Alachua County Board of County Commissioners

Minutes

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County Administration Building - Jack Durrance Auditorium
12 SE 1 Street, 2nd Floor, Gainesville, FL 32601
Present:
  • Chair Mary Alford, 
  • Vice Chair Charles S. Chestnut, IV, 
  • Commissioner Ken Cornell, 
  • Commissioner Anna Prizzia, 
  • and Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler 

Pastor Derrick E. Gainey provided the Invocation.

Chair Alford led the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Chair Alford called the meeting to order at 11:35 a.m.

County Manager Lieberman presented the following recommended changes to the Agenda:

Item moved to the Regular Agenda for Discussion

Item #8b, Sewer Line Extension Outside Urban Cluster for Florida Fish & Wildlife Research Lab on SW Williston Road, 24-00834

Time Certain Item for 12:30 a.m.

Item #J1, National Alliance to End Homelessness Street Outreach Assessment and Recommendations, 24-00910

Commissioner Cornell moved adoption of the Regular and Consent Agenda as amended. The motion carried 5-0.

2nd Commissioner Prizzia

Communications Director, Mark Sexton, presented the following announcements:

  • A Hurricane Milton update was provided.
  • Hurrican Shelter Information was provided. 
  • Tarp Availability Information was provided.
  • Debris Pickup Information was provided. 

Deputy Clerk Miller called on each Commissioner for their two nominees for the Equity Advisory Board.

Commissioners Alford, Chestnut, Prizzia, and Wheeler nominated Jorelle Degen and Monica Washington.

Commissioner Cornell nominated Jorelle Degen and Frank White. 

Commissioner Cornell moved Jorelle Degen as the Equity Advisory Board Member and Monica Washington as Alternate Member. The motion carried 5-0.

2nd Commissioner Prizzia 

Chair Alford recognized Mark van Soestbergen and Jorelle Degen who presented comments.

Commissioner Wheeler, Commissioner Cornell, and Chair Alford presented comments. 

Senior Planner Ben Chumley presented the above item.

Commissioner Prizzia moved to approve the Resolution allowing the extension of GRU sewer line outside the Urban Cluster in accordance with the Alachua County Comprehensive Plan, Policy 3.1.5 of the Potable Water and Sanitary Sewer Element based on the findings that:

1. The extension of sanitary sewer serves a purpose consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, in that it would serve an Institutional land use, and

2. Connection to GRU's sanitary sewer and elimination of the existing septic systems would provide a public health benefit of water quality protection.

2nd Commissioner Chestnut

The motion carried 5-0. 

National Alliance to End Homelessness Representative Diiv Sterman presented the above item. 

Commissioner Prizzia, Community Support Services Director Claudia Tuck, Continuum of Care Representative Jacob Torner, Commissioner Cornell, Assistant County Manager Tommy Crosby, County Manager Lieberman, and Commissioner Wheeler presented comments. 

Commissioner Prizzia moved the following:

1. To accept the report and ask the Continuum of Care (COC) to come back in the Spring or late Winter with a plan of what they are going to do to adopt some of the recommendations in the report. 

2. Staff to work towards joint meetings with the 4 counties listed in the report which are Levy, Bradford, Gilchrist, and Putnam in the coming year. The County is to help facilitate an engagement workshop with affordable housing providers not engaged with the COC, Emergency Service Providers, and the disengaged people who have left the COC, and any other appropriate participants to have some dialogue and collaboration with the COC about what are the challenges and develop a revised action plan for Alachua County and the surrounding Counties. An update is to be provided based on the engagements. 

3. Continue to contract with the Street Outreach team in the amount of $350,000 in coordination with GRACE Marketplace and the COC.

2nd Commissioner Cornell 

Chair Alford recognized GRACE Marketplace Director Jon DeCarmine, President of Programs at the Task Force for Ending Homelessness Jacob Torner, and Kali Blount who presented comments to the Board. 

Commissioner Chestnut exits meeting 12:54pm 

The motion carried 4-0 with Commissioner Chestnut out of the room. 

County Attorney Torres presented the Rules and Procedures for the Quasi-Judicial Hearing.

There were no ex-parte communications disclosed. 

Finance Director Hutchinson issued the Oath to all those who wished to participate in the Hearing. 

Planner Mehdi Benkhatar presented the above item.

Commissioner Cornell moved to approve TU24-000008 with the conditions and bases as listed in the staff report with the minor revision presented by staff which was in condition #1 to change the date from March 23rd to March 20th.  

