High Springs City Commission rejects $1.8 million grant for sewer upgrade, decides how to spend remaining ARPA funds

BY DAVID LIGHTMAN

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – At their December 12 Regular Meeting, the High Springs City Commission discussed changing regulations to allow for the expansion of A Kid’s Life Academy, passed an amended budget and a public camping ordinance on second readings, decided not to accept a $1.8 million wastewater grant that might have put undue burdens on some residents, voted to hear the Bridlewood CDD application in February, and agreed on how to spend their remaining $737,294 in ARPA funds.

A Kid’s Life Academy

During the special presentations portion of the agenda, Craig Brashier of CHW Professional Consultants gave a presentation about a request from A Kid’s Life Academy preschool to expand their facility by adding a 24’ x 36’ portable building on land that is within 300 feet of a City well that supplies municipal drinking water, which is against current regulations. Brashier said the existing building, which is also within 300 feet of the well, was constructed in 1990, and the business has been in operation since 2022. The 0.68-acre property is located across U.S. Hwy 441 from Veterans Memorial Park.

Brashier explained that the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code would need to be amended to allow for a special exception, and then the special exception could be granted by the Commission. He suggested some language for the text amendments that would “tailor” them to this specific application (such as requiring the property to be less than one acre in size). 

Brooke Gainey, one of the owners of A Kid’s Life Academy, said the existing building is at capacity with 35 students and the proposed expansion would increase capacity by 22 students. Gainey said, “High Springs is growing, whether we want it to or not.” 

City Manager Jeremy Marshall said it’s the distance to the well that is a problem, and as City Manager, he does not support allowing the portable building, but as a citizen and person he is not against it because the actual risk to the groundwater is probably very minimal.

Commissioner Katherine Weitz said, “This is a well that serves the entire population, and for me personally, I have a hard time making an exception for one person for something that… opens up a door to [more] people asking.”

Mayor Tristan Grunder said, “I don’t think this is going to impact that well at all. I think this becomes more of a benefit to the community instead of less of one.” He later said he received about 20 phone calls “telling me we need to go ahead and do this because people don’t want to take their kids somewhere else because of how well they’re treated.”

Commissioner Wayne Bloodsworth said he didn’t think it would make any difference since there is already an existing building. 

Grunder said that before moving forward, he would like to see more information about the existing septic tank, whether it will require expansion, and what the environmental impact of that expansion would be. Brashier said, “Thank you for the opportunity.”

Budget amendment and public camping ordinance

Commissioners unanimously approved the amended FY 2024 budget and adopted a State-required ordinance prohibiting public camping or sleeping on any public property, public building, or public right-of-way, both on second readings.

$1.8 million grant for sewer service expansion

City Manager Jeremy Marshall introduced an agenda item that would add sewer service to 22 existing homes near CR 236 by accepting a $1.8 million grant from FDEP. Marshall said the City was previously unable to accept a similar grant that would have required High Springs to match the grant dollar-for-dollar, but the State has since changed its mind and is now willing to fund 100% of the project. Impact fees of $2,100 each would be required for the homes to connect to the new sewer line, and their monthly utility bills would increase because they would start paying for monthly wastewater service, Marshall said.

Marshall explained that in the past, residents would have been allowed to continue using their septic tanks if they didn’t want to pay for sewer wastewater service, but current regulations require that any home within 200 feet of an available sewer line must be connected. He said the impact fee could be spread over three years at a cost of about $60/month.

Marshall said he favors the project because the wastewater should be captured and treated instead of going into septic tanks. He said, “We’re not going to get this kind of opportunity again. They’re waving the $415,000 match… As a City, it’s a good move.” He added that he hates “forcing it” because some people probably have new septic tanks or other reasons they don’t want to connect. Stressing the need to decide soon, Marshall said, “We need to make a decision on this or we’re going to lose the funding.”

During about 30 minutes of discussion, Marshall said the State will eventually stop allowing the use of septic tanks, but that probably won’t happen soon. Weitz said it’s not likely that the State would require abandoning septic tanks and not provide funding to do so. She said, “It’d be pretty hard for them to force us to do it without helping to pay for it.”

Motion to accept the grant dies for lack of a second

Grunder asked for a motion. Commissioner Chad Howell said, “I’ll make a motion to move forward with accepting the grant.” The motion died for lack of a second.

Bridlewood CDD application scheduled to be heard in February

Kristyn Adkins of the Planning Department said, “You guys saw the Bridlewood CDD [Community Development District application]. Previously you tabled it until we had a workshop. We’ve had the workshop now, so we want to kind of iron out the details on when it’s going to come back to you. The applicant has requested February.”

Howell made a motion to “move it to February.” Commissioner Andrew Miller seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

ARPA funds

City Manager Marshall introduced the next item: “We have the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, and we are required to obligate where these funds are going to go. So this isn’t just a placeholder. This is how do we intend to spend the rest of these funds, and we need to have this approved by the end of the month.”

Marshall said Finance Director Diane Wilson spoke with all of the department heads and determined their needs based on priority. Marshall showed a slide with all of the ARPA expenditures to date (see slide below).

As shown above, Marshall said the City has spent $1,956,980 of the original $3,094,274 that was awarded. He said $250,000 has been committed for mold remediation at the fire station and another $150,000 for the City Manager Contingency Fund, leaving $737,294 available to spend.

Marshall showed the following three slides showing the prioritized expenditures, including alternate projects with lower priorities. Of the alternate projects, Marshall said he supports the Excavator Vacuum Trailer the most. (See slides below.)

After about 30 minutes of discussion, Wilson spoke at the podium and listed the changes they agreed to make to the priority list:

• 11. Replacement vehicles for Parks & Recreation Director – changed from $30,000 to $20,000.
• 14. New chairs – changed from $5,000 to $4,000.
• 16. City parking study – changed from $47,294 to $10,000.
• Add the vacuum trailer from the Alternative Projects slide for $48,294, with the remaining balance coming from some other source.

Howell made a motion to accept the revised ARPA priority list as presented by Wilson, and Weitz seconded his motion. No audible vote could be heard, but the Commissioners all seemed to agree.

Grunder concluded the meeting by saying, “It’s nice to have people laughing again in here. And even though we don’t always agree, it doesn’t have to get nasty, and it just moves on, and that’s the way High Springs is. This is the High Springs I know. So thanks everybody for that, and Merry Christmas.”