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ALACHUA – The City of Alachua April 13 municipal election saw incumbent Shirley Green Brown re-elected to seat 4. But none of the three candidates running for seat 5 received 50 percent of the votes resulting in the top two vote getters facing off in a runoff election on May 4.

Jennifer Blalock received 44.1 percent of the vote in the April 13 election. She has lived in Alachua for 20 years and is currently the regional manager for O2B Kids. She opened and ran the Alachua location for 14 years. While Blalock has not been directly involved in politics before, she has been involved in a number of community organizations, especially involving children. She worked with the Boys & Girls Club in Gainesville, worked with United Way and was with the Gainesville Job Corps Center. In addition, she coaches basketball at Santa Fe High School and volunteers with the Hal Brady Recreation Center with children's programs.

Malcom Dixon, the youngest candidate running for Alachua’s City Commission at the age of 23, received 29.8 percent of the vote in the April 13 election. He is a lifelong resident of Alachua, attended Santa Fe High School and participated in the student advisory council. Dixon currently works at the Florida Department of Corrections Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler and he is preparing to open a mortuary business. He also is an NAACP member, an organizer for Faith in Public life, is involved in the county’s Truth and Reconciliation initiative and an elder in the Church of God in Christ.

Both candidates responded to a questionnaire on the issues and changes they want to bring to the Alachua City Commission.

If elected to the Commission, what are your top three priorities?

Malcom Dixon: My top three priorities are to help create environmentally friendly jobs, promote further economic development and lower utility bills

Jennifer Blalock: My top three priorities will be providing opportunity for growth, self-sustainability, and investment in infrastructure and public safety for our children and families. My personal priority will be to continue to listen to the cares and concerns of our residents while establishing myself as a pragmatic, hard-working leader on the City Commission.

Alachua is growing at a reasonably fast pace. Where do you see the city in five years, 10 years? How can the City best prepare for the likely changes?

Malcom Dixon: I want to see the City with more resources for both the young and older generations including expanding cultural activities and recreation for both generations to keep them involved within the community. Implementing programs for low-income families to send their children to after-school and during the summer break is something the City could use in the near future. Expanding and creating more reliable transportation for the elderly to get around is another issue that needs to be addressed. Hiring more police officers will be instrumental with a growing city’s population. Change can be scary and definitely takes time, but as the population of the city continues to grow we must do the same. We must make smart financial decisions to insure our spending won’t affect the cost of living in the long run.

Jennifer Blalock: I see Alachua becoming North Central Florida’s premier hub for new growth and opportunities while remaining true to the values and close-knit community that make this The Good Life Community. The B.E.S.T. Business Climate plan that the Commission approved earlier this month provides a vision of economic development, greater quality of life, and community enhancement that I fully support. The City of Alachua can best prepare for likely changes by remaining open to the cares and concerns of our residents and by keeping our community values at the core of our growth and development.

Would you encourage or discourage the City to apply for grants and why?

Malcom Dixon: I would encourage the City to apply for grants on behalf of the citizens and the betterment of the community. If applying for grants will improve the community as whole and help to build it up, I’m all for it. At the end of the day, the citizens of Alachua are my main concern and I want to do what is best for them as well as the city. I see no harm in applying for what is essentially “free money” for great causes that will benefit the City and its citizens as a whole.

Jennifer Blalock: I fully encourage the City to apply for grants in areas that are beneficial to our community and the quality of life of our residents. Billions of dollars in federal grant money is available for local governments like ours to provide the economic resources necessary to accomplish our goals and to improve the lives of our residents.

List your experiences that are relevant to the City Commission position and why you want to join the commission.

Malcom Dixon: My experience on the NAACP Membership Committee, member of the National Action Network and as former Chair of Alachua Youth Advisory Council Board give me experience in community relations and leadership that are necessary for the Commission position.

Jennifer Blalock: I have spent the last 18 years as a leader in early childhood education in our community. I’ve been actively involved with our local schools both as a parent and as a leader. From coaching basketball at Santa Fe High School, to volunteering with the Hal Brady Recreation Center, to working with various organizations such as the United Way, I have been devoted to serving my community and giving back to the city of Alachua. I have listened to the concerns of residents and have worked to develop solutions to the issues that matter most to families in our community. I spent over a decade as the Director of O2B Kids here in Alachua and have grown into the Regional Manager position here in Alachua County. I will bring all of my leadership experience and work ethic to the City Commission where I will continue to serve the city that I love and the place that I call home.

Why should voters elect you over your opponent?

Malcom Dixon: I believe I bring a fresh and different innovative feature to the table that the City needs to progress in the future. To meet the needs of the City and its citizens requires an open mind and willingness to compromise when necessary. Creating a promising future because the citizens depend on us, as representatives, to keep things growing and flourishing for the greater good of the community in its entirety. I’m all for making sure that voices are heard and taken into consideration when making decisions. Most importantly, I value integrity above all else and that should never be compromised. Voters can be reassured that I’m here to be the change that not only I want to see but as well as the citizens within the community.

