2014 city of gainesville citizen's report: reimagining public service

Reimagining Public Service

2014 Citizen’s Report

2 www.cityofgainesville.org

We’re Flying Now by Dana Moser, the top photograph shown above, is a finalist in the annual photography contest.

Gainesville: Your CityLetter from City Manager Russ Blackburn 3Letter from Mayor Ed Braddy 4Voting Districts Map 5Your City, Your Government 6Our International Connections 7Organization Chart 8

Reimagining Public ServicesYour Charter Officers 9Strategic Management 14Transforming Gainesville - Key Projects in 2014 15Improved Quality of Life 16Infrastructure & Transportation 20Public Safety 22Economic Development & Redevelopment 24Human Potential 27Cost-Effective Governance 28

Financial SustainabilityFinancial Highlights of the Year 32Financial Reporting 34Economic Outlook 34Governmental Funds 34

Citizen Involvement Advisory Boards and Committees 38Contacting the City 39Get Connected back cover

Table of conTenTs

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Dear Citizen,Much has been written about the power of imagination. Most definitions acknowledge an ability to think new things or engage the mind in creative process. Albert Einstein once wrote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” Gainesville’s citizens get it, and they are the catalyst that continues to motivate our municipal government to reimagine the provision of public service!

In the 2011 Citizen’s Report, I used Thomas Edison’s adage, “There’s a way to do it better—find it,” to challenge city employees to find ways to provide better public services to our citizens. In 2012, the report focused on our increased emphasis on fiscal responsibility, greater service efficiency, and strategic community partnerships to reduce bureaucratic impediments to enable creative solutions for our most intractable problems. Last year’s report highlighted our city government’s unity of purpose in transforming local government into an integral partner providing public service infrastructure support for an innovation-based economy. Our local economy is reacting to these changes, a more robust fiscal environment and is now nearing critical mass in terms of its potential for growth.

This year, I am pleased to report that we are seeing successful outcomes in many areas that validate past City Commission policy and executive staff management decisions. Those decisions are enabling city employees to successfully think outside of the box and sometimes embrace unconventional solutions.

As city employees work to provide high quality municipal services to our community, we have centered our efforts around four simple ideas: service excellence; building partnerships; developing human potential and embracing

improved technology. Improvement in service excellence is highlighted by the achievement of professional accreditation by the four largest departments reporting to the City Manager. In 2014, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs and Gainesville Fire Rescue joined the Gainesville Police and Public Works departments in attaining this prestigious accomplishment.

There is no better reflection of our sustained commitment to developing human potential in our community than the successful opening of the GRACE Marketplace Empowerment Center. Our new police headquarters building is evidence of strong partnership between local government, citizens and local businesses. In the last year, terms like hackathon, crowdfunding, open data portals and telephone town hall have become part of a new vocabulary describing city services. As we strive to put city government at your fingertips by deploying technology enhancements across the board, including a new website featuring a suite of improved citizen engagement tools, one constant remains… the drive to improve service to you!

Reimagining public service provision leads us down the path of passionate commitment to excellence in government as captured on the 2014 Citizen’s Report cover. It amounts to nothing less than a sea change in how a culture of innovation is diffusing throughout our city government and becoming part of our organizational DNA. As always, thank you for the privilege of serving as your City Manager. If you have any comments about this report, please email [email protected] or call 334-5017.

With Appreciation,Russ Blackburn, City Manager

leTTer from ciTy manager russ blackburn


Dear Gainesville Citizen,On behalf of my fellow City Commissioners, I am pleased to present you with the annual 2014 Citizen’s Report. As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “The most important political office is that of private citizen.” This report is offered to you with that in mind.

The activities and expenses of your city are accounted for in this report. Your municipal government is engaged in a broad scope of public services that are necessary for the orderly pursuit of the public interest. We are blessed with a creative, diverse and talented community, and that is reflected in the men and women who work for the city’s general government and GRU. Our employees do the city’s “heavy lifting” in carrying out the City Commission’s objectives, and I applaud their dedication and resolve.

To help Gainesville become a city of opportunity, we must strengthen our partnerships with the many community stakeholders. Toward that end, the City Commission has deepened its relationships with the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Gainesville Housing Authority, the School Board of Alachua County, Santa Fe College and the University of Florida.

Whether it’s public safety, neighborhood and community development, public works or our many parks, recreational and cultural programs, the city is striving to enhance your quality of life, but with a renewed focus on accountability, transparency and responsiveness to those we serve.

A sign of that responsiveness is our efforts to reduce rate pressure, name a new general manager and complete an audit of Gainesville Regional Utilities. While the GREC biomass facility, along with our solar initiatives, have put Gainesville at the forefront of communities committed to renewable energy, the trade-off has been escalating utility bills that are among the highest in the state. The

City Commission is committed to bringing those rates down to provide financial relief for customers and to help make Gainesville a more competitive place for new businesses and talent.

