Seagrass removal on Tuesday's agenda

Seagrass and garbage are among the top items on Tuesday's county commission agenda.

County Engineer Charles Mixson will ask commissioners to approve an alternate site to replace the seagrass in the way of the Hernando Beach dredge project.

The state recommended the county find a new protection zone because the seagrass in the original location has already grown back.

Mixson will propose replanting six acres of the grass north of the original site, between Bayport and Jenkins Creek.

Still to be determined is how much this change in plans will cost. The county has already spent about $7.8 million of the $9 million budgeted for the entire dredge project.

Mixson said the change in site should not alter the timetable for completion.

Also Tuesday, Utilities Director Joe Stapf will request approval to allow trash haulers to take up to 100 tons of garbage per day to alternate disposal sites until the construction of a new landfill cell is completed.

Those sites would be either the Pasco County incinerator or the Sumter County transfer station.

Since commercial haulers now pay Hernando County's tipping fee (the cost of disposal is not included in the annual solid waste assessment) there would be no extra cost to the county, according to Stapf.

Stapf will also discuss reducing the operating hours at the eastside and westside convenience centers from 10 hours per day to eight.

The new hours would be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays starting Sept. 1.

The Northwest Landfill hours would remain the same - 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The commission meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St. in downtown Brooksville.