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ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua has tentatively set its upcoming fiscal year budget at $57,651,391. The City Commission held the first public hearing on the tentative increase on the millage rate and approval of the Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget. Alachua finance director Robert Bonetti said the City is proposing 5.39 mills, which is 8.10 percent more than the rolled back rate of 4.986. The tentative 2022-23 Fiscal Year budget comes in at $57,651,391, which is an increase of $8,912,748 over the previous year. The final public hearing on the millage rate, which is based on yearly property tax assessments, is slated for the Sept. 26 Commission meeting.

In other budget related business, the Commission approved extending the city contract for residential solid waste and increasing the rate from $18.60 per single-family residence or each living unit to $25.60 to compensate for inflation and increased costs. The existing contract with Waste Pro of Florida, Inc. was established in 2016 and expires Sept. 30, 2022. The current contract provides for one final extension of four years, and at that point, a solicitation of bids through a competitive process will be initiated to provide services. The Commission agreed to amend and extend the Waste Pro contract until 2026.

In other City business, the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) will be paying the City of Alachua $320,400 to continue the School Resource Officer Program (SROP) for the four schools within Alachua's jurisdiction, Santa Fe High School, Mebane Middle School, Alachua Elementary School and Irby Elementary School. The SBAC requested that the City enter into an agreement for the 2022-23 school year. The agreement requires five School Resource Officers—one in each of the elementary and middle schools and two at Santa Fe High School. The share of funding for Alachua schools for this contact is $320,400, which represents a $20,400 increase from the previous year.

Each year the Alachua City Commission honors the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America with a proclamation celebrating the historic event. By Presidential Proclamation, Sept. 17 through Sept. 23 is designated Constitution Week. At the Sept. 12 Commission meeting, Mayor Gib Coerper presented Kay Hall, the Past Regent for the Gainesville Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, with the City of Alachua proclamation of Constitution Week. Hall offered a brief speech discussing the founding of the nation and uniqueness of the country’s democracy and Constitution.

In other business, Mayor Coerper read a proclamation declaring October as American Pharmacists Month. Coerper said pharmacists are important members of a healthcare team who are well versed in medications, the effects they produce in a body, and how they interact or interfere with each other to safely providing medicine to the public. Pharmacists also offer many other services as part of their commitment to helping patients live healthier lives. Coerper also stressed the important role the pharmacist played during the Covid Pandemic including offering testing along with medications and vaccines. Today, there are over 300,000 licensed pharmacists providing care and serving as patient advocates for ensuring the best and safest therapy for the patients they serve

In other City business, Joy Glanzer, Chair of the Opioid Task Force, spoke about an interlocal agreement for funding the task force. An estimated 70,630 people lose their lives to overdoses each year, and many communities are struggling to find funding to combat the epidemic. The Opioid Task Force is working to get all communities in Alachua County to provide funds to combat the epidemic and educate children in schools to the problem to keep them from becoming victims. The agreement is for the Children’s Trust to distribute funds on behalf of the municipalities that have entered into the agreement. The Opioid Task Force is asking for a $10,000 contribution from each community and have had agreements signed by High Springs, Micanopy, Archer and $15,000 from the City of Newberry. The Alachua Commission agreed to contribute $10,000 to the Opioid Task Force.

The City’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) will be seeing new faces as the Commission voted on approving three appointments to the five-member council. Santa Fe High School 11^th graders Abigail Blumer, Emma Cedeno-Alonso and Keyosha Queen were elected for two-year terms. The purpose of the council is to stimulate and foster the active participation of young individuals in addressing the issues impacting the youth of the community. It also ensures that the leaders of tomorrow have input in the local government process today. The YAC also makes recommendations to the City Commission on policies and procedures affecting the community youths.

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ALACHUA ‒ An Alachua man has been charged with lewd and lascivious molestation on a child. Ricky Rodriguez, 48, of Alachua, was served a warrant on Sept. 8 and was subsequently charged with lewd and lascivious molestation on a child between the ages of 12 and 16.

Rodriguez was originally charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, but he was only formally charged with one count. The alleged offense occurred in January 2022. A sworn complaint was filed in July and a warrant for his arrest was issued on Aug. 30.

Rodriguez has been released on $250,000 bond.

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ALACHUA ‒ Sallone Travonta Barbary, 38, was arrested on Saturday, Sept. 10, and charged with violation of probation, carrying a concealed firearm without a permit, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and cocaine possession.

