One reason for the dispute is that the proposed title, “County Charter Amendment Establishing a County Growth Management Area” sounds innocuous to voters, but if approved, the amendment would limit each city’s ability to determine zoning and land use in their own community – effectively challenging a municipality’s right to Home Rule. Name * First Name Last Name . Marlowe had said Newberry and other cities would drop their litigation and opposition if the recount found the amendment didn’t pass. All rights reserved. “The City contends that the ballot title and the ballot summary for the proposed Charter Amendment are misleading, contain improper political rhetoric, and fail to adequately inform the voters of the chief purposes and material components of the proposed Charter Amendment. The amendment was designed to prevent the county from overdevelopment, to protect the wetlands, forests and wildlife corridors, said Mark Sexton, a county spokesperson. At 8 a.m., a county elections official emailed the unofficial results to local media: 64,000 (50.11 percent) in favor and 63,707 (49.89) opposed. Update or Upgrade Your Sustaining Gift Today! County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area Relationship Between County and Municipal Ordinances for Protection of Certain Natural Resources Identification and Elimination of Racial and Gender Bias in Alachua County Policies County Charter Amendment Establishing Alachua County Affordable Housing Trust Fund “We have a lot of conservation lands that we’re looking at in that green area that we hope to acquire in the future for permanent protection.”. The hotly contested Alachua County Charter Amendment regarding the County taking control of the Growth Management Area was close and may require a recount. After shifts, each scanner’s memory card was replaced to ensure every response was accounted for properly. Those opposing the amendment point to its narrow margin to validate their contention. According to the press release, Newberry is challenging the county’s proposed Charter Amendment which state it would establish a County Growth Management Area. Public Hearing – Question #A – County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area 5. It was updated just after 3 p.m. to clarify that a second recount will be needed. The City of Alachua’s main complaint with the amendment was due to the ballot language, claiming that the amendment makes it seem like the purpose is creating a growth management area while actually having the effect of stopping municipalities from exercising their own land use rules. Alachua County shall be a home rule charter county, and, except as may be limited by this home rule charter, shall have all county and municipal powers of self-government granted now or in the future by … Strengthen growth management and environmental … This is a paid position. Date of Birth * - - Date . ALACHUA COUNTY CHARTER . Correction appended: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that the machine recount signified an official outcome. Any ballot with an overvote, meaning the voter filled both options for the amendment, or an undervote, meaning there was no response, were not included in the recount. Local amendments on the ballot propose changes that could affect policy at the local level. Results were not finalized as of Monday morning at 8 a.m.(Christian Ortega/WUFT News). Alachua County aims to continually improve the accessibility and usability of its website. Penny Wheat, chair of the Alachua County Charter Review Commission, which worked over several months to propose a series of amendments, said those figures were calculated to represent how many people can fit in each municipality within their current boundaries. On the other hand, attorneys for Alachua County argued in a court filing that the insertion of the word ‘county’ in the amendment title “ [makes] quite clear to the voter that the charter amendment establishes a county growth management area” as opposed to a municipality’s growth management area. Eighty-six provisional ballots were included in the recount. CREATION, POWERS AND ORDINANCES OF HOME RULE CHARTER AND GOVERNMENT . Ballot scanners dinged and hummed from the early afternoon through the night, as a total of 143,614 ballots were recounted. That is not true. The … the growth management area amendment was narrowly approved by 64,327 voters, The Point, Dec. 23, 2020: Coronavirus And Beyond: These Were 25 Of The Top Stories Of 2020, ‘We Aren’t Getting Enough’: Florida Counties In 2020 Again Turned To Voters For Essential Funding, Second Recount Finds Alachua County Growth Management Area Amendment Passes, Behind Bars, Florida’s Prisoners Cheer Biden’s Election Victory. If approved by voters in November, the proposal would create a county growth management area that would forever govern land development, even after part of the area is annexed into a city. That 175-margin led to a recount at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections office on Sunday in Gainesville. If the hand recount holds, a court will likely have to decide its fate. If ordered by the Alachua County Canvassing Board, the recount in Alachua County will begin with a public logic and accuracy test at 11 a.m. Sunday, November 8, with the recount process beginning immediately thereafter. Chair Robert Hutchinson, Alachua County Commission Adoption of the Agenda Items For Discussion 1. County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area. Cities could still expand and develop nearby unincorporated lands not protected by the growth management zone, and each municipality would still have enough room to grow before annexing available unincorporated land, he said. A 293-vote margin means Alachua County will have to manually recount ballots to decide the fate of a charter amendment that would give the county greater control over area growth and development, elections officials declared Monday. A 293-vote margin means Alachua County will have to manually recount ballots to decide the fate of a charter amendment that would give the county greater control over area growth and … Registration Affiliation (Republican Party of Florida, Florida Democratic Party, No Party Affiliation, etc.) “We don’t want a potential developer to try to get around protecting these important places by just annexing into a city,” Sexton said. Summary: This amendment would allow the County to establish a “Growth Management Area” in which the County would permanently govern land use, regardless of whether the land is inside or outside of municipal boundaries. 