WOKC Local News – April 06, 2026, 7:41 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Impact fees now in place. With WOKC News, I’m Charles Murphy. Okeechobee joined about two thirds of Florida counties that now collect what are called impact fees before a new housing development, home, commercial structure is built. The impact fees will fund eight different categories, including law enforcement and corrections, fire and EMS, parks and recreation, and certain public facilities. Single family homes pay between 12,000 and nearly 20,000. Consultant Mike Woodward says there are limits to how much the county can adjust these fees. Can adopt a rate that’s lower than what’s calculated. Now, by statute, you are not allowed to adopt at a rate that’s higher than what is calculated, but you are not prevented from adopting at something that’s lower. It’s just recognized that if you do, then those impacts will still be here. There’s just a need to come up with that funding from somewhere else. Deb Frazier opposed the impact fees. She says developers already pay their fair share. Much of the infrastructure, too, that you’re talking about developments coming into town, I’m sure if Johnny Morris shows up, that Johnny Morris is gonna pay a big chunk of that infrastructure money. So I wanna be sure that everybody realizes that developers pay for the roads, the infrastructure, you know, everything that goes inside those. And if they’re not, they certainly should be because I know they are. 710 widening has been moved up by the Florida Department of Transportation. The governor expected to add the project to the five-year work plan on July 1st between Indian Town and Okeechobee. They’re looking at passing lanes in the interim. This is FDOT Secretary in Miami, Cesar Rodriguez. We do realize that safety is still a concern. Early this year, we had a couple fatalities along the corridor, and we realized that at the pace that we’re going on, right, it’s not sustainable. Other measures that could be put in temporarily are reducing the speed limit at night, replacing all old signs, and adding reflective signs wherever possible. Okeechobee County gets a grant from the state to study wildlife. Coyotes on the runway have been a problem in the past. John Zericki told commissioners about the grant. And the amount of $6,750 for wildlife hazard assessment at the Okeechobee County Airport. Okeechobee County also has been running code enforcement fines against several dollar stores. They allege the stores are not maintaining their grounds or drainage systems in Okeechobee. Two people die in a motel fire at the Econo Lodge in Avon Park in a tragedy early today. Highlands County Sheriff Deputies investigating the deaths and the state fire marshal investigating how the fire started. Pahokee hires a new auditor and finance director for $85,000. Interim City Manager Tammy Busse says there’s no time to wait. We need to have someone in place that’s qualified to get these things done. Vice Mayor Sanquita Cowan-Williams did not like the process they used. We’re saying we wanna build our relationship back in Palm Beach County, but we skipped over Palm Beach County, not even put the bid out at all. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).