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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Sheila Ann Symonds, 51, of Alachua, was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 8, and charged with two counts of grand theft of a controlled substance after allegedly stealing Adderall from a co-worker and a bottle of Xanax pills that was inadvertently left behind by a client at a High Springs veterinary practice.

The business owner reportedly told a High Springs Police Department officer that Symonds had taken about 20 Adderall pills from a co-worker’s office and had taken a bottle of 60 Xanax pills that a client had left on the counter at the clinic. Both Adderall and Xanax are controlled substances and are common drugs of abuse.

The business owner provided surveillance video that reportedly showed Symonds going into the co-worker’s cubby three times and taking pills. On one video, the sound of a bottle cap opening and closing can be heard. The video also reportedly shows a client walking out and leaving a bottle of Xanax on the counter; another client gives the pill bottle to Symonds, and two minutes later, the video shows Symonds hiding the pill bottle under receipts. Twenty minutes later, the video shows Symonds hiding the pill bottle in her jacket and then putting her jacket in her own cubby.

Symonds reportedly denied taking any pills and insisted that officers search the parking lot area for the pill bottle. A bottle of pills in the client’s name was found in the dirt near the front of the business; the officer reported that it is unknown how the bottle got there. Officers determined that despite finding the pills, they had sufficient evidence that Symonds had deprived both victims of their medications.

Symonds has 10 felony convictions, including two drug convictions and eight property convictions. She has served three state prison sentences and was most recently released in April 2020.

She is being held on $20,000 bond but will be considered for release on her own recognizance with a requirement for day reporting.

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HIGH SPRINGS – High Springs City Commissioner Linda Jones voiced her concerns about services the City is receiving from contracted attorney Scott Walker. Jones is frustrated with Walker’s response time to City staff and commissioners as well as his interpretation of what could be challenged as far as the mural ordinance is concerned. Jones dissatisfaction led her to suggest the City hire a second attorney from a different firm to reinterpret Walker’s interpretation of what is legally defensible regarding murals.

Jones penned a letter detailing her concerns saying that “issues are stacking up, therefore the City cannot proceed unless they proceed with writing ordinances, etc. themselves.”

Jones also said the attorney was not prepared on the proposed Bridlewood development presentation of July 14 as he said at that time that “this was just a presentation.” Her third concern was the continued disagreement as to the rights of artists and the citizens. She said citizens have few rights when it comes to the number of mural applications that can be submitted at one time. Her fourth complaint was turnover in Walker’s firm. “I believe we need an attorney with more experience; our staff does not have time to train new attorneys.”

Walker responded to each of Jones’ complaints. Walker pointed out that his firm has worked on over 70 projects for High Springs since January and an additional five special projects. He also said that he has implemented an email address exclusively for High Springs that will go to all of the attorneys involved with the City. Walker said he hoped that would improve communication. In addition, he has given the Commissioners and City staff his cell phone number and suggested that his legal assistant could be contacted in his absence if someone needs to talk to him personally.

In response to the Bridlewood comment, Walker said the presentation was just that and he didn’t believe it was appropriate to get into a lengthy un-noticed discussion about the project, especially since it would eventually come before the City Commission.

Regarding the mural ordinance, he said he is not hired to do what is popular or what even 100 people want to have him do, but instead to respond with an interpretation of the law. “There are people out there who look for cases like this to challenge,” Walker said. “My job is to present an ordinance that will pass constitutional muster to keep the City out of a lawsuit.”

Walker said he has been with the firm for 40 years and his partner for even longer than that. He added that several of his attorneys or staff members have been with the firm for several decades. He had earlier mentioned that one of his younger attorneys was watching the meeting on zoom to gain more insight into how she would handle different issues.

Jones specifically asked about a mural that recently went up in the historic district that apparently contained an aspect in the design that was considered a sign. Walker said the person who put up the mural was willing to remove the signage portion of the mural. Because the mural was in the historic district, he said a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Board should have been obtained prior to putting up the mural. However, he specified that the building itself was not a historic structure.

Commissioner Ross Ambrose suggested that clear timelines as to when an ordinance or project was due would help staff— a suggestion with which Walker said he agreed.

