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A Weekly CSX Roundup

Posted Jun 15, 2007 by Billy Townsend

Updated Jun 15, 2007 at 06:09 PM

Some of you have complained, with justification, of CSX fatigue. So we’re going to try a weekly roundup of news on the CSX front in the hope of further diversifying our daily posting.

So here’s a little Friday afternoon buffet of interesting tidbits directly and indirectly-related to the big Winter Haven CSX project:

1) CSX officials met with Florida Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp on June 5, the same day that the state Department of Community Affairs offered to allow CSX to enter an agreement allowing the company to start building its massive Winter Haven rail hub before a regional review of impacts is completed. That decision was reached just a few days after DCA ruled that CSX would have to go through such a review. Many critics have seen the June 5 decision as a way to get around the purpose of the review.

The meeting, according to Kottkamp’s schedule, was expected to last for just 10 minutes. There’s no record of what was discussed, according to officials in the governor’s office. I requested any emails addressing CSX that came in or went out of the governor’s or lieutenant governor’s office during this period. I was told that a search showed there were none.

2) Speaking of emails, as I mentioned earlier this week, I requested about a month’s worth of Winter Haven city government emails related to CSX.

I only have paper copies, so I can’t link to them. But there’s nothing terribly earth shattering in the collection I have. I can only assume it’s complete. I have no reason to think otherwise.

A few observations:

A) The “seller’s evaluation period” and “buyer’s inspection period” for CSX’s purchase of the city-owned land where the hub will be built is set to expire at 5 p.m. Monday. However, this period has been extended several times in the past, and city spokeswoman Joy Townsend said it will likely be extended again. But she also said CSX and the city anticipate closing the deal within the next two months.

B) City officials have closely followed the online reporting about the CSX projects, often forwarding posts from various sources. And they have worked closely with Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce Bob Gernert. In one email sent just after it looked like the project might be delayed by a regional review, Gernert tells City Manager David Greene: “…if there is any significant strategic shift in the CSX strategy, please let me know.” Gernert also ran several posts by Greene before placing them on the Chamber blog. Let me be clear. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. It appears Gernert just wanted to be as factually accurate as he could be. But it’s interesting how important online communication has become and how it allows for the construction of reporting and P.R. networks.

3) I attended the big meeting with CSX folks in Lakeland earlier this week, but Chuck at Lakeland Local did a far better job – with well-behaved daughter in tow, I might add – covering it than I will even attempt. Here’s his account. It’s in two parts, so be sure to follow the link to his first part. Bottom line: CSX has no plans to reroute the increased train traffic away from downtown Lakeland. It considers that route its “golden” line. Second bottom line: The head of the state’s rail office attended and said the state is now well aware of Lakeland’s concerns. He hinted at the availability of money to help somehow. But it’s not exactly clear what the state could do. If nothing else, the impacts on Lakeland are at least on the state’s radar screen now, it would seem.

4) County Commissioner Randy Wilkinson alerted me to this interesting story out of Long Beach, Calif., home of the country’s largest port and the jumping off point for many of the shipping containers expected to make their way to Winter Haven eventually. Anyway, the story is a look into the pros and cons for residents of a major hub. You can’t directly compare Long Beach to Winter Haven for obvious size reasons. But it is clear that CSX and Winter Haven want this site to become the key inland hub for the Florida distribution industry.

5) The business climate for freight rail, which has been great, is slipping a bit, according to this report.

6) DCA Secretary Thomas Pelham spoke at a Florida Assocation of Counties meeting in Orlando on Friday. Several Polk County commissioners were there. Commissioner Jean Reed said she asked Pelham about funding for road improvements to State Road 60 and other highways possibly affected by truck traffic from the CSX hub. According to Reed and Commissioner Randy Wilkinson, Pelham complimented the county for asking DCA to take another look at the project’s development of regional impact status. According to Reed and Wilkinson, Pelham also said that the DRI review gave Polk leverage to make CSX contribute to any such improvements. Wilkinson and Reed, in separate interviews, both described Pelham as highly knowledgable of the CSX issue in Polk and sensitive to the concerns about impacts.

6) The Florida Bipartisans will hold a public forum on the CSX project Monday night at 6:30 p.m. in the community room of the Lakeland public library, located on Lake Morton. This is a government watchdog group, and you can expect some tough questions to be asked of CSX representative Dan Murphy, who is slated to attend. For additional information call Ron Tomlin at 863-660-5428