Alachua City Commission selects Interim City Manager

BY DAVID LIGHTMAN

ALACHUA, Fla. – At a June 9 meeting, the Alachua City Commission passed a budget amendment resolution accepting a $50,300 grant to be used for the renovation of Theatre Park and selected Rodolfo Valladares as the Interim City Manager for the next 12 months or until a permanent City Manager is found.

Brain Bus

The meeting began with a presentation. Deputy City Clerk LeAnne Williams introduced Donna Lee, a Program Manager for the Alzheimer’s Association. Lee mentioned a purple van parked outside and said, “We are very very lucky to have, in the City of Alachua tonight, one of two… Brain Bus Vehicles. There’s only two [in Florida]…  It is designed for mobile outreach in rural communities where there is not equitable access to awareness and attention… for our people that are aging and battling these cognitive diseases.” 

Lee said the telephone number on the van, 800-272-3900, is a hotline to reach a trained specialist who can connect those in need with resources. She stressed the importance of recognizing Alzheimer’s symptoms vs. those of other mental disorders.

T-Mobile Hometown Grant

Finance and Administrative Services Director Robert Bonetti said staff had submitted an application for a T-Mobile Hometown Grant to supplement CRA funding for the renovation of Theatre Park, and the City of Alachua was one of the 25 Hometown Grant recipients chosen from a pool of 600 applicants. The City received the grant award from T-Mobile in the amount of $50,300 on April 3, 2025. 

Bonetti said a resolution and budget amendment were necessary to appropriate the grant funds and use them for the Theatre Park renovation.

Commissioner Dayna Williams made a motion to adopt the budget amendment resolution, and Jacob Fletcher seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.

Interim City Manager

Mayor Walter Welch announced that City Manager Mike DaRoza had resigned, and he said they needed to designate an Interim City Manager for the City to be able to carry on basic daily functions. Welch said they would use a 12-month contract, which could be terminated early if a permanent City Manager is hired before then.

Fletcher said, “This appointment isn’t just procedural. It’s symbolic. We’re asking the public to trust us in our direction after a wave of staff resignations and what people are feeling out there as governance failures. We need someone who is operationally competent and is untainted by controversy. This is our chance to show the residents of this amazing city that we are turning the corner and that we are listening to them.” 

Williams said Fletcher had already emailed her and the other Commissioners and told them how he intended to vote; she said she found that “completely unacceptable” and possibly a violation of the Sunshine Law. She said Fletcher had called City Attorney Marian Rush a liar when he questioned a statement Rush had made about the former City Manager not being subject to outside influences. Williams chastised Fletcher for making negative comments about City employee Rodolfo Valladares, and she made a motion to appoint Valladares as Interim City Manager with a 12-month contract. Vice Mayor Shirley Green Brown seconded the motion. 

Fletcher said he sent the email because he was concerned about protecting the Commission from any liability. Referring to possible Sunshine Law violations, Fletcher said, “One-way communication is, by law, legal… My concern was… conflict of interest.” 

Fletcher said, “Valladares, according to the 2024-2025 fiscal budget, oversaw both the Planning and Zoning Department and the Public Services Department, both departments that are intertwined incredibly with the solar farm accusations as well as the Tara developments. And so for us to put someone in that position that was directly involved with that before we have the facts here doesn’t make sense to me, and what I wanted was a person from the City who was not involved in this… I don’t see how we can move in this direction with such a conflict of interest… Let’s establish the facts, and then move on from there. But at this point, we don’t have facts.” Several audience members applauded.

Williams said Fletcher was presuming Valladares was guilty of something without any evidence. She said Valladares is familiar with the City’s ongoing projects and “We need continuity.” 

Commissioner Jennifer Ringersen said, “There has been one consistent human who has been professional, kind, transparent,… a human being that asks questions and listens,… never has been unprofessional… [That] is Rodolfo… So I move for Rodolfo Valladares also.”

Green Brown said, “Mr. Valladares is one of the most professional. Exhibits integrity. He is educated. He’s a leader. He is kind, compassionate. He is dedicated to the City. He’s a family man who leads and sets an example for his children.”

Fletcher read his controversial email, which detailed his concerns about not following the proper procedures for selecting an Interim City Manager at a noticed meeting and possibly opening the City to Sunshine Law violations.

Welch characterized Valladares as “a workaholic.”

Ten people spoke during public comment on the motion. Six were clearly in favor of selecting Valladares as Interim City Manager, and they cited reasons like maintaining continuity, Valladares’ professionalism, and the need for unity. Three were not in favor of selecting him, at least not until an investigation has been completed and more facts are known. The tenth, High Springs City Commissioner Katherine Weitz, was not clearly for or against hiring Valladares, but she stressed that finding a City Manager is “hard.”  

A roll call vote was taken, and the motion to hire Valladares as Interim City Manager passed 4-1, with Fletcher in dissent. Several people applauded. While voting, Fletcher repeated his “conflict of interest” concern.

Valladares said he was “honored” and agreed to become the Interim City Manager.

Attorney Rush said she would bring back a contract to be “approved in the sunshine.”

Final public comments

During final public comments, Sarah Younger said, “One of the things that I would like to see from this Commission tonight is a commitment to the investigation of the departure of those [three] planners… The public is very interested in knowing how to move forward.”

Carol Keys said, “Now that you have an Interim City Manager, it’s time to be brought up to speed on all of the projects of Tara Development. I am requesting that the Interim Manager or a member of your Commission add a discussion item regarding all phases of the Tara Development to the agenda for your next Commission meeting, June 23.”

Tamara Robbins said, “One-way communication between elected or appointed officials is not a violation of the Sunshine Law.” She questioned the sincerity of the Commissioners who acted as if they felt personally attacked by Fletcher’s email.

Monty Williams said, “I’m a voter of the City of Alachua. The last seven people that have come up here are from High Springs. They have no say in our community. They shouldn’t have anything to do with any investigation. They shouldn’t help burn our city down. And that’s what’s going on. We’re burning our city down from outside. It needs to stop.”

Faith Collins said she is a registered City of Alachua voter, and she favors having an investigation.

Pam Blasetti said she lives in an unincorporated area but considers herself an Alachua resident, and she favors an investigation. She said, “You guys are feeding the suspicion monster by not doing it.”

Attorney Rush said she has been working on an investigation, but “it does take a good amount of time.” She said she has been getting assistance from independent attorneys from outside the area who specialize in planning and zoning. Rush said placing an Interim City Manager took precedence over the investigation, but she planned to resume the investigation immediately. She added that no one has ever asked her to not do the investigation.