Helms: County to get asphalt plant grant

It appears Highlands County will get the $1.65 million asphalt plant grant that was promised by Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the county commissioners learned Tuesday during their meeting.

DEP was supposed to write the check last year, Solid Waste Director Ken Wheeler told the commissioners earlier this month. However, the funds had been held up, he said.

Assistant County Administrator Rick Helms said Tuesday he talked with DEP's finance and granting departments. The issues have been resolved, he told commissioners, and he expects a check to reach Highlands County in a few weeks.

The county applied for grants after they decided to buy a $3.3 million plant to make asphalt using methane gas from the landfill. They didn't realize, until Commissioner Barbara Stewart pulled the item from the consent agenda, that the grant had not been paid.

Budget Manager Tim Mechling said later that Highlands County and state taxpayers paid almost $15,000 in penalties to SunTrust Bank.

At Tuesday's meeting, Stewart apologized to the state and to the state delegation. After the meeting, she said she felt commissioners had improperly blamed the state when the county itself was responsible. If none of the other commissioners would apologize, she would.

"I don't understand why you're apologizing to the state, so don't include me in your apology," Commissioner Guy Maxcy said.

"I don't think we were blaming our legislative delegation," Commissioner Edgar Stokes agreed. In fact, he said, it seemed apparent someone had been throwing monkey wenches in the works.

Helms promised to pull together a full report on why the grant was delayed.

Habitat project

Maxcy said after Tuesday's meeting that he will talk to the stakeholders of the Habitat for Humanity project to build 20 homes by 2011.

The commissioner was absent last week when county commissioners, by a 2-2 vote, turned down a $500,000 request to contribute to the housing project at 1400 Martin Luther King Blvd.

Commissioners Don Bates and Edgar Stokes voted for a motion to grant the $500,000; Barbara Stewart and Jeff Carlson voted against it. Maxcy was absent, so the motion failed to carry on a tie vote.

Maxcy has the opportunity to bring back the issue to the commission, said County Attorney Ross MacBeth. If Maxcy does, he could cast the deciding vote.

Fifty-nine prospective buyers are lined up to buy the homes they build, Habitat Executive Director Mike Jacobsen said. The county would get back its $500,000 when taxes are paid on the homes, he said.

If the commissioners don't vote for the Habitat project, they'll be required to return $575,000 in grant money from the Florida Housing Finance Corp., and $75,000 in administrative costs.