Local

At the Nov. 14 meeting, the Commission approved the establishment of the Corporate Park zoning category, and the new zoning designation was applied to the UF Foundation’s property on the future land use map.

Monday’s action was the first in at least two meetings required to finalize a full rezoning of the property to Corporate Park, which would allow for multi-use purposes on the land, and would be the first zoning designation specifically intended for biotechnology facilities.

According to Gerry Dedenbach of Causseaux, Hewett & Walpole, an agent for UF Foundation, the rezoning would allow for a campus-like atmosphere for a future medical radioisotope laboratory. With residential units on the property along with retail establishments, scientists, researchers and their families can live and work in one place.

An issue raised by a resident at the meeting Monday was of increased traffic in the immediate area. Alachua City Planner Brandon Stubbs said in a presentation that the applicant would still be required to provide a site plan before development and it will only be approved if the proposed development did not degrade a public facility, including traffic.

Another city resident requested of commissioners to “keep our concerns in mind”

Vice Mayor Ben Boukari, Jr. responded with “We hear you,” and added that the commission would “do what we can to make sure things are done the right way.”

A second public hearing on the rezoning is required, but a date has not yet been determined.

At a city commission meeting held earlier this month, representatives from the North Central Florida Diagnostics and DNA Technologies presented their interest in doing business in Newberry, and announced some positions open in the company.

Robin Harpe, the company’s chief operating officer, said that factors leading to Newberry’s consideration for the company’s new location include economic development activity around the city and that the city was welcoming to the idea.

“Right now, we are researching different location within Newberry, different complexes,” Harpe said, noting that the company hasn’t found a place yet.

For Newberry, the number of jobs that North Central Florida Diagnostics and DNA Technologies might bring is not certain, but it is expected the office will open sometime next year.

For now, Harpe said the laboratory is hiring for positions such as executive assistant, lab director and technicians. Those jobs are located between Gainesville and Alachua.

According to the company’s website, the North Central Florida Diagnostics and DNA Technologies is poised to pinpoint the genetic mutation causing seizures in epilepsy patients, and will make and provide quality primers, which are used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications used for laboratory DNA research.

Parent company, North Central Florida Neurodiagnostic Services, was in 2010 and is located at 5318 SW 91st Terrace in Gainesville.

It will cost $23,825 to equip all officers with X2 Tasers. The devices currently being used by officers are bulky and cumbersome, according to information provided by Alachua Chief of Police Joel DeCoursey.

The Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act allows law enforcement to use the funding once approved by the commission. Contraband materials generally include cars and money, with this particular fund paying for equipment totaling $37,459.

“I haven't heard about too many people getting tasered,” resident Connie Canny said during the citizen's comments portion of Monday night’s commission meeting.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Commissioner Robert Wilford said. “They're not just going to go around willy-nilly shooting people.”

Along with the Tasers, the commission also approved the use of the funds for new M16 rifles and stop sticks. Stop sticks are devises placed on roadways that are used to puncture and deflate tires to impede or stop vehicles.  Currently the department does not have stop sticks, and the rifles were requested in response to a school shooting that happened in a neighboring community. The cost of stop sticks is estimated to be $5,634 and the cost of the rifles will be $8,000.

Public Services Director Mike New said the open invitation gave “people the chance to come in and see what they got from their investment.”

The new wastewater facility uses different technology than the old plant to make reclaiming water a more viable option.  In the new system, the wastewater is biologically cleaned and more nutrients are removed from the effluent.  The updated system also increases the volume of reclaimed water available for irrigation.  The previous 940,000 gallons per day cap on available reclaimed water has been increased to 1.5 million gallons per day with room for expansion up to 4 million gallons per day.

The old facility consisted of two parts, one built in early 1990s and the other in 1976. All the treatment technology was built into one tank that was compartmentalized. Now, stages of treatment have their own dedicated facilities to increase the quality of the final reclaimed water output.

Instead of using steel, which can wear down under the corrosive wastewater and last for 20 to 30 years, the new plant uses materials that have a 40 to 50 year lifespan.

“It's like going from a bicycle to a new car,” New said.

The new facility is more energy efficient, has increased longevity and lower maintenance costs, New said.

Residents are picking up about $7 million of the total project cost which rings in at about $23 million.  Nearly $2 million was spent on design and planning while actual construction accounted for some $21 million.  The majority of the costs were funded through federal grants and state appropriations.

Many of the invitees to the grand opening were participants in the project, New said, and the opening was a chance to show the outside world the city's accomplishments.

The plant is located at 13700 NW 126 Terrace near Progress Corporate Park.

Mayor Dean Davis confers with fellow commissioners shortly after being selected to lead the commission.

HIGH SPRINGS – In a High Springs election cycle that saw two incumbents defeated, one of the victors became vice mayor Thursday night. Commissioner Dean Davis was selected by the commission to serve as the mayor of High Springs. Bob Barnas, who was elected to the commission on Nov. 8, will serve as vice mayor.

With every seat filled, residents crowded the meeting room on the second floor of City Hall to watch Bob Barnas and Linda Clark Gestrin be sworn in as the two newest members of the High Springs City Commission, replacing incumbents Larry Travis and Byran Williams.

Williams congratulated the new commissioners and thanked the citizens for allowing him to serve for seven years. He said while he was proud of the work the commission has done and was honored to serve, someone close to him is excited about the election results.

“Who is really happy about all this is my grandbaby,” he said. “I always used to tell her, ‘Granddaddy has a meeting to go to.’”

Travis was not present at the meeting due to a family commitment, but Interim City Manager Jenny Parham read a letter from him praising their efforts and looking forward to the direction the town will be taking.

