Sen. Mike Bennett says he’s glad Gov. Rick Scott “put to bed” without disruption the issue of who will be serving on the Florida Public Service Commission. The governor on Friday reappointed four PSC members whose appointments he had withdrawn two days earlier. Scott on Wednesday withdrew 154 appointments made by Gov. Charlie Crist, including […]
Bennett says he’s glad Scott moved to fill PSC posts Read More »
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday withdrew 154 appointments to boards across the state including four of the five Florida Public Service Commission members. Scott withdrew the appointments in a memo to Sen. President Mike Haridopolos. The appointments were awaiting Senate confirmation. Gov. Charlie Crist withdrew 283 appointments in 2007 when he took over after former
Scott withdraws appointments to PSC, other enviro panels Read More »
Gov. Rick Scott said Monday he plans to cut $1 billion in government spending over two years by consolidating and streamlining government including the Florida Department of Community Affairs. Scott’s plan — which included only a few details — would remove all regulatory functions from DCA and move them to other state agencies. Scott also
Scott plans realignment of Florida’s growth management agency Read More »
The resignation of another top staffer has been accepted at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, creating another high-level vacancy under new DEP Secretary Herschel Vinyard. Janet Llewellyn, director of the Division of Water Resource Management, was told Friday that her resignation had been accepted, according to sources outside of the agency. Resignations were requested
Another top Florida DEP official is on the way out Read More »
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday allowed a bill to become law that delays a statewide inspection requirement for septic tanks. The inspection requirement was in SB 550, which then-Gov. Charlie Crist signed in June with support that included the Sierra Club Florida and the Florida Home Builders Association. Supporters said the requirement would protect public
Septic tanks inspection delay becomes law without signature Read More »
New Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel Vinyard, a former shipyard executive, was confirmed by the Cabinet Wednesday. Vinyard thanked Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet for the opportunity to serve the state. He takes over a department that lost eight senior staff members last month when the Scott administration accepted their resignations. Vinyard,
Cabinet confirms Vinyard to DEP post; Eight top vacancies remain Read More »
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday said he supports growth management but says it needs to be improved. Scott was among several Cabinet officials and legislative leaders along with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who spoke at the Associated Press Florida Legislative Planning Session in the Capitol. They answered questions on a wide range of topics.
Scott: We “clearly need” better growth management Read More »
Department of Community Affairs Secretary Billy Buzzett told reporters on Tuesday during his first day on the job that he had been given no specific orders by his boss, Gov. Rick Scott, as to the future of the agency. Buzzett attended a meeting of the Senate Community Affairs Committee but he did not address the
New DCA secretary says he doesn’t have marching orders on agency’s future Read More »
Environmentalists on Monday issued growth management recommendations to state leaders but stopped short of criticizing a proposal by Gov. Rick Scott’s transition team to merge state growth management and environmental protection agencies into a new “Department of Growth Leadership.” Scott’s transition team last month recommended creating the new agency by merging the Department of Community
Groups back off merger criticism in growth recommendations Read More »
Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday evening announced that he was hiring Billy Buzzett, a former top executive at the St. Joe Company to take over the Department of Community Affairs. Buzzett will take the place of Tom Pelham, who criticized Scott’s statement that DCA is killing jobs. Pelham maintained that land-planning agency had approved plenty
Scott names former St. Joe exec to lead Florida planning agency Read More »