2nd Commissioner Wheeler

There was no one present who wished to speak.

The motion carried 5-0.

Senior Planner Ken McMurry presented the above item. 

Chair Alford, Commissioner Prizzia, and Commissioner Wheeler presented comments. 

The Board of County Commissioners recessed, and the Land Development Review Commission convened at 2:03 P.M.

Land Development Regulation Commissioner Prizzia moved to find the amendments consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The motion carried 5-0. 

2nd LDR Commissioner Wheeler

The Land Development Regulation Commision adjourned, and the Board of County Commissioners reconvened at 2:04 P.M.

Commissioner Prizzia moved to approve the ordinance amending the Unified Land Development Code and authorize the Chair's signature.The motion carried 5-0. 

2nd Commissioner Chestnut

Housing Program Manager Ralston Reodica presented the above item. 

Commissioner Prizzia moved to direct staff to submit application for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and select funding category(ies); and authorize signature authority to the County Manager or designee to submit CDBG application for funding and other required forms to apply for the CDBG Grant, including any modifications.

2nd Commissioner Chestnut

Chair Alford recognized Kali Blount who presented comments to the Board. 

The motion carried 5-0. 

Housing Programs Manager Ralston Reodica presented the above item.

Commissioner Prizzia moved to authorize staff to apply for the PRO Housing grant application and authorize the County Manager and/or designee to submit the application, certification forms, and all documents related to the grant.

2nd Commissioner Chestnut

Chair Alford recognized Kali Blount who presented comments to the Board. 

The motion carried 5-0. 

There was no one present who wised to address the Board. 

Single Member District Charter Amendment

County Attorney Torres informed the Board that a Judge has found the Ballot language to be illegal, but the question will remain on the Ballot. The County will appeal the decision pending Board approval, and she is requesting the hiring of special counsel to assist with the appeal.  

Commissioner Prizzia moved to direct the County Attorney to appeal the temporary injunction order from the 8th Judicial Circuit Case # 01-2024-CA-3073 and authorize the appointment of special attorneys as selected by the County Attorney. The motion caried 5-0. 

2nd Commissioner Chestnut

Commissioner Cornell presented comments. 

Debris Collection 

County Manager Lieberman stated that they County has received request from all the municipalities except for Gainesville, Hawthorne, and Alachua for assistance with debris removal. The County will need interlocal agreements with the municipalities in order to offer assistance.

Waste Collection Director Gus Olmos presented comments. 

Commissioner Cornell, Commissioner Prizzia, and Commissioner Chestnut presented comments.  

Commissioner Cornell moved that Alachua County take responsibility of the smaller municipalities (Waldo, High Springs, LaCrosse Hawthorne, Newberry, Archer, Micanopy) for debris removal and request FEMA reimbursement.  The motion carried 5-0.

2nd Commissioner Chestnut

Commissioner Cornell inquired if there are any weather updates available.

Chair Alford stated that Clay Electric sent out a text to expect power outages that would last for days as  a result of Hurricane Milton. 

There being no further business before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 2:28 p.m.

  • Approve Amendment Number One to Lease Number 4106 with the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the State of Florida and authorize the Chair to sign such Amendment and authorize the County Manager or designee to sign any additional documents, approved by the County Attorney, necessary to complete the transaction.

  • Authorize staff to submit a Continuum of Care (CoC) Builds grant application and for the County Manager or designee to submit/sign the application, any modifications, and related documents in support of the application and/or grant.

  • Adopt Resolution approving the State-Funded Grant Agreement for State Road 24 (Archer Road) 4 Lane Widening from Tower Road west of Gainesville to SW 122nd Street which includes recognizing unanticipated revenue, approving budget amendment, authorizing the Chair to execute the State-Funded Grant Agreement, and authorizing the County Manager, Public Works Director, or County Engineer to execute subsequent amendments related to the project.

  • Approve and authorize the Chair to execute Agreement 14348 with Tetra Tech Inc. for Monitoring of Disaster Debris and Recovery Activities, in the amount not to exceed $4,000,000.00 annually.  Also, authorize the County Manager to sign an Agreement for Monitoring of Disaster Debris and Recovery Activities with Goodwyn Mills Cawood FL, LLC, once received signed by such company and approved by the County Attorney’s Office as to form. 

  • Make the legislative factual determination that the promotional, marketing and advertising activities within the FY25 Tourism budget, which are purchased with Tourist Development Tax revenue, serve a public purpose and are primarily related to promoting and advertising tourism in Alachua County.

No Item Selected