Local

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The GFWC High Springs New Century Woman’s Club hosted a meet and greet followed by a candidates’ forum at their clubhouse located at 23674 West U.S. Highway 27 on Tuesday evening, Oct. 24.

The event was billed as an opportunity for citizens to meet the candidates running for election to fill two seats on the High Springs City Commission on election day, Nov. 7.

Incumbent Ross Ambrose is being challenged for Seat 1 by Andrew Miller. Incumbent Gloria James is being challenged for Seat 2 by Steve Tapanes.

Moderator Vickie Cox introduced the candidates and allocated a few minutes for each to make introductory statements about their history and reasons for running.

Cox read three questions individually asking each candidate to respond after each question was read. The order of candidate responses was altered with each question.

Pressing issues facing the City were listed as infrastructure, which James said the Commission is working on, but, she said, she’d like to help move that forward. She also said she’d like to continue to work with the Commission to get debt taken care of.

Steve Tapanes also mentioned infrastructure, but said he’d like to slow down growth until the infrastructure can catch up. He said he’d like to see High Springs stay a small town, but that he’d like to see a multi-use recreation center built in High Springs similar to Legacy Park in Alachua.

Andrew Miller also listed infrastructure as a pressing issue and thought that the City should manage spending and take care of the current citizens.

Ross Ambrose also listed infrastructure, which he said includes roads and the downtown area, specifically improving and maintaining buildings in downtown High Springs through the CRA and other available programs. He said the City could use Wild Spaces Public Places funds to create a recreation center, which would help to improve the quality of life for citizens.

Identifying key problems and opportunities related to growth Tapanes said increased traffic comes with growth. He’d like to alleviate the bottle neck areas involving trucks and would work with City staff to alleviate the issue.

Miller commented that he believes schools are at capacity. He thought a roundabout in the downtown area would help alleviate the traffic issues and wanted to work toward job development.

Ambrose identified road capacity as an issue related to growth. He said the schools are at capacity. He said High Springs is the busiest fire station in the county and there is a need for fire and police department buildings.

James said the City has been working with FDOT to get the trucks out of High Springs, but the City is still waiting for signs from FDOT to tell truckers where they can and can’t go. She also wants the City to work on development of jobs that pay enough so that a person is able to sustain a family.

In response to a question about opportunities for decreasing City expenses, Ambrose said the County has been paying the City a set amount for the City providing tag agency services. He thought that contract should be reviewed. He also suggested the City negotiate a more equitable set of fees with the County for times when the High Springs Fire Department responds to the scene of a fire in the county. He mentioned automating some of the services the City provides. He said he has seen an AI program that reviews construction plans in a very short time period as opposed to days.

James suggested that some City-owned buildings are being used by non-City entities. She though some of those buildings could be repurposed to provide new services or events such as plays, dances, musical events. She would like to see multi-function businesses in town.

Tapanes suggested the City use less expensive vehicles. He also thought that each department should figure out how to reduce their budget by five percent.

Miller suggested the City should maximize properties like the old school building. He also thought the City could provide wedding licenses and drivers’ licenses to make more income.

In closing comments Miller said he would listen to the citizens and make decisions with the citizens in mind.

Tapanes said he would listen to the citizens and would meet with them. He said he thought the City needed new faces and ideas.

James said that if someone brings an issue to her, she would do her very best to help resolve the issue.

Ambrose said there are no simple answers for a community of 8,000 people. He said he would continue to participate with the Florida League of Cities to see what other cities are doing to resolve the same issues. He pointed out that cities are restricted in some areas, but that he believes the Commissioners address and help resolve complex problems with good decisions.

Attending citizens were able to mingle with the candidates after the forum to ask questions.

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alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The Florida Commission on Ethics weighed in on a complaint filed by High Springs resident Janet Evans alleging ethics violations by sitting High Springs City Commissioner Ross Ambrose. Following the Commission’s review of the complaint, all counts were officially dismissed on Oct. 20, 2023 for failure to constitute a legally sufficient complaint.

Ethics Complaint

The complaint filed by Evans listed a number of alleged ethics violations. Evans states that Ambrose founded a non-profit organization named The Heart of High Springs (HHS) in 2019, prior to his election as City Commissioner in November 2020 and that he owns PortaServe, a company that provides “porta-potties.”

