HIGH SPRINGS — High Springs City Commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance on final reading to change language in the Land Development Code which would allow mobile food vendors to temporarily conduct business in allowable non-residential zoning districts.

There was a slight modification made from first to second reading of the ordinance to allow state permitted toilets to be used where flushable toilets may not be available.

Although time was allotted for a public hearing to allow for citizen comments, no one addressed the issue prior to the commission vote. The item has generated considerable controversy during previous meetings so the absence of input may have been unexpected.

One of the owners of the High Springs Brewing Company, a proponent of the change to the Land Development Code, addressed commissioners following their vote and thanked them for working together to resolve this issue.

Persons wishing to set up mobile food trucks must meet all other Land Development Code requirements and would be required to submit a site plan prior to setting up.

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ALACHUA – City of Alachua elections for mayoral and city commission seats are held on the second Tuesday in April. This year, Election Day will be on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. In the event no candidate receives a majority of votes, there will be a runoff election held on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. 

In 2019, incumbent Robert Wilford retained his Seat 2 commission seat while Mayor Gib Coerpor won his re-election in a runoff. This year, Seat 3, currently held by Dayna Miller, will be up for election. She first came to the commission on an interim basis to replace Ben Boukari, Jr., who had resigned. Subsequently, Miller won the seat in the 2017 election, garnering a three-year term, which ends this year. 

The Commission also proclaimed Jan. 27, 2020 as Alachua Lions Club Day to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Alachua chapter of the Lions Club. The Lions Club is a not for profit service organization that raises funds for five global issues and also works in the community to help those in need. The local Alachua chapter has been involved in the community for over 80 years although they were officially recognized by the organization in 1940. In recognition of their service and the upcoming anniversary, Mayor Gib Coerper read the proclamation into the record.

The Commission also authorized the city manager, chief of police and city attorney to renew the Mutual Aid Agreement with the City of Gainesville Police Department (GPD). This agreement allows each organization to provide support to the other when needed. The existing agreement between the two cities expired June 18, 2019. GPD provided Alachua with a new agreement, which the City accepted. The new agreement will continue through Jan. 2, 2023.
City staff also requested the Commission to allow updates the City of Alachua Comprehensive Plan for the Period 2019-2035. Proposed amendments to the plan include revisions to certain goals, policies and definitions. These changes would be for administration, Future Land Use, Housing, Community Facilities and Natural Groundwater Aquifer Recharge Conservation and Open Space, Recreation, Intergovernmental Coordination, Capital Improvements and Public School Facilities. These changes comply with changes in Florida Statutes since the last Evaluation and Appraisal Report-based amendments were adopted in 2013. The Commission authorized city staff to transmit the proposed Comprehensive Plan Text Amendments to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and reviewing agencies under the State Coordinated Review Process.

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HIGH SPRINGS – Since 2013, the North Florida Presidents Council (NFPC) and the Military Vets Motorcycle Club has held the annual Poker Run motorcycle charity event. The ride is to raise money for Herry’s Kids Pediatric Services. 

Each year motorcycle riders gather at the Gainesville Harley Davidson store to begin the charity ride. All motorcycle riders are welcome, not just club members. Each rider brings a new toy and pays a $10 entry fee, or $20 without a toy. The ride begins at 10 a.m. There are five locations for participants to stop during the day, and at each spot they will be given a playing card. The final location is the High Springs Lions Club, which also helps sponsor the event.
Each rider will have collected five cards, and the highest poker hand wins a cash prize. The toys and money raised from this event go to Herry's Kids, a nonprofit pediatric hospice that serves 12 counties in Florida. Herry’s Kids Pediatric Services provides specialized services to children and teens with life-threatening illnesses and offers grief support and therapeutic camps to young people who have experienced a loss. Herry's is a program with the Hospice of Citrus and The Nature Coast, a nonprofit organization that offers free programs and compassionate end-of-life services for terminally ill children and teens as well as their families.
This year, the NFPC was not involved and the Military Vets MC club (MVMC) and the High Springs Lions Club took over all duties to keep the charity event alive. Although this led to a smaller turnout and less money raised, both these organizations felt it was important to keep the event going to raise the money to help the cause.
On Jan. 29, members of the Lions Club and the MVMC gathered at the The Diner in High Springs to present a check for $8,200 to representatives of the Hospice of Citrus and The Nature Coast. A popular restaurant, The Diner has hosted the check presentation for the past three years and is one of over 20 businesses that that helps sponsor the event by contributing funds or services to make the Poker Run successful.
In the past, the Diner has arranged for a band and beer bar outside on their patio for the event. The cold rainy weather this year took its toll on attendance, and the event was moved inside with a much smaller but dedicated crowd.
For both the MVMC and the High Springs Lions Club, service to others and helping those in need is an important part of their mission, and the Poker Run represents the positive qualities of humanity.
Although the poker run could be considered a good day for a long ride and celebrations, the riders participate for another reason. The annual Poker Run is their chance to make life a little better for critically ill children and bring them joy while letting them know there are others that care.

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NEWBERRY – The City of Newberry has gone through a lengthy process of grant applications in an attempt to obtain funding from the State to repair one of their iconic historic structures…the Little Red Schoolhouse. The structure, which was built in 1909, now serves as a museum and administrative offices for the City’s Building, Planning and Code Enforcement offices.

The building is currently suffering from structural failure due in part to the bricks having not been fired to a high enough temperature and also due to masonry and mortar wear through the years. In 2015, an architectural assessment of the interior and exterior of the building was performed. One of the findings from the assessment was that the brick and mortar joints on the exterior of the building had deteriorated to the point that water was collecting and migrating into the interior of the wall.

The City’s Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan calls for remodeling the interior and repair of the exterior. Originally, the City sought help from the State and submitted grant applications for assistance. Although the last grant application appeared to bear fruit, half of the state funding dollars that were awarded went to the Florida Panhandle to help with hurricane disaster remediation.

After three grant application attempts, the Newberry City Commission opted to have the City make the repairs and this year budgeted approximately $100,000 toward that goal. Approximately $70,000 of that money was earmarked for masonry repairs.

At the Jan. 27 City Commission meeting, City Manager Mike New reported that the City put the project out to bid as directed by the Commission and received three bids to perform the work. The low bidder was the Rose Group LLC with a bid of $38,000.

“The City has checked their references thoroughly and had received excellent reports about their work,” said New.

In addition, All Pro Masonry, a company acting as a subcontractor to the Rose Group, had also been vetted as they will be performing approximately $14,000 of the work. In a meeting with staff earlier on Jan. 27, both companies assured the City that they understood the project and were ready and able to complete it.

Although the bid amount is for $38,000, New asked for and received authorization for a not-to-exceed amount of 20 percent for overages. Due to the nature of the work, it can be difficult to assess the potential for additional brick and/or mortar damage. “We really don’t know what we’re going to find until we get into this project, and the usual 10 percent change order process may not be adequate in this case,” he said.

“Work should begin on the Little Red Schoolhouse repairs within the next 30 days and be completed in the next four months,” said New.

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