In response to a question if the contract with the City could be modified to hire a second attorney, Walker said it could be done, but a separate attorney would require putting out a Request for Proposals (RFP).

Commissioner Katherine Weitz made a motion to bring the item back for discussion after they had a chance to review the contract. The motion was seconded by Jones and passed unanimously.

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ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ The Alachua County Housing Division will make available $200,000 in State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) funding for home repair as part of the Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation program.  The funds include grants for low and very low-income eligible applicants only.  Applications will only be accepted as long as budgeted funds for the initiative are available.

This program is first come, first serve and is for Alachua County Residents only.  Those living in the City of Gainesville are ineligible.

The Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program has grants for roof replacement for Low- and Very Low-Income applicants only with $150,000 in available funds.  The Emergency Repairs program has $50,000 in available funds with a maximum of $10,000 per home.

Grant staff will be available to review and assist applicants with the application process.  For an application, please email housing@alachuacounty.us.  In the subject line, add “request a roofing application.”  In the body, include your name, address and phone number.

SHIP provides funding to local governments to preserve affordable housing.  It is designed to serve very low, low and moderate income families.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Alachua County has approached High Springs to see if the City would be willing to share the cost of purchasing a local landmark. The purchase price of the Priest Theater is $300,000 - $350,000. Renovations just to bring the building up to code are estimated at $1.5 million. The cost to bring in equipment to shore up the building to keep it from collapsing is estimated to be $30,000 with an additional $8,000 per month to keep the equipment in place. The cost to replace the roof is another $300,000 - $500,000 and it is estimated to cost $100,000 per year for upkeep.

Anticipated funding would come from a combination of Wild Spaces Public Places and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) funds. Although some individuals prefer that the money be spent on roads, the two funding options cannot be used for road maintenance.

At the Sept. 8 High Springs City Commission meeting, the Commission took no action about the purchase, but did indicate that they would like to see what the County is willing to put into the project before making a decision. The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners heard this item at a Special Meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13. The idea of possibly helping with part of the $300,000 purchase was discussed, but no commitment was made. “We are now taking a look at it to advise the Commission at a future meeting,” said Alachua County Communications Director Mark Sexton.

The item is anticipated to be considered again at the next High Springs City Commission meeting scheduled for Sept. 19.

Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant

In other City business, Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe was on hand to talk about the possibility of including High Springs in a regional wastewater facility proposed by the City of Newberry. If approved by the state, the proposed $40 million facility would serve Archer, Newberry and High Springs and may also serve Trenton.

The project site is approximately 92 acres just south of Newberry’s existing wastewater treatment plant facility. Marlowe said 40-42 acres would be needed for the facility. He would like to see the remaining acreage used as a wetland area with walking and biking capability, among other environmental options. Marlowe said that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has said they would pay for the lines to run from Archer to the Newberry facility if the project goes forward. “They may do the same for High Springs,” he said. “I’m not making any promises, but it is a possibility.”

The High Springs City Commission voted unanimously for staff to explore the possibility of being included in the proposed regional wastewater project.

Tractor Supply Site Plan

The commission also unanimously approved a 5.01 +/- acre site plan for a proposed Tractor Supply to be located on Santa Fe Boulevard. The parcel is located on the west side of Northwest U.S. Highway 441, approximately one mile north of County Road 236.

Due to limitations on the site, the High Springs Plan Board approved a variance on Aug. 30 that granted the applicant a reduction in required parking spaces from 110 to 75 spaces and a reduction to the Highway Enhancement Zone Front Yard setback from 35 to 13 feet. City Manager Ashley Stathatos said that the site plan is consistent with the Land Development Code and staff recommended approval.

Citizens who had expressed concern about the lighting were told the lighting would be dark sky, meaning that the lights are directed to the ground. Another citizen concern raised was about proposed tree removals. Stathatos said the plan had not yet been addressed regarding trees, but that the City has a tree ordinance, which will be considered regarding the final plan review.