The complaint alleges that the “HHS organization signed a contract with WallDog Mural Artists to hold a mural festival in the City in 2022, which was delayed due to COVID and generated controversy that inspired consideration of a mural ordinance that was discussed repeatedly for eight months.”

1. The complaint alleges that Ambrose received financial gain in the form of a tax write-off through a business contribution of $5,000 to HHS.
2. The complaint also alleges that Ambrose’s porta-potty business received financial gain through free advertising when he donated porta-potties to the mural festival.
3. The complaint also alleges that the City Attorney’s office donated $250 to HHS.
4. The complaint further alleges that Duke Energy has contributed to HHS.
5. Evans also claimed that Ambrose supported a Duke Solar Power Plant until he signed a contract with Duke Energy to supply portable toilets for the project, after which he stated he “would no longer be participating in the discussion or decision-making process regarding this topic.”
6. The complaint alleges that Ambrose voted to support the building and opening of a Tractor Supply Store and that Ambrose’s porta-potties were used at the building site.
7. The complaint alleges that the City paid $18,246 more than its contracted retainer to the City attorney and records indicate many telephone conversations between the City Attorney and Respondent.” Evans cited telephone calls between the attorney’s office and Ambrose as the source of the additional cost.

Committee Public Report and Order Dismissing Complaint

In the Public Report and Order Dismissing Complaint, the Commission on Ethics states that in reference to complaints identified here as 1 – 4, “The complaint fails to indicate violation of State Statutes Section 112.3148(4). To indicate possible violation of the statute, a complaint must allege, in a factual, substantive, nonconclusory manner that a Respondent or someone acting on their behalf, accepted a gift worth more than $100 from a vendor, lobbyist, or principal of a lobbyist or their agency.

“In this case, the complaint alleges that contributions to HHS were made by Duke Energy, the law firm currently contracted to provide legal services to the City, and the Respondent’s business. In each of these cases, the recipient of the donations is not Respondent, but HHS, an entity that is distinct and separate from its founder.”

In the Public Report and Order Dismissing Complaint, the Commission on Ethics states that in reference to complaints identified here as 5 – 7, “The complaint fails to indicate violation of State Statutes Section 112.3143(3)(a), which prohibits local public officers from, among other things, voting on a matter that will inure to his or her special private gain or loss.

“Regarding the vote on the construction of the power plant by Duke Energy, the complaint specifically alleges that Respondent recused himself from discussing or voting on the matter when the matter began to inure to his special private gain or loss, which is when his company signed a contract with Duke Energy.

“Regarding the construction of the Tractor Supply Sore, the complaint does not allege that PortaServe had any existing contract at the time Respondent voted to support the construction. In order to sustain an allegation of a voting conflict, the special private gain or loss may not be remote of speculative. Therefore, the complaint does not allege that Respondent voted on any matter that inured to the special private gain or loss of himself, his relative, his business associate or a principal by whom he was retained.”

“Finally, the allegation that the City Attorney has billed more than its contracted retainer, and that it has billed conversations with Respondent, does not implicate any part of the Code of Ethics. Nor does the allegation that Respondent is getting free advertising by donating PortaServe’s services at a festival.”

In summary, the Commission on Ethics said, “Accordingly, this complaint is hereby dismissed for failure to constitute a legally sufficient complaint with the issuance of this public report.”

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alachuatoday.com

GAINESVILLE ‒ An Alachua man has been sentenced to 364 days in the Alachua County Jail followed by five years of probation after he entered a plea of nolo contendere after leaving the scene of an accident in June 2018.

In June 2021, 25-year-old Tyler Patrick Hughey was charged with the June 6, 2018, vehicular homicide of Paola Detarso-Palmo after he left the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury.

On Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, Hughey pled to a lesser charge of leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury in exchange for a year in jail and five years of probation. The maximum sentence for the charge is 15 years in state prison. In addition, Hughey paid $7,500 in restitution to the estate of the victim as part of the plea deal.

