High Springs Citizens to Vote On Charter Amendments

HIGH SPRINGS – The High Springs City Commission on June 27, 2024 tackled recommendations by the Charter Review Committee. Following a lengthy dialogue, the Commission approved four of the eight items recommended by the Charter Review Committee to be on this November’s ballot.

Charter amendments approved include:

No. 1 Updating Corporate Boundary to that of the present-day boundary and provide for the ability of the City to change its boundary as prescribed by law.

No. 6 Updating Public Notice Requirements to allow for electronic advertisement of public notices in the event the City has followed the requirements of Fla. Stat. 50.0311 and require five weeks of online publication in the event of electronic advertisement.

No. 7 Updating Oath of Office and Ability to Alter Appropriations and Reductions to require commissioners and charter officers to assert they are not precluded from holding office pursuant to Article VI, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution prior to taking office, and allow the City Commission to make supplemental appropriations or reductions and require the City Manager to inform the City Commission when revenues will be insufficient to meet appropriation amounts.

No. 8 Updating Public Owned Lands to update the names of public parks and add the Sports Complex to the list of public owned lands.

Other Charter Review Committee recommended items will be discussed further by the Commission for possible inclusion on the 2025 ballot for citizen consideration.

Of the failed recommendations, issues regarding forfeiture of office and censuring a commissioner for not adhering to the Charter appeared to be of most concern. Several commissioners and a few audience members along with Commissioner Andrew Miller expressed concern about Item No. 3: Commissioner Salary, Mayor Term, and Unified Commission to Instruct City Manager to allow for the salary of commissioners to continue at the same rate if the commission does not act on same, limit the term of the mayor to one year absent supermajority vote of the commission, prevent a single commissioner from ordering the City Manager to act, preventing the City Manager from following the instructions of a single commissioner, and provide for the ability of censure.

Miller said he believed those three items should be voted on separately.

Miller initially made a motion to strike Items 2, 3, 4 and 5, which died for lack of a second. Vice Mayor Tristan Grunder made another motion to put all of the items suggested by the Charter Review Committee on the ballot. That motion also died for lack of a second.

Following comments by the city attorney that commissioners could choose the items that they were all in agreement on for this year’s election ballot and discuss the remaining items for next year’s ballot, Miller made another motion to strike items No. 2 – 5 from Ordinance 2024-04. The motion passed 3-2 with Grunder and Commissioner Byran Williams in dissent.

Miller made another motion to approve the Ordinance with items No 2-5 deleted, which passed in another 3-2 vote with Grunder and Williams in dissent.

Items 2-5, which will not be on this year’s ballot are: No. 2 Commissioners, Voting, and Notice; No. 3 Commissioner Salary, Mayor Term, and Unified Commission to Instruct City Manager; No. 4 Adding Forfeiture of Office Section; No. 5 Disallowing Individual to Serve as both Manager and Clerk, Residency Requirements for City Manager and Candidates

In other business, the Commission unanimously approved two agreements related to School Resource Officers (SROs). The first was an agreement between the School Board of First Christian Academy and the City of High Springs for the City to provide SROs for their school.

The second agreement was between the School Board of Alachua County and City of High Springs which provides funding for SROs.

Also receiving unanimous approval was the City’s finance director request for approval to sell the 2021 CRA vehicle to the Building Department for the amount that was paid for the vehicle originally. The funds for the sale of the vehicle will go back into the CRA’s budget.

In still other business, Tree Committee Chairperson Linda Hewlett talked about a recent meeting in which the County’s arborist attended. She has been planting and maintaining trees in the community and offered to plant 70 more native trees in High Springs during the next two years. Commissioners unanimously voted to approve that action.

In final comments it was revealed that High Springs Police Officer Minor and Sgt. Moore attended to a woman who was not conscious. Using their emergency equipment, they were able to revive her and send her to the hospital.

The next High Springs City Commission meeting is scheduled for July 11 at 6:30 p.m.

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