High Springs City Commission selects 5 City Manager finalists, addresses future of Farmers Market, approves Bridlewood neighborhood plat

Updated at 5:30 p.m. on January 30 with corrections to names of some speakers

BY DAVID LIGHTMAN

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – At their January 25 Regular Meeting, the High Springs City Commission discussed the future of the City-managed Farmers Market, selected five finalists for the open City Manager position, and approved a 106-home plat within the Bridlewood subdivision. They also set a Special Election date of March 26 to fill the vacant City Commission seat.

Farmers Market

High Springs City Commissioners also act as the CRA Board, which governs the Community Redevelopment District, an area of approximately 123 acres in the heart of High Springs. During the CRA Board portion at the beginning of their meeting, Commissioners heard an item to “discuss, consider, and act on the Farmers Market.” 

Sharon Yeago, a longtime participant in the local farmers market scene, was hired by the City of High Springs in May 2023 to help shape the future of the High Springs Farmers Market. CRA Manager Amy Bohannon presented the results of a survey sent to every High Springs solid waste customer account. She said 416 surveys were returned, approximately 260 on paper and 160 online. 

Most of the respondents (52%) said they had heard about the Farmers Market through word of mouth. 17% said the Farmers Market is their primary source for groceries, 9% shop at other farmers markets, and 69% said they primarily shop at grocery stores. 

When asked what they like about the Market, the most popular answers were “Close to home” (36%), “Quality of the produce” (16%), and the “Variety of products” (15%). Popular answers for what they like least were “Lack of variety” (38%), “Hours of operation” (24%), “Prices” (13%), and “Quality of the produce” (11%). 

The most popular items purchased are Vegetables (24%), Fruits (18%), Plants (12%), Breads/Baked Goods (10%), Hand-crafted goods (10%), and Eggs (9%).

Survey respondents are most interested in seeing Gardening demonstrations (29%) and Cooking demonstrations (22%). 38% said they would be willing to pay $5 to $10 for an educational activity at the Farmers Market, and 34% said they would participate only if it is free. 17% have no interest in activities.

18% said they shop at the Market weekly, 20% shop 1-2 times per month, 12% shop once every other month, and 29% shop 1-3 times per year. 21% never go to the Farmers Market.

Bohannon said, “I guess the next steps are for you to let us know what you would like us to do. We can go in any direction that you’d like. I just thought it was a good place to start… It’s something telling that we’ve had a market for (over) 20 years that’s still thriving and still alive, because a lot aren’t. When you start doing the research, they’re dying around us. So we have some options that we can pursue. We can keep it the same. We can energize it and update it with signage and different options based on the survey results… It’s kind of up to you as the next direction that you’d like me to take.”

City Commissioner Andrew Miller asked, “What is your recommendation for what the Market should do?”

Bohannon responded, “I think we should energize it. I think we need new signage. Maybe have some fun events, get some music. It seems like the day (Friday) might be working. I know that at one point that was maybe a thing we might need to change, but the numbers are coming in for this year and… actually we (are) making money off of it so far… As long as we’re able to sustain it, that would be my recommendation, is to boost it up.”

City Manager Ashley Stathatos interjected, “One of the decisions that we need answered is, we do have more than just fruits and vegetables and stuff. And so I think what came out is that they do want more kinds of produce and farm type of things. They want the olive oil, they want the specialty foods, the spices, the bread person. So if we focus on energizing it, I think we need to lean more that way, and I think we need direction on the other type of things that are at the market. Do you want them (vendors selling crafts and non-food/non-plant items) to remain? What do you want the mix to be? Do you want the City to continue managing it?”

Miller said, “It says on there that a lot of people are interested in gardening. We probably need to enhance on the plant side because that’s looking like what people want.” 

During citizen comment, Chris Qualmann of Gainesville said he first visited the Market to purchase only one item but ended up buying several items from different vendors, including shirts and rocks. Qualmann said, “I know there’s been some talk about maybe making it an ‘all growers’ farmers market. I urge that you don’t do that… I love your farmers market, and I come almost every week. It is not the biggest farmers market in the world, but to me it’s one of the coolest because of the diversity… It could be a great farmers market.”

Responding to a suggestion from Mayor Katherine Weitz to change the day of the sale from Friday to some other day, a market vendor said Friday afternoon is the best time because a lot of people end up staying all or part of the weekend in High Springs, and they spend money at local businesses. 

High Springs Farmers Market founder Sharon Yeago urged the Board to make the Market more business-friendly for farmers and not to listen to those wanting more crafts vendors.

Weitz and Commissioner Byran Williams said they needed more input from farmers and all types of vendors before acting. The Board voted 4-0 to table the item until the next CRA Board meeting.

Special election for vacant City Commission seat

Commissioners heard an item to set a Special Election to fill City Commission Seat 2, which has been vacant since Steve Tapanes resigned last month. The election date will be March 26, and both precincts will be open. The qualifying period for candidates will be February 5 through February 8.

No members of the public chose to speak. Commissioner Tristan Grunder made a motion to accept the date, including the qualifying dates. Miller seconded the motion. It passed 4-0.

City Manager finalists

The next item was to select the top five applicants for the City Manager position. 

The following candidates applied: Carl Brown, Brian Carney, Timothy Day, Amanda Rodriguez DeMaria, Carl Dixon, Anthony Kelley, Jeremy Marshall, David Paloff, Donald Paradez, Matthew Roane, Lacy Roberts, Shareiff Robinson, Jeff Shoobridge, Fred Ventresco, David Wisener, Michael Reddington, and Elmon Garner.

City Clerk Angela Stone announced that Elmon Garner had withdrawn his application after accepting a position elsewhere. Weitz said, “He was my number one pick.”

Each Commissioner announced their top five choices: 

Miller – Timothy Day, Jeremy Marshall, Amanda Rodriguez, Carl Brown, Carl Dixon
Williams – Fred Ventresco, Timothy Day, Jeff Shoobridge, Jeremy Marshall, Carl Brown
Grunder – David Wisener, Esposito [no first name was given], Lacy Roberts, Jeremy Marshall, Shareiff Robinson
Weitz – Fred Ventresco, Jeff Shoobridge, Timothy Day, Brian Carney, Shareiff Robinson

Weitz and Stone clarified that Esposito (Grunder’s second choice) had submitted his application after the deadline and was disqualified. Grunder decided not to change his choices.

Stone calculated the top five using a point system: Timothy Day, Fred Ventresco, Jeremy Marshall, Jeff Shoobridge, David Wisener.

After some discussion, Grunder made a motion for each Commissioner to individually question each of the five candidates using the same list of questions via Zoom and narrow down the list to two or three choices; those two or three candidates will be interviewed in person during a final round of questioning. Miller seconded the motion. It passed 4-0.

Bridlewood plat

The next item of business was approving a 106-home plat, the first area to be developed within the new Bridlewood community.

Staff advised Commissioners that it would be a violation of law to not approve the plat, as it meets all legal requirements. Several members of the public spoke and addressed concerns ranging from increased traffic to ecological harm.

Weitz raised concerns about gopher tortoises: “My concern is that construction activity had started before you had done the gopher tortoise survey. Dirt was being moved out there.”

A representative of the developer answered, “You can start construction on a piece of property as long as you’re away from the gopher tortoises.”

Weitz made a motion to require a two-week pause in construction to deal with the tortoises, but it failed for lack of a second.

Weitz asked the representative, “You’re saying that you’re not willing to wait a couple weeks to get the gopher tortoises relocated before you resume activity. I just want to make sure I understand.” 

He answered, “Yes, because we’re not impacting the gopher tortoises.”

Weitz continued, “You’re not willing to wait. That was my question… That just helps direct me.”

A roll call vote was taken, and the plat was approved 3-1, with Weitz in dissent.

City Attorney Scott Walker missed meeting due to conference

Acting City Attorney Clay Martin announced, “Mr. Walker sends his regards, but he is at a family law conference with some other attorneys in the firm.”