In less than three months, DeBary must show the state how it plans on cleaning up Gemini Springs where an excessive nitrogen load has been attributed to septic systems and urban turfgrass fertilizer.
And those plans, once established, could take 20 years and more than $50 million to finish, City Manager Carmen Rosamonda said. It s another mandate and burden that s put on local governments without any funding, Rosamonda said by phone Friday.
For that reason, he believes the state should cover the cost of removing the 2,000-plus septic tanks in the Gemini Springs priority focus area, which the Department of Environmental Protection defines as vulnerable areas where pollution sources pose the highest risk due to proximity to a spring and permeable [sandy] soil conditions.
DeBary named Bike Friendly Community of the Year by nonprofit
DeBary, the only location where three of Central Florida s major trails converge, has been named the Bike Friendly Community of the Year by the Florida Bike Association. The city is becoming a mecca for cyclists, serving as a trail hub for the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop, the Coast-to-Coast Connector, the Lake Monroe Loop and the Heart of Florida regional SUN Trail, Becky Afonso, the nonprofit s executive director, said. It is especially noteworthy that the city established a mobility plan with connections that are bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly.
DeBary was nominated for the annual award by Maggie Ardito, co-founder, president and director of the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop Alliance.