Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey wants the county to figure out a way to deter landowners from clear-cutting trees.
During the county board’s Dec. 5 meeting, Starkey told her colleagues: “We had somebody come in without a permit and (he) cleared a beautiful, beautiful forested property with an intent to put something on there that I think we would never ever, ever allow.”
She then asked: “What’s the penalty for clearing without a permit?” And then she added: “It’s not enough.”
The penalties meted out do not deter bad actors, the commissioner said.
“I hear it all of the time: ‘It’s better to just do it and pay the penalty fee,’” Starkey said.
Pasco County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder told Starkey: “The fines are capped by state statute.”
But Starkey responded, saying there must be another way the county can take action.
“What else can we put on there? Don’t call it a fine, call it something else. Let’s get creative.
“We need a deterrent. People are coming and they’re clearing lands without permits all of the time.
“And then, we have to figure out, how do we count the trees that they cut down?
“It needs to be more punitive, in my opinion,” she said.
County Administrator Mike Carballa said: “I thought we were limited, $500.”
Steinsnyder responded: “That’s what I just said to the commissioner and she told me to get creative.”
Carballa added: “We’ve done things like stack the charges, if you will.”
Steinsnyder: “Technically, depending on how the code officer writes it, violations could be each and every tree that is taken down and that gets the number up.”
Starkey responded: “But then you have to figure that out.”
Steinsnyder said he’s not sure if it’s possible, but the county might be able to create a “timeout” for someone who violates the code.
Starkey urged county staff to continue seeking creative ideas to tackle the problem.
Published January 03, 2024
