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ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua at its June 26 meeting unanimously approved a solar power purchase agreement paving the way for a solar farm sited in Alachua. NovaSol will design, permit, procure all materials, construction, and provide service from the solar plant at no cost to the City of Alachua. In turn, the City will purchase the output of the solar plant at a specified price and provide the interconnection between the solar plant and City distribution lines. The solar plant will be sited on City property.

City staff recommended that the Commission approve the agreement, saying that the measure will also provide three sources of savings in bulk power supply costs from the solar facility. The agreement will diversify the City's energy portfolio with solar energy as a new component, providing additional shielding to rate payers in the event natural gas or other traditional energy markets spike.

Energy costs from the bulk power supplier are related to natural gas prices, making estimates of savings in energy costs uncertain, but gas prices are expected to continue to rise as resources are limited. Additionally, it is expected that natural gas prices will increase over the 30-year life of the facility.

As demand costs are projected to increase over time as population and development continues, savings in demand costs represent a significant portion of the total savings from the solar plant. Energy costs from the solar plant are fixed, leading to savings in the latter years.

If the plant produces excess energy, it can be sold to other communities as Sale of Renewable Energy Credits. Renewable Energy Credits or RECs represent the energy generated by renewable energy sources such as solar and wind facilities. Although the rate varies annually, it is projected to add funds back into City coffers and help keep energy costs down for Alachua electric utility customers.

In other business, the Commission approved on final reading amending the City’s Land Development Regulations (LDRs) that regulate development within Alachua’s city limits. The adopted measure amends current rules relating to the use of a recreational vehicle (RV) or travel trailer and allows an RV or travel trailer as a temporary residence on a property zoned for residential use.

Also included in the approved amendment is the requirement for access to temporary power when an RV or travel trailer is being used as a temporary residence in an AG zoning district while a residential dwelling is being constructed. Additionally, the length of time that an RV or travel trailer can be used as a temporary residence during construction of a residential dwelling was increased from six months to 12 months, and also allows two extensions instead of one, for a total of 24 months.

The amendment also addressed off-street parking standards, to include designated outdoor seating areas to coincide with the minimum off-street parking required for restaurants with outdoor seating and to establish minimum parking standards for microbreweries.

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NEWBERRY ‒ The City of Newberry announced that Assistant City Manager for Public Works and Utilities Jamie Jones has been awarded the Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award. This prestigious recognition was presented at the American Public Power Association’s National Conference held in Seattle, Washington June 16-21.

The award honors managers of smaller utilities that serve fewer than 2,500 meters. It acknowledges that these managers' unique multi-role responsibilities encapsulate planning and design, administration, public relations, field supervision, accounting, human resources and community leadership.

“Jones has been the leading force behind the City's wastewater treatment plant expansion, the largest single project in the City's history,” said City Manager Mike New. “This vital project ensures smart growth and sustainability for the City, showcasing Jones’ leadership and commitment to progress.”

Newberry officials said that Jones’ role involves overseeing a diverse range of areas, such as electric, water and wastewater utilities, public works, transportation and mosquito control. His 30-plus years of experience in public works and utilities has been instrumental in contract negotiations, budget developments, community communication and field crew work.

Among his many accomplishments, Jones developed an innovative training program that facilitates advancement from ground workers to line workers. Most notably, he recently spearheaded negotiations with state regulatory officials and other cities in relation to a significant $42 million roadway expansion project. This project will require extensive upgrades to all City utility services in the construction vicinity.

“His commitment to high standards in public service, innovative approach and leadership continue to set an inspiring example,” said New.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ An outcry from several area residents about a rezoning request garnered the most citizen attention at the June 19 High Springs Plan Board meeting. Joe E. Tillman requested to rezone one acre of vacant land from Planned Development (PD) to Residential (R-1). The proposed change will permit Tillman to place a home on the property that encompasses the east 30 feet of the right-of-way of Northwest 222^nd Street.

Several area residents lodged their adamant objections to the placement of a mobile home on the site. High Springs Planning Technician Kristyn Adkins clarified that the request was for a zoning change and not for a special use permit, which would be required for a mobile home to be placed on the site.

Under High Springs codes, a special use permit is handled administratively and would not be considered by the Plan Board. If a special use permit is requested, it would be considered by the High Springs City Manager.

City Commissioner Katheryn Weitz spoke out asking if there was any way that the Plan Board could hear the request instead of the City Manager. Adkins explained that it was not possible, that it had to be approved or denied by administrative action.

Other citizens complained that a large paved driveway had already been built on the property, dirt had been moved and the area had already had sod laid. Neighbors complained that the large amount of rainfall the previous week washed dirt into the roadway and caused flooding because of the driveway project. In addition, neighbors complained that trees had been removed without a permit.

