The High Springs City Commission approved $90,000 for KCT Consulting Services of Fruitland Park to complete a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s Land Development Code (LDC), following a divided vote during a regular meeting on Tuesday.
Commissioner Andrew Miller made the motion to go with KCT, which Chad Howell seconded. The 3-2 vote had Commissioners Katherine Weitz and Wayne Bloodsworth Jr. in dissent.
Since High Springs updated its comprehensive plan in 2022, the city is required by statute to redo its code to be compatible with the plan. The new LDC will be enforced for the next 10 years.
In December, the commission allocated $180,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds towards a new LDC and staff provided three consulting bids during the July 10 meeting.
The cheapest option came from Calvin, Giordano & Associates (CGA) at $53,480, followed by the $90,000 bid from KCT and the most expensive proposal of $172,000 coming from Megrath Consulting.
Although staff previously recommended CGA because it offered the best price, staff recommended Megrath, whom the city has worked with before, on Tuesday, aiming to secure the best product.
Mayor Tristan Grunder said KCT seemed like the most straightforward option since it could provide all the tasks in one price that Megrath otherwise divided into essential and optional. Miller also said KCT seemed like the best option in light of the money they’d save.
“We do have issues coming up with the budget, and we need extra money,” Miller said. “With KCT, we would be almost gaining $80,000 that we’re going to need in the future with the sewer. I understand that this is important, but the sewer is a bigger issue.”
Weitz asked Megrath and KCT’s representatives to share what they considered to be the city’s most important section of its LDC.
Megrath President Allison Megrath said she believed the subdivision regulations needed the most work, believing that High Springs’ current LDC seemed “copied and pasted” from another community and used against the city.
Weitz asked if focusing on that section would help the city regulate density for large developments such as Bridlewood. Although Megrath said it would in the future, City Attorney Danielle Adams confirmed that the new LDC will not affect developments like Bridlewood that are already underway.
KCT President Kelly Turner said that since the city’s request for proposal designated revising its rezoning districts and regulations as a separate task, that would likely be the most important.
When Weitz asked if any state legislation passed this year would impact the code, Turner said there was one recent House bill that would likely be a factor, but said that she wouldn’t know for sure until looking further at the LDC if she secured the project.
City Manager Jeremy Marshall said the disparity between the different quotes didn’t make sense because they’re each doing the same type of work. But he said he didn’t believe money should be the determining factor for a project that will set development standards for years to come, especially since all the bids fell within the $180,000 ARPA budget.
“I think this is probably one of the most important things that you guys will approve this year,” Marshall said. “And either company is great.”
Millage
Following the LDC vote, the commission unanimously approved a 6.99 tentative millage rate for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The maximum rate serves only as a buffer should the commission need to mandate more in an emergency. The final budget will still reflect the current 6.74 millage rate.
If the millage rate stays at 6.74, property taxes will increase based on property values from June and July, which staff said it is still waiting to receive.
When Bloodsworth suggested settling on an in-between amount, such as 6.80, and asked how much money the increase would reflect, staff said the 6.74 to 6.99 change would be around $145,000.
Bloodsworth said even though he didn’t want to hurt the citizens with higher taxes, the City Commission didn’t need to handcuff itself ahead of budgets and hurricane season.
“We know we’ve got some other budgeting issues with wastewater and other [things], but I also want to make sure we can take care of our town,” he said. “I don’t like the increase, but we do need to make sure we can control our destiny.”
High Springs will hold two hearings in September at City Hall (23718 W US Hwy 27) to adopt the 2025-26 millage and budget:
- 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 9: Tentative adoption of millage rate and FY2026 budget
- 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 22: Final hearing to adopt millage rate and FY2026 budget
Alcohol ordinance
After voting last month to place the Sunday alcohol sales law on the Nov. 4 ballot, the commission unanimously approved on Tuesday the first hearing of amended language to the law.
The ballot language aims to mirror a circulating petition, and, if passed, the ordinance will allow breweries and businesses manufacturing malt beverages to be open on Sundays.
Adams, who drafted the new language, noted that the language still includes the 51% reference previously scrutinized to avoid having to define what a restaurant is.
The final ordinance reads:
Shall Sections 10-2(c)-(e) of the City’s Code of Ordinances be amended to permit businesses that derive 51 percent of its gross revenue from the sale of food and nonalcoholic beverages, and breweries, businesses that manufacture malt beverages on site, with a beverage license to sell alcoholic beverages and malt beverages, respectively, for on-premises consumption Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.?