Alachua County Resident Questions Site Selection and UF Partnership for New Animal Services Center
During public comment at the Alachua County Commission meeting last week, county resident Kathleen Rupert called in and made a statement about the county’s plans to establish an animal services facility with the University of Florida (UF) at the IFAS Swine Unit on Archer Rd and SW 23rd Ter:
“I’m calling regarding several concerns. My first concern is that the commission appears to not have any handbook or guidelines on how your advisory committees interact with the public and deal with their concerns…. Regarding the new animal resources and care facility, I’ve asked for the site plan and code requirements for the property that must be met in order to build a new facility in Alachua County. I put in a public records request last week, and I was informed they were still working on it. If you started talks with UF two years ago about leasing or subleasing UF land, shouldn’t that information be in an easily accessible file? Did you really consider any other property? While reviewing the video of your January 23, 2024 meeting, one of the big selling points was animal resources working with UF’s vet school. The current version of the program agreement for the vet school doesn’t specify the location has to be on UF land, so why the continued negotiations with UF and the Board of Trustees? Are these productive negotiations in favor of the county? This agreement with the vet school can be canceled by either party with one year’s notice. I would like Commissioner Wheeler to explain in greater detail why she voted against county staff working to negotiate with UF. More exactly, what did you mean prior to the vote on January 23, 2024, when you said, ‘UF has been an iffy at best partner with the county.’? There are many time delays and requirements that have to be met now and throughout the life of the lease. As you’re aware, other governmental officials could possibly end this contract with an executive order sometime. Why put the county’s money and animals at risk of political fallout? The map I dropped off to you, which I want to become official records, is from UF’s 2020-2030 Campus Master Plan. Notice the proposed site for your lease agreement is considered to have moderate constraints, which may include FEMA’s floodplain, poorly drained soils, a 50-ft wetland buffer, or hazardous materials. All the more reason to remove this site from consideration. Thank you for your time.”
County Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler responded, "I’ve been pretty clear with the county manager about how I feel working that closely with UF for animal services. I’ve come to feel okay about the location being on campus. When it comes to the actual agreement of working with the university, my concern is from my experience of working with them through the Eco Loop…. When the groundbreaking was happening, they were there as a partner with us but then separated from us, and in terms of being able to use the logo, it was a struggle. The same with the medical examiner issue that we had, where we felt like the fellow we hired wasn’t being treated fairly enough to the point where we lost him. With Maguire Village, we were working with UF and had an understanding with them that the graduate students were going to be provided some place else; that seems to be not happening. The Lee property agreements they were having with that family I feel have gotten way out of hand and disrespectful. I just feel like we are not a priority for UF. After two years of trying to work on an [animal services] contract, I understand we got the lease agreement taken care of, but there are still some questions about that. There still seems to be some awkwardness between actually who’s running the facility. My concern after speaking with the Lee brothers, I’ve kept up with them pretty closely during this whole negotiation, and they feel like even contracts made with UF can be broken. They’ve seen it personally. These are my concerns in terms of partnering with UF at this point. I’ve come to terms with the location, but I’m still not confident that UF will make us a priority. I’ve told the manager all along I’m opposed to this contract and working with them because I don’t feel like we’re in a very strong position when it comes to working with UF in terms of protecting our interests. They change the rules.”
Commissioner Mary Alford told Wheeler “I’m going to disagree with you. I’m in the emergency a lot due to family issues and we are partners every single day with UF Health as our ambulance services. We work with them in the ER; we have the clinic on E. University Ave., which we’ve partnered with UF Health. I attend events on a regular basis at UF as a commissioner, and I’m always made to feel welcome and a part of the community there. I think this particular negotiation is difficult, but just because it’s hard doesn’t mean that it’s wrong. I believe it’s difficult because our legal team is doing everything they possibly can to make sure it’s going to be a good partnership. I hate to say we’re ‘not good partners with UF.’ There are things I wish we were better partners at.”