Mini-storage Facility to Expand

Clay Sweger of eda Consultants, Inc. requested a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) on the property known as People's Choice Storage High Springs LLC. The 8.01 +/- acre parcel located at 26029 W. U.S. Highway 27 is zoned C2 and already contains a mini-storage facility within an existing RV/boat storage facility. The original CUP was approved in 2017.

The total square footage of the two existing buildings on site is 10,850 square feet. The five new proposed buildings total 79,750 square feet. The Plan Board recommended approval at their July 26 meeting with conditions present in the original 2017 CUP. The 2017 conditions included provision of a landscape design to the Commission, permanent maintenance of all plantings/buffers agreed to and reassurance that vehicle maintenance not be allowed on the property.

Commissioners unanimously agreed to the new CUP with the existing conditions and the addition of dark sky lighting and that the emergency access entrance not be allowed to be a regular use entrance going forward.

City Budget Set at $17.6 Million

Following budget workshops over the past several weeks the Commission set the tentative ad valorem millage rate for Fiscal Year 2022-23 at 5.99 mills, the same rate set for FY22. Although the millage rate was not increased, property owners are likely to see an increase in their property taxes due to increased property values. Consideration of the final millage rate and budget is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Prior to budget approval, the Commission briefly discussed the $12,000 Commission salary increase included in the FY23 budget. Finance Director Diane Wilson reported that a survey of area commission salaries showed that High Springs’ commissioners were paid less than other similarly-sized cities. Wilson also suggested the $12,000 increase could be allocated differently in the future if the Commissioners decided to use the funds for another purpose.

K9 Brix Retiring

High Springs Police Department K9 Brix will be retiring early and going home with his handler, Officer John Frickie. Brix has been trained to locate marijuana. With the legalization of marijuana for medical use, Brix is no longer needed to fulfill that need for the department.

“FHP and other agencies are moving away from using K9s for sniffing out marijuana,” said HSPD Chief Antoine Sheppard.

Retraining the dog for other uses would take approximately nine months. As Brix would be older by that time, his usefulness to the department would be limited. His handler has agreed to pay the pro-rated value of the dog and plans to take him home to join his family permanently.

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NEWBERRY ‒ The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has begun work on work on U.S. 41 (State Road 45) with the addition of a right turn onto Southwest 15^th Avenue in Newberry at Oak View Middle School.

Other improvements include milling and resurfacing, highway signage, lighting and other incidental construction on U.S. 41 at Southeast 15^th Avenue.

FDOT hired V.E. Whitehurst & Sons, Inc. to complete this $674,000 project in late 2022, weather and unforeseen circumstances permitting.

Daytime lane closures and nighttime construction activities are expected throughout the duration of the project. Lane closures are prohibited in school zones from one hour before school begins to 30 minutes after school begins and one hour before school ends to 30 minutes after school ends.

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HIGH SPRINGS ‒ three new officers have joined the High Springs Police Department (HSPD).  A special presentation was made at the beginning of the Sept. 8 High Springs City Commission meeting to welcome the new officers.  Police Chief Antoine Sheppard explained that although the officers are new, as they are hired, they go through a tough training program.  The training program consists of three phases that includes monitoring by three different field training officers.  The new officers are James Davis, Dennis Clayton and Markel Parks. 

Davis joined the HSPD on Feb. 2, 2022.  He was born and raised in Lake City, where he graduated from Columbia High School.  He worked for the Department of Corrections for several years before attending Florida Gateway College to pursue a career in law enforcement.  

Clayton joined the High Springs Police Department on April 18, 2022.  He was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he resided until his family relocated to High Springs, when he was six years old.  Clayton attended the High Springs Community School and later received his diploma from Fort White High School.  When he is not dedicating his time to his career with HSPD, he loves spending quality time with his family.  

Parks also joined the HSPD on April 18, 2022, but started his career in law enforcement in his hometown of Starke in 2018 with the Starke Police Department.  Parks worked for the Starke Police Department for four years before coming to the HSPD to further his career.  Parks enjoys going to the gym and practicing martial arts.

Following the introductions, Chief Sheppard administered the oath of office to each of the officers to a round of applause from the audience and Commissioners.

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