Community Development District 8 supervisors appear ready to take on the thorny issues of deed compliance and anonymous complaints, but can’t touch it until the little white cross standoff is resolved in court.
CDD 8 supervisors delicately discussed their predicament in a meeting this week at SeaBreeze Recreation Center.
Judge Jason Nimeth will preside in a hearing set for 9:30 a.m. Nov. 1 in the case of Wayne and Bonnie Anderson who have a little white cross on display at their home in the Village of Tamarind Grove. The little white cross has been declared a “lawn ornament” by Community Standards. The couple has been ordered to remove it, but the Andersons have racked up thousands of dollars in deed compliance fines because they have defied the order. The Andersons’ case was set in motion thanks to an anonymous complaint.
With that court case pending, CDD 8 supervisors cannot delve into the topic, although some supervisors appear eager to do so.
“I am looking for a full discussion on this issue,” said Supervisor Duane Johnson.
He also said that a $250,000 estimate for having Community Watch look for and report deed compliance violations seemed “exceedingly high.”
Many supervisors in The Villages have taken note of what Community Development District 5 has done by eliminating anonymous complaints. Though a year’s worth of data is not ready for analysis in CDD 5, the change seems to have had a positive impact. CDD 5 also recently took steps to amend rules so emergency action can be taken with regard to apparently abandoned homes.
While CDD 8 supervisors might like to emulate what CDD 5 has done, they are prevented from discussing such steps until the little white cross issue is resolved.
Supervisor Sal Torname said the board will have to wait for the “appropriate time” for the discussion.
The supervisors, who have are required to remain mum on the legal case, are clearly eager to have it in their rearview mirror.
“Hopefully, it will be resolved soon,” said CDD 8’s legal counsel Mark Brionez.