Hughey will also be required to serve 120 hours of community service at a trauma center or hospital with at least 20 of those hours spent speaking to youth groups. He must also attend a victim impact panel and advanced driver improvement course. He also received a three-year suspension of his driver’s license to begin upon his release from jail.

Judge Phillip Pena accepted the plea agreement.

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alachuatoday.com

Photo by MOXIE MEDIA

ALACHUA ‒ It was an exciting fall sports weekend for the City of Alachua's Recreation & Culture Department.  The local Santa Fe Raiders Babe Ruth Softball Organization hosted over 60 games at the Hal Brady Recreation Complex in Alachua. 

The Showcase drew high schoolers from Tennessee, Virgina, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Florida. College coaches throughout the entire country reviewed hundreds of future prospects over the weekend. 

In other action, the Alachua Raiders Youth Football Organization hosted its Homecoming games at the Hal Brady Recreation Complex this past Saturday. Dozens of teams from the North Central Florida Region participated in exciting and competitive games.  

Recreation Director Damon Messina offered thanks to all volunteers, coaches and participants for a successful weekend.

Coming up this coming weekend, Alachua Raider Youth Football will host the first section of Tournament play at Legacy's Multipurpose Fields.  This will be the first time organized youth football games will be played at the City’s Legacy Fields. The public is invited to come out and watch future football stars show their talents while having a good time.

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alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS – In the High Springs City Commission race, the two sitting incumbents were defeated Tuesday, Nov 7, 2023. Of the 5,429 registered voters in High Springs, 908 ballots or 16.7 percent of registered voters voted in this off-year non-partisan City Commission election. Two seats were up for grabs and in both races, the challengers received the highest number of votes.

Candidates for Seat #1 were incumbent Ross Ambrose who garnered 331 votes to challenger Andrew Miller’s 577 votes. Candidates for Seat #2 were incumbent Gloria James who garnered 329 votes to challenger Steven Tapanes’ 578 votes.

The City’s Canvassing Board, consisting of Chair and City Attorney Scott Walker, High Springs City Manager Ashley Stathatos and City Clerk Angela Stone met on Nov. 7 at the High Springs Civic Center to canvass the vote-by-mail ballots and provisional ballots and to certify the election and conduct the post election audit.

What happens next?

The Nov. 16 City Commission meeting is considered a reorganization meeting. At that time the sitting Commissioners will complete any unfinished business they may have and Mayor Gloria James will adjourn that Commission.

City Clerk Angela Stone will administer the oath of office to the two newly-elected City Commissioners. The City Manager will call the 2023-24 City Commission to order and will receive nominations for a new mayor. Once the new mayor has been elected, that individual will take over the rest of the meeting and will begin by accepting nominations for a vice-mayor.

Once a vice-mayor has been elected the new Commission will begin to consider new business. Traditionally, that is the time for the new Commission to appoint a chair and vice-chair to the CRA Board and appoint members to the various other City boards and committees. The Commissioners will also authorize the signing of checks and investment documents. Any other new business items will be addressed at that time.

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alachuatoday.com

NEWBERRY ‒ Two City of Newberry firefighters have received promotions and were recognized at the Oct. 23 Newberry City Commission meeting for their work.

Newberry Fire Chief Michael Vogel was on hand at the meeting to announce the promotions and to offer comments about the firefighters’ duties. “Promoting team members is a fantastic way to show appreciation for their contributions and to encourage continuous growth within the department,” said Vogel.

Vogel described the process by which firefighters are trained and tested to determine the highest ranked person for available positions.

Vogel said that firefighter A.J. (Amby) Cason has been with the City for 19 years and grew up in Newberry. “He is 100 percent responsible for the fire truck,” said Vogel. “He also makes sure members of his crew are safe and get to and from calls in a safe manner.”

Lt. Justin Asbell has been with the City for 22 years, and Vogel said that previously he was a tree surgeon. “This is a highly responsible position with responsibility for his shift and his crew members,” said Vogel. “He must make quick decisions in life-threatening/life-altering situations.”

Both men were promoted on Aug. 28., but received special recognition and plaques honoring their achievements at the Oct. 23 commission meeting. They were applauded by the audience and Commissioners for their contributions to the safety of their crews and the citizens of Newberry.

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alachuatoday.com