Adkins will check if permits were obtained for the driveway construction and tree removal. Adkins said the City Manager will receive minutes of the meeting and she would relay to her the objections to placing a mobile home on the property and any permit issues. Plan Board members said they felt penalties should be imposed if permits were not applied for prior to construction and tree removal.

In a unanimous vote, the Board ultimately approved the rezoning change.

In other business, the Board considered an application for approval of a Preliminary Plat for Hidden Springs Villas. The property consists of 5.6 +/- acres and is located at 22771 Railroad Avenue.

The development will include 11 two-story buildings with four attached homes in each building for a total of 44 residences. Single-car garages are planned for each residence with end residences possibly incorporating double-car garages. A retention pond is planned to be located behind the development. Kim Fischer, P.E., Cycorp Engineering, Inc., agent for Steven Fehr of PR Corporate Holdings, LLC, said the façade and landscaping will vary so the buildings won’t just look like “slabs.”  

The Board questioned if the development would be considered affordable housing units, to which Fischer responded, saying not in the technical sense but would be considered “more attainable” housing. Plan Board members voted unanimously to approve the application in roll call vote.

In other business, Board members considered a minor site plan for a pole barn to be located at Sweet Meats Butcher Shop, 18172 U.S. Highway 441. The property, which is currently under construction, consists of 1.8 +/- acres and is owned by Robert Gay, President, BCE Supply Chain Enterprises, Inc.

Gay was on hand and explained that the pole barn would be located behind the building and would be used for barbecue classes, competition, special events and a wild game dinner later this year. The site plan was unanimously approved.

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NEWBERRY – A change to how the City of Newberry handles fireworks within the city failed to get traction at the June 26 City Commission meeting. A text amendment to the City’s Code of Ordinances on fireworks displays was heard on first reading, but ultimately, no vote was taken on the measure.

Planning and Economic Development Director Bryan Thomas submitted the amendment, which provided for suggested exemptions for fireworks displays on New Year’s Day (Jan. 1), Independence Day (July 4) and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31). The proposed text amendment provided exemption for private firework displays on the designated holidays, but did not permit firework display outside of state-defined designated holidays.

The proposed amendment did not allow for public display of fireworks. These terms are defined by law. “Private fireworks display means an exhibition or discharge of low hazard, consumer fireworks or display fireworks on private property not open to the public,” said Thomas. “Public fireworks display means an exhibition of fireworks in an open-air assembly, occupancy to which the public is invited, attends or admitted, with or without a fee being charged.”

The Commission voiced concerns about whether fireworks displays should be allowed only in the center of town to minimize problems with livestock and farm animals in rural areas.

Fire crackers and sparklers that don’t make noise garnered support while cannon-style booming fireworks weren less favored. Mayor Marlowe said that young children, veterans suffering from PTSD and parents of autistic children often have problems with booming fireworks, while quieter celebratory fireworks that can be purchased from stores or tent sellers may be more acceptable.

Fireworks on Veteran’s Day and Labor Day were also suggested to be added to the list of suggested exemptions for fireworks displays.

As no action was taken on the amendment as presented, Thomas was tasked with developing an ordinance for future Commission review.

In other business, the Commission approved an ordinance on first reading amending the City of Newberry’s Urban Service Area (USA) boundary to follow distinct parcel lines. Originally, the USA was designated by a circle in which development was encouraged. This change identifies those parcels within that circle along their property lines.

USAs designate a geographic region within a municipality that encompasses developed and developing urban areas. Its primary purpose is to concentrate urban infrastructure, services and resources to efficiently cater to the needs of a growing population, while also managing growth and development.

USAs help to preserve rural areas, deliver efficient services (sewer/water), use resources more efficiently and enhance the livability of a city.

The Commissioners suggested changes that included extending the line down Northwest 202^nd Street and Northwest 46^th Avenue. Mayor Marlowe stressed that the City maintain green space between Jonesville and Newberry to help delineate the City and provide more of an identity for residents.

Thomas will make those changes prior to sending the proposed new USA to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for review and comments.

The Commission unanimously ratified the contract negotiations between the City and the Fire Union. Newberry Fire Chief Mike Vogel said the City recently concluded contract negotiations and that the agreement was recently accepted by Union members in a 9-4 vote.

Vogel listed the high points of the agreement, noting the items that tended to benefit the City and those that tended to benefit Union members.

Following ratification, Vogel said all provisions will take effect immediately, excluding financial items, which will start beginning Nov. 1.

In other business, the Commission pledged $347,500 in grant matching funds to the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, should a grant application for funding support for the renovation and rehabilitation of the Historical Electric Plant be awarded.

If awarded, the funds will be used to aid in rehabilitation of the historical structure to include water line rehabilitation, gravity sewer extension, door rehabilitation, window rehabilitation, ADA compliant bathroom addition, masonry work, electrical improvements and ADA compliant parking, sidewalks and ramps.

