By Barbara Behrendt, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
BROOKSVILLE — The Hernando County Commission on Tuesday approved enforcement of park and boat ramp fees that were put in place last year.
The action got commissioners out of an awkward situation they created in early December when they rejected an ordinance that would have allowed law enforcement officers and county employees to issue $40 citations to those who fail to pay to park at several parks and use the county's boat ramps.
The fees apply to parking at Alfred A. McKethan Park at Pine Island, Rogers Park on the Weeki Wachee River, the Centennial Rotary Dog Park and use of all county boat ramps. From Oct. 1 through the end of December, the fees had already generated nearly $43,000.
But once the public learned there would be no enforcement, some residents had begun to seek refunds for annual ...