Lanark Village Association to meet Monday night

I have to turn my article in to the editor on Monday morning, and the hurricane really hasn’t come yet when I write. I don’t even know if you will get this on Thursday morning because of the hurricane. I pray that we are all safe and we don’t receive the devastating damage of Michael.

On Sept. 20, at the Franklin County Commissions’ meeting the commissioners voted 4-1 (Bert Boldt, Commissioner of District 2, our Commissioner voted No) to the dissolution of the Franklin County Lanark Village Review Committee. This committee was an asset to the community with assisting the Building, Planning and Zoning advisory board. The committee of Tony Johnson and I agreed to let those seeking permits to call them and they assisted the property owner in measuring to see if the building or addition was in compliance with the S-4 ordinances of Lanark Village. One of us would email (advising each other) whoever we were supposed to advise if the request was in compliance with the matching ordinances. This enabled the process to move forward within a few days, if not hours.

There are people who want to do what they want to do against the existing ordinances and they are the very few who complained, as well as those who just want to complain. Lanark Village is now left with the overworked Building, Planning and Zoning Department doing it. We need code enforcement, and we need the Lanark Review Committee reinstated. It doesn’t matter to me who does it, as long as they care about the well-being of the community. We already have a fence that just this week was constructed on county right-of-way and a fence that had been stopped because of non-compliance of two S-4 ordinances.

The Lanark Village Association is having their first meeting on Monday, Oct. 3 in Chillas Hall at 7 p.m. on Heffernan Drive in Lanark Village. Those who put out information and opinions need to come to the meetings. Generally, Commissioner Boldt (Cheryl Sanders may be there too), and Capt. Brad Segree will be at the meeting. Don’t rely on information from Facebook or other social media posted by people who have not researched their comments.

Grab your calendars and turn to October: The Lanark Village Association will have an Oktoberfest on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m. at Sewell Park on Heffernan in Lanark Village (in Chillas Hall if it rains). The association is providing brats, buns, drinks and paper products. Bring your on BYOB, and a dish to share (suggestions are sauerkraut, potato salad, pretzels, desserts, etc.). This gathering is for the Lanark Area, not just members of the association. There will be representatives from the State Volunteer Fire Department at this outing to answer your questions and hopefully sign you up. We are desperate for firefighters. Help Save Our St. James – Lanark Volunteer Fire Department.

The Franklin County Commissioners’ meeting will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 9 a.m., and they will be discussing the trash can issue in Lanark Village. The ordinance will get the cans off the county right-of-way in a reasonable time after the trash is picked up. This will free up parking and keep people from using cans and leaving them for the bears to get in, not to mention the unsightly mess driving down the roads in the Village. We as a community need to go to this meeting if possible. We do need to email the commissioners concerning the five-foot rule, that part is unreasonable in Lanark Village. All we need is for them to be removed at a reasonable time after pick-up and put out on the day of pick-up. The garbage companies will work with older and handicap residents.

BE BEAR WISE, Get Help, Report Conflicts, Know the Laws, 850-265-3676 and www.myfwc.com/bear. They are out there. Short term renters, please advise your guests to secure garbage and you be sure to supply a secure place for garbage. We don’t want it spread all over Lanark. Thank you! 

Love Lanark

Pat Sewell Funderburk is the Times Lanark News columnist. Be sure to send news and society items about Lanark Village life to her at p.funderburk@yahoo.com