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Highlands Today

Projects, Grants On The Line

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By GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: November 16, 2008

SEBRING - Before Congressman Tim Mahoney lost his Nov. 4 re-election race, he was working on grants, earmarks and other projects in Highlands County.

All may be in jeopardy. In September, Congress passed a defense bill, but delayed finalizing funding issues until next year, until the new president was sworn in.

What is not known is whether the 111th Congress that is sworn in Jan. 6 will take up appropriations issues introduced in the 110th.

"We were talking about a runway extension, land acquisition, resurfacing runway 1432, a taxiway," said Mike Willingham, executive director of Sebring Airport Authority.

They totaled about $30 million. Since none had yet reached the level where Mahoney successfully earmarked the money in a bill or wrote a grant, no money has been lost.

"But we spent a lot of time and effort in educating the congressman and getting his support," said Willingham. "Weeks."

Even worse, said a congressional staffer who didn't want to be quoted, after Mahoney succeeded disgraced 16th district Congressman Mark Foley, he was given unprecedented access and favors from Democratic leaders. Even if Mahoney had been reelected, he likely would have been stripped if his important committee memberships, the staffer said.

Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, is taking over. But he's a freshman in a minority party, so he won't have the influence, the staffer pointed out.

"As a freshman representative in a minority party," agreed Ray Royce, executive director of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association, "it may be a tad harder to do some stuff."

Mahoney was also the only member of the Florida delegation on the House Agriculture Committee, Royce said. "Rooney is going to ask to see if he can get himself placed on the ag committee. This is one of the leading agriculture parts of Florida, so hopefully that will be the case."

Valerie Guenther, Mahoney's aide, closed the congressman's office last week in Sebring City Hall, said Pete Pollard.

"They forwarded the phone to St. Lucie," said Pollard, executive director of Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency. Office equipment was returned to Washington.

Congressman-elect Rooney's communications director, Jeff Ostermayer, said Rooney will attend freshman orientation in Washington next week. After that, he'll be touring the eight counties in the 16th district, meeting with constituents.

Rooney, who was elected a week ago, is still assembling his staff, said Ostermayer. No word on whether he'll choose members of Mahoney's 15-member staff, many of whom worked for Foley two years ago. Congressional staff aren't federal merit system employees, they serve at the pleasure of the congressman.

"We're having meetings about that right now," Ostermayer said.

In the meantime, constituents can e-mail tomrooney.com or call 772-463-4733.

Million Dollar Projects

Alternative Fuels What if every dump truck and white pickup truck owned by Highlands County operated from landfill gas? How much money could the county save?

"It depends on the price of fuel," said Ken Wheeler, director of solid waste.

Every year, the county burns off about 550,000 BTUs of methane gas, which emanates from rotting garbage. And the county buys 600,000 gallons of fuel each year to operate its fleet of cars, garbage trucks, road graders, earth movers and heavy trucks.

So Wheeler has applied, through the congressman's office, for a $4 million alternative fuel grant. With $1.8 million of that money, he would build a plant that would scrub the methane of water, oxygen, nitrogen and other gases.

"It needs to be about 90 percent methane to be fuel grade," Wheeler said. Then each vehicle the county owns would be converted to operate on natural gas. The cost is about $5,000 for cars and light trucks, and about $40,000 for diesel engines.

Smaller engines can operate entirely methane - natural gas. Diesel engines can use 80 percent methane, but the other 20 percent must be diesel.

"The county keeps those trucks for 10 years," Wheeler said. "They currently average about 750,000 miles." If they get 7.5 miles a gallon, they would save about 100,000 gallons of fuel.

The methane gas produced would be loaded onto fifth-wheel trailers and rolled to the county's current fueling stations. Methane wouldn't be pumped into the underground tanks, which costs more money, it would stored in the fifth-wheel, and when it's empty, it would be rolled back for refueling.

Two other landfills, in California and Georgia, are currently using methane gas to power cars and trucks, Wheeler said.

• Ethanol Production Mahoney led the effort to obtain grants for ethanol plants in Highlands County. Two entrepreneurs have said they may make alcohol from orange pulp and peels, which would be blended into gasoline.

"I was in Iowa with a leadership group, and there were relatively new corn ethanol plants," said Royce. "Both employed about 60 people, and the average pay was $40,000 to $50,000 a year."

"And we need those jobs drastically right now," said Roger Hood, president of Heartland Workforce, who plans to talk with Rooney.

Mahoney was also attempting to get research dollars from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to combat citrus pest and disease problems, including canker and greening.

"Rooney has been on the phone talking to agriculture folks, and we're trying to get a meeting set up," Royce said.

Rooney hasn't favored the ethanol plants, but that doesn't concern Royce, who said Rooney has admitted he knows about legal and military issues, but needs more education about agriculture and the issues of rural counties.

Fire Training With a $1 million grant, South Florida Community College is hoping to build a fire science facility. A burn room and a fire tower would be on or near the Highlands campus.

"We've got a grant request in," said President Norm Stephens. He's already talked with the new congressman, who is supportive of the idea.

• Civic Center Lake Placid is hoping for a $2.5 million grant to help build the multi-purpose building, said Mayor Tom Katsanis. It would be built on donated land behind the middle school, and be used as a civic center, hurricane shelter, wedding chapel, chamber of commerce and town office.

"There are a lot of maybes here, but if the project moves forward, the town has offered $400,000 in money," Katsanis said.

Sewer Lines Currently, the Desoto Fire Station, the health department, the Emergency Operations Coordination office, even the soon-to-be built veteran's building are on septic tanks. A $2 million grant would bring a sewer line from the city of Sebring.

"We've already been in touch with Sen. Martinez's office to see it he will take it over," said County Engineer Ramon Gavarrete.

Gary Pinnell can be reached at 863-386-5828 or gpinnell@highlandstoday.com

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