1.1. The city is requesting the court to state the proposal violates state law and for the court to grant an injunction, striking it from the General Election ballot. Strengthen protections for citizen-initiated ordinances 2. The City of Alachua filed a lawsuit in September, contending that the ballot title and summary were misleading, contained improper political rhetoric, and failed to adequately inform voters of its chief purposes. Shall the Alachua County Charter be amended, effective countywide, to establish a County Growth Management Area (“Area”), provide that the County’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations will exclusively govern land development in the Area, whether inside or outside municipal boundaries, authorize implementing ordinances, provide for removal of lands from the Area, and … Growth Management Area Amendment Heads To Manual Recount, WUFT 89.1 / 90.1 Featured Thank you Gifts. Copyright 2020 WCJB. COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT ESTABLISHING COUNTY GROWTH MANAGEMENT AREA . Presentation Outline 1. Alachua County voters can create a buffer against unwise sprawl and segregated suburbs, which are costly to the working people and the environment of … COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT ESTABLISHING ALACHUA COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND. Establish a Growth Management Zone. Newberry challenging Alachua County’s proposed Charter Amendment, University of Florida takes out full-page ad thanking FSU, others that aided Keyontae Johnson, Suspected crime ring busted for possibly stealing millions of dollars in Walmart merchandise, Young artist sells paintings to help hospitalized children, FAMU students grant Christmas wishes to students in East Gainesville. At the Aug. 24 City Commission meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to approve Resolution No. Public Hearing – Question #B – County Charter Amendment to Identify and Eliminate Racial, Economic, and Gender Bias in County Policies 7. Archer, High Springs and Newberry soon signaled their agreement with the lawsuit, which was filed in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in Gainesville. Twenty-eight volunteers began their counting at 1 p.m., with a second shift of the same number taking over at 10 p.m., officials said. “We don’t need the board telling us how to annex our land,” Jones said. Alexander Clayton, 45, and other inmates across the state said in interviews that they have followed the general election closely from behind bars. County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area Our environment is sacred, but with increasing population there is more and more pressure to develop outside of our cities and into sensitive environmental land. The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office is preparing for a likely recount of the County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area referenda.If ordered by the Alachua County Canvassing Board, the recount in Alachua County will begin with a public logic and accuracy test at 11 a.m. Sunday, November 8, with the recount process beginning immediately Shall the Alachua County Charter be amended to establish an Alachua County Affordable Housing Trust Fund used to create and sustain affordable … Should you have any questions, please call us at 352-374-5243 for building department and 352-374-5249 for all other divisions for assistance. Six proposed amendments are to the Alachua County charter, and four amendments for the City of Gainesville charter. High Springs City Commissioner Linda Jones said another concern is that the growth management area could divert businesses and homeowners elsewhere because of having to comply with both the city’s and county’s regulations. “I don’t argue the county’s right to be in charge of county territory,” Marlowe said. Process for Charter Amendment Proposals by Board of County Commissioners 2. Call to Order and Roll Call 2. A manual recount must still be performed, and the final tally could change. County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area. NEWBERRY, Fla. (WCJB) -The City of Newberry is planning to file a lawsuit against Alachua County. "The amendment adversely affects the ability of the City to determine the appropriate land use within its jurisdiction and is adverse to the fundamentals of home rule. 20-0849 Ballot Items Fiscal Consideration: N/A Recommended Action: Review and Discuss the 2020 Ballot Items. If approved by voters, the proposal would create a county growth management area that would forever govern land development, even after part of the area is annexed into a city. This is Growth Management website. The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office is preparing for a likely recount of the County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area referenda. An issue with growth has been when large property owners annex themselves into rural municipalities in order to get more favorable zoning changes and lax environmental standards. More than 20 volunteers, split into two shifts, manually scanned 143,614 ballots to recount the Growth Management Area charter amendment results. GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - The city of Alachua is taking legal action to stop one of Alachua County’s Charter Amendment proposals on the November ballot. 