Drug Rehab Center Gets Another Airing

Residents will get another chance to voice their objections to a planned mental health and drug addiction treatment facility when county commissioners hear the proposal at their Land Use Hearing Wednesday.

Last month, during a heated planning and zoning meeting, several residents complained the facility - proposed for the northeast corner of Grove Road and Oakado Street - would pose a safety risk for children in the area and add to the congestion in their neighborhood.

P&Z members voted 4-1 to approve the special exception use permit.

Normally, that would have been the end of the matter.

However, thanks to a request from residents, county commissioners agreed to review the P&Z decision at this week's hearing.

County commissioners will consider the issue at their meeting which begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14 at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St. in downtown Brooksville.

Also at Wednesday's Land Use Hearing:

•County Administrator David Hamilton will discuss the two standing committees commissioners recently formed to tackle budgetary and economic development issues.

The goal is to have the Budget and Finance Committee structure in place and a revised meeting schedule implemented beginning in March and the Business & Economic Committee to follow in April.

•Commissioners will be updated on the Housing Enhancement Loan Program (HELP), which uses money from the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP).

The HELP program provides assistance of up to $40,000 to low income homeowners experiencing conditions in their homes that pose a threat to their health, safety or welfare.