As Memorial Day weekend approaches, Gilchrist County and Ginnie Springs Outdoors continue negotiating on a final document to improve the plan for handling large events at the private business, with potentially tens of thousands of visitors.  

The Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) started the process last summer after two deadly shootings at Ginnie Springs Outdoors, a private campground and springs site.

County Administrator Bobby Crosby estimates the negotiations still have four to five months before a final document returns to the commissioners. He said the work is largely being done by attorneys for the county and Ginnie Springs, and the exact details remain open, including the form the document takes, like a memorandum of understanding.  

Crosby said several unrelated delays pushed the process back, and he said the negotiations are complicated as a private and a public entity try to come together. He said the county can’t just enter and tell Ginnie Springs how to operate on a day-to-day basis. 

“They have certain rights as a private business, but there’s just been some activities in the past that probably everybody’s aware of that just puts a little bit of undue stress on the county at that particular time, all at once,” Crosby said of Memorial Day weekends. “So, we’re just trying to work together to figure out how we can make it all work together well.” 

Over the last few years, Ginnie Springs has been the backdrop for a number of high-profile incidents during Memorial Day weekend, which likely draws the largest crowd of any holiday.   

Last year, separate shootings resulted in two deaths and other injuries. Koty Stewart, a 34-year-old man from Jacksonville, died following a gunshot to the head. His family filed a lawsuit against Ginnie Springs Outdoors nearly a month later on what would have been his fifth wedding anniversary.  

Over the 2023 Memorial Day weekend, a woman died after falling off the back of a truck and getting run over by the attached trailer.   

The Gainesville Sun reported in 2021 that Memorial Day weekend resulted in 74 calls for service coming from inside Ginnie Springs to the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO). Law enforcement arrested 10 people and wrote 18 additional reports from that weekend. 

The Ginnie Springs Outdoors website highlights several new safety steps that the company has taken since last year’s Memorial Day weekend. The website lists a capacity limit (though it doesn’t specify the number), increased staffing, a third-party security expert, a stronger relationship with local law enforcement and increased visibility of park rules. 

Ginnie Springs Outdoors would not comment when asked to talk about the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. 

Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz said he’s limited on how involved he can be in creating any plan by the information he’s been given.  

Schultz said he was invited to a couple of Zoom meetings earlier this year for the Ginnie Springs Commission and said the attorney for the office attended.  

Outside those meetings, Schultz said he’s provided numbers and suggestions to the committee, but without certain key numbers, he said the sheriff’s office can’t assist further in the process. Those key numbers include the capacity limit for the park and information on private security. 

“I’m disappointed that there’s a lot of unanswered questions, but again, that’s the prerogative of a private company,” Schultz said.  

Schultz said he respects private businesses and their right to share or not share data about their operations. He added that he’s heard of some steps Ginnie Springs Outdoors may take and said the ideas are good.   

But as sheriff, he said his hands are tied without the information to make decisions about assigning deputies on heavy tourist weekends and to sign off on any document or plan with Ginnie Springs.  

Schultz said the county has been good to the GCSO, providing the support he needs. But he said the area needs a plan to handle booming tourism—when the population of the county doubles.  

“I believe they are headed in the right direction, and the ownership are trying their best to make things better,” Schultz said of Ginnie Springs Outdoors. 

Stephen Burgess, a Reddick resident, visits Ginnie Springs regularly on Memorial Day weekends. He said the grounds can get pretty crazy.  

He’s gone there since he was a kid and said it’s a beautiful series of springs, especially if you can go when it’s not crowded. But for Memorial Day weekend, he said, it’s packed.  

“It gets pretty crowded, and people are out there kind of going crazy,” Burgess said. “It’s like one giant party; it’s pretty ridiculous.” 

Burgess said he’s interested to see what changes Ginnie Springs has made for the upcoming weekend. He said he typically avoids the crowd and snorkels in the springs by himself.  

He said he’s not really concerned about attending since he keeps to himself and keeps away from the large partying crowds. Burgess said most local residents avoid Ginnie Springs, especially on a holiday weekend, and said many are frustrated with the business.  

Schultz said he knows the capacity at other springs in the county, including Hart Springs, Blue Springs and Otter Springs.  

Using state guidelines, he can allocate deputies for the parks. He said these guidelines recommend a deputy per so many visitors and more if the area allows alcohol. But without numbers on Ginnie Springs, he said he’s limited on helping with a plan or signing off. And everyone seemed to understand his stance, he said. 

Crosby said the county looks at Memorial Day weekend as a whole. The holiday can draw in 30,000 visitors to enjoy Gilchrist County’s springs, rivers and other recreational activities. He said the large influx always has the potential to bring issues, but those are countywide. 

He said county administration has to look at the whole area when dealing with these events, not just trying to point fingers at one business or park. And he said the plan from the Ginnie Springs Committee, which will go to the BOCC for approval, will help. 

“I think the results, what we all hope for, is this puts the county and Ginnie Springs in a better place,” Crosby said.