High Springs City Commission finalizes property tax increase, passes city budget, denies vape shop permit

BY DAVID LIGHTMAN

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – At their September 25 meeting, the High Springs City Commission raised the property tax millage rate to 6.990 and passed the FY2024 City budget, both on second readings. They also voted to keep their own salaries at the same level and to deny a conditional use permit for a proposed vape shop at the former Alice’s Parkside Restaurant.   

Property tax increase

City Attorney Scott Walker introduced Resolution 2023-0: “The (state) statute requires you to … announce what the rollback rate is and the percent over the rollback rate with respect to where your current millage is, so I’ll read that right now. Section 1 of the resolution provides that the final millage for the fiscal year 2023-2024 is fixed at 6.9900 mills, which is 26.89 percent of an increase from the rollback rate, which is 5.5089 mills.” The new property tax rate is 16.7% higher than the 2022-2023 rate of 5.990 mills.

City Finance Director Diane Wilson gave a short presentation about the millage rate and the City budget, explaining that the millage rate produces revenue that goes to expenses paid out of the General Fund.

Grunder: “So if we don’t raise the millage… What is going to happen?”

Commissioner Tristan Grunder asked City Manager Ashley Stathatos, “So if we don’t raise the millage… What is going to happen?” Stathatos answered, “So if we don’t raise the millage and kept it at 5.99, then what will likely, assuredly, happen is that we will have a reduction (in) workforce by around $200,000. I’ve looked at everything that I can. It’s not something I would want to do, you know, we’re limited on our options… It could be that we do away with some of the community policing this year, not have as many police out during Halloween and certain times of the year that we normally have them out. Right now, when we have events, the Fire Department often attends those, and in most cases free of charge–so people get dehydrated or they get sick when it’s hot; there’s always someone there. We would either have to charge people or stop doing it… The grass maybe would be cut more infrequently, so there might be some taller grass around town… The ball fields, we just have them being used during Youth Sports and turn off the lights, you know, directly after, and not keep them on for practices unless it’s vetted beforehand. I mean, we’re just going to have to change the way we do things and tighten our belts like anyone else would have to… $200,000 worth of layoffs is what I would recommend.”

Grunder responded, “I do not want to raise the millage, but I tell you this. Right now, I will gladly raise the millage rate before I send people to the house without a job… I will be for raising the millage tonight 100 percent but with the understanding that within the next two years, we get it back to 5.99 at least.”

3% raises for employees

Commissioner Ross Ambrose discussed why he favors 3% raises for employees: “One of the reasons the 3% increase for staff is in there is a few years ago, we did a study, and we were so far below (what) other cities were being paid that we were a training ground. People came here and got their training in our Police Department, as an out-of-the-academy officer, and as soon as they had that street experience, they’d go to another department for thousands of dollars more a year. They’d come into utilities, and they’d get their basic certifications for water and other things, and they’d leave and go make six to eight dollars more in Alachua or Newberry that was having trouble finding employees. So there’s a cost to having to replace employees, and there’s a cost to not having employees with the intellectual knowledge of how our City works, what’s underground, and how it’s taken care of. And you know… if you liked the banners when you came in today, that’s great, but if we go through these cuts, I don’t know that we’ll have City staff to change banners.” 

Several citizens spoke, with roughly half in favor of increasing the millage rate and half against it. Grunder addressed concerns about the new City vehicles, which are leased: “It’s a bad look… and going forward, I say we move away from it.”

Motion and vote

Ambrose made a motion to pass the resolution, and Grunder seconded the motion. It passed 4-1, with Commissioner Katherine Weitz in dissent. Mayor Gloria James announced, “Resolution approved, four to zero.” After a comment from the crowd, she corrected herself and said, “Four to one.”

Budget

Attorney Walker introduced Ordinance 2023-11, adopting the 2024 city budget. No audience members spoke. Commissioner Bryan Williams made a motion to pass the ordinance, and Grunder seconded the motion. It passed 4-1, with Weitz in dissent. James announced, “Ordinance 2023-11 carries four to one.”

