Newberry offers vacant city buildings as possible satellite sites for county services; county and commissioners open to discussion

Newberry — Dallas Lee, the City of Newberry interim city manager, told the City Commission and visiting Alachua County commissioners that several city-owned buildings in downtown Newberry will become available when a new city hall opens later this year and that the city is open to partnering with the county to host satellite services.

"As part of that construction, we will be freeing up several city buildings in our downtown area," Lee said, and asked whether the county might be interested in locating satellite services to provide western-county access to county functions.

Commissioners and county officials discussed the types of county services residents have requested. Vice Chair Cornell identified veteran services, driver's licenses and tag (county tax collector) functions as services the city had previously hosted and would like to see return. "We reengage on that particular, the VA side, driver's license, tag office, things like that . . . I would like to see that," Cornell said.

County and city staff told commissioners the tax collectorhas minimum space needs that the City of Newberry buildings likely do not meet. County staff indicated the tax collector has been piloting kiosks placed in retail locations that provide renewal and payment services and suggested a kiosk or lobby-based self-service option as a possible interim approach to offer basic services locally.

No formal agreement or transfer of space was approved at the meeting. Commissioners and staff agreed to continue conversations; city staff offered to gather information about which county services Newberry residents most want and to follow up with county staff on technical requirements and staffing needs.

Public comment included a Newberry resident request to consider health-and-wellness programming in any repurposed space; the resident said a local partnership with firefighters and paramedics could support such a program.

The discussion was exploratory: staff from both governments were asked to continue coordinating and report back with more information about demand, space requirements and feasibility.