Board bucks slow speed on King’s Bay

INVERNESS — Citrus County commissioners on Tuesday joined the chorus of voices shouting down proposed federal manatee-protection rules that include year-round slow speed in King’s Bay.

The board voted unanimously on a resolution asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reconsider its plan to establish entire King’s Bay as a manatee refuge.

Commissioners also directed their staff to develop a position paper to counteract a wildlife service study that shows creating a year-round slow speed on King’s Bay would have minimum economic impact.

Many residents and local officials are fiercely opposed to the proposed rule for the slow-speed zone, which would remove the current 35 mph summer sport zone around Buzzard Island.

Other proposed rules, such as closing Three Sisters Springs at night from November to March and prohibiting access to springs during harsh cold, are not getting the type of attention the King’s Bay slow speed is receiving.

Commissioner Joe Meek, who grew up in Crystal River, said it isn’t fair to shut down a summer recreation zone when manatee protection plans are already in place.

“It’s vitally important this community retain a recreation element in King’s Bay,” Meek said.

All five commissioners attended a special Crystal River City Council meeting Monday night. The council voted to oppose the slow-speed zone.

Meek said eliminating the sport zone will only force recreational boaters, water skiers and jet skis out into the river channel where they will compete for space with commercial boats and fishermen.

He said federal officials outside Crystal River might not understand that.

“This isn’t just some academic project for us,” Meek said.

Commissioner Winn Webb said the federal government should enforce the rules it has in place now before adding rules.

“If there’s harassment of manatees, whose fault is that?” Webb asked.

In other business Tuesday, the commission:

* Approved by a 4-1 vote establishing an onsite medical clinic for county employees enrolled in the county’s health insurance program. While annual costs are $642,000, County Administrator Brad Thorpe said the county will recoup that and more in health insurance savings.

The clinic, operated by Tennessee-based CareHere LLC, will be set up at Citrus County Resource Center near Beverly Hills. The same company oversees a similar clinic for the Citrus County School District to keep costs down for employees and the district.

Commissioner Rebecca Bays voted against the clinic. She said the county shouldn’t compete with local doctors.

* Agreed to send a letter, signed by all five commissioners, to Progress Energy Florida supporting the company’s decision to repair a containment wall at the nuclear plant north of Crystal River.

Repairs are expected to cost $900 million to $1.2 billion. Company officials hope to have the plant in service by 2014.

Meek said had the company decided to shut the plant permanently, it would have had a devastating economic effect on Citrus County.

Josh Wooten, president and chief executive officer of the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce, agreed.

“You can’t underestimate what this means to us,” Wooten said. “The alternative would have put us in a hole so deep it would have taken years to get out of.”

Chronicle reporter Mike Wright can be reached at (352) 563-3228 or mwright@chronicleonline.com.

* WHAT: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service public hearing on proposed manatee-protection rules
* WHEN: Thursday, July 7; open house from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; public hearing 7 to 9 p.m.
* WHERE: College of Central Florida, Lecanto campus.
* COMMENT PERIOD ENDS: Aug. 22.