BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Telegraph Staff Writer
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— The city council gave the founder of Twisted Oaks Rescue a key to the city during the council’s Jan. 9 meeting.
Mayor Karen Lake said that even though Jessie Shekels is a relatively new Lake Region resident, she has made an outsized impact on the community in her short time in the area.
Lake said Shekels founded what would become Twisted Oaks Rescue in 2018. In 2020 the nonprofit launched Loki’s Lunchbox, which now supplements the food needs of around 1,000 pets a month.
“These donations of food tally over 45 tons of food to date,” Lake said. “Twisted Oaks Rescue arranges spaying and neutering for many pets at reduced rates (helping) control the animal population in our community.”
Lake said Shekels’s organization has participated in more than 1,500 spay and neuter operations for dogs and cats.
In other news from the Jan. 9 Keystone Heights City Council meeting:
Update from Lake Region Development Corporation
Acting Executive Director Vivian Katz James told the council that the corporation’s mission is to promote and facilitate communication, cooperation, and collaboration among stakeholders from the public and business sectors to enhance the quality of life in the Lake Region through proactive, well-reasoned, and strategic policies, programs and practices.
“I want to say that ‘facilitate’ is the operative word,” James said. “As an example, we are the sponsors of the Lake region Prosperity Partners. They meet once a month. This brings businesses together, promotes a cohesive business community, and provides an opportunity to interact and hopefully promote each other’s businesses.”
James said the corporation is also working on the Geneva Project, which she described as a potential joint venture between the St. Johns River Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, Clay County Government and the City of Keystone Heights.
“Basically, the objective of the project is to clear out Lake Geneva of the standing trees and vegetation,” she said. “We must do that within the next two to three years before water starts flowing into Geneva. So, we’re actively working on that.”
100th anniversary of Community Church
Linda Jones of Community Church told the council that 2023 marks the 100th year of the congregation’s existence in Keystone Heights.
She added that the church will celebrate its century mark on Sept. 10 with services focusing on the congregation’s rich history and service to the Lake Region.
Jones said that before the establishment of Lake Area Ministries, the congregation operated its own food bank, and since the incorporation of LAM, the church has supported the community-wide food ministry for 45 years.
Jones added that Community Church also provided a safe alternative to Halloween for 25 years and operated a Christian School in Keystone Heights for 20 years.
“Since 2010, (Community Church) has been doing back-to-school backpacks and support,” she said. “This event provides clothes, shoes, coats, school supplies, and other needs to local children. And this event serves anywhere from 200 to 300 of our local children annually.”
Jones also discussed the church’s rummage sales, which she said provide affordable shopping solutions for hundreds of locals who may not otherwise be able to afford clothes, shoes or household items such as appliances.
“All these items are at an affordable cost for everyone,” she said. “We started the rummage sales in 1980.”
Jones said over 55% of the church’s budget goes to missions and ministries.
Smoke shops and cannabis store regulations
The council approved the second reading to regulate cannabis stores and smoke shops in the city’s industrial zone.
MotoSurf games scheduled
The council approved reserving Keystone Beach Park for the second annual MotoSurf races at the facility. The beach and parking lot will be reserved for the event from April 19 through 24. Southeast Lakeview Drive between South Lawrence Boulevard and Southeast Palmetto Avenue will also be closed for the event.
Airport Board appointments
The council appointed Charlie Van Zant, Rex Siemer and David Dagenais to the airport board.
Siemer addressed the council before his appointment. He told council members that he has served as a firefighter-paramedic for the cities of Starke, Orange Park and Jacksonville, as well as achieving the rank of captain in the Florida National Guard as an ordinance officer.
Golf cart regulations
Council members reviewed a proposed ordinance regulating golf carts within the city, including definitions, age restrictions and speed limits.
Council members tossed around several proposed speed limits for the low-speed vehicles and reached a consensus of 25 miles per hour. The council sent the proposed ordinance back to staff for further development and will take up the measure again at a future session.
Solicitation regulations
City Manager Lynn Rutkowski said several residents and businesses complained after people solicited donations at the corner of Lawrence Boulevard and Walker Drive last week.
“I did have conversations with our sheriff’s office, who did send a deputy down to make sure that they were abiding by all the laws and regulations that they can address,” Rutkowski said, “but I wanted to brief the council and let you know that our ordinances right now do not stand as far as requiring identification showing where they’re from and making sure that (the solicitors represent) a 501 (c) (3) organization.”
The city manager added that she is working with Clay County Government and state lawmakers to draft an ordinance regulating solicitations within the city.
Ecotourism grant
Rutkowski said that although the state has not finalized its $42,000 ecotourism grant to the city, she has already toured the city’s parks with an engineer and anticipates holding two community-wide workshops about developing ecotourism within Keystone Heights.
“Just to get community input of what it is that we have now that they are in favor of, what amenities such as a pickleball court or a splash park (we could develop, and) …what our businesses feel are going to be able to attract the most to help with the ecotourism side and bring in visitors,” she said of the workshops.
Community service for vandalism
Rutkowski said she is working with the sheriff’s office and state attorney to develop work details for young people convicted of vandalism of city property.
She said the parents of repeat offenders have reimbursed the city for damages, but some damages, such as graffiti, do not cause significant monetary loss.
The city manager added that she is working with law enforcement to ensure that youths accused of vandalism receive due process and, if convicted, may be sentenced to community service at city parks or the airport.
“Maybe a little bit of labor will deter them,” she said.
Council members endorsed Rutkowski’s efforts and instructed her to continue working with law enforcement agencies on the matter.
Airport anniversary a success
Airport board chair David Kirkland reported that the facility’s 80th Anniversary celebration was a success.
“Probably one of the best events we’ve had in years,” Kirkland said. “It’s estimated that over 2,000 people attended. We had them drive in and fly in from Georgia, South Florida, just all over.”
Kirkland added that MHD Rockland’s tour of its P-3 aircraft was so popular that the company brought in a second Lockheed for attendees to tour.
He also said that over 60 young people took free flights offered by the Live Oak Experimental Aircraft chapter.
Kirkland updated the council on several upcoming projects at the facility. He said a $1 million taxiway rehabilitation and a $300,000 runway lighting upgrade will occur later in the year.
He also said a draft of an environmental assessment for airport infrastructure improvements is available for public inspection at the airport and at the Bradford County Library in Starke.
Popeyes Chicken continues progress
Rutkowski told council members that developers of a proposed Popeyes Chicken outlet have gained city approval for the restaurant and are now going through county permitting.
The development site is on Green Way between Walgreens and Dollar General.
