Local

NEWBERRY – The City of Newberry and the Newberry Main Street Organization (NMSO) are setting their sights on funding from USDA. During the May 11 Newberry City Commission meeting, Commissioners voted 4-1 to authorize the city manager to make application to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the Farmers Market Promotional Program (FMPP) grant. The grant application will be jointly submitted by the City and the Newberry Main Street Organization. The dissenting vote was cast by Commissioner Tim Marden.

According to Newberry’s Director of Finance & Administration Dallas Lee, USDA is accepting applications for three grant programs. The application deadline for all three programs is May 26, so the time is short to prepare the application.

Sharing the three grant opportunities with NMSO, the Farmers Market Promotion Program seemed best suited to the needs of Newberry’s citizens. The City developed parameters for a potential joint submission of the grant application, which NMSO agreed to.

Program awards for the Farmers Market Promotion Program range from $50,000 - $500,000 and are intended to support the development, coordination and expansion of direct-producer-to-consumer markets according to Lee. As NMSO has already begun a Farmers Market in the Newberry, this seemed like a good match to both parties.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA – By vote of its Board of Directors, the Alachua Lions Club has selected Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020 as the re-scheduled date for the 2020 Cattlemen’s Banquet.

The Club is hopeful that conditions with the Coronavirus will be significantly improved to permit the event to move forward. Originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, 2020, the event was postponed in the wake of the pandemic that impacted the U.S. earlier this year.

Club President Jim Emerson said, “We are aware of the uncertainties associated with announcing a new date for the event since there is always the possibility that our County may still be operating under the large group restrictions, but we decided to be pro-active and optimistic with getting back on the calendar.”

The Club advises that if the banquet is unable to be held on Sept. 15 due to continuing governmental limitations associated with the virus, it will be cancelled and the focus will shift to planning for the March 2021 Cattlemen’s Banquet.

Individual ticket holders and corporate table purchasers will be offered several options from the Club for receiving return value for their fundraising support in the event the banquet has to be cancelled for 2020.

“The Alachua Lions Club genuinely appreciates the support received from Alachua and the surrounding communities for this annual event, and we are especially grateful for the patience shown by our supporters during these most unusual and challenging times,” said Emerson.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

NEWBERRY – The Little Red Schoolhouse has long been an iconic structure in Newberry. But due to its historic nature and age, maintenance of the structure is an ongoing necessity.  Director of Utilities and Public Works, Jamie Jones approached Newberry City Commissioners with a request for City Manager Mike New to authorize an increase the current contract value with The Rose Group, LLC of Jacksonville.  “The change order is necessary,” said Jones,” in order for the contractor to perform additional required work on the Little Red Schoolhouse building.”

The building, which was constructed in 1909, served as the local school house for several years, but is currently used to house the administrative offices for the City of Newberry Building, Planning and Code Enforcement Departments and also as a museum.

The change order is for $28,000 for additional work necessary “to prevent water leaking into the building,” said Jones.  The additional funds will pay to replace bricks on the windowsills, the south chimney and additional tuck pointing on the north and east building facades.

Commissioners authorized the execution of the change order to enable the work to be completed while The Rose Group is still on site and also to hopefully prevent additional water from seeping into the structure.

Paul Stresing Associates of Alachua performed an architectural assessment of the interior and exterior of the building in August 2015.  One of the main findings from the assessment was that the brick and mortar joints on the exterior of the building had deteriorated to the point that water was collecting and migrating into the interior of the wall.  

“Repair of the exterior wall system and interior remodeling of the building are identified in the City’s five-year Capital Improvement Project list,” Jones said.  In order to fund the necessary repairs, the City applied unsuccessfully for a number of grants.  “Ultimately, the City moved the project forward with funding from non-grant sources following the Stresing report.”

In response to the assessment, specifications were developed for masonry repairs on the structure in fall 2019.  Of the three bids received for the work, the lowest responsive bidder was The Rose Group at $38,000.  

Until work began, it was difficult to determine that additional work would need to be done to preserve the structure said Jones. 

The total cost of all repairs to the historic structure will be $66,000.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA COUNTY – Beginning May 4, Alachua County Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services Department began providing free suppers and snacks for children age 0-18 at 29 school sites throughout the district. This is in addition to the free breakfast and lunch meals currently provided at 78 schools, community centers and bus stops in Alachua County.

Distribution of the additional meals continue through May 29. That will be the last day of school for Alachua County Public School students, based on Governor Ron DeSantis’ announcement that schools would remain physically closed but continue with distance learning until their originally-scheduled closing date.

The extra meals are being provided through the Afterschool Meals Program, which is a part of the federal government’s Child and Adult Care Food Program. Typically, the program is used to provide nutritious snacks and meals to children in after-school programs. However, the district recently received federal approval to distribute the extra meals at some of its existing meal distribution sites.

The additional meals and snacks will be distributed Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the sites listed below. The suppers and snacks are available free to all children 0-18, and they do not have to be enrolled at the school to take advantage of the program.

