Mosquito board drops helicopter

Mosquito board drops helicopter

By DEIRDRE CONNER,
The Times-Union

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH - Calling it an embarrassing mistake, the Anastasia Mosquito Control Board axed a contract it had to buy a $1.8 million helicopter.

The chopper, which would have been used to spray the disease-carrying insects in St. Johns County, has been protracted controversy since December when an outgoing elected board voted to buy it.

Three of the sitting members had voted subsequently to keep it - until Thursday evening, when the vote to exterminate plans for the Bell Longranger was unanimous.

Chairman Barbara Bosanko, who had been a staunch supporter of the helicopter, said she was embarrassed that it took a taxpayer to find flaws in the contract.

That was Don Girvan, a St. Augustine resident and former helicopter pilot. He examined the contract for the aircraft and found the district was overpaying by more than $28,000 for the paint job.

deirdre.conner@jacksonville.com

(904) 359-4504

This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/092807/met_203518190.shtml.