Seth Johnson
Alachua County and Gainesville city leaders convened for a joint meeting on Monday, hearing updates on their downtown business plans, the Eastside Health and Economic Development Initiative, solar energy and gun violence.Â
Most of the topics were informational and allowed both commissions to hear what the other is doing, but the commissions also passed mirror motions on gun violence. The motions direct staff to identify the current steps and stakeholders on both county and city activities related to gun violence. Â
The gun violence discussion was added to the agenda at the start of the meeting after Alachua County Commissioner Anna Prizzia asked for an update on the item. Both commissions declared gun violence a public health crisis nearly a year ago.
Commissioner Ken Cornell said the governments could then use information to create a plan as Prizzia had asked.
After over an hour and a half of discussion, Cornell made the motion, pulling together pieces from an earlier failed motion by Prizzia. The second county motion passed 4-1 with Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler in dissent.
“We’re talking about a societal issue that’s not going to be so easily addressed with a plan,” Wheeler said.
The city unanimously passed an identical motion afterward. Mayor Harvey Ward—who recently spoke publicly on the gun violence issue—noted that each time commissions ask for this type of motion, it interrupts staff’s plans and workflow on the issue.
For the downtown plans, county staff relayed how it will change offices for county staff. With the Alachua County Civil Court leaving its current building—moving to a new court complex—Alachua County administration is looking to move across Bo Diddley Plaza to fill the vacated building.Â
Other county offices, at the Wilson building, Main Street Legal building and Annex building, will also move into the current Civil Court Services under the plan. The shuffle will open those downtown offices for other uses. County commissioners said they hadn’t arrived at a decision on how to use the soon-to-be-vacated buildings.Â
Alachua County hopes to move all the offices into the court building in 2025 and 2026.Â
Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area (GCRA) staff presented the plan for how the city is planning to change downtown.
The plan includes hiring MKSK, an outside firm, to create a Business Improvement District analysis. The analysis will take 10 months, cost $84,000, and was identified in the city’s Downtown Strategic plan, also done by MKSK, as a need. Â
The analysis will look at the statute requirements and district boundaries, conduct a needs assessment and produce a draft ordinance for downtown businesses to review.
The GCRA is also working on four other “transformational projects” besides downtown. These are the Heritage Trail, Heartwood, the Eastside Health and Economic Development Initiative and the Citizens Field project.
Gainesville has been waisting citizens monet gor years, the city and county commission are corrupt, and Marxist
As long as Ward, Aerolla , Eastman and the rest of the existing political force that caused and cultivated the massive crime increase in Wokesville are in charge , downtown will continue to be dangerous. Starting with late night bars being open, open container allowances, and no consequences for breaking the law, how could anyone be in wonderment of how to stop it. This Common Sense challenged group could bankrupt a golden goose utility and make history as being the only City on the State of Florida to be fired and remove from managing or authority to govern. The law and order they applied to taking transfers from non existing GRU profits is under State Audit and will finally sink Gville . The carnage driven agenda has been applied to downtown. They excel in carnage. They have no brain or shame.
Violence using guns is definitely increasing, but overall violence is increasing even faster. Putting the emphasis on guns is detracting from the victimization of hundreds of others.
Is there possibly some other reason the city ‘leaders’ are doing this? Why do they seem to be ignoring the victims of other violence?
Are they addressing topics for which they can receive grants and letting the major violence areas that produce hundreds more victims just fester?
Astounding that no one commenting on these matters seems to realize that the “corrupt and Marxist” commissions, which “caused and cultivated the massive crime increase in Wokesville [whatever that is]” were voted into office by a majority of the city and county electorate. We function as a democracy, and those are the types of persons the majority of voters wanted to act on their behalf.
Further, that same electorate voted that they did NOT want control of the “golden goose utility” removed from control of their elected representatives on the Commission. Yet the state legislature overrode the wishes of the majority; in that case, government did not function as a democracy. So now our utility is run by a politically appointed group of people over whom we, the voters, have no control.
One thing you did get right, your fired. Now pay your tax increases you have earned for a long long time. Stay tuned for when County residents are set free.
This comment is appreciated. Such constructive criticism is carefully considered and very helpful in understanding an increasingly complex world. Many thanks, and may you enjoy all the best for 2024.
Our local government is inept and woke ideology driven. It imperils the lives and livelihood of every citizen. Vote them out.
You have stated the key: if we don’t like what they do, we vote them out of office. The problem that some do not seem to realize: we have now lost that ability with reference to GRU. The State Government’s Soviet-Communist-style “taking” means that we no longer control policies and actions of (what used to be) “our” utility.
How does that feel Gainesville? No Control. That is the position all of the County GRU tax slaves have been in for decades. No voice yet over 35% of GRU’s customer based. We and the rest of the State of Florida have seen what happens with Wokesville in charge. You , the Biomass 8 , and City Commision past and present ,killed the Goose that laid the Golden Egg.So deal with your City financial failures and let us try to save GRU.