Mayor and commissioner salaries

Walker introduced Resolution 2023-P, keeping the salary of the commissioners and mayor at their present levels. No citizens spoke. Ambrose made a motion to pass the resolution, and Grunder seconded the motion. It passed unanimously. 

Vape shop permit

The next item on the agenda was Resolution 2023-R, a quasi-judicial ordinance granting a conditional use permit to a vape shop proposed to be located at 19358 NW U.S. Highway 441 (previously Alice’s Parkside Restaurant). Attorney Walker cautioned everyone that their decisions should be evidence-based and based only on the testimony presented.

Stathatos discussed the eight conditions required for a conditional use permit. 

Stathatos said the business owners are planning to add plants to provide a screen or buffer to be in accord with standard #5 and added that standards #1 and #8 (quality of life and health/safety) are highly subjective and open to interpretation, and therefore they shouldn’t be the only basis for a denial.  

Stathatos explained, “The issue… for you to consider is its location across from the park. That’s the only thing that makes this case unique.” She added that the Plan Board voted against approving the conditional use permit by a 3-1 vote, citing that it was not consistent with the area.

Grunder said, “I’m not happy that it’s going to go in across from our park. I think that’s a bad look.” 

Ambrose responded, “I get what you say… There’s a divided highway and there’s a fence… It’s a building that’s becoming blighted… It’s an opportunity… This community used to be upset that we had alcohol on Sundays… Kids are exposed to a whole lot of things.”

Weitz said about vaping, “I and Commissioner Grunder have seen the increased use of these kinds of products with kids. My fifteen-year-old, at her high school, it’s everywhere… I believe (it’s a way to quit smoking cigarettes). But it’s still nicotine. And the flavoring is very, very popular with kids. And now it’s in middle schools.” 

A representative of the proposed vape shop spoke. He pointed out that most of the products from their store can be purchased at other nearby businesses, including Circle K and CVS.

Public comment

An unidentified member of the public spoke: “I was a twenty-five-year smoker of cigarettes, and they allowed me an avenue to break free of that. I’ve tried … patches, gum, things of that nature. I’ve gone to a point of using zero nicotine. I have children… and they have zero desire (to vape).”  

Also during public comment, David Lynch asked the commissioners to follow Grunder’s lead because the vape shop wouldn’t be a good influence on the community and the children. Jennifer Lee, a former teacher of fifteen years, said vaping was the biggest issue in high schools – not cigarette smoking. She said, “I’ve had three students… who have permanent lung damage… Two almost died from vaping alone. The one did it for less than three years, and he has permanent, horrible lung damage.” She added that studies show crime goes up when the number of vape stores increases.

Other audience members spoke about the benefits for those trying to quit smoking cigarettes. Zachary Walter cautioned the commission to follow the Comprehensive Plan and City zoning ordinances and leave personal responsibility up to the citizens. 

Natalia, a former tree company employee, pointed out that it would take years for trees to grow and provide a visual buffer to increase curb appeal. She added, “I just think that our town, it wouldn’t benefit from that. Not only because we already have (places) for people to get those things here, but the fact that is so close to a park is not going to be helping (our) image.” 

Bobbi Nelson said, “Vaping is a major health risk and causes irreparable damage. There’s no going back from the scar tissue that it causes. They call it ‘popcorn lung.’ I got this off the American Lung Association website.”  

Ambrose: “It’s a high bar… to say no”

Ambrose said, “If a business is a legal operation… it’s a high bar… to say no.” He made a motion to approve the permit without window signs and billboard advertising for the first 24 months, but there was no second.

Weitz added, “This is becoming a huge epidemic for young people… I’m really concerned about the attractiveness it has to the young folks.” 

Attorney Walker interjected, “There should be a motion to continue… to approve… or to deny… If you’re going to deny it, you should… state the basis for the denial.”

Weitz made a motion to deny, citing reasons #1, #2 (the proximity to the park), and #8. Grunder seconded the motion.

The motion to deny passed 4-1, with Ambrose in dissent.