Watson shelves boundary act repeal

ALACHUA COUNTY– State Representative Clovis Watson decided to shelf a bill to repeal a law unpopular with the smaller communities in Alachua County.

Eight out of nine cities in the county support repealing the Boundary Adjustment Act. Gainesville, the only city to oppose, may be willing to make concessions.

The act was passed in 1990 by the state legislature and only applies to Alachua County. It was meant to reign in growth in urbanized areas outside city limits by regulating how cities can annex territory.

Gainesville was against repealing the law because it wanted to keep the urban reserve areas it established. Urban reserve areas are zones outside city limits that are urbanized that a municipality could annex. The act also establishes a process cities have to go through before claiming the territory.

During discussions between the nine cities and the county, the Alachua County League of Cities, a group of representatives from each of the cities in the county, decided the Boundary Adjustment Act should be modified to keep only the urban reserves aspect of the law and renamed the Urban Reserve Act, said High Springs City Commissioner Sue Weller during a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 13.

Rather than the county having the final say-so in who can annex what, the Urban Reserve Act would establish a board with a member from each city and one member from the county. Each commission would appoint an elected official to represent it, Weller said.

One of Watson’s staff members sent out an email on Tuesday, Feb. 25 announcing he was killing the bill for this legislative session so the cities could have more time to negotiate and compromise.

“I remain committed to working with the cities in their quest of this matter in a future legislative session,” wrote Michelle Sherfield on behalf of Watson.

The Boundary Adjustment Act in its current form creates unnecessary burden on small towns, said Alachua Mayor Gib Coerper in an earlier interview with Alachua County Today, by adding a layer of unneeded bureaucracy.

When the act was passed, the state laws governing the other counties wasn’t as developed as it is now, said High Springs City Commissioner Sue Weller during the Feb. 13 commission meeting.

“Now, the state law has pretty much been brought up to speed,” she said.

Alachua County still hasn’t adopted a position or any suggestions, said county spokesman Mark Sexton.

The Alachua County Commission discussed the issue at a March 4 meeting, but there is no rush to make a position or adopt a motion now that the bill is not in play for this legislative session.

In the meantime, the county will listen to recommendations, Sexton said.

“The commission is always willing to listen to suggestions,” he said.

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