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PUTNAM COUNTY – Hawthorne resident Mathew Moore, 59, passed away Tuesday morning following a fatal motorcycle crash in Putnam County.

Moore was traveling on State Road 20 in Interlachen at around 9:30 a.m. when he hit a deer. Moore was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and died later at a local hospital.

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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ The Alachua County Commission will conduct a virtual Special Meeting on Monday, August 3, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. At this meeting, the Commission will discuss the Alachua County CARES Act application process details.

Read the Alachua County CARES Act Funding Plan.

The public may attend virtually through Cox Channel 12, Facebook, and the County's Video on Demand website. For meeting audio-only, call 301-715-8592, and when prompted, use code 670 965 3024. The public may submit comments to the board through email (bocc@alachuacounty.us) or by calling into the public comment message line when prompted to call during the meeting. Public comment will be taken by telephone for all non-ministerial items on which the Commission votes. Once public comment is opened for an item under discussion, please call 929-205-6099 (enter meeting code 273 174 8038).

Callers will be put in a queue and prompted when it is their turn to speak. To avoid feedback, speakers must turn down their meeting sound when addressing the commission. The commission will allow up to a total of 30 minutes for citizen comments on each item opened for public comment. In addition, the Commission will open phone lines for one 30-minute public comment session for the public to discuss items not on the Commission agenda. The public is encouraged to submit any written or photographic documents prior to the meeting to bocc@alachuacounty.us.

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NEWBERRY – The City Commission conducted a short meeting on Monday, July 27, the primary purpose of which was to set the Fiscal Year 2020/2021 Preliminary Millage Rate.

The preliminary millage rate is routinely set higher than the rate the City Commission hopes to implement by the time the budget is set and the Final Millage Rate is reported to the County. The Truth in Millage (TRIM) notices are sent by the County to residents on Aug. 1. TRIM reflects annual property taxes and fees based on assessed property values including all exemptions.

Commissioners voted to set this year’s Preliminary Millage Rate at 6.4501 mills, which is $6.4501 per $1,000 of assessed property within the City of Newberry. The rolled-back rate, as computed according to Florida Statutes, was set at 5.8930 mills, which is $5.8930 per $1,000 of assessed property within the City.

However, “the budget has been based on 5.9999 mills, the same rate as the current year,” said Director of Finance & Administration Dallas Lee. “Earlier numbers were based on estimated property appraisals. On July 1 the City received actual property appraisals from the County.”

The first public budget hearing to consider the proposed millage rate and tentative budget is set for Monday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. The second public budget hearing to adopt the final millage rate and final budget is set for Monday, Sept. 28, also at 7 p.m. Both public hearings are tentatively scheduled to be held at Newberry City Hall.

Depending on the governor’s executive order between now and the hearing dates, hearings may be held virtually or in a public meeting. Currently, his order allows virtual meetings to be extended to the end of September. Citizens are asked to check the City’s website to determine which method these meetings will be held.

Because students are expected to be in their classrooms on Aug. 24, Mayor Jordan Marlowe said he believes the City should also hold their meetings at City Hall rather than continue virtual meetings. No serious discussion took place during the meeting, but Marlowe said he would meet with each Commissioner individually to determine their wishes on this issue.

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GAINESVILLE – City of Alachua Vice-Mayor Robert Wilford has been elected 2nd Vice-President of the Florida Regional Councils Association Policy Board.  He has served on the Policy Board since 2017, representing the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council.  Vice-Mayor Wilford is the Immediate Past Chair of the Council and has served on the Council since 2012, representing the City of Alachua.

The Florida Regional Councils Association is the statewide organization of the 10 regional planning councils.  The Association strengthens Florida’s regional planning councils, partners with government and the business community to enhance regional economic prosperity and improves the consistency and quality of regional planning councils programs to ensure they add value to state, regional and local initiatives.

The membership of the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council includes local elected officials and gubernatorial appointees.  The Council, in partnership with economic development organizations and local governments, promotes regional strategies, partnerships and solutions to strengthen the economic competitiveness and quality of life of 12 counties and 40 incorporated municipalities in the north central portion of Florida.

The Council administers a variety of state and federal programs for North Central Florida including Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor and Union counties. 

Programs include development of a strategic regional policy plan, technical assistance to local governments in development of comprehensive plans, land development regulations and grant management, and administration of hazardous materials programs and economic development programs. 

In addition, the Council staffs the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization for the Gainesville Urbanized Area, the North Central Florida Local Emergency Planning Committee, the North Central Florida Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team and The Original Florida Tourism Task Force.

Wilford has been active on the Council, and he has previously served as Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary-Treasurer of the Council; Chair of the Finance Committee and Chair of the Program Committee.

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NEWBERRY – Following a quasi-judicial public hearing on second reading of Ordinance 2020-21, which was held during the July 13 Newberry City Commission meeting, a developer received approval to change the setbacks on his subdivision.

Application LDR 20-02 was submitted by M3 Development, LLC, acting as agent for C.L. Brice, Inc., the owner of Lexington Station Mixed-Use Development.

The property is located directly north and west of the Easton-Newberry Sports Complex on two parcels consisting of approximately 196-acres.