The sites at which suppers/snacks will be provided are:

A full list of the sites providing breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks is available at www.yourchoicefresh.com and on the district’s COVID-19 page at www.sbac.edu.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

NEWBERRY – The City of Newberry has once again extended the City’s State of Emergency. But approval of the measure, which was first approved on March 17 and extended seven times prior to the May 11 City Commission meeting, did not happen without debate. Commissioners initially voted the eighth extension down and then brought it back for a second vote. Three Commissioners first voted against Resolution 2020-20, at which point the resolution failed to pass.

Commissioners Tim Marden, Rick Coleman and Paul Norfleet cast the dissenting votes on the first round of voting. Marden said he thought people should be able to make their own decisions about facemasks in public.

Newberry has been in a constant state of emergency since the middle of March. The dissenting commissioners expressed their concern that just because of the state of emergency, that didn’t supersede people’s rights under the Constitution. Commissioners Marden and Coleman indicated they were sending a message with their votes.

Commissioner Rocky McKinley said he didn’t want to tie the hands of the city manager and, although he would like things to move along personally so he could hold services, he said he felt he had to act in the best interest of the entire community – not just his own interests.

Mayor Jordan Marlowe pointed out several times that Newberry is still under the directives of the Governor and County, whether the City officially approves the Resolution or not. “State-wide, we are in a state of emergency,” Marlowe said.

Although the resolution failed earlier, the topic came up again near the end of the meeting. Learning that there were not only financial implications having to do with reimbursement from FEMA and other agencies, should that be necessary, Commissioners also heard from City Manager Mike New that there were programs he would not be able to implement if the City was not in a state of emergency.

Following a brief discussion, Commissioners voted unanimously to suspend the Rules of Procedure so they could again address the question of Resolution 2020-20.

Director of Finance & Administration Dallas Lee explained that approximately 500 citizens required utility assistance during the month of April. “So far this month 20 customers have contacted the City expressing a need for assistance and another 30 haven’t contacted the City, but have not paid their bills.”

New explained that a Utility Assistance Program, which had been developed by Lee, could be implemented while the City is in a State of Emergency. However, he said he would be unable to implement the program otherwise. During the previous month, the City paid the utility bills for those people who couldn’t pay. New said that Lee’s concept would mean that the City could partner with the Community Action Agency and not bear the burden alone.

Prior to considering the resolution for the second time, the city’s attorney read Resolution 2020-20 once again. McKinley made a motion to approve the resolution with Commissioner Monty Farnsworth seconding. In a second vote, Commissioners approved the resolution in a 3-2 vote with Marden and Norfleet voting nay. Farnsworth reiterated the fact that Resolution 2020-20 would be in place until the next City Commission meeting, which will take place on May 26.

Commissioners initially approved Resolution 2020-14 on March 17, which formally put Newberry in a State of Emergency due to concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The resolution was continued one time by passage of Resolution 2020-15 on March 23. Proclamations were subsequently approved on March 30, April 6, April 13, and again on April 20, which extended the State of Emergency seven more days with the approval of each action. The Commission continued the State of Emergency by approval of Resolution 2020-19 on April 27 and by proclamation again on May 4.

Approval of Resolution 2020-20 will allow city staff time to put measures in place that can help residents if the Commission votes not to continue the formal state of emergency at the next meeting.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS – The High Springs City Commission unanimously approved an agreement between the City and Oak Ridge at High Springs Homeowners’ Association (HOA) after prolonged arguments over required repairs to Phase Two of the subdivision.

HOA President and developer Rick Howe submitted a punch list for Phases One and Two for $3,450 and $23,043, for work remaining on the project. These amounts are significantly lower than the original amount of remaining work, which was estimated to be approximately $98,000 in late 2018.

The agreement significantly guarantees that the work will be completed, and with the belief that Howe intends to build out the remaining phases of the subdivision, the Commission agreed to authorize the signing of the contract.

As security for the performance of the agreement and on behalf of Oak Ridge HOA, within 45 days Howe Development Corporation is expected to deposit the full cost of completing the punch list work totaling $26,493 into the Trust Account of Salter Feiber, P.A., counsel for Howe Development Corporation.

Regarding Phase Two, Feiber will notify the City when the deposit is made into the trust account. In the event the cost to bring the infrastructure improvements into compliance with City regulations exceeds the amount specified, the City shall bear no responsibility for the cost of completing the work. In the event Oak Ridge HOA defaults in the performance of this agreement, the funds remaining in the trust account shall be held by Salter Feiber and subject to dispersal by the City to complete the work.

Within 60 days of the date of the agreement, Oak Ridge HOA is to provide the City with an executed contract with a licensed and qualified contractor for the work to be performed.

The construction contract necessary to complete the work shall be assignable to the City and the funds in the trust account are to be available to the City if Oak Ridge HOA fails to complete the work.

The City agreed that no permit is required for the work.

In exchange, the City will allow the HOA to file the application to install signage and lighting at the Phase Two entrance similar to the signage and lighting previously approved and installed at the entrance to Phase One. The expense to install and maintain the signage is the responsibility of the Oak Ridge HOA.

Once the work has been completed as specified the City will accept and maintain the right-of-way in Oak Ridge Phase Two and all improvements including, but not limited to the roads, sidewalks, water and sewer.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com