BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Starke was successful in its renewed attempt to obtain grant funds for the renovation of the RJE gymnasium.
City Clerk Jimmy Crosby announced the city was awarded a $700,000 Community Development Block Grant for the project.
Combined with the $500,000 in federal ARPA funds donated by Bradford County, Concerned Citizens of Bradford County will have access to $1.2 million to preserve the historic building.
Part of the RJE Highschool that served the Black community prior to desegregation, organization members including President Alica McMillian have said the gymnasium is a landmark worth preserving, both for what it has and what it will do for the community as a center for learning, recreation fellowship and celebration.
Architect Paul Stressing agreed the building could be saved, and workers are already busy reroofing the gym to stop any further weather infiltration.
Crosby said the city was excited to help the project achieve full funding.
City Manager Drew Mullins was previously given credit for writing a persuasive appeal for the grant application to be reconsidered. The effort literally paid off.
Bradford Commissioner Carolyn Spooner thanked everyone who has supported the project and said she was elated by the news.
SPD considering parking enforcement
Police Chief Jeff Johnson has once again approached the city commission about parking enforcement on public streets and property, saying the city has been kicking the ball down the road for a long time.
An ordinance passed in 2014 that allows for citations and impoundment of vehicles left on public property for longer than the prescribed times is not enforced.
Other than designating hours during which the rules would be effective (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), the city has not established parking times or fines. (Prior rules refer to time limits imposed by approved signage, and there are limits of 48 and 72 hours to leave a vehicle parked on-street or off-street.) Johnson asked for a new ordinance that clarifies procedures and penalties, such as whether the car would be towed for being parked longer than two hours.
Johnson said they would use decals to mark vehicles and then return later to see if the vehicles have been moved. There are no parking meters.
Clerk Crosby said this conversation was prompted by a car without a license plate parked on the side of the road. The police department was not able to enforce the existing codes, according to Johnson.
The current codes will be reviewed for adequacy. Attorney Clay Martin said they also need to investigate whether a citation can be served by placing it on a vehicle or if officers would have to track down the driver to issue the citation.
Martin believes enforcement authority exists in the current codes, but the city lacks a mechanism, such as a uniform citation, to notify owners of violations, fines and eventual impoundment of their vehicle.
In other business:
—The city approved a contract with All Terrain Tractor Service for upgrades and rehabilitation of the wastewater collection system. This includes lining pipes, rehabilitating manholes, open cut sewer repair, new force main installation and other related construction. The work is split into two phases, but only the first phase is currently funded. The city is once again looking to Florida DEP’s State Revolving Fund program for money to complete the project.
Phase 1’s cost is $4.09 million. Phase 2’s cost is $1.73 million.
—The commission approved contract negotiations with Powell and Jones from Lake City, the only company to respond to the city’s advertisement for auditing services.
—The city is also negotiating with Veolia, the highest-ranking company to respond to the city’s request for water treatment plant tank maintenance.
—A 180-day moratorium was placed on requests for cellular towers and antennas. The city’s code contains no land use regulations, and this is something the city attorney and regional planning council are looking into.
