In a letter received Oct. 24, USDA Area Director R.C. Quainton II informed the city that it plans to de-obligate, or take back, money granted in 2005 for the second and third phases of the High Springs’ sewage system. While the project was originally assessed at a cost of $10 million, the expansion actually cost about $8 million.

“The Phases Two and Three project has been fully completed at a cost significantly less than originally estimated by the project engineer,” Quainton said in the letter. “When there is a significant reduction in project cost, the applicant’s funding needs to be reassessed.”

The city planned to use the extra money to pay the costs of hooking up residents to the sewage system. However, the letter explained that grant funds must be used within five years of issuance, a timeframe the city failed to meet.

Then city commission candidate, and newly elected commissioner Bob Barnas said at the Nov. 3 commission meeting that he contacted United States Senator Bill Nelson about the sewage system, concerned that “waste and mismanagement” had occurred in the commission’s handling of the project.

The USDA said upon reviewing the information, “We found that the allegations are not substantiated.”

Barnas also said High Springs staff members knew about the possible loss of funding in September, before they received the USDA letter. He said Mayor Larry Travis secretly planned to meet with Nelson about the issue at the President’s Box at the University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium during a football game.

Travis said contact had been made with Nelson’s office to set up a meeting to discuss options, but it never occurred. He said they also discussed meeting in Washington D.C., a trip Travis would have undertaken at his own cost.

“There were no secret meetings,” he said. “I go to the President’s Box because I’m invited there. I have a pretty good reputation at the university. I haven’t seen Mr. Barnas there.”

Interim City Manager Jenny Parham admitted that the Rural Development agency requested one meeting at the end of August about the issue with her, Travis and City Attorney Thomas DePeter. However, she said that at thes Sept. 12 meeting they were told no action should be taken until official notification was received.

Commissioner Dean Davis said according to the letter received from USDA, the city has known about having to spend the extra money for a year. However, he said he was not aware about the situation until the recent controversy.

“I am as surprised as anybody about what we just went through as a city commission,” he said.

He said High Springs has missed similar government grant deadlines before and has never had leftover money de-obligated.

“They’ve never done this before,” he said. “They’ve always let us use it.”

Resident Thomas Weller said he suspected complaints about the project led to the ruling. He said he found it interesting that Barnas received a response to his letter merely three days after the city was officially informed of the de-obligation.

“You know, when you rock the boat, people get ticked off, and they just find it easier to say no,” he said.

Other citizens blamed former City Manager Jim Drumm, Parham, DePeter, Travis and engineering firm Jones Edmunds for the situation. Resident Ron Langman said both Drumm and Jones Edmunds, the city’s sole contracted engineering firm at the time, should have informed the city that time was up on the funds. However, he also said the current commission had an obligation to inform the city of the issue, calling for the resignation of Parham and DePeter.

“It’s either you guys up there are covering this up, all five of you, or four of you are clucks, sitting up there watching it happen,” he said. “It’s seamy, it’s despotic and it’s not okay.”

DePeter said the city’s options are to ask for an informal review, mediation or an appeal. He recommended the city ask for an appeal, though he thought the odds of winning the suit were “less than 50 percent.”

Former Mayor John Hill was on the commission when the sewage project was approved. He said the first three phases were essential for the city because the Santa Fe River was being intoxicated with nitrates.

The final two phases were planned based on the population increase suggested by the 1990 census, Hill said. The USDA put the fourth phase of the project on hold because the level of new development in High Springs has “significantly decreased” since projections were made in 2008.

“The City of High Springs will be required to submit to Rural Development a wastewater system rate schedule and operating budget that supports project and system financial viability,” the USDA’s October letter said.

The project was originally approved in 2001 with an expected cost of $26 million. DePeter explained that it was designed in five phases so that the city could complete the project using a funding split of 55 percent loan and 45 percent grant.

The undertaking was proposed in a redevelopment plan prepared by the University of Florida in 1986.

“Lack of a city-wide sewage plan is a severe health hazard for High Springs,” the plan read. “Due to the inevitable contamination to the water supply if a leak occurred in the septic system, the health of all High Springs residents would be at risk.”

The plan further explains that citywide septic systems may be a factor slowing the growth of High Springs because businesses do not want to open in a city without wastewater facilities.

The commission voted 4-1 in favor of requesting an appeal. Davis voted against the action.

Fletcher Hope clinched a seat on the Archer City Commission with about 73 percent of the vote.

