St. Francis House
The Alachua County Commission agreed Tuesday to move another step closer to purchasing the Sunrise Residence Inn owned by St. Francis House to help address the region’s homeless population.
Earlier this month, the commission asked staff to look into the possibility of purchasing the 35-unit Sunrise Residence Inn to prevent it from being turned into student housing by a private developer. St. Francis House initially explored the sale to alleviate the shelter’s financial struggles.
The commission agreed the complex is a vital component in the county’s ongoing efforts toward addressing homelessness, as it provides HUD vouchers for tenants in need.
As part of Tuesday’s motion, Alachua County will pay a non-refundable $150,000 to the shelter toward the $1.95 million sale. The county will owe St. Francis House another $150,000 if the property is not closed on within 90 days.
The immediate funding will allow the shelter to reestablish providing meals and other services to residents in need.
Sunrise Residence Inn is located along Southwest 14th Street in Gainesville, near two recently purchased motels the county is actively turning into housing units for the homeless population. Staff said they hope to partner with the local housing authority to manage all three properties.
MOU for Mechanic Training at Santa Fe College
The commission approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Santa Fe College that will help with local job training for heavy diesel mechanics.
As part of the agreement, SFC will take steps to establish the necessary curriculum with the state of Florida to offer classes at the county’s Public Works Fleet Management Operations. The college will be responsible for the instruction, equipment and safety of students who will train on county property, while the county hopes the classes will provide a direct line of recruits and trainees to work for fleet operations.
This training program will benefit the new U.S. Army Reserve Equipment Concentration Site (ECS), which will require heavy diesel mechanics.
State commerce projects an estimated 8% growth, or nearly 13,000 such jobs, will become available between 2023 and 2031 for the profession. The median hourly wage for the jobs is over $25.
A more detailed agreement will be brought back to the commission before any classes commence.
Art Contest
Winners for the 11th annual “Saving My Alachua” environmental art contest were announced during the evening session of the meeting in front of a packed room of parents and children.
The contest is open to Alachua County students in grades K-12 and addresses water conservation, stormwater pollution, natural habitat protection, wilderness, wildlife protection and disposal of toxic waste.
The county’s Environmental Protection Department received 641 entries from 23 schools. A total of 31 winners were announced, as well as selections to be featured in the 2025 Saving My Alachua calendar.
Jonesville Park
The commission approved funding for major improvements for the widely used Rotary Park at Jonesville.
As part of Tuesday’s motion, the county will use Wild Spaces Public Places funding to construct pickleball courts and to provide additional parking for visitors.
Up to $500,000 of tourist development tax reserves, along with other funding sources, will also go toward building a two-story stadium with a press box, new scoreboard, rebuilding the turf and solving drainage issues.
City of Waldo/Wild Spaces Public Places
The commission approved six surtax grant applications for projects submitted by the City of Waldo.
The county will contribute $333,000 in Wild Spaces Public Places funds and $333,000 in infrastructure surtax funds to help fund the following projects. The remaining funds will come from Waldo:
Waldo Community Center - $350,000
Veteran’s Park Downtown - $250,000
Sid Martin Park - $70,000
Fire Suppression System Constellation Charter School - $150,000
Water Tower Well Generator - $200,000
Water Meters - $450,000
Voting
Alachua County’s Supervisor of Elections Kim Barton gave a presentation to the commission regarding voter education, community outreach efforts and additional early voting locations ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Barton’s office throughout the year tables at various events and festivals and keeps a visible presence at several public offices where visitors frequent, such as libraries, the Plazas of Americas and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. The office also tracks the number of people who attend, voter registration applications and vote-by-mail requests.
For 2024, the SOE plans to recruit additional election workers and emphasize student outreach to ensure they update their addresses and launch a partnership with UF President Ben Sasse and his administration.
In Alachua County, there are five extra days of early voting (13 total) than what’s required by state law. Since 2016, early voting locations have grown from three to eight to make it more accessible and encouraged. The SOE will decide later whether to add a 14th early voting day at all eight locations on the Sunday before the general election.
To update your registration and more information on the upcoming elections, visit
VoteAlachua.gov.
Proclamations
The Alachua County Commission recognized the hundreds of men and women who keep the community safe by presenting a proclamation to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. Commissioner Chuck Chestnut read the proclamation to declare May 5-11, 2024 as Corrections/Detention Employees Appreciation Week.
A proclamation declaring Mary 15, 2024 as Peace Officers Memorial Day was also presented to the sheriff’s office by Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler. The commission declared May 15-21, 2024 as National Police Week in Alachua County.
Commissioner Anna Prizzia presented a proclamation declaring April 2024 as Fair Housing Month in Alachua County.
