High Springs City Commission establishes Special Permit process for alcohol sales during special events on Sundays, postpones Bridlewood workshop

BY DAVID LIGHTMAN

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – At their June 13 Regular Meeting, the High Springs City Commission approved a Special Permit application process enabling the City to grant exceptions to their rules limiting alcohol sales on Sundays. Commissioners also canceled next Tuesday’s Bridlewood Planned Development workshop, agreed to lease a building to the Boy Scouts, and moved forward with placing amendments to the City Charter on the November ballot.

Special Permit for alcohol sales on Sundays

The first item of business was the second reading of an ordinance establishing a Special Permit application process for High Springs businesses that want to sell alcohol on a Sunday but do not meet the requirement of deriving at least 51 percent of their sales from food and nonalcoholic beverages. Commissioner Tristan Grunder made a motion to pass the ordinance, and Commissioner Andrew Miller seconded the motion. It passed 3-1 in a roll-call vote, with Commissioner Wayne Bloodsworth in dissent. Commissioner Byran Williams was absent. As discussed during previous meetings, Special Permits will be granted only in connection with national holidays and city-wide events.

Bridlewood Planned Development

During presentations, a representative of the Bridlewood Planned Development said he and most of his staff will not be able to attend the workshop that was previously scheduled and advertised for next Tuesday. He asked to push the workshop back to a later date when an expert on Community Development Districts (CDDs) will be available to answer questions from the public and City staff. He also asked to meet with staff before holding the workshop.

Mayor Katherine Weitz asked if they could still have the workshop on Tuesday with the Plan Board and have another workshop with the Bridlewood representatives at a later date. City Attorney Scott Walker said that should be fine and could be beneficial in terms of learning more about CDDs.

Grunder said he preferred to wait until someone knowledgeable will be available to answer questions about CDDs instead of having a “what-if session.”

Miller said, “I feel like it is important to hear the Plan Board and why they originally voted for it and then why some of them wouldn’t vote for it again if they was to have to vote for it. So I think it would be good to hear what made them change their minds.”

Attorney Walker said they wouldn’t be able to talk about the specifics of the Bridlewood project if they didn’t have any of their representatives present during the workshop. The Bridlewood representative said, “I think Kelly will be able to be here next Tuesday if you all just decide you have to have it. But my point is, she’s only got some of the information, and we really need to have our whole team together.”

Walker pointed out that Kelly is a realtor and not a CDD expert, and he advised against having the workshop without a CDD expert present. Bloodsworth said, “I’ll make a motion to push it back because if we can’t talk about it, I don’t know what we’re going to be doing here.” Grunder seconded the motion, and it passed 4-0. Weitz said the date of the Bridlewood workshop is yet to be determined.

Lease to Boy Scouts

Introducing the next item, Attorney Walker said, “This looks like the most important piece of business for us this evening. It’s approving the Boy Scouts lease.” He explained that the resolution in the agenda would authorize the Mayor to execute for the property located at 19460 NW U.S. Highway 441 to the Boy Scouts for $10 per year.

Grunder asked if Alcoholics Anonymous will still be able to use the space for free, and Bloodsworth said they will be. Grunder made a motion to pass the resolution granting the lease, and Miller seconded the motion. It passed 4-0 with Williams absent.

Ballot referendum for City Charter amendments

Attorney Walker introduced an ordinance placing a series of amendments to the High Springs City Charter on the November 5 ballot. Read our story here for more information on the list of changes .

City Clerk Angela Stone suggested the possibility of holding a special election in January since there are 15 charter questions to be placed on the ballot and it could become confusing for some voters, given the number of questions that will already be on the November general election ballot.

Grunder suggested having the Charter Review Board decide which questions are more important and which can wait until next year. Weitz said, “They’re all important.”

Walker said he could distill the 15 questions down to 5, one for each section of the charter, and he could bring those back at the next meeting after asking the Charter Review Board to approve the list. He said he could even put them into a single all-in-one question.

Weitz said she preferred having some questions in November and others on a different ballot, instead of combining multiple changes into ballot questions.

Charter Review Board Chair Sue Weller said that she would like to at least see five questions, one for each section, although she was speaking only on behalf of herself and not for the Board. Weller said, “The others may say ‘Fine. Split it. Put some on this ballot and some on the next year’s ballot.’”

Responding to a question about the proposed changes during public comment, Walker clarified that one of the proposed amendments would require three votes to censure a Commissioner, and a unanimous vote of the four other Commissioners would be needed to remove a Commissioner from office.

Grunder made a motion to reconvene the Charter Review Board and ask them to work with Attorney Walker on grouping the questions into fewer ballot questions. Miller seconded the motion. It passed 4-0, with Williams absent.

Commission Comment

During commission comment at the end of the meeting, City Manager Jeremy Marshall said he will be attending the Alachua County League of Cities meeting on June 25 at 6:30 p.m. in Newberry. Mayor Weitz said she also plans to attend.

Marshall also announced that he has hired a new Public Works Director, Jason Kytle, and a new Parks and Recreation Director, Jennifer Applebee.

Honoring firefighters who delivered a baby

Commissioners also presented members of the High Springs Fire Department “B-shift” crew, FF Rhoden, FF Hope, and FF Friend, with a Certificate of Appreciation for their work in delivering a baby outside of the fire station last week.

Captain Burkhalter and FF Drake also received certificates but were unable to attend.

The story of the baby girl’s delivery can be read here.

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