High Springs City Commission discusses charter amendment ballot questions, raises rates for recreational facilities, approves sod replacement and new police vehicles

BY DAVID LIGHTMAN

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – At their March 13 Regular Meeting, the High Springs City Commission discussed potential future ballot amendment questions after approving five charter amendment questions for the upcoming November general election and agreed to raise rental rates for all of the City’s recreational facilities. After approving expenditures for sod replacement at the High Springs Sports Complex and the purchase of three police vehicles, City Manager Jeremy Marshall explained why the Bridlewood representative was so upset at the prior meeting.

Charter amendment ballot questions

The meeting began with the second reading of an ordinance placing five charter amendment referendum questions on the November 4, 2025 general election ballot. From our story covering the first reading of the ordinance on January 23, the five questions are:

1. Updating Commission Seat Information. Shall the Charter be amended to remove the names of former Commissioners that previously held the seats and designate when the current term ends for each Commission Seat?
2. Providing plurality voting system, solution to a tie and designated date of induction. Shall the City’s Charter be updated to provide for a plurality voting system, the flip of a coin to resolve a tie in an election, and designate the first regularly-scheduled Commission meeting as when the newly-elected official shall be inducted into office?
3. Updating Commission Salaries. Shall the City’s Charter be updated to allow for the salary of commissioners to continue at the same rate for the subsequent fiscal year in the event the Commission does not act to change or continue their salaries?
4. Updating Term Limits for the Mayor. Shall the City’s Charter be updated to limit the Mayor’s term to one year or until such time that a successor is elected and that no Commissioner shall hold the position of Mayor for consecutive terms unless by a supermajority vote of the then-sitting commission?
5. Requiring Commission to act as a whole to give instruction to the City Manager and Providing for Censure. Shall the City’s Charter be updated to prevent a single Commissioner from ordering the City Manager to act and provide for the ability of the Commission to censure a commissioner for violating the Charter?

Commissioner Chad Howell made a motion to approve the ordinance, and Commissioner Katherine Weitz seconded the motion. It passed 5-0 in a roll call vote.

Future charter amendment questions

Weitz asked if they could set a date certain to address the remaining five questions initially suggested by the Charter Review Board. Following direction from City Manager Marshall, Weitz made a motion to bring up the remaining items at the Commission’s second meeting in January 2026. She clarified that she was against four of the items and was making a motion only to “bring up the recommendation of providing plurality voting systems versus majority.” 

Mayor Tristan Grunder said, “Maybe something changes this year. Maybe something doesn’t… I’d like to see us go over all of them.” 

Commissioner Wayne Bloodsworth made a motion to discuss all five remaining items at the second meeting next January. Howell seconded his motion. It passed unanimously. 

Rental rates for recreation facilities

The next item was deciding whether to modify rental rates for the recreation facilities that the City rents out. Marshall said, “We brought you back some expenses so you could weigh out what it’s costing to run these facilities.” Finance Director Diane Wilson explained how they calculated the expenses and added that the expenses don’t include major repairs such as roof replacement or air conditioning replacement, and the City is losing money at this time with the current rates. Wilson said, “These (proposed rates) will get us almost breaking even, but we’re still not 100% there.” 

Commissioners compared and contrasted the Santa Fe Room and the Douglass Community Center and discussed which one should have the higher rates. Grunder said he would prefer they set the rates high enough so that the City is no longer losing money. Wilson said, “I would recommend that we revisit it in six months and keep an eye on it… You have the opportunity to change these at any time.”

Weitz suggested using a standardized approach of setting rates based on the square footage of the indoor spaces, but Wilson explained that the expenses don’t necessarily correlate with the square footage. 

Grunder said, “The Santa Fe Room is trash, and the Douglass Center is gorgeous. So people are definitely going to rent that one more.” Commissioner Andrew Miller said the Santa Fe Room has a stage for performances and other features that the Douglas Center lacks. Miller said, “I’m telling you that the Santa Fe Room should be the same price as the Douglass Center.”

Howell made a motion to raise the rental rates as proposed, except for the Santa Fe Room, which will be raised to the same rates as those proposed for the Douglass Center. 

