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2002: The Year in Review
With hirings, departures and myriad controversies, Inverness and Crystal River events made for a lively year.
By JIM ROSS and ALEX LEARY
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 28, 2002
INVERNESS -- The year wasn't 24 hours old before news broke out in Inverness.
Joe Elizarde, then chief of the Inverness Police Department, became upset over a takeout hamburger order he placed for lunch on New Year's Day. He went to the Happy Dayz Diner on U.S. 41 S, complained, and the restaurant owner wound up jailed on a battery charge.
It came to be known as the Hamburger Dispute, and it was the first -- though certainly not the last -- interesting story to emerge from Citrus County's two incorporated cities during 2002.
Elizarde, who said restaurant owner Butch Ramsey bumped him during their burger discussion, resigned later in January. Longtime Inverness police official Lee Alexander became the new chief. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charge against Ramsey.
The Hamburger Dispute was unexpected. Much more predictable was what happened eight months later in Crystal River: The city manager resigned.
Phil Lilly had been hired in October 2001. He received a four-year contract and was hopeful about the prospects for the city. The new administration got off to a good start, with elected officials and residents alike saying it was important to move the city in a positive direction. Lilly, a part-time minister at a local church, enjoyed broad support.
In early March, though, things took a bit of a turn. Lilly hand delivered an apology letter to City Council members, saying he could have better handled two personnel decisions.
He later drew criticism for spending too much time on "public relations" endeavors, such as removing the Bonner Lee from Kings Bay. His supporters said nothing would have been done about the boat, which remains in the bay, had Lilly not taken the initiative.
Lilly announced in September that he was resigning to take a job with the Transportation Security Administration, rejoining the federal government.
The departure caused a stir, with many of his supporters blaming the City Council -- John Kendall in particular -- for putting too much pressure on Lilly.
Others said that was little more than a convenient excuse and that Lilly simply found a better paying job in a profession he knew.
Whatever the case, the departure helped propel an effort to remove Kendall from the council. Led by businesswoman Brendalee Combrink, a group of residents obtained enough signatures on a recall petition. Under state law, the recall committee then had to circulate a new petition, including a defense statement by Kendall.
"I will listen to any person on any subject, but I will not submit to being relieved of office, except by the same electoral process which democratically elected me," Kendall wrote.
The recall attempt was going strong toward the end of the year. Combrink showed up at City Hall a few days before Christmas with the second batch of signed petitions. Kendall is expected to challenge the effort in court.
Other Crystal River headlines from 2002:
New manager: Given the city's past, who would want to become the ninth manager since 1990? Would the city have to pay an outrageous salary and severance package?
While the search got under way, the council brought in Susan Boyer as interim manager. Though more than 70 people applied for the job, the council settled on Boyer, a University of Florida graduate with extensive city management experience, as the permanent replacement.
Gas station controversy: The city found itself in an embarrassing situation when it was discovered in February that it had wrongly allowed a RaceTrac gas station to be built across the street from an existing Coastal station. A city code prohibits gas stations within 800 feet of one another. Though the city's insurance carrier says it is not liable, Coastal owner Mike Whetstone is considering a lawsuit. He says he has lost in excess of $200,000 as a result of the permitting mistake.
City elections: The city elections got off to an early start when Ray Wallace announced in April that he would challenge Mayor Ron Kitchen. Wallace criticized Kitchen for talking too much and offering his opinion too frequently. Kitchen said he was doing his job, referring to a charter provision that says he should bring forth his ideas and recommendations.
Kitchen won the Nov. 5 contest by 79 votes. In other races, businessman Roger Proffer defeated incumbent Bonnie Taylor for the race for Seat 2. Robert Holmes defeated George Dluhy and Richard Schwarer in the race for Seat 4.
Height ordinance passed: One of the most serious debates of the year concerned height restrictions. The height ordinance was first proposed in May, when the debate over the Halls River Retreat complex in Homosassa was in full swing. Some residents feared similar condominium projects would creep north up the coastline.
After months of debate, the council approved an ordinance that capped height on residential lots at 35 feet and commercial lots at 50 feet. The measurement begins at flood elevation, meaning some buildings will be taller than 35 or 50 feet. Vultures: The pesky black birds became so much of a problem in Woodland Estates that two residents approached the City Council for help. Resident Mindy Hastings obtained a federal permit to shoot 15 vultures after efforts to drive the birds away with noisemakers and roof spikes did not work.
But she ran into trouble because the use of firearms, unless in life-threatening situations, is banned by a city ordinance.
The City Council directed the police department to shoot the birds, but the idea did not sit well with Chief Jim Farley, who was worried about public safety.
In late November, a federal biologist in Gainesville provided two vulture carcasses, which were hung from trees in the neighborhood to scare the vultures away. The method appeared to be working.
Other Inverness headlines from 2002:
Pond cleaning: Richard Gray, an Orlando inventor, brought his "Bio-Juice" system to Cooter Pond in October with promises that the product would help get rid of the muck, which was up to 4 feet deep and filled with lead, oils and other stormwater contaminants that have washed into the 27-acre pond.
Gray said Bio-Juice, an organic product, turns the muck into a digestible feast for trillions of hungry pond bacteria. The work was done at no cost to the city: Gray provided the work as a way of demonstrating his Bio-Juice system to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Flags: Arnold and Mary-Ann Virgilio led an effort to erect flags along Main Street. The project hit several snags, as the city expressed concerns about liability and volunteers objected to the way the city planned to spend some money that had been donated for the flags.
The city wound up taking over the project, and the flags were in place in time for the Sept. 11 anniversary ceremonies.
Parks: Construction on Liberty Park began in the fall. The park features sidewalks, a pavilion and a small parking lot on the N Apopka Avenue property, which is across the street from the Inverness Police Department.
The park also features picnic tables, grills, benches and a canoe launch into Big Lake Henderson.
The city also received a $100,000 federal grant for construction of a linear park near Cooter Pond. The money will come from the National Park Service's Land and Water Conservation Funds. The plans include a boardwalk along Lake Henderson that will run from Liberty Park down to Wallace Brooks Park.
Picnic areas, walking trails and canoe launches will dot the waterfront. The city will match the grant with $100,000 from its general fund.
Downtown: The city also made progress in its efforts to make downtown more pedestrian-friendly. The project calls for installation of bricklike crosswalks, street lamps and landscaping. Construction will begin in January.
-- Times staff writer Bridget Hall Grumet contributed to this story.