Metro: City and County Commission

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Metro

GRU remodels Gainesville services relationships, still split on GSC

By Henry DeAngelis | Feb. 9, 2024

In its Feb. 6 meeting, the Gainesville Finance Committee worked to revise the city’s budget to make up for the $1.4 million in payments withheld by the Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority. Its proposal, which the City Commission will discuss Feb. 15, makes up the difference by dipping into contingency funds for designated programs such as at-risk youth and gun violence prevention.

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Metro

Gainesville City Commission discusses state bills on removing citizen advisory councils, affordable housing tax loopholes

By Henry DeAngelis | Feb. 2, 2024

At its Thursday meeting, the Gainesville City Commission received updates on the progress of two state bills that could affect Gainesville’s police oversight and tax cuts given to luxury student housing.

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Metro

Keep Alachua County Beautiful asked to vacate city-owned property

By Bailey Diem | Jan. 31, 2024

Local nonprofit Keep Alachua County Beautiful was given a trespass notice Tuesday for “taking up illegal residence” in a city-owned property, according to the City of Gainesville.

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Metro

Alachua County Commission forgoes decision on ceasefire resolution

By Henry DeAngelis | Jan. 24, 2024

Nearly a hundred spectators filled the benches and lined the walls of the Alachua County Commission’s auditorium to voice their opinions on a potential resolution to urge President Joe Biden’s administration toward a ceasefire in Gaza.

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Metro

GRU Authority delays decision on Government Services Contribution

By Henry DeAngelis | Jan. 18, 2024

In its Wednesday meeting, The Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority board voted to reduce payments it makes for unused city services, and to organize a joint meeting with the city commission to discuss alternatives to cutting GRU’s annual $15.3 million Government Services Contribution (GSC). 

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Metro

Alachua County Commission asks community to rewrite ceasefire resolution, discuss Florence landfill next steps

By Henry DeAngelis | Jan. 11, 2024

Despite severe weather warnings across Alachua County, the County Commission met Tuesday to discuss a ceasefire resolution and provide an update on the Florence landfill special use permit.

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Metro

Gainesville City Commission hires permanent city clerk, agrees to 2.5% pay increases for charter officers

By Henry DeAngelis | Jan. 5, 2024

At its regular meeting Thursday, the Gainesville City Commission voted 6-0, with Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker absent, to appoint Interim City Clerk Kristen Bryant in a permanent capacity, filling the last of the city’s charter office vacancies.

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Metro

Gainesville finance director Sue Wang resigns

By Zoey Thomas | Nov. 14, 2023

The City of Gainesville announced its director of financial services has submitted her resignation and will be leaving office Dec. 1. Sue Wang was hired in June 2022 as controller for general government, six months after an audit raised concern about the city’s financial accountability.

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Metro

Alachua County School Board elects Diyonne McGraw as new chair

By Alissa Gary | Nov. 8, 2023

The Alachua County School Board unanimously elected District 2’s Diyonne McGraw as its newest chair Tuesday. Leanetta McNealy, the current vice-chair from District 4, will retain her position through a unanimous vote after turning down a nomination for chair.

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Metro

Gainesville City Commission passed open-container ordinance to revert back to pre-pandemic wording

By Kat Tran | Oct. 29, 2023

In a 4-3 vote Thursday, the City Commission decided to officially ban the public consumption and possession of alcohol and create an entertainment district — designated spaces for public drinking in Downtown Gainesville and Grove Street. 

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Metro

Gainesville to redevelop a joint space with the Knot Climbing Gym

By Kat Tran | Oct. 23, 2023

The Gainesville City Commission voted 6-1 Oct. 19 to approve The Knot Climbing Gym’s proposal to redevelop the old RTS Administration and Maintenance facility to the south of Depot Park.

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Metro

Reina Saco: From refugee to the Gainesville City Commission

By Kat Tran | Oct. 2, 2023

Bringing a fiery passion and fierce drive for justice within the Gainesville City Commission, Reina Saco, a 33-year-old city commissioner, carries many identities — notably, her first-generation Cuban background.

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Metro

Gainesville City Commission votes to implement downtown entertainment district, open-container alcohol ordinance

By Kat Tran | Sep. 17, 2023

The City Commission voted 4-3 Thursday to reinstate the open-container alcohol ordinance, which prohibits public consumption of alcoholic beverages. In addition to the first ordinance, which will bring back open container restrictions prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City Commission voted 6-1 to create an entertainment district for downtown Gainesville. 

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Metro

Stormwater management uses funding to install permanent piping and pump stations in Alachua County

By Ella Thompson | Sep. 13, 2023

James Link, Alachua County stormwater engineer, gave a stormwater update to the Alachua County Commission Tuesday afternoon on the effects of pump installations and future stormwater management projects. It’s been almost two years since the last stormwater update of this kind, Link said.

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Metro

Remembering David Flagg – former Gainesville mayor, Florida House representative

By Zoey Thomas | Aug. 31, 2023

When he wasn’t jumping from planes as an 82nd Airborne lieutenant, the Gainesville native, history buff and diehard Gators football fan served as a Gainesville city commissioner and mayor-commissioner from 1985 to 1988, followed by two terms in the Florida House from 1988 to 1992. During his time in office, he championed natural resource protection and gun safety legislation. He died Aug. 21.

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Metro

City officials hold press conference ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia

By Ella Thompson | Aug. 28, 2023

City officials held a press conference at 5:30 p.m. Monday to discuss city operations and provide safety tips about flooding and power outages as Tropical Storm Idalia approaches the west coast of Florida. Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward was joined by City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut, city manager Cynthia Curry, city attorney Dan Nee, Gainesville Regional Utilities general manager Tony Cunningham and a handful of the city’s emergency response team. 

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Metro

Gainesville City Commission considers repeal of open container alcohol ordinance

By Kat Tran | Aug. 23, 2023

The Gainesville City Commission voted 4-3 last Thursday to revert the city’s open container ordinance back to how the city regulated alcohol prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This bans open-canned alcohol outside businesses, as well as parks and streets.

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Metro

New car center, arts center to come to Gainesville

By Emma Parker | July 24, 2023

Gainesville City Commission approved the construction of a Tesla car center and a dance cultural center by unanimous decision.

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Metro

Gainesville residents, leadership unhappy after state GRU takeover

By Gabriel Velasquez Neira | July 3, 2023

A board hand-picked by Gov. Ron DeSantis will take control of Gainesville Regional Utilities within the next few months. 

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Metro

State decisions continue to guide Gainesville City Commission budget cuts

By Amanda Friedman | June 19, 2023

Efforts to combat Gainesville Regional Utilities’ rising debt could come at the expense of homeowners as well as public service initiative funding, according to state decisions and the city’s 2024 fiscal year budget proposals.