[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6349014,"mediaKeyId","2239440-4c22a281f40711334e0b2629f0bea1ec","parentId",2239440,"title","Board votes at a glance: interlocal wastewater agreement, annexation condition, grants, internet service, and appointments","audioSeconds",307,"startMs",2140000,"endMs",2447000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239440-4c22a281f40711334e0b2629f0bea1ec&start=2140&end=2447","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239440-4c22a281f40711334e0b2629f0bea1ec/thumbnail_2140000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6349014/Columbia-County/Florida/Board-votes-at-a-glance-interlocal-wastewater-agreement-annexation-condition-grants-internet-service-and-appointments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349014-9cbc8b45402393fd3b57bc4472e43485/orig.mp4?Expires=1770796624&Signature=G-2Wcg1LVc~8NCLwo-DprLRT67m7KkPYM5HpYBHZ9lJ0B3SPFDok5f6co8TOvBzKa3dsT6aKPl2kWoofazt3UuehShwxu9TEYBCJsPgGtUCWWAlSrgdgbkF45ki~3o2Rv0YiIFgFlRN-6vzTa9cMXEhxc3QWzLmjBdSUv6t8hdKnB2Apwm2zciF5~cWjxW-gZI5RgtL13Wh0ptVOMdTsJjXDRW5JElBgpPBIHk8BAFiktBZoZZR-diPoTkN0cYWGWYIdCZGx2SH9kofOE-1N6L0RgsBUi0f8CMfvaa7jGXXtQ6MhiuKN5mgNqVm0cLPl0HzthPEA1ckIeAkMRzzBaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Columbia County, FL","date","2025-02-06T14:22:02Z","article","At its public meeting the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners approved a series of routine and substantive items. The following summarizes motions and formal actions recorded in the meeting minutes.

Interlocal wastewater agreement: The board approved an interlocal agreement with the city of Lake City for operation of the North Florida Mega Industrial Park wastewater treatment plant. Staff said the city will operate the plant, provide operators and cover operating costs while the county retains responsibility for the spray field. The agreement is two years; at the end of two years the board will consider future ownership or operation options.

Annexation condition: The board agreed to voluntary annexation of county-owned property contingent on installation of a master meter on U.S. 90. The motion specifically delayed voluntary annexation until the master meter on U.S. 90 is installed.

Budget appropriation — emergency home repair: The board accepted $200,000 from the City of Lake City for the city’s emergency home repair program and approved budget amendment 25-23 to cover the remaining eligible houses on the list.

Public Internet service: The board approved an agreement with AT&T for public internet service for county libraries; staff said the agreement had been reviewed by the I.T. department and the county attorney and would allow the county to pursue state E-rate discounts.

Cox site access and lease paperwork: The board approved a site-access agreement to allow Cox Communications to perform survey work on county property prior to execution of a lease for a fiber terminal hub.

Work-based learning memorandum: The board approved a memorandum of understanding with the school district for work-based learning (apprenticeships, internships, job shadowing). Staff highlighted one project, a drone-based “Fly Day Fridays” inspection program that could help with tower inspections after wind events.

Housing CDBG grant modification: The board approved modification number 2 to a Department of Commerce subgrant agreement (CDBG housing), extending the grant period through Jan. 30, 2026, so outstanding houses can be completed.

EDAB appointments: The board considered Economic Development Advisory Board appointments. An initial motion failed on a 2-3 vote; a subsequent motion appointed Angela Coppock and Jeff Simmons to open seats (vote recorded as 5-0 on the second motion).

Resolution rescinding states of emergency: The board adopted Resolution 2025R-06 rescinding three 2024 states of emergency for Hurricanes Debbie, Helene and Milton. County Attorney Joel read the resolution; the roll-call vote was recorded as yes from Commissioner Kevin Parnell, Commissioner Rocky Ford, Commissioner Robbie Hollingsworth, Commissioner Everett Phillips and Commissioner Tim Murphy.

Other consent items approved included: allowing the University of Florida to conduct anonymous surveys at Rum Island Park; elimination of a franchise-fee obligation tied to an interlocal termination (Fort White/WastePRO matter, $1,629.42 owed cited in staff remarks); and approval of a DOT contract amendment (see separate coverage).