Jennifer Blalock: The City of Alachua needs leaders with proven experience who have shown they have the skills and work-ethic necessary to represent our residents on the City Commission. I have proven that I have the integrity, experience, and skills necessary to work with our current leaders to ensure the high quality of life that our residents and our children deserve. Our current City Commission has done a great job of facilitating growth while preserving the values and way of life that are so important to our community. I will continue this work while bringing new ideas and a new voice to the table. I look forward to being an active listener, a vigorous leader, and an inclusive representative for all residents of the city of Alachua.

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ALACHUA – Final preparations are underway as the City of Alachua kicks off the Legacy Park Concert Series beginning in May.

The concert series is a free, two-month event that will feature some of the best music talent in the region performing in the beautiful Legacy Park Amphitheater.

The Saturday, May 1 event features two rising stars on the Country/Southern Rock Music scene, Cliff Dorsey and Jamie Davis. Taking the stage for the June 5 event will be the top Funk/Soul bands in the area, Fastlane and The Stagers.

Food trucks, vendors and general concessions will be available in a smoke-free environment at Legacy Park , located at 15400 Peggy Road in Alachua. Pets are not allowed and social distancing protocols will be observed.

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NEWBERRY ‒ The Newberry City Commission at its April 26 meeting approved a resolution requesting that Alachua County include funding in the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget for road projects. The City is asking that the County develop an annual rural highway improvement/resurfacing program and to allocate funding for improvements and resurfacing of County Road 337 in southwest Newberry.

City Manager Mike New said that CR 337, which is south of State Road 26 in Newberry and runs to the Levy County line, is in poor condition and is in need of resurfacing. The 8.4-mile-long highway is extremely narrow at 18 feet, which should be 24 feet, and has failing asphalt. In 2011, that highway ranked fifth on the county’s Prioritized Pavement Management List. Aside from routine maintenance, no modifications or improvements have been undertaken on the highway since adoption of the priority list.

New said, “Alachua County reports 48 traffic incidents over the past five years on that road with three involving fatalities.”

In other business, the Commission tentatively approved Ordinance 2021-23 vacating a portion of Southwest Third Avenue from Southwest 252^nd Street west to the CSX Railroad right-of-way. A petition was brought by Billy Beltz, agent for 352 Construction, LLC, requesting the transfer. New said the street segment is platted but unimproved and presented a map showing the location, which he described as “difficult to recognize as a road” due to vegetation.

The city evaluated that segment of the street and determined that no utilities are present on it. New said that staff believes the street segment serves no public purpose as a public street or for public utilities, now or in the future.

The petition received unanimous approval. If the ordinance is approved again on second reading the property within the street segment will be divided equally and will be transferred to adjacent property owners, 352 Properties LLC on the north and the Florida Department of Transportation on the south.

The City will be paying off a State Revolving Fund (SFR) loan early and expects to save some $60,000 in interest charges by doing so. The City currently owes $425,501 with 20 more annual payments due. “Given current interest rates and the return on investment of the city’s cash, it would be favorable to pay off this debt,” said Finance Manager Dallas Lee. “Additionally, paying off the debt would increase the city’s debt rating for future debts issued. The City has sufficient cash reserves on hand to make this payment.”

The loan was taken out in 2009 through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s SRF Loan Program for water system improvements and expansion. The loan funded a new public supply well, well pump, disinfection system, auxiliary power systems and associated engineering. The project was completed in 2011, and the City began making its first debt service payments in March 2012.

“Total serviceable debt for Newberry had been about $2.2 million,” said Marden after the meeting. “The move reduces the overall debt nearly 20 percent.”

The City of Newberry has received a 2020 Safety Award from the Florida Municipal Electric Association for a perfect record of no incidences of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses for 2020. “This is the sixth year the city has won this award,” said Director of Utilities and Public Works Jamie Jones.

Upcoming meetings include a tentatively scheduled in person joint meeting with the Newberry City Commissions and the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners on June 28. The meeting will be held at the Easton-Newberry Sports Complex, 24880 N.W. 16^th Avenue. A time has not yet been specified.

Two in person public forums have been scheduled, also taking place at Easton-Newberry Sports Complex. The forums are to receive input from the community about what they would like to see in Newberry in the next 10 years. Forums will take place May 8 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and May 11 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. The May 8 meeting will be held in person. Attendees must RSVP in advance via the city’s website or Facebook. The May 11 meeting will be presented via Zoom. All citizens of Newberry are invited to participate in these meetings.

Commissioners will hold a workshop May 19 at 7 p.m. to discuss the Community Redevelopment Agency.

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HAWTHORNE ‒ A City of Hawthorne employee complaint sparked a Special City Commission meeting Tuesday night after the employee contacted city commissioners about an incident with City Manager Ellen Vause.

Concern over the reason for the Special Commission meeting was so strong in the community that the meeting room had more citizens in attendance than could be accommodated, with people standing in doorways, against walls and in an adjacent room. Some had heard rumors about the meeting and others expressed concern that the posted agenda was vague and City employees referred callers to the mayor when they asked for details.

Vause, who has been City Manager for approximately eight years, had reprimanded a City Public Works Department employee because she believed that something he was doing would adversely impact the City’s ability to obtain a grant; something she had been working to obtain for the City.

