Alachua County Special Meeting

Minutes

Monday, May 06, 2024 at 4:00 P.m. - 5:00 P.m.

County Administration Building - Grace Knight Conference Room

12 SE 1 Street, 2nd Floor, Gainesville, FL 32601

Present:

• Vice Chair Mary Alford, 
• Commissioner Charles S. Chestnut, IV, 
• Commissioner Ken Cornell, 
• Chair Anna Prizzia, 
• and Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler 

---

A.

Call To Order

B.

Welcome

C.

Introduction

1.

Lee Pinkoson, Chair, Children's Trust

2.

Mary Alford, Chair, Alachua County Commission

D.

Adoption of the Agenda

Trust Member Cornell moved adoption of the agenda as printed The motion carried 5-0. 

2nd CTAC Commissioner Hart

County Commissioner Prizzia moved adoption of the agenda as printed. The motion carried 5-0. 

2nd Commissioner Chestnut

E.

Items For Discussion

1.

Access to Health Care for Youth Update

CTAC Executive Director Marsha Kiner presented the above item. 

Ms. Kiner stated that the purpose of the item was to inform the Board that CTAC has been incorporating the Community Health Worker Program into the CTAC request for proposals. CTAC believes in the program but has questions regarding the County funding of the project. CTAC has allocated $600,000 for health and a Request for Proposals will close on May 30, 2024.  

County Commissioner Prizzia stated that the Health Department has been the agency collecting data and has partnered with the University of Florida for recruitment and training of individuals from the impacted communities. The recruits are paid for training and hours on the job. The County provided funding as a pilot program to see how well the program functions.

Community Support Services Director Claudia Tuck and Commissioner Cornell presented comments. 

2.

Comprehensive Literacy Plan Update

CTAC Executive Director Marsha Kiner and UF Lastinger Center for Learning Assistant Director Pamela Chalfant presented the above item. 

Ms. Chalfant stated that the intent is to gather the data from the work that has already been done. New data will be collected, and all the available data will be reviewed, recommendations and a plan will be presented to the Boards. The assessment will identify the gaps in the provision of services that the plan will address across all age groups. The time frame of the study is from May to August. Phase 1 consist of meeting with partners and gathering existing data for review. Phase 2 will consist of collecting new data points for review. Phase 3 will be a post-assessment to determine needs. There may be an adjustment made to the timeframe to account for the summer and children not being in school for instruction. 

Commissioner Prizzia, Trust Member Tina Certain, Trust Member Nancy Hart, Chair Alford, Trust Member Maggie Labarta, Commissioner Wheeler, Trust Member/County Commissioner Cornell, and Trust Member Mary Chance presented comments. 

Chair Alford recognized Stephanie Scott who presented comments to the Board. 

3.

Gun Violence Update

Deputy County Manager Carl Smart, City of Gainesville Gun Violence Manager Brittany Coleman, and Gainesville Fire Chief Joe Dixon presented the above item. 

Chair Alford, Commissioner Prizzia, Trust Member Certain, and Trust Member Chance presented comments. 

Chair Alford recognized Jerrel Whitehead, Pastor Jerard Duncan, Dr. Monique Williams, Joakim Noah, Pastor Duncan, and Kobe Williams who presented comments.  

Commissioner Prizzia moved to direct staff to work together with the CTAC staff/Board, and the City of Gainesville in the future to explore and put together the budget needs for implementing a cure the violence model in Alachua County. 

CTAC Commissioner Cornell moved to direct CTAC staff to work with the City and County Manager to provide up to $250,000 of one-time funding to enhance the community-based program gun violence efforts and bring back recommendations within 30 to 60 days for the CTAC Board to consider funding immediately in this budget cycle. The motion carried 6-0.

2nd CTAC Commissioner Labarta

Chair Alford recognized City Commissioner Duncan-Walker, Jon Alexander, Adrian Price, and Pamela Hawkins who presented comments to the Board. 

4.

Homeless/Foster Youth Programs Update

Community Support Services Director Claudia Tuck presented the above item. 

Ms. Tuck stated that the County does have funds available for youths who are aging out of the foster care system. There is rental/utility assistance as well as deposit and move-in assistance available. There is not a large enough population in the County to qualify for grants for this population.

Chair Alford, CTAC Commissioner Labarta, CTAC Executive Director Kiner, CTAC Commissioner Hart, and Commissioner Wheeler presented comments. 

5.

Teens Work Summer Internship Program

Children Trust Executive Director Marsh Kiner presented the above item.

Ms. Kiner stated that they are looking for organizations that could provide internships for the Teens working in the program. She thought there may be potential with the County's Departments such as Animal Services, Facilities, Public Works, and others that could possibly lead to a career for the participants. 

Commissioner Prizzia, Chair Alford, Deputy County Manager Smart, CTAC Chair Pinkoson, and CTAC Commissioner Certain presented comments. 

6.

YMCA Partnerships for Teen Centers

Children Trust Executive Director Marsh Kiner presented the above item.

Ms. Kiner stated that the CTAC staff has had conversations with the YMCA regarding teen centers in Alachua County. Ms. Howard with the YMCA informed them that there is currently a teen center model that has been formed several years ago and has been developed to a point that it could be expanded. If there are vacant County facilities that could be used for this purpose this could be a partnership that would benefit the gun violence issue

President & CEO of North Central Florida YMCA Ms. Howard started a youth and teen enrichment center was started in 2021 based on a health study. The first few years have been used to develop programing and 59 children have been served. The partnerships and collaborations have taken time to develop but it has been established. The goal is to open facilities in the communities of need since Transporation is an issue for many. The YMCA does not have a bus to transport children. 

Chair Alford, Commissioner Prizzia, CTAC Commissioner Labarta, CTAC Commissioner Hart, CTAC Chair Pinkoson, and Deputy County Manager Smart presented comments. 

F.

Public Comment

Chair Alford recognized John Rollins who presented comments to the Board. 

Ms. Kiner stated that the opioid task force has received funding to provide a marketing campaign to try and curb opioid use in the County. 

G.

Commission General Comments and Information Discussion

1.

County Commission Comment

2.

Children's Trust Comment

H.

Adjourn

There being no further business before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 7:09 p.m.