The grant program requires a project fifty-percent match contribution. The City’s share is $347,500 of the estimated $695,000 total cos, with the City’s share coming from the Infrastructure Sales Surtax.

City Manager Mike New said the City still has $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and Mayor Marlowe said there are two companies waiting for a Request for Proposal (RFP) to be put out by the City for this project. He said putting up $347,500 for $695,000 in building upgrades was a good investment.

In other business, a joint meeting is planned between the Newberry City Commission and the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners at Easton Sports Complex on July 10.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The High Springs Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new business to the area June 24. On Saturday morning, Harbor Acupuncture and Natural Medicine opened its doors at 23335 N.W. County Road 236 offering acupuncture and natural medicine alternative treatments. In addition, the facility will offer Cupping Therapy, Herbal Formulas and B-12 injections. While acupuncture is mainly used to treat pain, cupping is used for a wide variety of ailments including digestion, blood pressure, nasal issues, anemia and menstrual cramps.

Acupuncture is a technique in which practitioners insert fine needles into the skin to treat health problems. The needles may be manipulated manually or stimulated with small electrical currents (electroacupuncture). Acupuncture has been in use in some form for at least 2,500 years, and according to the World Health Organization, acupuncture is used in 103 of 129 countries that reported data.

Owner of the new business and acupuncturist Aaron Stephan had a history of pain and medical issues, but found little relief or solutions from standard western medical practices. “My doctors and I tried different treatments and diagnosis, but kept reaching dead ends.” Stephan decided to try alternative treatments while attending South West Florida College.

After getting his Associates Degree, Stephan pursued a career to help others with medical issues through the same methods that had worked for him, and he enrolled in Dragon Rises College in Gainesville.

“After graduation, I began thinking of opening my own practice,” said Stephan. “After a lot of work and planning, that dream is now a reality.” Stephan now has a new goal of helping those in the community with the natural medicine treatments.

Research has shown that acupuncture may be helpful for several pain conditions, including back or neck pain, knee pain associated with osteoarthritis, and postoperative pain. It may also help relieve joint pain associated with the use of aromatase inhibitors, which are drugs used in people with breast cancer.

Vitamin B12 is not a naturally occurring nutrient in plant-based foods. Vegans and vegetarians are at an increased risk of developing deficiency disorders if they don’t complement their dietary routine with vitamin B12 supplements. This vitamin is important for synthesizing blood cells and ensuring optimal health of nerve cells and is important for DNA synthesis, creating new red blood cells, protein and fat metabolism and neurological/brain functions

Herbal medicine makes use of medicinal plants for treatment of a wide variety of ailments and chronic medical conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of the population of some Asian and African countries presently use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. Although associated with traditional Chinese medicine practices, use of herbal medicine dates much farther back, with written formulas at least 5,000 years and some evidence of use up to 60,000 years.

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NEWBERRY ‒ At 3:06 p.m. Monday, June 26, fire rescue units from Alachua County Fire Rescue, Newberry, and High Springs were dispatched to Southern Fuelwood, Inc., 28826 West Newberry Road. The business has been described as a large manufacturing plant with large metal warehouses approximately 30 – 35 feet tall with wood stacked to the ceilings on pallets. Inside the warehouses the wood goes through a heating process to dry the wood so it can be used for firewood, mulch, compost and wood chips.

The doors on the metal buildings are estimated to weigh 400 – 500 lbs. and are 25 feet in height. As firefighters saw smoke billowing out of the warehouse doors a firefighter from Newberry and another from Alachua County pulled the doors to open them. It is believed that the hinges failed which resulted in the doors falling onvb two firefighters.

Southern Fuelwood workers on the scene used a forklift to lift the doors off of the men as fellow firefighters pulled the injured men out from under the doors. Both firefighters were sent to UF Health. The Alachua County firefighter was trauma alerted to UF Health and suffered a lower leg fracture and rib fractures. According to Alachua County Fire Chief Harold Theus, surgery was performed to repair the fracture on Tuesday morning, June 27. The Newberry firefighter was treated and released on Monday.

“This fire required the assistance of 30 firefighters to bring it under control, which took approximately 1.5 hours in the hottest part of the day,” said Theus. “I would imagine it was still smoldering into the night.”

As to the cause of the fire, Theus said he believed it was accidental but “we don’t know the exact cause.”

“I have concerns regarding the frequency of the fires that take place at Southern Fuelwood, which require a lot of resources to combat,” Theus said. “I am concerned about the safety of our firefighters in extinguishing fires at that location. Since Jan. 1, 2020,” Theus said, “we have responded to 15 structure fires at Southern Fuelwood.”

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