[stebooo]

Our right to disagree

[Veracity]

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[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by stebooo

Our right to disagree

Absolutely.................but give us the proof to support your "pocket" theory.

[Tunesmith]

Don, thanks for these great videos. I love the compass in the corner, it really helps to get myself oriented as the drone rotates!

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by stebooo

With this post and statements made you are clearly in developer pocket. Sorry goldwing I'm out

At one point I would have agreed with you but do not anymore.

Have listened to a number of Don's podcasts and he says what he thinks whether pro or con developer.

Apparently the developer does not want him to do his videos. However keep in mind where else do you get the construction updates.

[CWGUY]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Clueless.

There are better adjectives...... just can't post them!

[Hifred]

Obviously the "Obstacles" don't out weigh the PROFITS!!!! I don't see the Morris Family declaring any losses as of yet.

[donassaid]

Well said and right on the money. So sick of the disinformation.

[Two Bills]

All this commecial development, minimum wage of $15 could be a distant memory when the jobs market starts looking for labor!

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by Hifred

Obviously the "Obstacles" don't out weigh the PROFITS!!!! I don't see the Morris Family declaring any losses as of yet.

The Morris's are a bunch of crooks, they hang out up near Morse Blvd!

[CWGUY]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

The Morris's are a bunch of crooks, they hang out up near Morse Blvd!

I thought Morris was a cat!

[CWGUY]

Originally Posted by donassaid

Well said and right on the money. So sick of the disinformation.

What was "well said"? Please learn how to Quote..... if you want the person you are talking too to know you are replying to them.

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by CWGUY

I thought Morris was a cat!

We have Morris Dancers in UK!

[Goldwingnut]

Some have taken issue with my most recent construction update video, and past videos, where I have mentioned my opposition to, and the financial impact of, the recent changes in impact fees here in Sumter County. I’ve received multiple public and private comments about my position on this matter, both in agreement and in disagreement with me. We are all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own set of facts. It is the facts of this issue that continue to be distorted and ignored by many. For those that will choose to unsubscribe to my YouTube channel or not watch my videos anymore because I included factual information you may not agree with, that is your choice, we live in a free county.

When I make my videos, I take a lot of time to research the information included and determining what and how I present it. In fact, I spend more time doing research than I do flying, filming, and editing the video combined. I do this because the truth is more important than my opinion on matters, and I’d rather be wrong in my opinion than in my facts.

Before I discuss the Impact Fee issue, I’d like to discuss my relationship with the developer of The Villages. Many of you feel or are of the opinion that I am pro-developer, a mouthpiece for the developer, in the developer’s pocket, I’m drinking the developer’s cool-aid, or some other euphemism for trying to do the developer’s bidding. This is far from truth and completely inaccurate, if anything, I should be considered an adversary to the developer.

As many know I am a CDD-10 Supervisor and PWAC member and serving in these positions I must deal with issues that arise involving the developer. In all these cases my only direction is what is in the best of the residents that I represent and the residents of The Villages as a whole. In most cases it is a win-win and supporting the position that is good for the residents is also good for the developer, so be it. There have been multiple instances that I oppose the developer and call them to task, I win no favors with these. Some issues have the desired outcome, and some do not. In either case I’ve gained the scrutiny and disfavor of the developer, a burden of my public service.

My drone flying and videos have created friction and considerable discourse between the developer and I. Bottom line is that they don’t like them because they don’t/can’t control what I say and when I say it, they want to be in total control of the narrative of The Villages and when information is released. They don’t like being criticized but they are certainly reaping of the benefits from the information I’ve put out.

They’ve pushed back on my work on multiple occasions starting as far back as September of 2018. I’ve received phone calls asking me to stop showing some areas and calls to stop using map graphics. I was “called to the principal’s office” in January of 2019 where I met with Ryan McCabe and the District Manager to “discuss” my flying and videos. The outcome of this meeting was I agreed to limit what I showed, an agreement I abided to but based on emails I continued received, still wasn’t good enough for them.

A pinnacle was reached in September of 2019 when an anonymous complaint was filed with the FAA on behalf of a client by a Tampa based law firm that specializes in construction law. While the name of the anonymous party was not officially revealed, the copy of the complaint I receive under a FOIA request (Freedom of Information Act) was a 130+ page document written by an attorney, the significant cost incurred, content, and tone of which leads to only one party as the source. The complaint contained glaring misunderstandings and mischaracterizations of the flights conducted, drone operations and photography in general, and in some cases wrong information. The result of this was however what is known as an “enforcement action” by the FAA that included a LARGE fine. I have been fighting this “action” for over a year now, but the responses from the FAA are woefully slow. After receiving notification of the complaint, I took a bit of a hiatus on the construction videos and reevaluated my position and actions, to say I was shaken up would be an understatement. After long and hard consideration, I resumed my flights and videos, ensuring that everything is done legally and in accordance with FAA regulations and Florida laws, giving no further avenue for recourse (I hope); any past agreements made now disregarded on both sides. The pushback did not stop and still continues to this day.