One of the first orders of business for the new commission was to select a new mayor and vice mayor.

Commissioner Sue Weller nominated former Vice Mayor Eric May for the mayoral position. But Davis was selected as the new mayor garnering votes from Barnas and Gestrin, after Barnas nominated him for the slot.

Gestrin then nominated Barnas for vice mayor, once again defeating Weller’s nomination for May to continue serving in that capacity.

Davis has served on the High Springs Commission since 2009, winning a seat that expires in 2012. While neither of the new commissioners has held prior political office, they won their seats with campaigns focused on a change of direction in High Springs.

Barnas thanked the townspeople for their support, saying that throughout his life in High Springs, “It is unreal what people will do for you.”

Davis said this is characteristic of the High Springs he grew up in. He said he wants to have High Springs return to being the friendliest town in the South, a title he said he once read in a magazine.

“I am overwhelmed by the love and support for me and my family since I was a kid,” he said. “I was raised by the citizens of this town. My goal for this year is healing for our city.”

His first act as mayor was asking all commissioners and audience members to shut off their cell phones at the meeting.

“It invariably goes off at a very tense moment,” he said. “Once this year I let mine go off and y’all forgave me and I appreciate that.”

The commission also filled vacancies on the planning board, code enforcement board, housing needs and improvements board, parks and recreation board, tree board and the Mayor’s Youth Council.

Barnas said he is excited for the future of the city. He wants to make this an active year for High Springs, with citizen involvement bringing a new direction for High Springs.

Gestrin said now is the time because the people of the town are “finally awake.” She pointed to the packed room at the meeting, a room usually hosting a handful of the same faces, describing it as a “cross-section of High Springs.”

“You did it. City Hall, the government belongs to you,” she said. “You worked your heart out.”

“Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It’s a moment in time.”

May said he is looking forward to the next year, a time to look toward the future.

“I think we have five people up here who are committed to the future of High Springs,” he said. “The people have spoken.”

HIGH SPRINGS- Right after swearing in two new commissioners, the High Springs city commission was all business at Thursday’s meeting, working to find opportunities for growth in the area. They discussed possibilities for the sewer system, Poe Springs management and a culinary school.

 Sewer Line

With the city possibly losing $1.6 million for the expansion of the sewer system, the commission discussed the option of joining with Alachua to use their pre-existing sewer plant.

In a letter received Oct. 24, United States Department of Agriculture Area Director R.C. Quainton II informed the city that it plans to de-obligate, or take back, money granted in 2005 for the second and third phases of the High Springs’ sewage system. While the project was originally assessed at a cost of $10 million, the expansion actually cost about $8 million.

The city also failed to spend the money within the required five year time period. High Springs plans to file an appeal with the USDA to try to retain the money.

The commission decided to meet with the city of Alachua to see if connecting to their sewer system is a viable option. A pipe would be run down Highway 441 or State Road 235 to Alachua’s wastewater facility.

“It’s a great alternative, should we lose the $1.6 million,” Vice Mayor Bob Barnas said. “For half the cost, we would be able to service the east side of the city and resolve the issue we have with capacity.”

He agreed to arrange a preliminary meeting with the staff of the city of Alachua to see if they are willing to work with High Springs.

The commission plans to wait for the appeal results before making a final decision.

 Poe Springs

High Springs’ proposal for the management of Poe Springs met with disapproval from the superintendent of parks for Alachua County Public Works.

Christian Popoli, city planner, said he was very surprised because he has been working with Rob Avery to discuss the issue. Popoli’s proposal budgeted $55,000 for someone to staff the springs.

He said he had worked with former county manager, Randall Reid, about options. Reid said the future of the city was in passive recreation, giving people the option to do what they’d like in a park atmosphere.

The staff member in Popoli’s proposal would handle daily operations while the county would handle long-term needs like maintenance. Popoli also suggested having a security officer live at Poe Springs fulltime.

“There simply needs to be a presence at the park,” he said. “They don’t need to be there 24-7. It’s just in case something major happens.”

Concessions would likely consist of vending machines for the first year, until the county saw how successful the newly run Poe Springs was. Mayor Dean Davis said there is a distinct possibility that Poe Springs could return to being a tourist destination like it was when he grew up in town.

Popoli said Avery sent back a proposal suggesting High Springs run the park at a loss.

Barnas said he would meet to discuss options with Avery.

“I don’t envision this as something that costs the city money. If we’re going to get there, we are going to have to be pretty sharp.”

 Culinary School

Central to the City Commission election was the problem of economic development. All of the candidates talked about High Springs’ reputation for not being business friendly.

Davis brought a local culinary specialist, Gary Harris, to Thursday’s meeting to talk about building a non-profit culinary school at the elementary school. The specialist was formerly an executive chef in the United States Navy Reserves. He is Florida’s first certified service-disabled veteran business owner.

Harris told the commission that all he needs of them is the building to open the Culinary Institute of Florida. He plans to run it with donations and volunteer assistance. He also said he has experience writing grants that would help get the school off the ground.

The school would teach culinary skills to disabled veterans, caregivers, military widows and high school students. He plans to offer up to a doctorate in culinary science.

Bringing the school to High Springs would provide opportunities for citizens and also draw others to the area, helping the economy.

“Education’s really big right now,” he said.

Harris already has a business plan and plans to have financial projections ready in two weeks. At that time, he will bring the project back to the commission.

Davis said Harris’ background and enthusiasm for the project impressed him.

“I am excited by his heart for the children,” he said. “This school would put them on track for a job and a good job. Chefs do well.”