Bloodsworth asked if the Santa Fe Room is rented very much, noting that its condition has gotten worse and worse. Wilson said, “Yes, the rentals had dropped off. We just haven’t been renting it recently because it’s not rentable, in our opinion.” Wilson explained that it needs general maintenance like carpet, painting, and replacing tables. She said, “It’s worn out, and we’re at that point.”

Miller said, “The Santa Fe Room got messed up when the art camp came in… It was always nice.” Weitz agreed.

Weitz asked, “Do we know if we have any leverage for the art camp to replace the tables, or replace any of the stuff they were supposed to replace?” Weitz said she would be happy to help organize volunteers and that she could help paint.

During public comments, Linda Jones said, “The Santa Fe Room is not a result of normal wear and tear. The carpet was new. It was in good condition. I attended many meetings over there and no problems whatsoever. It was done as a result of the art camp, and it was wrecked. The tables were wrecked. The carpeting was wrecked because paint is splattered everywhere. So it wasn’t normal maintenance… Nothing’s ever been done about it. No one was ever held accountable for it, and we tried over and over and over from the very outset of that to get that taken care of, but nothing was ever done… I don’t know if you’ll be able to rent that room for $250… That room, the last time I was in it, was a mess. And that’s the reason why.”

A staff member said, “Personally, I think $250 is a little bit high for the Santa Fe Room. The Douglass Center has a 12-tray warming oven, also has a refrigerator with an ice maker… I believe capacity is 90. It’s got 80 chairs, eight round tables, an 8-foot table…. We do actually have plans to replace the carpet in (the Santa Fe Room)… I hear you saying that, yes, they did destroy that room. But I would also say that it was up to staff to monitor how that was used. So I would like y’all not to place the full blame on the Good News Arts Camp. They did a wonderful job, and they did provide a great service to our children. But I do feel like $250 is extremely high for that particular building.” Miller noted that the Douglass Community Center has a capacity of 66, not 90.

Bloodsworth agreed that the Santa Fe Room is not worth $250 “as it is right now.” He suggested not raising the Santa Fe Room rates at all.

Marshall said, “Nothing has to be decided tonight… Let’s wait another four months. That will give us six months of data on the Douglass Center, and we can get quotes on how much it’s going to cost to refurbish the Santa Fe Room.”

As Grunder was preparing to call for a vote on Howell’s motion, Bloodsworth said, “It hasn’t been seconded.” Grunder said, “It has.” It passed 4-1 in a roll call vote, with Bloodsworth in dissent. 

General public comment

During the public comment period, Chamber of Commerce Vice President Steve Tapanes said Pioneer Days will not need to pay $120/hour for fire and EMS services as discussed at the previous Commission meeting because they will be using volunteers. A member of the Chamber of Commerce Board expressed concern about expecting such big payments from small organizations like Pioneer Days, if they are to continue to hold events in the future.

Sod replacement, new police vehicles, and Priest Theatre update

Commissioners approved the expenditure of $157,650 to replace the sod at the High Springs Sports Complex; the work will be performed by Double B Southern of Newberry. This option was chosen due to the guarantees offered, even though it was $20,000 higher than another bid.

They also approved the expenditure of $16,349 to meet a funding shortfall in the purchase of three new Police Department vehicles totaling $199,049, including additional equipment.

During final comments, City Manager Marshall said the plans for the Priest Theatre have been submitted to the State, and, once approved, a 30-day process of accepting bids will begin. Marshall said the City hired a consultant to remove the specialized bulb and properly store the projector and other equipment during the renovation.

Bloodsworth asked Marshall about the possibility of the City forming its own solid waste collection company, given the limited options available. Marshall said he will look into that possibility.

Bridlewood update

Weitz said she wanted to talk about comments made about Marshall by a realtor at the previous meeting. She said the Bridlewood developer “was giving Mr. Marshall the full-court press” to get a document signed, but Marshall had refused to sign the document because the developers had not submitted all of the necessary paperwork and had abruptly ended the meeting, which the developer didn’t appreciate. 

Marshall said that matter is now in the hands of City Attorney Scott Walker and the Bridlewood attorneys, since the developer decided to bring in their attorneys. Marshall said they may be able to get the document signed next Monday if the developers are able to meet all the necessary prerequisites and pay all the necessary fees, which they have yet to do.