former Suwannee superintendent now K-12 chancellor.

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LIVE OAK — Suwannee’s former superintendent of schools didn’t have to wait long to find his next opportunity.

Ted Roush, who did not seek re-election as superintendent, started his new job Monday as the Florida Department of Education’s chancellor of education for K-12 public schools.

Roush said he was humbled when state officials called him to ask if he would be interested in the position, which came open when Paul Burns moved into a senior chancellor role vacated by Adam Miller.

“I was very honored,” Roush said Tuesday night, adding that was his first response exactly, along with asking for some time to think about the offer and discuss it with his family. “Quite honestly, it was not a conversation that I thought was going to happen. I wasn’t seeking out anything.”

That time to consider allowed Roush to decide that route was the right next step for his career. When he announced in January that he was not seeking re-election, Roush said he was not planning on retiring. He mentioned at that time the possibility of returning to working at an individual school level. He had previously served as principal at both Branford and Suwannee high schools.

Instead, the state offer came along, one that Roush credited to the overall work of the people within the Suwannee County School District for making possible.

Roush said with the way public education is set up in Florida with each county having just one school district, it makes for a more intimate working relationship with state officials as well as counterparts across the state. During his eight years as superintendent, he got to know the other superintendents in Florida and also got to know various individuals in the state education department.

He said that helped lead to the opportunity to now go work there.

“I felt very honored to say the work our team has done here together in Suwannee must have been pleasing,” Roush said. “The way we handled day-to-day operations, the way we handled different circumstances as they came up, whether it was covid, whether it was the storms, I don’t know what it was specifically but they do have a very intimate handle on how things are run and how well things are run from one district to the next.

“I will say I take that as a compliment to get that call and go up there and serve.”

After just two days serving in Tallahassee, though, Roush said he was still trying to learn how the day-to-day operations work at the department and the processes that they go through. He said there are already a number of familiar faces and even more familiar names as there are many he had only emailed or talked to on the phone, previously, that he is now meeting in person.

Moving forward Roush said he believes he’ll get his first real understanding of his role early next year. Once committee weeks ramp up in the Florida Legislature in January and then when the session opens in March, Roush said he will get a true sense of what the goals and objectives for the department will be. He said he and his vice chancellors and staff will be available to provide input as needed on whatever bills arise.

“I want to be a help, I want to be of assistance to continue to make things even better for our kids,” Roush said.