This item was first heard on June 22, and approved on first reading. The amendment to the original development order, which required a five-foot-setback at the front of the residence and a 10-foot setback at the side (interior) yard in residential developments, modifies those setbacks for Lexington Station.

This approval will now allow a change to the front setback from five feet to 20 feet. The purpose of the change is to create space for each property owner to have their own driveway for parking. It is hoped that the modification will minimize on street parking within the subdivision. The amendment to the side setback will now be altered from 10 to five-feet.

The change is considered a minor amendment and is designed to modify the subdivision from a neotraditional design, where the front of the home is near the street, to a traditional design similar to other homes within the community.

During the first public hearing, discussion centered on whether the change would prevent cars from parking on the streets, an issue which has been a concern in other subdivisions. However, during the second hearing, there was very little discussion on that issue.

Planning and Economic Development Director Bryan Thomas explained that the existing development order was approved in 2005. That order allows for up to 214 single-family, and up to 226 multifamily units. “The amendment would not change the allowable residential density or change setbacks for accessory buildings,” he said.

In roll call vote, Commissioner Monty Farnsworth cast the only dissenting vote. The ordinance was approved 4-1 on second reading.

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NEWBERRY – Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell delivered a 2019 state of the City report on law enforcement at the beginning of the July 13 virtual City Commission meeting.

Darnell said the purpose of her presentation was to improve services and operations, enhance relationships with the community, identify gaps in services, develop short- and long-term goals and plan joint strategies for problem solving.

Darnell reported that the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) responded to 6,706 calls in Newberry during the 2019 calendar year, which was an increase of 951 over the previous year. Of those calls, 832 actual case reports were written with 217 of them as a result of major crimes committed within the city. The majority of those crimes were the result of domestic violence, which topped out at 120. Burglary of a Conveyance and Assault and Battery clocked in at 29 and 28 calls, respectively. A flurry of business, residence and other burglaries, along with eight stolen vehicles were also listed. Six sexual battery crimes were committed during that time period with one robbery at the bottom of the list of cases.

Previous to this year, Darnell said she would expect approximately 50 domestic violence calls per month. However, from January to July this year, the average has increased to 70 domestic violence calls per month. She pointed out that people are under much more pressure this year and many are out of work, which could be contributing to the dramatic increase in those types of calls.

Darnell also reported on solved notable cases, the first of which was recovery of a vehicle stolen from Citrus County and a subsequent arrest for grand theft auto, which also resulted in a possession of a controlled substance charge for the driver.

A second arrest was made for a hit and run crash involving a driver and passenger in which the driver who caused the crash left the scene without stopping to render assistance or alert law enforcement. The two injured parties were taken to the hospital and the perpetrator was located at his home and arrested.

A third was a burglary at Pro Pawn Shop in which six handguns were stolen. An off-duty school resource officer recognized one of the subjects from the video of the break in. Officers spotted the juvenile out walking with his family and observed him hand off a gun to his brother. Following up, that gun was confiscated and two more guns were found in the defendant’s home. The juvenile and a co-defendant were charged on multiple charges including Grand Theft of a Firearm, Burglary, Criminal Mischief and Carrying a Concealed Firearm.

During her presentation, Darnell also reviewed four of Newberry’s unsolved cases. The first involved a fire at Newberry High School in September 2019. That incident resulted in destruction of a forklift on the school’s baseball field. A second fire in a bale of hay three days later, also at Newberry High School, was quickly extinguished by a school staff member.

Another unsolved crime involved a construction site burglary in November by a couple who cut the lock on the fence, pried through a metal door and stole several copper wire rolls. Although videos of the suspects and likely vehicles were obtained, the crime remains unsolved.

The last crime she mentioned occurred in 2010. It was the murder of Lila Leach, who was attacked in her home and died of the injuries she sustained. A billboard at the entrance to Newberry offered an $8,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible. Darnell says the reward is now at $10,000. “Advances in DNA technology have narrowed the search for the perpetrator,” said Darnell.

Darnell showed photographs of Newberry residents who are on the Sexual Offenders/Predators List. Of the 19, two are females. One male is technically listed as a sexual offender, which is someone convicted of or who has pled no contest or guilty to a sexual offense involving a minor.

Darnell also talked about the various juvenile relations programs ACSO participates in with children. “Some of these programs have been put on hold during COVID-19, but Kickball with a Cop was one of the programs we were able to do with social distancing,” she said. “The kids had a great time and the deputies did, too. It was extremely hot, but they were rewarded with an ice cream truck at the end of that game.”

She also reviewed some of the City events ACSO participated in during 2019. They included Movie Night at the Park, Operation C.O.N.E. at the Criminal Justice Expo, Youth Dialogue at Newberry High School, the Newberry Christmas Parade, tree lighting and Newberry Toy Giveaway.

Although school is not in session right now, the School Resource Officers are staying in touch with the kids. “They visit with them at the end of the kids’ driveways and follow up when school officials are unable to locate the child or parent.” She said one officer was reading to the kids at night via social media. “The children really enjoy it and it’s good for them to see adults read,” she said.

She closed her presentation by reminding everyone that if they see suspicious activity, say something.

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