1. Shall the Alachua County Charter be amended, effective countywide, to establish a County Growth Management Area (“Area”), provide that the County’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations will exclusively govern land development in the Area, whether inside or outside municipal boundaries, authorize implementing ordinances, provide for removal of lands from the Area, and … The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office is preparing for a likely recount of the County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area referenda. Each volunteer received their set of ballots in a sealed bag and fed them through scanners one-by-one. The inability to control their destinies and develop as their needs see fit is why the amendment met criticism by those outside of Gainesville, Newberry Mayor Jordan Marlowe said. Public Hearing – Question #B – County Charter Amendment to Identify and Eliminate Racial, Economic, and Gender Bias in County Policies 6. On land within the Area, the County’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations would exclusively govern land development, even if a parcel of land is … County Growth Management Area – This amendment would establish a “County Growth Management Area”. On Friday morning, poll workers and volunteers looked at about 16,000 ballots by hand to find out the results to the county charter amendment establishing a county growth management area. ARTICLE I. Adoption of Minutes 4. HIGH SPRINGS ‒ The City of High Springs is poised to formally join the cities of Alachua, Archer and Newberry to approve an ordinance on second and final reading to litigate against one of Alachua County’s proposed Charter Amendments. After Tuesday, the growth management area amendment was narrowly approved by 64,327 voters, accounting for 50.07% of the total 128,692 cast in the general election. Alachua County Charter Discussion of Potential County Commission-Initiated Amendments Board of County Commissioners Meeting August 6, 2019. Specific Issues Raised by Board: 1. 2. Christian is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org. To reach Gainesville’s population density of 1 person per 0.31 acres, it would take a surge of 122,283 residents in Newberry, 44,842 for High Springs and 75,107 for Alachua City. The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office is preparing for a likely recount of the County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area referenda. HIGH SPRINGS ‒ On Sept. 10, High Springs became one in a string of Alachua County municipalities to unanimously approve a resolution opposing Alachua County’s proposed “County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area.”. We provide information about building department, planning, zoning and development review, trasportation division and Code Enforcement division. Sec. On September 21, the City of Alachua filed a lawsuit challenging Alachua County’s proposed Charter Amendment which states that it would establish a County Growth Management Area. NEWBERRY, Fla. (WCJB) -The City of Newberry is planning to file a lawsuit against Alachua County. Our environment is sacred, but with increasing population there is more and more pressure to develop outside of our cities and into sensitive environmental land. The Alachua County charter amendment that would create a county growth management area has caused quite a bit of controversy and even led to a lawsuit against the county. As a result, voters will not be able to make an informed decision in casting their vote on this Charter Amendment.”. The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office is preparing for a likely recount of the County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area referenda. With a .22% difference, the ballots will be manually recounted Thursday, as the margin landed within a quarter of 1%. Shall the Alachua County Charter be amended, effective countywide, to establish a County Growth Management Area (“Area”), provide that the County’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations will exclusively govern land development in the Area, whether inside or outside municipal boundaries, … Adoption of Agenda 3. The City believes that locally elected officials make the best decisions about their own community. Affordable Housing … Adoption of CRC Resolution 2020-02 8. View County Growth Management Area (CRC Resolution 2020-01) View County Growth Management Area Map - June 12, 2020. Initial results indicate that 128,479 votes were cast for this issue with 64,327 (50.07 percent) voting Yes and 64,152 voters (49.93 percent) voting No. ALACHUA COUNTY CHARTER PROVISIONS ON GROWTH MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND SAMPLE OF ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES FROM OTHER FLORIDA CHARTER COUNTIES INTRODUCTION In the oard of ounty ommissioners’ previous discussions about the upcoming Charter Review process, the oard indicated a desire to “carve out as much space as legally possible [in the County Charter] for the County … Creation and general powers of home rule charter government. TDD users, please call 711 Florida Relay Service. “It’s only the areas in the county’s growth management area where the county will maintain its growth management plan and land development regulations, so that we will forever have farms and forests and open spaces in Alachua County, unlike many areas in South Florida,” Wheat said. Ballots were sorted for the recount based on if they were early votes, absentee or from the day of the election. “The amendment, if implemented, eliminates the ability of municipalities to determine land uses that allow them to chart their unique course of development and differentiate themselves from other communities,” said the city in a press release. “If it is passed, we would then have someone looking over our shoulder the whole time.”. Adoption of CRC Resolution 2020-01 - 6. “I wish they would stop arguing their rights to assert their authority inside the municipality.”. CRC Resolution 2020-01 - County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area - rev adding hi-res map - Signed (1).pdf County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area. This story was updated at 8:30 a.m. on Monday to reflect the results of the first recount. NEWBERRY – The Newberry City Commission has drawn a line in the sand with respect to Alachua County’s proposed Charter Amendment. This is a major charter amendment that will help us preserve wild spaces and encourage infill growth. The amendment also allows the County Commission, by a supermajority vote, to remove property from the County Growth Management Area. Three high-speed scanners were set aside to prioritize mail-in votes, while 28 were used to count all other ballots. According to the press release, Newberry is challenging the county’s proposed Charter Amendment which state it would establish a County Growth Management Area. Public Hearing – Question #A1 – County Charter Amendment Establishing County Growth Management Area 5. The first group of volunteers began working at 1 p.m. Sunday, with the second picking up at 10 p.m. : a previous version of this story was updated just after 3 p.m. to clarify that a second recount be... 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