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suspended the forfeiture of the bond is automatic, and this <br />leaves no discretion with staff which is why this matter is <br />coming to the Board. <br />Chairman Scurlock asked if he felt the ordinance should be <br />rewritten, and Attorney Collins noted that it is punitive as <br />written, but there is the right to appeal and that appeal is <br />being made to the Board now for determination of whether the <br />punitive quality of the $10,000 forfeiture is more than is <br />warranted in this event. The Board still has the option of <br />saying what is an appropriate penalty for this violation, and we <br />would have recourse against the bond rather than having to go to <br />court to collect damages. <br />Commissioner Wheeler stated that he would look at it that by <br />putting up the bond, you are are saying you are going to comply <br />with the permit, and if you don't, you forfeit the bond. <br />Argument continued re the fact that the corrective action <br />was taken, and the feeling that shutting down the business was a <br />penalty. The Administrator felt the timing of the appeal process <br />in and of itself constitutes a penalty. <br />Discussion then ensued as to why Mr. Smith was discharging <br />the water offsite, and Mr. Smith stated it was because they had <br />too much water. <br />Commissioner Wheeler pointed out that he may have had to <br />shut down his operation earlier if he hadn't dumped the water in <br />the canal. He stated that he had received calls from those <br />adjoining the mining operation and also understood that St. <br />John's River Water Management was involved. <br />Mr. Smith confirmed that they were involved, but had no <br />problems with it; they just said stop the water from going off <br />site, and the problem was already corrected before staff got <br />there. <br />Attorney Abernethy wished to review the history of the <br />Mining Ordinance and read from the 1974 ordinance which stated <br />"The amount of bond shall be determined on the cost to put the <br />JAN l9 198e <br />79 <br />BOOK 70 DDE 639 <br />