TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
The Lake Butler City Commission met on December 17, 2024, for its monthly meeting, approving a project architect agreement with MLD Architects for the grant-funded Townsend Building restoration project.
The funding is provided by the state, with the total project budgeted at $64,500. The project will be expedited to meet grant requirements, and the expected completion date will be on or before June 30, 2025.
The project will proceed in three phases. The first phase is the much-needed replacement of the building’s roof. The new roof will, as closely as possible, duplicate the appearance of the building’s original roof but will use modern materials to do so. Phase one will be completed first, before any other items, due to the critical nature of the roof, and to ensure that there will be sufficient grant funds. More problems may be discovered when the old roofing material is removed, which might increase the project’s budget.
Phase two will proceed as soon as the roof work is finished. In this phase, 12 windows will be replaced with new windows matching the historic appearance of the original building. Once again, this phase will be completed before the third and final phase is begun in case of cost-over-budget issues.
Phase three, remaining funds allowing, will remove the current flooring material and replace it with woodgrain ceramic tile to appear historically authentic on the second floor only (where the Union County Historical Museum is located).
When all of the work is completed, the building will resemble the original appearance of the structure when it was first constructed.
Good news and bad news
Later in the meeting, City Manager Kimberly Hayes gave her monthly report to the board, which included some good and bad news for the city.
The FRDAP grant, which was requested for work on Lakeside Park and Splash Park was denied because of the misplacement of a map in the application. Hayes was informed by grant administrators that there was so much competition for grants in this cycle that small mistakes were not overlooked and used as a criterion for denying applications.
Hayes also reported that the city’s application for a $250,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund grant had also been denied. The money was earmarked for a new water tank for the soon-to-be-built new water treatment plant. Lake Butler Mayor Melissa Hendricks commented to fellow commissioners that the denial meant that the city would either have to find other grant funding for the tank or make some cuts in the budget to find the money.
Hayes had good news, however, concerning the FDOT SCOP grant funds to pay for the paving/repaving of SW 8th Pl, SW 1st Dr, SE 7th St and SE 3rd St. The applications were made using an old plot of the city streets and both 3rd and 7th. At the time the roads were originally constructed there were no homes located on them, and now, with the homes in place, the road has unofficially moved away from these houses. The grant has been approved and all that will be required is a vote by the board to declare the current road locations as the official ones.
Hayes discussed two other items with the board, both pertaining to historical signage removed from two city buildings during the previous city administration. The first building discussed was the dedication signage on the community center at Lakeside Park. The building was originally dedicated as the Hal Y. Maines Community Center, with bronze plaques inside and out and also on the side stating the correct name. After the fire at the center a few years ago the letters on the side were removed and not replaced during the repairs. A request had been made that the side name be restored, with a higher quality of letters. This would be an expense to the city and the board decided not to fulfill the request at this time. The second issue concerned the name of the historic Townsend building, which, according to city documents dating back to the donation of the building to the city, is supposed to be named the Townsend Green Building after the donor. Since the donation agreement expressly stipulated the name, the board voted unanimously to replace it with the correct wording.
