Once again Levy County has put off taking any action on joining any government utility authority until all of the municipalities reply to Chiefland Mayor Teal Pomeroy's proposal that the county form one of its own.

The Levy County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday and one of the items on the agenda was Pomeroy's letter to the other seven cities in the county to form a countywide water authority.

 While the commission did not discuss it, they also received a letter from Fanning Springs Mayor Cheryl Nekola and City Commission Chair Whitney “Stoney” Smith.

Several weeks ago the Nature Coast Regional Water Authority approached the county about joining. The NCRWA is composed of the municipalities of Fanning Springs, which is in Levy County, Cross City in Dixie County, Trenton and Bell in Gilchrist County, and Dixie and Gilchrist counties.

In their letter, Nekola and Smith said forming a Levy County authority would be “like reinventing the wheel and counterproductive. The time, tax money, and support greatly outweigh the existing opportunity you have to join with your most northerly city in the county.”

The two say in their letter that a regional authority allows for efficiency of resourses and funding with three counties and five cities involved.

Pomeroy, who attended the Levy commission meeting but did not speak, said last week that he had not received any response to his Sept. 29 letter. It was sent to the towns of Bronson, Otter Creek, Inglis and Yankeetown, and the cities of Fanning Springs, Williston and Cedar Key.

County Coordinator Fred Moody informed the commission that Williston City Attorney Norm Fugate said the matter would be taken up by the Williston City Commission at its Tuesday evening meeting. Fugate is also the city attorney for Inglis and Chiefland.

He also noted that the NCRWA had a meeting Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Fanning Springs City Hall.

Commissioner Danny Stevens of Williston, noting that the county is split between the Suwannee River Water Management District and the Southwest Florida Water Management District, asked whether a county authority would supersede the two districts. “These two districts appear as different as night and day,” he said.

    “You wouldn't take any authority from the district,” County Attorney Anne Bast Brown said. “You wouldn't gain any regulatory authority.”

    Chiefland City Manager Grady Hartzog also reminded the commissioners that the county's comprehensive plan calls for a “philosophy of local resources first (for the county)...It's pretty plain it needs to be in the county.” He also warned the commission that there are wells in Marion County to send water to the southern part of the state and the same will be happening in Putnam County.

    The commission put off discussion pending action by the Williston City Commission, and possibly other municipalities in the county. The county also will continue having Planning Director Shenley Neeley continue representing the county's interests at NCRWA meetings.

    The Nature Coast authority started with discussions between Chiefland, Trenton and Fanning Springs on providing water service from Chiefland's new well on 33 acres at Drummond Field at Northwest 140th Street and Northwest 55th Avenue in 2008.

    Trenton pulled out of the discussions. Chiefland later pulled out after Pomeroy objected to the formation of a government utility authority, rather than an arrangement where Chiefland was a water wholesaler to the other cities.

    Trenton and Fanning Springs began discussions anew with Bell and Cross City as well as Gilchrist and Dixie counties and earlier this year incorporated the NCRWA. The new group has asked the Suwannee River Water Management District for a lease on the remaining 122 acres at the Drummond Field site to drill a water well to supply the authority.