News Briefs

County holds mitigation strategy meeting Tuesday

            Franklin County is in the process of enhancing its ability to respond to the next disaster and is in need of your help.

            As part of this process the county is updating its Local Mitigation Strategy and invites you to attend the next LMS Task Force Meeting, to be held Tuesday, June 16 at 1 p.m. at the Franklin County Emergency Operations Center, 28 Airport Rd., Apalachicola.

            This meeting is your ongoing opportunity to help make the county better prepared for the next disaster.

            If you are unable to attend the meeting you can submit your ideas and comments on-line at www.drc-group.com/lms/florida/franklin

            For more info, call (850) 241-3565.

Armory's management plan public meeting Tuesday

            Mark Curenton, of the county planning department, and Nikki Millender, with county parks and recreation, have been tasked with developing a comprehensive management plan for the Fort Coombs Armory. In April, county commissioners unanimously voted to lease the Armory from the state for 50 years at a cost of $300 per year.

            Millender and Curenton have scheduled a meeting to take public comments on the plan. The meeting will be held Tuesday, June 16 at 5 p.m. at the armory. Everyone is invited to attend. Once the plan is complete the commission will review it.

Speed Limit lowered on South Bayshore Drive.

            At their June 2 meeting, county commissioners voted unanimously to lower the speed limit on South Bayshore Drive in Eastpoint, between US 98 and Island Drive, from 35 to 25 miles per hour.

            The board acted after Commissioner Pinki Jackel received a complaint from the Brown family, who reside on South Bayshore, that the long curve on the street was unsafe at the higher speed limit. Numerous accidents have occurred at the curve, including one in late May.

            County engineer Dan Rothwell said he believed lowering the speed limit would discourage people from using the street as a short cut and reroute traffic to Island Drive.