Damato speaks at Chamber lunch

Shemir Wiles
Staff Writer
CRYSTAL RIVER — Citrus County Commission Chairman Dennis Damato took to the lectern as guest speaker Thursday during the monthly Citrus County Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Plantation on Crystal River.
Gearing up to run for another term as commissioner for District 1, Damato shared his list of accomplishments since joining the board in 2004. They included building a new 13,000-square-foot library in Chassahowitzka, establishing overlay districts in old Homosassa and Floral City, completing sewer plant and systems upgrades in Sugarmill Woods, completing several road repaving projects throughout the county, and Port Citrus.
But beyond noting his achievements over the last six years, he also shared how he has successfully fulfilled many projects he wanted to complete this year, which were listed on his chairman’s agenda.
The agenda, he stated, was created with the help of County Attorney Richard Wesch, County Administrator Brad Thorpe and former County Deputy Administrator Eber Brown and was the first of its kind.
“I’m happy to report mission accomplished,” he said.
Items completed on his chairman’s agenda included resolving the Freezer and Courthouse Annex litigations, starting the removal of septic tanks from around King’s Bay, ramping up marketing to bring new people and capital to the county and developing impact fees that truly reflect Citrus County’s demographics.
Damato said it is his objective to continue to give Citrus County residents a high quality of life and move the community in a positive direction.
On a personal note, he also shared his second MRI has come back clean. Damato underwent surgery on his scalp March 9 to remove skin cancer at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. The 10 1/2-hour surgery replaced his scalp with tissue grafts from his upper right thigh.
He spent eight days in the hospital and followed that with several weeks of rehabilitation at Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center.
Chronicle reporter Shemir Wiles can be reached at (352) 564-2924 or swiles@chronicleonline.
com.