Newsroom

With nearly four in 10 U.S. households yet to complete the 2020 Census, the City of Gainesville, Alachua County and the School Board of Alachua County are working to raise awareness about the national population count during a virtual three-day Community Census-A-Thon.  

In advance of the July 4th weekend, the City of Gainesville, Alachua County, the University of Florida and Santa Fe College leaders advise everyone to wear masks in public settings and to be vigilant in their hygiene and social distancing practices.

In observance of the July 4th holiday, city offices (which are now working remotely) will be closed Friday, July 3.

The City of Gainesville Office of Equity & Inclusion has scheduled a series of free virtual workshops to support the development of small and diverse local businesses. The hour-long, lunch-and-learn events begin in July and continue through November on the third Wednesday of the month:

• July 15: Having a Crisis Management Plan
• Aug. 19: Finance Basics for Small Business Owners
• Sept. 16: Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Resources to Help Your Small Business
• Oct. 21: Perfecting Your Presentation Skills
• Nov. 18: Building Strategic Partnerships

The City of Gainesville Police Department (GPD) anticipates applying for Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program (CFHP) funding provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support long-term mitigation efforts by assisting the State of Florida and its local governments in minimizing or eliminating the risks and reducing losses from future disasters. This program is being administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) thru the Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Program. A total of $75,000,000 in funding has been allocated by the DEO for the program. DEO has identified the following types of structures as critical facilities:

• Potable water facilities
• Wastewater facilities
• Police departments
• Fire departments
• Hospitals
• Emergency operation centers
• Emergency shelters

As part of the Nature Operation Division’s routine land management practices, a prescribed burn is scheduled for today, weather and site conditions permitting, at Morningside Nature Center, 3540 E. University Ave., beginning at 10 a.m. and ending before 5 p.m. This is an ecological fuel reduction burn, which will be conducted with support from the Florida Forest Service. All public access to the park and living history farm will be prohibited during the burn.

The City of Gainesville, the Community Foundation of North Central Florida and the Walmart Foundation have partnered to deliver free drive-thru testing from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. this Saturday, June 27 at Citizens Field (1000 NE Waldo Road).

Parking enforcement to resume Monday
The City of Gainesville resumes parking enforcement Monday, June 15. All neighbors are encouraged to adhere to posted parking guidance, and to use the Passport Parking app to pay for city parking, view parking options and rates, purchase neighborhood permits or pay parking citations online. More information is available at https://www.gvilleparking.com.

The Public Works Department is soliciting feedback from residents to include in two applications for infrastructure improvement funding from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO).