July 11 Alachua County Commission Regular Meeting
Press release from Alachua County
ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – The Alachua County Commission will conduct its Regular Meeting on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, in the Jack Durrance Auditorium on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville). The daytime portion of the meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. The evening portion of the meeting begins at 5 p.m.
The public may view the meeting on Cox Channel 12 and the County’s Video on Demand website. Residents can also watch the meeting on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV devices by downloading the Alachua County Channel.
During the Regular Meeting, the public can make comments at the meeting in person or call in during the 12 p.m. (noon) comment period. Callers will have three minutes to comment on anything not on the agenda and three minutes to discuss anything on the agenda. Callers can choose either or both. Those commenting on items on the agenda will not be allowed to comment again on agenda items if attending the meeting in person later in the day. The call-in number is 1-929-205-6099. When prompted, enter meeting ID 873 5974 1977. Callers can hear the meeting while on hold and can use the system to listen. If you wish to comment, Raise Your Hand by dialing *9 (star nine). Once you are called on by the last four digits of your phone number, unmute your phone by dialing *6 (star six).
Daytime items of interest:
- 2023 Quarterly 2 April-June Length of Service presentation
- Approval of a Proclamation declaring July 2023 as Parks and Open Space Month in Alachua County, Florida
- Approval of a Proclamation declaring July 2023 as Disability Awareness Month in Alachua County, Florida
- Alachua County Citizens Disability Advisory Committee Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Annual Report
- Request to rename Santa Fe Lake Park in honor of Jill McGuire
- Construction and demolition debris management in Alachua County
- Mill Creek – Rembert Tract Option Contract to purchase conservation easement
- City of Gainesville Cornerstone Eastside Development – Avoidance, Minimization, and Mitigation Plan
- Scope of Work for Meat Processing Facility Request for Proposals
- American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Special Projects update
Evening items of interest:
- FY24 Budget Development – Public Hearing to set proposed Millage Rates for General County and Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) – Law Enforcement
- FY24 Stormwater Non-Ad-Valorem Assessment: Initial Assessment Resolution and Authorization to Advertise Public Hearing
- FY24 Solid Waste Non-Ad Valorem Assessment: Initial Assessment Resolution and Authorization to Advertise a Public Hearing
- FY24 Fire Assessment: Initial Assessment Resolution and Authorization to Advertise a Public Hearing
- FY24 Sugarfoot Oaks/Cedar Ridge Special Assessment District: Initial Assessment Resolution and authorization to Advertise a Public Hearing
- Z22-000006: A Request to amend Alachua County Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Element Policy 2.2.3
On the July 11 2023 BOCC consent agenda is $250,000 of Covid Funds being diverted to “Working Food, Inc.” There are so many problems with this item.
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There is no such Florida corporation named “Working Food, Inc.” The county manager and legal staff should be fired for putting a non-existent corporation on the county agenda. The corporation’s name is Forage, Inc. (Why they don’t just change their corporate name is a mystery.)
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The ethics implications of this item are numerous.
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2/12/2012 Anna Prizzia as President incorporates N12000001616 Forage Inc. with the Florida Department of State for the purpose of a Public Charity. Prizzia is President from 2012 to 2020.
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2012-Present Forage Inc. Operates under the name Working Food. Working Food | A non-profit organization that works to cultivate and sustain a resilient local food community in North Central Florida through collaboration, economic opportunity, education, and seed stewardship.
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8/3/2020 BOCC starts spending $25.2 million CARES Act covid money. Asks for people who want money to apply.
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10/6/2020 BOCC gives $60,000 of CARES Act money to “Forage Inc. DBA Working Foods” for “purchase and delivery of food to low income residents’ justified as “County deemed necessary due to increased food costs.”
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11/3/2020 Prizzia elected to Alachua County Commission.
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11/?/2020 election results certified
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11/12/2020 Forage Inc. files an amended annual report with DOS. Prizzia is removed from all positions with the nonprofit.
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?2021 Working Foods puts out a report to BOCC Link does not work.)
Working Food. 2021. 2021 Working Food County Final Report. Gainesville: Working Food, 1-44. Accessed November 16, 2022. https://givegab.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/custom_documents/60519/1646778874_2021_W orking_Food_Final_Report_Alachua_County.pdf
(The report says that for $60,000 Working Food gave a few packs of seeds to East Gainesville youth so they could plant a garden to solve the food desert of East Gainesville, gave a few cooking classes to some youth, and did some food bank work. Dismal return for the tax money spent IMO.)
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On Wed, Mar 15, 2023, 5:04 AM Anna Prizzia wrote on her BOCC government email
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“Rayvn-
How are you? I hope you are well! Can you please send the search committee a list of applicants thus far and an update on the next two Mondays with any additional applicants? Also please send a reminder that we will not meet until the 2nd at 3pm at Working Food. Please remind folks that we need their scores for all candidates by the 30th so we can compile them and be prepared for the conversation on the 2nd. Please include the link to the survey they need to use.
With thanks!
Anna”
This looks like the email a current high level officer of Working Food would send, not someone who claims to have resigned as President in 2020. Prizzia is micromanaging the daily operations of Working Food, while claiming to have resigned. Ethics problem?
The BOCC is set to give $250,000 to Prizzia’s corporation. The ethics stink worse than the Newberry meat plant compost pile will stink. This item needs to be pulled from the consent agenda and voted on separately. At the minimum Prizzia needs to recuse herself from the vote on this item and file a Form 8B. It is not proper for Commissioners to give money to themselves. Big ethics problem.
We need your input and truth saying, there is so much miinformation and lack of information and integrity from the County Commissioners.
Very well documented. Lets hope something happens.
Another meeting of the minds (mindless?) and political grifters.