Commissioner Ken Cornell told Wheeler “It’s quite a list, and I don’t disagree with many things on your list, but I’m on the side of Alford on this one. Maybe it’s because I’m completely brainwashed; I’ve been to Gator games since I was four years old. I only applied to UF. I’m a double Gator…. Notwithstanding my personal affiliation and love for UF, they are the 800-pound gorilla in the State of Florida. They have over a billion dollars in economic resources through grants they provide. The reality is UF is a number of different colleges, each standing kind of on its own, with the dean acting as the CEO. I think it makes a lot of sense if the manager and this board concur to talk to the leadership of the vet school…. If they were to say they’re not interested, then I’d hear you loud and clear, but I haven’t heard that. These things take a while.“
Commissioner Anna Prizzia told Wheeler “I hear your hesitancy too, and I think the examples that you gave are great ones. I think I could give as many on the good side as you gave on the bad side…. I’m sure plenty of our partners could point to good and bad situations they’ve had with Alachua County. When you’re an entity that big with leadership that changes, especially with how much UF’s leadership has changed recently, it makes it really challenging. I think the situation you mentioned with the Lee brothers is a very different situation. That’s an economic transaction that the legislator got involved with. That’s about money and development and not at all similar to this. This is land that’s already off the tax rolls. I think the more we can utilize existing government owned buildings instead of taking more land off the tax rolls, the better off we are…. I agree [with Commissioner Cornell] that the vet school is who we we're ultimately entering into a long-term partnership with. Yes, we’re going to have a lease with the UF Board of Trustees, and yes, we have an opportunity to get out, which isn’t a bad thing necessarily. We haven’t seen the final contract, but I’m sure there are provisions in there in regard to who has to pay who back if someone bails.”
Wheeler said, “I want to clarify I’ve come to terms with the location of it, but I’m still not happy with the location. I feel like it’s in an awkward place. There’s traffic all over that place, including traffic during ball games…. With the Lee property, we’ve all been involved at some level: the county, UF, and the state. I feel like UF is not honoring contracts that have come to an end. They have forced their way into a situation that’s put that local family, our local folks, at risk and in an awkward position, including a lawsuit. I feel like the disrespect that has been shown to our local family who was trying to work in good faith with UF was the last straw for me. I would like to ask the [county] manager, who is involved? Who is the team that is in negotiations with UF? Is our legal team sitting there to listen?
County Manager Michelle Liberman said “No, no. Currently, staff-to-staff, we are negotiating substantive terms as far as what hours they'll be there, what responsibilities UF will have, and what responsibilities the county will have. Not legal terms as far as termination or liability or any of those. When we get to where in the substantive piece that both sides are comfortable and agree that we can live by the operational substantive terms, then we’ll provide those terms, and they can work those into agreements to go back and forth between their legal team and our legal team. Their legal is not involved either. This is between the vet school and their high level staff, and we’ve had our high level staff, myself, Tommy [Crosby], and Julie [Johnson] involved in the table at the past talking about those substantive terms.... It is my recommendation that is coming to you as far as the substantive terms. I’m making the final decisions on what I’m comfortable with to recommend to you as far as operational terms.“
Wheeler responded, “Manager, my concern; you know I trust you, you know I do, I trust your professionalism, and I don’t question that in any way…. [I question not having] someone from our legal team just sitting and listening. You don’t have to do anything but listen to make sure everyone is hearing the same thing. My concern is that words can get twisted or left out…. As many ears and eyes on it as we can have in the beginning will save us time in the long run.
Liberman said she would invite UF Dean of Veterinary Medicine Dana Zimmel and other vets working with them on the contract to speak to the Board of Commissioners.
Wheeler asked Liberman if she met with the UF Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini, and she responded they had a meeting scheduled for last Friday, but it got canceled.
Wheeler said, “This is what I mean; UF.”
Liberman said, “It was Valentine’s Day; I’m not sure if that had anything to do with it.”
Wheeler said, “I just feel like we are being put off…. If we’re wanting to go in the direction you’re all saying we should go, then why are we not a priority in terms of actually getting things done?”
Liberman said Hosseini “would like it baked in more of a recommendation than him doing the actual legwork himself…. He’s got to recommend it to the Board of Trustees that he’s comfortable with it along with [UF Interim President] Kent Fuchs.”