Motions on these items were recorded as moved and seconded and approved by voice vote unless noted otherwise. Where the meeting record did not name a motion maker or seconder, the board approved by consensus or voice vote per the transcript. The text of each approved agreement, contract and resolution was included in the meeting packet.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2-6-2025 - Columbia County Board of County Commissioners - Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Columbia County commissioners on Feb. 2025 approved a slate of agreements, grant modifications and appointments, including a two‑year interlocal for operation of a wastewater treatment plant, an annexation conditioned on a master meter, and a $200,000 city appropriation for emergency home repairs.","taxTitle","Columbia County, Florida","taxId",27813,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6349019,"Columbia County reassigns emergency management to Fire & Rescue, schedules storm-response workshop and donates surplus supplies",252,1270000,1522000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239440-4c22a281f40711334e0b2629f0bea1ec&start=1270&end=1522","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239440-4c22a281f40711334e0b2629f0bea1ec/thumbnail_1270000.jpg","/articles/6349019/Columbia-County/Florida/Columbia-County-reassigns-emergency-management-to-Fire-Rescue-schedules-storm-response-workshop-and-donates-surplus-supplies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349019-48009d0679d6b6c644f2b32c29074852/orig.mp4?Expires=1770796624&Signature=dy8ZQ3ellFddjRMUkaZIzgIT~MCtLSi7~CUt8RRvHeP57jWwxaqT-2BmuqEPD3DezUc251d434djfzj0ZO4-tE1qhd7zaFbTL39I2wiX0rEZDortz2LN4L2o7XdmD9vRh6singxmE7AvQk1NI2igDvTinqYVSpqvTYZTM-dorecpBDRbFr6NxMN82QqIdy24V3r5ciBDM4GUyVy915NhvOO~XiLxjALCJdYPJZbrhhMto1kYq6QFmz7n1XGX935Y2vAodjTO0TGyNNK9P02pT8s94WDj-dS2wj0CfSKI5yqk2t0Q7JGZi2SmFs92ndZohSdEtAXOetGeUjH~YmxqUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Columbia County commissioners voted to assign the county’s emergency management director to operate within Columbia County Fire Rescue under Chief Crawford, a reorganization staff said will improve coordination and staffing during storm response.

County manager David (County Manager) told the board the county’s emergency management director had limited staff and that situating the function within Fire and Rescue would give the director access to departmental staff and operational capacity. “This makes the most sense for the upcoming storm season and beyond,” David said.

The board approved the reassignment by voice vote. Commissioners also discussed lessons from last year’s heavy storm season and directed staff to hold a detailed workshop this spring to outline operational checklists, logistical procedures and thresholds for activating response levels. Staff said the workshop will produce an operational checklist and a parallel logistical checklist for supplies, staging and distribution so decisions can be executed without repeatedly returning to the board.

In related actions, the board approved donating surplus disaster supplies. Staff said the county retained unused ice and other supplies after last year’s storms and had worked with the Department of Agriculture on storage and redistribution. The board approved donating a listed device (meeting record: “1 loan device valued at $12,800”) to a Suwannee County organization and approved providing ice and other supplies to neighboring festivals and agencies, including Baker County’s Olustee Festival as requested.

The board also approved a small Department of Agriculture request to add $1,984.67 to mosquito-control funds within the requested deadline.

County staff described hiring priorities in tourism and a proposed full-time public information officer (PIO) to improve communications during emergencies and routine announcements. The PIO topic was discussed but not acted on at this meeting; staff said it will return for further consideration.","The board moved the emergency management director into the Fire and Rescue Department to improve storm response coordination, approved donations of surplus supplies to neighboring counties and scheduled a workshop to revise operational and logistical storm plans.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6349024,"County approves DOT reimbursement amendment, awards $2.75 million resurfacing contract for Baskin–Norris/State Road 47",450,686000,1136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239440-4c22a281f40711334e0b2629f0bea1ec&start=686&end=1136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239440-4c22a281f40711334e0b2629f0bea1ec/thumbnail_686000.jpg","/articles/6349024/Columbia-County/Florida/County-approves-DOT-reimbursement-amendment-awards-275-million-resurfacing-contract-for-BaskinNorrisState-Road-47","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349024-0ff75c07a6a0cfa66cd768e7485df689/orig.mp4?Expires=1770796624&Signature=JL4C7htU9IDcMvhWAZgzD3q90Q~q2GS6iEej6w8Cz~9I~rpt-W2PhHSCGzvUWsbKOdfeyfGJOAVzCKHgoLXMuaTzMo2ZFOoIKj7i8vKldck7C3n6sfyLS6pVpjWj-lRVtR118agpzwUnG1z2YU4X-lNIi6G-0tNxlCCrltqy7Eeu-U8aYcw1j8u6c6SbsIbuoqiFwBHdbqyzEXONeZTVe2fFSk6Rk97YyKdDu1pNhSbIddW0MvdQU1ADEkL3nVlgtu-TGzTOaQu0od7r3qjWH2tyLE7mVTVURA19pUP2VKZ4vQ3jLt5WoI-BIalXDuuz69TTAV~ica4mty86-Zzn8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners approved a Federal/State reimbursement arrangement with the Florida Department of Transportation and awarded a resurfacing contract for the portion of Baskin–Norris running to State Road 47.

County attorney Joel (County Attorney) said DOT requested a paperwork change to convert a previously approved state-funded grant agreement into a reimbursement agreement so the agency could issue payments on the correct form. “The amendment changes the title and then takes out the parts that are relevant to a state funded grant agreement,” Joel said, recommending approval so DOT could move forward with the projects.