The Alachua Police Department responded to a call about a vehicle burglary in progress in a residential neighborhood near Criswell Park. The victim said that an unknown male was inside his car and that he might have a gun. When officers arrived, Barbary was reportedly sleeping in the driver’s seat of the victim’s car.

The officer awakened Barbary and placed him in handcuffs. Barbara reportedly had a shoulder bag on the front side of his body. When it was determined that Barbary would be arrested, the bag was searched. Officers reportedly found a loaded pistol, a box of ammunition and a baggie with a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine. The pistol had previously been reported stolen in Alachua County.

The officers also learned that Barbary is on felony probation for narcotics and charged him with violation of probation. Barbary has six felony convictions and was released in 2017 from a state prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was arrested in 2019 for DUI and narcotics possession and sentenced to four months in the Alachua County Jail, followed by three years of drug offender probation. The conditions of probation require him to abstain completely from alcohol and illegal drugs.

Barbary is being held without bail on the probation violation charge and on $55,000 bail on the other charges.

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HIGH SPRINGS – Residents packed the City of High Springs commission chambers to overflowing at the Aug. 30 Plan Board meeting. Concerned citizens showed up to voice their opposition to a proposed subdivision of 1,437 single-family lots, 250 multi-family units and 200 senior living units.

The proposed Bridlewood development consists of five parcels totaling some 688 acres and is located east of Highway 41 and south of Northwest 174^th Avenue. The lots in the proposed planned development consist of 70-foot X 100-foot lots and 100-foot X 100-foot lots spread throughout the entire property. A portion of the property has an existing plat that was recorded in 1925 made up of 1,440 single-family 25-foot X 100-foot lots.

Residents expressed alarm about school overcrowding, traffic congestion, insufficient infrastructure, increased sewage requirements and increased burden on police and fire services should the development be approved. Following over two hours of presentations by JBPro Director of Engineering Chris Potts and City staff, along with numerous questions and public comments from residents, the Board voted to delay a final decision on the planned development until their next meeting on Sept. 27.

Because the original plat had never been abandoned, existing property rights allow the developer to build on the pre-existing plat approved in 1925, which would allow for more homes on the rest of the property following an approved 2005 plan, pushing the number of homes to 2,240.

City staff said that the updated planned development includes requirements and amenities which do not exist under the current planned development. Items that have been added to the new proposed planned development include a minimum single-family home size, setback requirements, residential design standards, requirements for exterior elevations, landscaping requirements and a large number of parks and open space.

The City Commission will be considering the results of a recently completed impact fee study and will likely institute new impact fees for water, sewer, parks and recreation, roadways, and general services which includes public safety. The impact fees are to pay for costs associated with new development.

“The developer has agreed to incur the proposed higher impact fees, if implemented,” said High Springs spokesperson Kevin Mangan. “If the Bridlewood Planned Development does not get approval and the developer builds to the previous plat requirements, he may not be required to pay the higher impact fees.”

As an example of the difference between what the developer would pay under the previous plat, Mangan pointed out that the water impact fee is currently $250. “Under the proposed impact fees, the same impact fee is anticipated to be a minimum of $3,630 and a maximum of $8,150,” he said.

Without those higher impact fees, which the developer may not be required to pay under the previous plat, the City would lose those dollars. Items like roads, parks, fire and police protection must be maintained. According to Mangan, if the impact fees are not there to offset those expenses, the City will lose a significant amount of revenue to enhance much needed infrastructure and public safety.

While residents are concerned about schools, road improvements, playgrounds and equipment for their children, and water and sewer capacity, the monies provided at the development stage as well as funds generated through impact fees and tax revenue will cover the costs for these concerns, according to Mangan. The 20-year net fiscal impact of the Bridlewood development is forecast to exceed $11 million to increase service levels in other areas of the City as well.

The development on the table as proposed by Potts includes extensive landscape requirements, increased landscaping in open spaces, amenities such as a clubhouse, pool, splash pad, tennis/pickle board courts, multi-use fields, recreational equipment and parks located within a 10-minute walk from any residence in the development.

The developer has agreed to set aside acreage for a new school and public safety facility. Mangan said, “We are required to maintain certain service levels. The revenue from this project would help the City fix roads and expand our water and wastewater facilities among other things.”.

“I know our citizens are concerned about the size of this development, but the Bridlewood planned development is a better option than the existing platted development from 1925,” said Mangan. “It is the City’s mission to welcome and encourage strategic growth. The Bridlewood development, which has a total build out time of 15-20 years, does just that.”

