Commissioners Seem Cool To Lockett Estate

By GARY PINNELL

SEBRING –– Highlands County commissioners spent four hours Tuesday discussing accepting the Edna Pearce Lockett Estate and selling two utility systems to Lake Placid, but made no decisions.

Despite the urging of Catherine Cornelius, they appeared reluctant to accept the Lockett Estate.

Commissioner Edgar Stokes said when the county ran the estate about 15 years ago, crowds showed up at historic festivals.

“When the festival was over, nobody came,” Stokes told the other four commissioners.
“We were convinced they were interested in the festivals, but not the estate,” he said.

Although many in the audience wanted the county to take over the estate, Stokes said many people were against it too, because they don’t want taxpayer money spent on the project.

“It seems to me that the South Florida Water Management District is ideal to have this property,” Commissioner Barbara Stewart said. Highlands County doesn’t have the tourism or historic expertise to take over. “Why would SFWMD not continue with this?”

Florida Atlantic University would also be a better proprietor, Stewart said. SFWMD (not FAU, as stated in Friday’s story) is offering Highlands County $500,000 to take the estate.

“Are they about to get rid of it? Are they going to sell it, or turn it back to the family?” Stewart asked. “If we don’t take it over, what happens?”

Fred Davis, who represented SFWMD at the meeting, said the board of directors discussed keeping it eight months ago, and decided against it. The FAU regents also don’t want the estate, said its representative.

Cornelius, who headed the Highlands County Historic Preservation Commission, said the estate was too important to pass it. It was formerly owned by Lockett, Florida’s third female state representative.

Stewart asked the preservation commission to come back next month with more precise revenue and expense budgets.

The commissioners also seemed skeptical of the town of Lake Placid’s request to take over two county water and sewer facilities.

The county operates Placid Utilities, a water and sewer district that serves Tomoka Heights, and another water district which serves Highway Park.

Town Attorney Bert Harris sent a letter in November to Ramon Gavarrete, asking for expense and revenue reports of the two districts. The county engineer complied, and briefed the commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting.

However, he noted, even the town councilors were “a little queasy” about taking over the two utilities districts.

Chuck Oakes, a developer in Sun ‘n Lakes of Lake Placid, said he would break ground in 10 days, and would work with the county or the town.
But a crowd was on hand to oppose Lake Placid’s request.

“We’re going to lose representation,” resident Ken Hall warned, because the homeowners are represented by the Placid Utility Advisory Committee.

Sheila Byatt, a builder in Tomoka Heights, said the county needs to retain ownership of the utilities. Two other residents agreed.

The commissioners should consider letting Lake Placid run the utilities for four years, he suggested.
“No,” more than a dozen people from the audience roared their advice.

“The greater issue is growth policy in south Highlands County,” Harris told the commissioners.

The town must grow, said town Councilor Debra Worley.

Stewart agreed, saying a municipality that doesn’t own its utilities doesn’t control its fate.

“I think Lake Placid is finding this out,” she said. Lake Placid Mayor Tom Katsanis last month wanted to close the police department to save money. The council disagreed, hoping instead to expand the tax base.

Even if the county doesn’t sell the two utilities districts, she told the other commissioners, they need to work out a service agreement with Lake Placid so the utilities won’t compete.

In other business, Sheriff Susan Benton asked the commissioners to again consider a $670,000 request to upgrade the aging radio system.
“It’s now urgent,” Benton said.