Children’s Trust Awards Grant for Alachua’s Legacy Summer Camp

ALACHUA ‒ Alachua’s summer camp recreation program at Legacy Park is gearing up. And with $66,665 from The Children's Trust of Alachua County, the camp is well on its way. At the Jan. 23 Alachua City Commission meeting, the Children’s Trust awarded the City funding for the program that has been running since 2018. Last year, The Children's Trust released funding grants for summer enrichment programming in various areas of the county and Alachua was awarded $66,665. This year the City reapplied for the upcoming 2023 summer camp and received the same amount as last year. The Alachua Recreation and Culture Department will hold the summer camp June 5 through July 28.

The City of Alachua is a recipient of a grant to support efforts to provide educational exhibits and signage of Mill Creek Preserve. The Duke Energy Foundation awarded $160,000 in grants to support eight local community projects in Alachua County to aid revitalization and local economic development efforts. This is the first grant Duke Energy Florida has awarded and the company worked alongside the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce Foundation to identify local projects that have meaningful impacts in North Central Florida communities.

The City of Alachua has been awarded $20,000 of that grant to support the City’s efforts to provide educational exhibits and signage at Mill Creek Preserve to inform residents and visitors about the Mill Creek Sink Water Quality Improvement Project.

In other City business, Jovante Hayes has been reappointed to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, which serves in an advisory role to the City Commission concerning recreation services and potential long-range capital improvements, as well as evaluate existing programs. Newly appointed to the board, Matthew Webster will join the five-member board that serves staggered three-year terms.

In other business, Leroy Marshall, Chief Professional Engineer with Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD), informed the Commission about Flood Risk Review meetings concerning its re-evaluation of flood risks based on development that changes the landscape. The review is intended to let both the public and businesses know whether they are in a flood zone for insurance and building purposes. The first step in the process is to hold public meetings in various parts of the county.

There will be a meeting in City of Alachua at City Hall from 5 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 22. Information on the maps can be found online through an interactive portal at SRWMD Virtual Tour or by going to the website at www.MySuwanneeriver.com. There are several stages before finalizing the review and changes to the current maps will not be finalized until 2025.

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