Update 2021-02-09: Back to Live Oak and online: SRWMD Nestle Special Meeting 2021-02-23.

This time the judge recommended accepting the permit, as the Nestlé case bounced back to SRWMD from DOAH for a second time.

So the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) has scheduled a special meeting at 9AM on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, at the Suwannee River Fair Pavilion in Fanning Springs. I wonder if all those postcards had any effect on scheduling a special meeting?

SRWMD will not accept any comments on this subject at their regular board meeting next Tuesday.

Special SRWMD Meeting, Suwannee River Fair Pavilion, 2021-02-23

This time, SRWMD should take the public interest into consideration.

Which would mean a Swiss company profiting on plastic bottles, at the expense of the Floridan Aquifer, Ginnie Springs, and the Santa Fe River levels, is not in the public interest.

You can still send a postcard to SRWMD:

SRWMD Board Members
9225 CR 49
Live Oak, FL 32060

NO Nestlé PERMIT

Here’s the announcement of the special meeting in the current SRWMD Board packet:

NOTICE CONCERNING RECOMMENDED ORDER FROM THE DIVISION OF
ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS IN SEVEN SPRINGS WATER COMPANY V.
SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, DOAH CASE NO. 20-3581

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Suwannee River Water Management District has received a recommended order from the Division of Administrative Hearings in Seven Springs Water Company v. Suwannee River Water Management District, DOAH Case No. 20-3581. This case concerns Seven Springs Water Company’s application for renewal water use permit No. 2-041-218202-3, for groundwater to be bottled at the plant owned by Nestle Waters North America Inc., and located at in Gilchrist County, Florida at 7100 NE CR 340, High Springs, Florida 32643.

SPECIAL MEETING. The Governing Board will hold a special meeting to consider the recommended order and issue a final order in the above matter. The special meeting will be held as follows:

Date and Time: Tuesday, February 23, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. (The Governing Board anticipates concluding this meeting February 23, 2021, but if it does not, then the meeting may be continued to Wednesday, February 24, 2021, 9:00 a.m.)

Place: Suwannee River Fair Pavilion, 17851 NW 90th Ave., in the Town of Fanning Springs, Florida (This location is addressed out of the Trenton, Florida Post Office and therefore may come up as 17851 NW 90th Ave., Trenton, Florida 32693 if searched.)

PUBLIC COMMENTS. PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL BE TAKEN ON THE ABOVE MATTER AT THE SPECIAL MEETING. As public comments will be taken at the above special meeting, NO COMMENTS WILL BE TAKEN ON THIS MATTER AT THE GOVERNING BOARD’S FEBRUARY 9, 2021 REGULAR MEETING. Please understand that as the District has now received the above recommended order, except in very limited circumstances, the Governing Board is not allowed to consider matters except those matters presented at the above special meeting.

The board packet is on the WWALS website. As agendas go, it’s one of the least busy we’ve seen for SRWMD.

You can attend the regular meeting online or in person at 9 AM, Tuesday, February 9, 2021.

GoTo Webinar Link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1467583453232805136
Call-In Number for Audio: Toll Free 1-888-585-9008 – Conference Room Number: 704-019-452 #
Public Comment Form Link: www.MySuwanneeRiver.com/Comments

Remember, you have to both register for gotowebinar and sign up for public comments if you want to speak.

There’s nothing in the board packet about any remote access to the Special Meeting. Apparently you have to go to Fanning Springs. Probably that’s why they picked that Pavilion, so there would be enough room for distancing.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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