It is the city manager’s authority to hire, fire and reprimand employees, but the issue between the two became heated and Vause finished her reprimand by swearing. At issue also was that the employee was reprimanded in front of other employees; something Surrency and others suggested might better have been done privately.

Commissioner Jacquelyn Randall brought up instances in which she believed Vause had either been inconsistent or negligent in her procedures. She further expressed concern that there were no negative notes in the City Manager’s employee file, which she believed should have been there.

Surrency suggested that a letter be placed into Vause’s file regarding the way in which she handled this interaction with her employee so there would be a paper record available and to help the Commission determine if improvements were made following this incident.

Vice-Mayor Deloris Roberts-Cheatham suggested the City’s Charter should be changed to reflect grievance procedures. The City Attorney suggested instead that those issues would be best spelled out in the City’s Employee Manual as a change in the Charter was a lengthy process.

Commissioner Patricia Bouie-Hutchinson said she hadn’t been aware of some of the issues Commissioner Randall raised and wants those issues addressed. The City Attorney reminded the Commissioners that the purpose of the meeting was this one incident and that her advice was not to address other issues.

Several citizens addressed the Commission to express their feelings about the issues. Comments offered both supported and opposed Vause.

At Surrency’s suggestion, commissioners unanimously approved three measures, one of which would be a letter he composes to be placed in Vause’s file, and would bring back to the next Commission meeting for final approval.

Surrency also offered that an evaluation process should take place to establish a base line and he offered to work with the City Clerk to review criteria from other similar cities and provide it to Commissioners before the next meeting.

He also suggested that the City schedule a policies workshop to evaluate the current policies.

Vause addressed the Commission, saying she would hold an employee meeting Thursday morning and provide each employee with an employee manual with the grievance procedures highlighted. She indicated she had done this previously, but would do so again.

Vause’s employment contract runs through August 2022.

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HIGH SPRINGS - After a year on hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Pioneer Days was in full swing April 17 and 18 with locals in full attendance at the annual celebration. The town of High Springs took a trip back in time to the 1880s when the town was known for its rowdy ways. For more than four decades, the High Springs Chamber of Commerce has hosted the Pioneer Days festival to celebrate the town's colorful past.

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NEWBERRY – An updated plan to increase the size of the proposed Sandia Town Parc was presented to the Newberry City Commission at the April 12, 2021. Approximately 10 years ago a plan for Sandia Town Parc was proposed and approved by the then sitting City Commission. At Monday’s meeting, CHW’s Craig Frasier presented three related applications for Sandia Town Parc.

The developer is seeking approval to include an additional 312 acres. The requested expansion is to allow for additional economic development opportunities that could benefit from a larger footprint, as well as to provide direct access to the CSX rail line for light industrial uses. The project is located behind and to the south of Champions Park.

The conceptual plan includes four hotels, single and multi family residential units, retail space, recreation and golf areas, championship stadium, and in the southern portion of the development, light manufacturing.

Three quasi-judicial hearings were conducted following CHW’s presentation in which each application was heard and voted on separately. All three applications previously came before the Planning and Zoning Board and were recommended for approval as well.

The first application is a large scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment to modify the plan boundary. This is the original plan referred to as Phase I.

The second application, Phase II, is a Plan Development Amendment to Phase I for a rezoning change from Agriculture to Planned Development.

The third application is a Plan Development amendment application for Phase I to amend the existing Plan Development entitlements and layout.

The addition of Phase II to Phase I would provide 270 multi-family units, 70,000 non-residential and 200 hotel rooms. The two phases together would provide a net increase of 710 single-family detached and attached units, a 150,000 square-foot sports arena, a 1,000-seat stadium and 550,000 square feet of light manufacturing area.

City staff recommended approval along with the Planning and Zoning Board, but with suggested modifications to Ordinances 2021-13 and 2021-12, which deal with water and wastewater capacities.

Water and wastewater capacity for development is on a first come, first serve basis when final development orders are approved by the Commission. Currently, capacity to serve the proposed development exists based on the City’s present water and wastewater flow data and outstanding capacity reservations.

“As the City is in the process of expanding its wastewater treatment capacity it makes no representation as to available water and wastewater capacity at any time in the future,” said Planning and Economic Development Director Bryan Thomas.

All three applications were approved by the Commission on first reading and will come back for consideration again at a future meeting.

In other business, the City Commission approved extending the allowable length of stays in RV resorts and campgrounds from 90 days to unlimited days and to increase the allowable number of park model RVs from 10 percent to 30 percent.

The City Commission also approved Ordinance 2021-02 that brings the City’s Code of Ordinances into compliance with recent changes to state statutes placing limits on local government regulations of mobile food dispensing trucks and providing for regulation of food trucks within the City limits.

Outgoing Commissioner Paul Norfleet received a plaque commemorating his service to the citizens of Newberry as a city commissioner. Norfleet did not seek re-election in the April 13 municipal election.

A proclamation in honor of Municipal Clerk’s Week was also read into the record. Mayor Jordan Marlowe thanked City Clerk Judy Rice for her service to the citizens of Newberry.

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