Commission Appoints Five to Education Task Force

ALACHUA ‒ The Alachua City Commission on July 24 appointed five members to the City’s Education Task Force (ETF). The ETF advises the City Commission by recommending policies, procedures, and suggestions for improving the quality of childhood education in Alachua, including cooperation with all public, private, and charter schools, and early childhood centers that offer preschool, daycare or Head Start.

Appointments vary on length of service, with two seats serving a three-year term expiring July 24, 2026, two additional seats serving a two-year term expiring July 24, 2025 and one seat serving a one-year term expiring July 24, 2024. The five newly appointed members are Lynn Hayes and Travis White serving three-year terms, Tonya Floyd and Jeffrey A. Means serving two-year terms and Jeremy Grimm serving a one-year term.

In other City business, Mayor Gib Coerper and Ladtetre (Dee Dee) McClain presented certificates to three student artists who attended the City’s Legacy Park Summer Camp Program and had their artwork featured on display in the foyer of City Hall.

The Commission took action on the final plat for Convergence Research Park Residential Phase 2. The proposed development subdivides a 32.27-acre property into 103 lots with associated common areas and road rights-of-way. The proposed Convergence Research Park Residential subdivision has three phases consisting of lots ranging in size from 5,750 to 15,500 square feet, with the majority of lots between 5,750 to 10,000 square feet.

The subdivision will include common areas throughout the property with pedestrian pathways connecting to existing sidewalks located along the San Felasco Parkway. There will also be two roadway access points to San Felasco Parkway for the subdivision.

Development within the subdivision will connect to City of Alachua water and wastewater facilities. The developer will provide a Common Law Performance Bond of $5.59 million to the City as the surety instrument for infrastructure improvements as well as an additional $233,654 for the residential sidewalks. The Commission approved the final plat.

In other business, the Commission approved the return of two surety bonds for completion of sidewalk infrastructure in Savannah Station Phase 2A in the amount of $5,036 and $7,602.

Turning to budgetary matters, the Commission approved a proposed a tentative millage rate 5.9500 for Fiscal Year 2023-24. The Commission can set a final millage rate at a lower amount once the City’s Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget is finalized. The first budget public hearing has been set for Sept. 6.

Alachua Finance Director Robert Bonetti reported a $37,437 uptick to the City’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 General Fund Budget by the acceptance of unanticipated revenue of three grants. The 2023 Duke Energy Economic Development grant of $25,000 was awarded to create a strategic plan for the downtown area.

The other two grants were from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants Program. The Alachua Police Department received $2,727 to purchase 17 tactical gun lights to enhance officer safety and effectiveness in low light or no light situations and $9,710, to purchase 19 ballistic rifle plates and one traffic radar kit. The ballistic rifle plates provide officers protection from rifle calibers and the radar kit will serve to update the technology on the existing speed trailer.

In other business, the City awarded two contracts to complete the City of Alachua Water Quality & Resiliency Improvement Project. Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. was approved for $399,900 to complete the tasks for Engineering Construction Services on the project. SGS Contracting Services, Inc. was approved for $7,962,700 to provide a new raw water well, treatment facilities and operations building, sanitary sewer extension and a diesel engine generator. Both contracts will be paid for from the City's Water Fund.

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