Camilla Show JANUARY 21 - JANUARY 27, 2022
VOLUME 3 ISSUE 3
$2
Page B7
Miracle Dog
City policy, hard lessons A review of court records, city shade minutes reflect mismanagement of litigation after passing unconstitutional policy that left the taxpayer and Ocala’s most vulnerable paying the price. By James Blevins and Jennifer Hunt Murty Ocala Gazette
BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette
Athena, 5, runs and plays at the Red Fern Pet Lodge on Northeast 22nd Avenue in Ocala on Dec. 27, 2021.
Athena the pit bull continues to recover after surviving near-fatal car accident one year ago By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com
L
ast January, Kayla Hall was well on her way from Ocala to New Port Richey when she received a distressed phone call from her son Landon, then 11 years old. Landon was walking to his bus stop when he saw a crumpled form of black and white lying still in a culvert. At first, he thought it was a raccoon—until the animal turned and looked right at him. Turns out, that black and white form was a female pit bull named Athena that had been hit by vehicle and left to die with critical injuries. “I was freaking out at first because she was still alive. And it was cold out,”
said Landon, now 12, who immediately called his mom for help. Now, nearly a year after that January 29, 2021 accident, Athena has miraculously recovered from her injuries, thanks in large part to the Hall family, a bevy of veterinarians, and the kindness of dozens and dozens of strangers.
The Phone Call
Hall said the phone call from Landon that morning was one she won’t soon forget. “He called so upset; he was crying,” said Hall, director of marketing for an Orlando-based medical laboratory. “You could tell on the phone that his whole day was ruined.” Hall’s motherly instincts kicked in and she quickly turned around and
headed for the scene. “She was there before anybody else,” said Landon. A mother of four—besides Landon, there’s Dylan, 11; Braelyn, 7; and Dawson, 18 months, Hall, and her husband Jeffrey, also had four dogs and two cats and weren’t looking to own anymore. “When I got there, Athena just looked over at me,” said Hall. “And you could tell, it was on her face, ‘Please help me.’ “I walked right up to her, and I’ll be damned if her tail was not wagging,” she added. Animal Control arrived on scene moments after Hall and discovered Athena was chipped and her owner
The City of Ocala has weathered a few highprofile court cases over the years that have left many wondering—how did we get here? Two cases surrounding the city’s code of ordinances for open lodging and panhandling ended, opening to the public what are commonly referred to as “shade minutes.” Shade minutes are from meetings publicly noticed, but where only the attorney, city council members and the city manager can attend to discuss litigation with a court reporter taking minutes of every word said during the meeting. After any litigation ends, the minutes become available as a public record. The Mayor does not attend these meetings, as under the city’s charter, it’s ultimately up to the council to make these decisions. The two cases, although seemingly related by the Plaintiffs and attorneys involved, had significantly different patterns. See Failed, page A7
See Pouch, page A2
BRUCE ACKERMAN/Ocala Gazette
Farmland Preservation Area policy amendment gets MCBOCC approval, heads to Tally By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com
T
he Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC) voted at their Jan. 18 regular meeting to approve additions to the text of Policy 3.3.1 of Marion County’s Land Development Code related to Elements of Rural Character in the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA).
The text amendments look to strengthen preservation language by limiting future zoning and building permits within the FPA. Sara Fennessy the executive director of Horse Farms Forever (HFF), a group dedicated to maintaining the character and culture of the county’s horse farms, and the group that brought the amendments to the MCBOCC, said a planned ATV track spurred the changes. “It was brought to our
attention in 2020 when there was a proposed project in the Farmland Preservation Area,” she said. “It was pointed out to us by Growth Services that the Comprehensive Plan was really lacking those teeth and the language within it for them to be able to make a decision to approve or deny the track.” The proposed text focuses on any future development of the land, and reads: “The County shall preserve
and protect rural and equestrian/ agricultural character within the Rural Lands, specifically the Farmland Preservation Area, by requiring that all appropriate future development activities within this Area preserve, support, and enhance the fundamental elements of rural character that all Zoning Changes and Special Use Permits and within the Farmland Preservation Area be consistent with and preserve, protect,
support, and enhance the rural, equestrian, and farmland character of the Farmland Preservation Area.” The language goes on to describe “fundamental elements of rural character” in five distinct ways—scenic views, open space protection, rural lighting, transportation and infrastructure, each containing future building and See Farmland, page A2
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Maricamp Road............................ A2 Church Rebuild............................. A4 State News.................................... A10 Christmas Bird Count................. B4 Calendar......................................... B6