Seth Johnson
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will hold four separate meetings on Tuesday starting with a new commissioner swearing-in ceremony to a special workshop on animal services.
The commission will meet at 9 a.m. for Raemi Eagle-Glenn, who will join the BOCC after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to the vacant seat earlier this month. The ceremony and the other Tuesday meetings will take place in the Jack Durrance Board Room.
At 10 a.m., County Manager Michelle Lieberman will present the 2023 budget to the commission. The BOCC will finalize the budget in September, but the commission will have several meetings on the issue before then. On July 12, the commission is scheduled to adopt the new millage and assessment rates.
Next the commission will hold its regular meeting at 11:30 a.m. Alachua County will continue testing its remote public comment feature at this meeting.
The BOCC will receive an update on its Residential Rental Unit Permit and Inspection Program slated to start this fall. The program will issue permits to property owners and educate them on county maintenance standards.
Backup documents show the county plans to enforce the maintenance code and permits next year, leading to the enforcement of energy efficiency codes in 2026.
Tuesday’s agenda also includes a trio of hiring decisions for artwork at the under-construction Alachua County Sports Complex at Celebration Pointe. The commission will pick three artists to create a sculpture, mural and silhouettes.
The commission will vote to start the purchasing process for 77.27 acres of land for no more than $942,254. The county estimates the properties will need around $80,000 in initial improvements followed by an annual management cost of $5,616.
The purchase would involve three separate plots of land just north of the border with Marion County and west of I-75.
A new planned development will come before the commission as well. The development would place 296 dwelling units off of SW Archer Road at the intersection with SW 63rd Boulevard.
The BOCC’s regular meeting will not reconvene for an evening portion. Instead, the commission will hold a special meeting from 5-8 p.m. on its Animal Resources and Care department.
The county’s shelters have become overcrowded, and the county has considered using euthanization. Ed Williams, director of Animal Resources and Care, also resigned in May and finished his final day on June 19.
“This is an urgent plea to our community, volunteers, and animal placement partners who have space,” Alachua County said in a June 10 press release. “Effective immediately, all adoption fees are being waived until the shelter can reach a manageable capacity.”
Currently, cats have an average stay at the shelter of 22 days with the longest at 72. For dogs, the average is 70 days with the longest term at 289.