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LAKE CITY ‒ One person is dead after a pedestrian was hit while walking along a road in Columbia County. Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers say a van driven by a 65-year-old Alachua man was traveling north on U.S. Highway 41 (State Road 25) approaching Southeast County Road 349 at approximately 7 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 9.

The pedestrian, who remains unknown at this time, was walking northbound on U.S. Highway 41 ahead of the van. The right front of the van collided with the pedestrian, who was pronounced deceased.

The driver stayed at the scene until law enforcement arrived.

Troopers are asking anyone who may have information about the crash to contact FHP.

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ALACHUA – It’s that time of year again when the dark purple and golden grapes of Florida are ripe for the picking, just in time to bring a refreshing quencher to the dog days of summer.  For a few short weeks each year, Florida’s native muscadine grapes adorn vines in the wild and in area farms and vineyards. 

At the Loftus Family Farm in Alachua, the grape picking season officially opened a few weeks ago, but there are still some plump, juicy grapes waiting for the picking.  Other area u-pick grape operations are also underway as the fruits ripen.  Weather, as unpredictable as it is, has a significant impact on the health of grape vines and on how long it takes their fruit to ripen. 

The last chance to pick grapes at the Loftus Family Farm will be this Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th between the hours of 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Some years, scorching temperatures will accelerate the ripening process, and this year’s crop is no different says Don Loftus, a local farmer and viticulturist.  Don Loftus, along with his son, Curtis Loftus, run the vineyard which opens each year.

The Supreme variety of muscadine grapes seem to be great performers each year, according to Loftus.

Perhaps mastering the technique of cultivating the grapes is knowing when they’re just right for picking. 

“The biggest problem is picking the Supremes too early,” Loftus explained.  As much as those plump purple grapes call out to be picked, they’re probably not ready yet.  “You want to wait until they’re really dark,” he said.

Unlike other fruits, muscadine grapes do not ripen significantly once picked.

Don Loftus got into the business of growing muscadine grapes more than 15 years ago when he started planning for his retirement.  Since retiring from the University of Florida, he has dedicated his time to the Loftus Family Farm, which includes the muscadine grape vineyard he has developed and grown from scratch.  Well into the throws of retirement, Loftus now realizes he left one full-time job for another, operating a vineyard and farm, which is why, in part, he has turned operations of running the business over to his son Curtis. 

In 2004, Loftus first started converting the field that once grew persimmons, which were also negatively affected by North Florida’s winter weather patterns, into 1.5 acres of grapes.  

The u-pick farm is one of a handful in the area and is open to the public.  The Loftus Family Farm specializes in the Ison and Supreme varieties of muscadine grapes, but is branching out into others as well.

Over the years, Loftus has added new varieties, such as the Delicious, a self-pollinating muscadine developed by the University of Florida.  He’s using the new varieties to replace others lost to natural causes and winter damage in prior years.  Each no variety requires a few years before the they are on a scale ready for picking, but this year.  Loftus compares the fruit to the Supremes, joking, “As their names suggests, they really are quite delicious and they have the same crunch and taste to them.” 

The ‘Delicious’ variety is also disease resistant and is among the top yielding muscadines.

Loftus said his son may be addition additional crops and offerings to the farm to extend the season for which the farm is open to the public.  The Loftus family has their hands full meticulously attending to the 14 rows of grape vines, each several hundred feet long and none of which are sprayed with potentially dangerous chemicals and pesticides. 

Indigenous to the southeast region of North America, muscadine grapes ripen in late summer.   Right about now is the last chance to pick grapes at the Loftus Family Farm where avid pickers are welcomed to their hands-on picking experience.

The vineyard has already become a popular spot among many people who are aware of the u-pick farm.  Loftus credits some of that success to the well-manicured rows of grapes and relaxing atmosphere at his family’s farm.  Loftus said many pickers like to eat the grapes as they are, some use them for producing wine and others for making jelly and sauces and freezing for later consumption. Florida’s $20 million-a-year grape industry is typically the second- or third-largest market for table grapes and wine in the country.

The address for the vineyard is 15585 NW 29 Street, Gainesville.  East of Alachua on NW 156th Avenue, the farm is at the midway point between State Road 121 and County Road 231.

Additional photos, health benefits, directions to the vineyard and uses for muscadine grapes and other information are available at LoftusFamilyFarm.com

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