The board also approved construction of the resurfacing segment between the ball fields and Faith Road. County staff said bids initially came in higher than expected; after negotiating more flexible nighttime work hours the contractor agreed to reduce the maintenance-of-traffic line item by $75,000. County staff requested award of bid number 2024-07 to Henderson Columbia Company and approval of the construction agreement in the amount stated on the agenda ($2.75040409 as recorded in the meeting packet).

Commissioners asked about phasing and traffic impacts. Staff described the resurfacing as an intermediate step ahead of a future two‑lane-to‑four‑lane conversion and said phase 2 would include additional improvements and retention pond work. Staff said the county will use variable message boards and extended night shifts to limit daytime impacts and that the county will issue a 14‑day notice to proceed once contract exchanges are complete. Staff also said temperature restrictions delayed starting earlier in the winter; they expected work to begin in the coming months and aimed to complete critical work before the next school term.

Action items recorded at the meeting show the board approved the DOT reimbursement-agreement amendment and approved award of bid number 2024-07 to Henderson Columbia Company with the contract amount shown in the meeting record.

Details recorded in the meeting: the DOT amendment was described as a housekeeping change (title and form) and the resurfacing contract included a negotiated $75,000 reduction in a traffic control line item; staff noted escrowed developer funds of about $485,000 for turn lanes at a nearby site would be captured in the project.

The board did not identify additional conditions on the contracts beyond standard procurement and construction oversight.","The Columbia County Board of County Commissioners approved a DOT contract amendment changing a state-funded grant to a reimbursement agreement and awarded a resurfacing contract for the section of Baskin–Norris that runs to State Road 47. Commissioners discussed project phasing, timing and advanced traffic messaging for nighttime work.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6349009,"Resident raises long-running code-enforcement complaint; county attorney explains magistrate process",439,3753000,4192000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239440-4c22a281f40711334e0b2629f0bea1ec&start=3753&end=4192","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239440-4c22a281f40711334e0b2629f0bea1ec/thumbnail_3753000.jpg","/articles/6349009/Columbia-County/Florida/Resident-raises-long-running-code-enforcement-complaint-county-attorney-explains-magistrate-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349009-955445a71c8b028ec68e49a05b2a95a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770796624&Signature=lypaIUv822qfuAiLRtXmUsIH~OIXBZoboE4f2a3LtV78qVnyR7aggqvQdq1XA3t~nLSHw0SZgeKLiUJ-k3Zge3Ud9EYK9DCA9uF4wWJ~PogNe~JcuFHbyuToG8OEGYIqcc8YjN46JlklheSeDOIzWVodpjLtKWrv~JeJLkTDvAY0HHNytkZ5ida8d-4uW8Bio-hjxXBKNFStT7zBhgEXsVwPqzz~6C81Ywy1njnAw4ggQAXGDVFJNaZdBq4sqOMd~TFJwa9~j3mNQwr~N4CB8LrlMEMd8PihtzsZe4CacE6-Dv~EqyaaagjwIUHSpXX~IBBwn5-yPGFGGec8jQ8tNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the meeting’s public-comment period a resident described a multi-year problem at a neighboring property and urged the board to enforce county codes, citing health hazards, feral animals and repeated alleged noncompliance.

The resident said the property has an ongoing accumulation of debris and overgrowth and that prior warnings and magistrate action have not produced sustained compliance. The speaker asked commissioners to review the matter and referenced the county code section they believed applied.

County Attorney Joel responded at length, describing the county’s enforcement process. He said the issue had been referred repeatedly to code enforcement, had gone before the magistrate and that code-enforcement staff had conducted multiple site visits. Joel said the county’s code officers had “uniformly found it is not” a repeat violation under the standards enforced and explained the board’s intent to keep code enforcement insulated from political influence. He noted that the county’s code addresses conditions that are “noxious” and that the county has chosen not to convert lawn-height complaints into high-volume enforcement actions.

Joel encouraged residents to use the formal complaint process and said records of investigations and magistrate orders are available for review. He also told commissioners they may receive constituent complaints but should avoid directing code enforcement staff on individual cases in order to preserve the independence of the enforcement process.

The public-comment speaker also requested a letter of support for a community-center grant application; commissioners indicated general support and provided consensus to supply a letter of support for the grant application, while clarifying the county had not agreed in this meeting to accept ownership of the facility in the future.","At open public comment a resident pressed the board about an alleged long-term property nuisance and inconsistent code enforcement; county attorneys and staff explained that the matter has been reviewed by magistrate hearings and that the county enforcement officers have repeatedly inspected and found no continuing violation under current code.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board votes at a glance: interlocal wastewater agreement, annexation condition, grants, internet service, and appointments

Columbia County reassigns emergency management to Fire & Rescue, schedules storm-response workshop and donates surplus supplies

County approves DOT reimbursement amendment, awards $2.75 million resurfacing contract for Baskin–Norris/State Road 47

Resident raises long-running code-enforcement complaint; county attorney explains magistrate process