Interim City Manager Dennis Strow said he didn’t know how the city could put on a fireworks show with crowd size limited to 10 people.
By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Don’t expect any city-sponsored fireworks shows in Levy County next month when the Fourth of July rolls around.
There won’t be any.
Williston was the latest city to cancel its fireworks show Tuesday. Cedar Key was the first to cancel. Bronson canceled Monday.
Elected officials in Bronson and Williston realized their fireworks shows could attract thousands of visitors in violation of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order limiting groups to no more than 10.
Both towns also canceled their parades. Bronson canceled largely because it was being held to honor Bronson High School seniors and not enough seniors expressed interest in participating in the parade.
Williston Council members were concerned about social distancing requirements for the Independence Day Parade. The parade and fireworks typically attract huge crowds.
Mayor Jerry Robinson read a long list of cities in the region that canceled their fireworks due to coronavirus restrictions. Williston’s fireworks show always attracts a big crowd. With neighboring communities shutting down their fireworks shows, crowd size could have increased substantially.
Interim City Manager Dennis Strow, the city’s police chief, said the city remains in Phase 1 of the coronavirus reopening, which means the city must limit gatherings to no more than 10. DeSantis is moving most of the state into the second phase of reopening today but restrictions on crowd size hasn’t changed much.
He added the city would need 65 police officers and volunteers to handle crowds at the fireworks shows. He wasn’t certain whether other law enforcement agencies would provide officers to help the city in light of the governor’s order.
“How do we sanitize the porta-potties?” Strow added, raising another issue connected to coronavirus restrictions.
He said the city was basically a month away from the show. Vendors would have to be called to prepare for the Independence Day celebration.
Strow said a typical parade requires 32 people to make it happen, most of them police officers.
“I don’t know if you could have a parade with social distancing,” Strow said.
Council President Charles Goodman, a Vietnam combat veteran, lobbied the council to go forward with the parade even if the fireworks show was canceled.
“I for one would hate to see the Independence Day Parade canceled,” he said.
Goodman said he doesn’t particularly like fireworks displays. He said the loud explosions of the fireworks remind him of his days in combat in Vietnam.
Councilman Justin Head said the city could easily expect thousands of visitors for the fireworks show.
“No one hates it more than me. I don’t think we should go forward with it,” he said.
Councilman Elihu Ross said there appeared to be more council opposition than support to going forward with the Independence Day celebration.
“It would be my opinion to cancel the whole thing and start over next year,” he said.
The council voted unanimously to cancel the fireworks and parade for the Independence Day celebration.
Old WHS Property
City Planner Jackie Gorman, responding to questions from Councilwoman Marguerite Robinson, said she is continuing to work with the developer of the former Williston High School property.
Gorman indicated that an Aldi’s grocery store and a Popeye’s Restaurant are apparently going to locate on the property, but the schedule for demolition of the school buildings is uncertain.
Gorman said the developer says he needs an approved site plan to begin demolishing the former school. She said he currently has a preliminary site plan.
“That’s on him,”Gorman said.
Gorman said the demolition permit is good for six months from the day it was issued.
Foreclosing on Old Winn Dixie?
Mayor Robinson won unanimous council support to proceed with foreclosing on the old Winn Dixie property and other properties with heavy accumulations of fines, if the properties legally qualify for foreclosure.
Robinson’s research indicated the assessed property value of the old Winn Dixie is $218,406. The store property has accumulated $84,150 in code enforcement fines.
Robinson’s report said the owner hasn’t decided what to do with the property.
“Well, she has owned it since December 10, 2012 and it is high time that she needs to decide,” Robinson wrote. “The city, in my opinion needs to take the offensive on this property immediately. It has been discussed for years without anything being done. If, and this is a big if, a lien has been filed on this property it is my recommendation that the city foreclose on this property immediately and without delay.”
Robinson identified nine other properties with fine accumulations that in most cases far exceeded the value of the properties. One property has a property value of $6,045 and a fine amount of $45,400. Another has a value of $19,250 and fines of $50,053.
City Manager Advertisement
Council members tweaked the job description and contract language for the future city manager and assigned Human Resources Director JoAnne Nelson to send the job advertisement to a half dozen employment sites.
The council wants the applications back for review in about a month. They will sort through the applications and decide who should be interviewed for the $65,000 annual job.
The $65,000 figure is the minimum salary for the job. The council didn’t say whether it might consider negotiating for higher compensation if it found an applicant with great credentials and tons of experience as a manager.
Former City Manager Scott Lippmann resigned. The city is using Strow as its interim city manager until they can hire a replacement for Lippmann.
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City of Williston Regular Meeting June 2, 2020; Posted June 4, 2020
