Damato, Thorpe discuss Port Citrus at Inglis meeting

INGLIS — The Inglis Town Council had a meeting with Citrus County Commissioner Dennis Damato and County Administrator Brad Thorpe Tuesday night to educate members of the board about Port Citrus and how the town of Inglis can benefit from the port, as well as to educate them about becoming members of the Withlacoochee Regional Water Supply Authority Board.
 

“Thorpe and Damato talked to commissioners and gave them a brief overview of Port Citrus and were graciously received,” County Public Information Officer Lindsay Ubinas said.
Damato gave a brief presentation on the benefits of Port Citrus to the northwest Citrus and South Levy County communities.
 

“The establishment of Port Citrus affords the County Commission a unique opportunity to take a long view at the future of northwest Citrus County,” Damato said. “The area contains many existing and under-utilized public works projects, and Port Citrus allows us to turn those unique physical aspects into sustainable economic opportunities and jobs.”
 

Damato’s presentation included an overview of the “strong points” of the area an imminent port feasibility study should address. They included the existing railroad, nearby regional airport and the port’s proximity to the northern terminus of the Suncoast Parkway. He said port activities would include transportation of coal, petroleum, livestock and other bulk freight or container freight shipping.
 

“Lodging, restaurant and retail opportunities could be a component,” Damato said. “There are many, many things that could be potentially located there.”
 

Thorpe then addressed Levy County Board of Commissioners, saying, “Hopefully you will be part of this process and if we are successful, we hope it will benefit your county as well as ours. We think it would be good for you to join with us and work with us.
 

“The feeling is Port Citrus is unique,” Thorpe said. “Not many counties have a direct connection to the Gulf of Mexico. A lot of the jobs in Citrus County relied on the building industry and those are gone forever. It’s all about creating jobs.
 

After the meeting, Inglis Commissioner Sherry Ely, liaison for roads and bridges, said “I just want to brag a little. We are very proud that you are here because our little town is a crossroads and we are the last town in our county. And we want our town to be here and our people to be happy and jobs and things to go good. This has been an important night in history that I can say that I’ve been around long enough to see this and I thank you so much for this opportunity.”
 

“We feel the same way,” Damato said. “We felt that now is the time to talk about the port and water
opportunities.”
 

Several Levy County Commissioners and Yankeetown Mayor Dawn Marie Clary attended the meeting. Commissioner Marsha Drew then invited Damato and Thorpe to the next Levy County Commission meeting on Oct. 18 in Bronson.
 

“We are trying to educate the public and surrounding counties about Port Citrus. This was a great opportunity for other dignitaries and local citizens to ask questions and dispel any rumors they might have heard about the port,” Ubinas said.
 

A port, if established in Citrus County, would not be a major facility, such as the Port of Tampa, but rather a smaller scale operation based on the constraints of water depth, economic need, and environmental conditions. Not including Port Citrus, there are 14 public sea ports on Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
 

Thorpe also spoke Thursday to the Marion Regional Manufacturers Association (MRMA) at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Ocala.