In its meeting Tuesday, the Alachua County Commission declared a local emergency in preparation for Tropical Storm Helene, which is expected to turn into a category 3 hurricane and make landfall on Florida’s big bend Thursday morning.
According to Jen Grice, director of emergency management for Alachua County, rainfall is anticipated to begin Wednesday night, and the county is expected to receive four to six inches of rain by Friday night.
Gainesville residents are urged to prepare for the storm.
Kali Blount, a Gainesville resident, said he will be “battening down lost items and anything that can blow in the wind.”
Blount said he’s also concerned about whether the RTS buses will be in commission during the storm.
“Most of the time I'm a bus user, so we’ll see if the buses are running,” he said.
There are updates and resources to aid citizens on Alachua County’s Facebook page.
City Commission approved funding for West End Gulf Course
The commission on Tuesday also evaluated the creation of recreational facilities at the former West End Golf Course.
Alachua County purchased the West End property for $3.8 million in May.
The commission discussed taking $500,000 from taxes on the county’s tourism revenue to increase tourism at the West End property.
The commission also suggested rearranging park locations on the existing property to obtain $400,000 from developers by starting a new development and allocating $6 million from Wild Spaces Public Places to fund West End improvements.
The commissioners suggested the Florida Department of Transportation do a traffic study with intentions to create a crosswalk between Tioga and the park.
In past meetings, there had been suggestions to build houses and hotels on the land, which was met with backlash from residents who wanted to use the land for recreational purposes.
Commissioner Ken Cornell said he believes there should be a meeting to further discuss the $6 million in Wild Spaces Public Places funding.
Cornell worries about how the costs would fit into the budget, he said.
“We just can’t afford two $4 million splash pads, but maybe we can figure out how to build smaller ones,” he said.
During public comment, some residents expressed their thoughts about improving the motion.
Susan Pruitt, a Gainesville resident, suggested the commission add assets to bring in income at West End and remain within its budget.
“One thing I would kind of like you to consider would be something that would bring money in, rather than just a park, that is going to be taking money,” Pruitt said.
The motion passed unanimously.
The next county commission meeting will be Oct. 8.
Contact Sofia Meyers at smeyers@alligator.org. Follow her on X @SofiaMeyer84496