Hope faced off against Laurie Costello, a former city commissioner.  Both were vying for a seat vacated in September when former commissioner Roberta Lopez resigned.

Hope picked up 146 votes in the election as compared to Costello’s 53 votes.  City officials have not yet verified three provisional ballots.

The election had a turnout of roughly 30 percent with 199 votes cast in the Tuesday election.

Hope will be sworn in as the town’s newest commissioner at Archer City Hall on Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.  He will serve the remaining one year of the term left vacant by Lopez.

Only minutes prior to learning they had won election to the High Springs City Commission Tuesday night, Bob Barnas and Linda Clark Gestrin are engaged in conversation with a supporter.

HIGH SPRINGS – Two challengers beat the two incumbents in the High Springs City Commission election Tuesday night.

Linda Clark Gestrin and Bob Barnas received the two highest numbers of votes, overtaking current Mayor Larry Travis and Vice Mayor Byran Williams. Neither Gestrin nor Barnas have previously held political office.

Travis had not been defeated since his election in 2005. Williams has served on the commission for six years, though he briefly lost his seat in 2009.

While local resident Leda Carrero had said the election was a “cliff hanger” for the city, the final results were not close. Gestrin received 511 votes, and Barnas received 469. Williams earned 313 votes while Travis came in last with 276.

William Ross, a poll watcher, said the turnout was “better than most.” He attributed that to the tight race which was “very close and very contested.”

The election remained controversial up until the last minute, and beyond. At 7 p.m. when the polling location closed, officials locked both the public and poll watchers out of the High Springs Civic Center.

Citizens and poll watchers banged on the doors to the center, demanding they be let in. Joyce Hallman said she and the other poll watchers were supposed to be inside to watch the vote tallying.

“There’s nobody in there watching,” she said. “They could be doing anything. They could be tampering with the machines.”

Police officers spoke to the officials and escorted citizens into the building about eight minutes after the doors had been locked.

Williams, Barnas and Gestrin waited in the room with the public, speaking to supporters and carefully watching the tallying. Travis was not present for the final count.

Upon hearing the results, with a huge smile on her face, Gestrin hugged her husband. She said while she was excited and honored to be elected, there is little time to rest. The real work begins now.

“We need to assess where we’re at,” she said. “We need to re-evaluate the sewer project. We must bring economic development. We need a fresh, new direction.”

Barnas said his first priority is to find out what can be done about the sewage project. He said he wants to sit down with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Rural Development agency to discuss alternatives to get back the $1.6 million in funding that might be revoked.

High Springs staff members were informed in an Oct. 24 letter from the USDA that the agency planned to de-obligate grant funds approved in 2005 for the second and third phases of the city’s sewage system expansion. While the project was originally assessed at $10 million, it ended up costing closer to $8 million.

The city intended to use the extra funding to cover the costs of hooking up users to the system but failed to meet the five-year time limit placed on grant money.

Barnas said the commission needs to explore alternatives, including negotiating a joint venture with Alachua allowing High Springs to use pre-existing wastewater facilities.

Also on the ballot were six city charter amendments. All passed, leading to some significant changes in city policy.

From now on, commission candidates will have to run for specific seats. They also can no longer serve as contractual employees to the city in the year after their election.

City ordinances can now be proposed by citizens. An amendment passed giving them the authority to petition before the commission if they receive signatures from 50 voters.

The number of ballots tallied was 826, including absentee ballots and provisional votes. Due to four contested votes, the results will not be certified until Thursday at 5 p.m.

Interim City Manager Jenny Parham said the public is welcome to attend the meeting of the canvassing board and hear the official results.

The new commissioners will be sworn in on Nov. 17.

Local schoolteacher Billye Dowdy said before the election she went with a partner to pray at every entryway sign to High Springs, hoping for “a favorable outcome.”

“We prayed that God would show favor to this community and restore righteousness,” she said. “Righteousness, honesty, decency and wisdom. Just wisdom.”

Gestrin hopes that with her election, High Springs will be able to move forward economically. She said by finding common ground and working together, the town can do what needs to be done.

“There’s so much potential here,” she said. “I’m interested in handing off High Springs to future generations in the condition like it was given to us.”

HIGH SPRINGS -  Election results are in for the City of High Springs election.  Newcomers Bob Barnas and Linda Clark Gestrin have been elected to the commission.  Barnas received 469 votes, Gestrin received 511 votes, Larry Travis received 276 votes and Byran Williams received 313 votes.