As you can see, there is angst from the developer from two directions, not putting me in a favorable position.

If you think I’m angry about all of this, you would be right. But I put it aside when I deal with issues of both the community and the information I put into my video. Being unbiased, informed, and professional in decisions and presentation is critical to credibility.

I do try to present an overall positive opinion of The Villages, both the community and the developer, in my videos. With respect to the community, I love it here, it is nothing short of phenomenal with remarkable people from all walks of life, from round the county and the world living here, how could one not be positive! Concerning the developer, they are an amazing construction company that does what they do better than any other company I’ve seen. I was in the construction industry for 20 years prior to retiring, the last 12 as a project manager, so I’ve seen both the good and the bad of the construction industry. The company I worked for went through cycles of the good and the bad ways of doing things and the downswing that they were taking was sufficient to make early retirement an easy decision. If I had worked for a company as well managed, focused, and organized as this developer, I would be still working today and not enjoying my retirement here. I will give credit where credit is due, and what this developer, while not perfect, is creating is an amazing development that attracts incredible people that make for an uncomparable community.

I’ve probably said too much, but I thought some background information would be essential to the overall discussion. Let’s get back the subject at hand, the Impact Fee.

I’ve no doubt that many will disagree with me on this issue, all I ask is that before the flaming starts, you educate yourself first with facts from the sources and not from the online and print media, all of which have their own agendas.

The Sumter County Roadway Impact Fee Study, Final Report October 4, 2019 by the Tindal Oliver firm is available at the county website (agenda for the 1/5/21 BOCC meeting Agenda - 01/05/2021 ) and is the principal basis for my opinion. If you’ve not read it in its entirety (the package is 222 pages) you’ve probably missed some quality nap time, it’s a bit dry and takes a lot of chewing to get through. I’ve read it several times now and my opinion hasn’t changed. I was going to posts the salient points of the study, but it got too deep and convoluted to provide something coherent here.

Yes, I am critical of the Impact Fee increases that have been passed because I done the research and can only conclude that what has been proposed is both unnecessary and unwarranted.

Raising the impact fee will not affect the county budget or reverse the increase of 2019, they are separate funds, and the impact fee cannot supplement the county budget.

The developer isn’t getting a “sweetheart deal”, they are paying the exact same percentage as EVERYONE ELSE is paying in Sumter County who is building anything. Everyone gets the same deal!

The 40% is of the “technically defensible level of impact fees that the County could charge” and not the actual year-to-year cost which is much lower number.

There are multiple sources of revenue for the impact fee, not just what is collected for construction projects, and if you raise one without raising the expenditures then the others are due a credit FS 163.31801(5) “If a local government increases its impact fee rates, the holder of any impact fee credits, whether such credits are granted under s. 163.3180, s. 380.06, or otherwise, which were in existence before the increase, is entitled to the full benefit of the intensity or density prepaid by the credit balance as of the date it was first established. This subsection shall operate prospectively and not retrospectively.” – in other words what they take from one source, they’ll have to give back to the other, the net gain is zero.

The road impact fee in Sumter County cannot be compared to other counties with much higher fees because others include items in their impact fees that are not included in Sumter County, for example schools, The Villages, with the exception of the 4 family sections, had no impact on the student population. I know we all pay school taxes, that’s a different issue that we can beat to death another time.

Many have said to have those who benefit pay the fee. You don’t want to go there, you’ll be giving up the “credits” that are the other sources of the impact fee recovery are mainly gas taxes, the vast majority of which come from the exits on the I75 corridor and the Okahumpka Service Plaza on the Turnpike. These people passing through our county gain no benefit yet pay a significant portion, I say we thank them for the contribution and not look a give horse in the mouth. Everyone benefits from the new road development. Remember the roads paid for with these fees in The Villages are only the major arteries, not the residential streets or feeders. These arteries create avenues for growth and the jobs that go with it. The growth creates demand for services which bring new stores and businesses. How does one really calculate who benefits from the new roads, it’s complex, difficult, and has many layers.

You can call it a fee or a tax, it’s all the same in the end. I stand by my statement that business don’t pay taxes, they collect taxes. Taxes to a business are just another cost that goes into the final product cost, just like material and labor. In the end, the consumer will pay the tax indirectly through higher prices. If you’ve ever run a business, you understand exactly what I’m talking about. The only thing a business owner actually pays for out of their own pocket is their lunch.

Again, I know many disagree with me, that’s fine, but take the time to learn the facts and the full details before you make you opinions known. Many of the more vocal on this site have chosen to believe the hype and misinformation, I’m not one of them.

There’s more that could be said but I think this is perhaps too long already.

[Stu from NYC]

Don thank you so much for explaining things to us that we who are only here just over a year were not aware of.

Hope to be able to continue learning from you.