Government must do more than just provide services that enhance our quality of life. It must ensure those services are flexible, responsive and affordable. A municipal government that truly respects the people it serves is one that facilitates rather than prescribes their future.

We are grateful that you have chosen Gainesville to call home. My commitment is to keep you – the citizen – at the heart of all our policy decisions, and I want to encourage you to engage City Hall and challenge us to do better. Working together, we can truly make Gainesville a city of opportunity for everyone!

Mayor Edward B. Braddy

leTTer from mayor ed braddy

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The City of Gainesville, Florida is the county seat and the largest city in Alachua County. The city was founded in 1854 and incorporated in 1869. As of September 2014, there are approximately 63.2 square miles of land inside the corporate boundaries of the city. As of April 2014, the city’s population was estimated at 124,796 by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida. Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, the state’s leading research institution, and Santa Fe College, a provider of excellent professional and vocational education. Gainesville has one of the largest medical communities in the southeastern United States,

and is a center for commerce, art and culture in north central Florida.

Your government has operated under a Commission-Manager form of government since 1927. The City Commission is responsible for enacting the ordinances and resolutions that govern the city. The City Manager, who is appointed by the City Commission, is responsible for the operations and management of all departments of city government, except those controlled by other charter officers. The City Manager implements the policy directives of the City Commission. The current

your ciTy, your governmenT

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organizational structure is depicted on page 8.

Gainesville provides its residents with a wide variety of municipal services, including police and fire protection, comprehensive land use planning and zoning services, code enforcement and neighborhood improvements. Construction and maintenance of the city’s infrastructure are significant, ongoing services, as well as the planning and operation of the traffic engineering systems. Cultural opportunities, nature trails, parks and recreation improvements (including a championship golf course) help make Gainesville one of the most livable cities in the nation. Gainesville provides refuse removal and recycling services, and owns and operates a regional transit system that serves the community, the University of Florida and a portion of Alachua County. The city also provides administrative services to support these activities. These services are accomplished through various departments under the direct supervision and leadership of the City Manager. Gainesville owns and operates regional electric,

water, wastewater, natural gas and telecommunication systems. The General Manager of Utilities oversees utility operations.

The city’s financial statements are organized on the basis of funds, each of which is considered a separate accounting entity. Government resources are allocated to, and accounted for, in individual funds. Funds are based upon the purposes for which they are to be spent and the means by which spending activities are controlled. The city’s funds can be divided into three categories: governmental funds, proprietary funds and fiduciary funds. The following pages provide descriptive information about the major services and programs of each city department, as well as an overview of the city’s fund structure and the resources that finance those services and programs.

During fiscal year 2014 (FY14), your City Commission was comprised of six elected commissioners and the elected mayor. Four commissioners are elected from single-member districts. The mayor and two at-large commissioners are elected citywide. The City Charter prohibits consecutive service on the City Commission for more than two, three-year terms. A map of the city’s voting districts, as of Sept. 30, 2014, is included on page 5.

The City Commission adopts the city’s budget, sets the millage rate and adopts local laws and policies. The City Commission is ultimately responsible to the residents of Gainesville. The City Commission appoints the city’s six charter officers, whose functions are described on the following pages.

The City Commission previously identified a number of goals at their annual strategic planning retreat. Each department has initiatives that help align their department with the City Commission goals. In FY14, your City Commission was committed to the following seven goals:

• public safety, • economic development and redevelopment, • human potential, • governance, • infrastructure and transportation, • quality of life and• environment and energy.

your ciTy commission

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Gainesville is a diverse, multi-cultural city, mainly due to the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. UF has more than 6,000 international students from 130 countries, with another 2,000 at Santa Fe. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 15,000 Gainesville residents are not U.S. citizens.

Gainesville’s international connections play an important role in our local economy, with the potential to have much larger impact. Foreign buyers account for more than $100 million in annual real estate purchases. The Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Enterprise Florida and the U.S. Commercial Service to offer international trade consulting services in Gainesville. In 2014, they hosted trade delegations including ambassadors from Poland, the Philippines and Japan. The University of Florida, Santa Fe College, the School Board of Alachua County and the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce are all endeavoring to increase Gainesville’s international connections.

As a member of Sister Cities International, Gainesville has nine sister cities around the world: Duhok, Iraq; Jacmel, Haiti; Kfar Saba, Israel; Manizales, Colombia; Matagalpa, Nicaragua; Novorossiisk, Russia; Qalqilya, Palestine; Rzeszów, Poland and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Sister City Program of Gainesville, Inc., the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that administers the relationships for the City of Gainesville, connects individuals, organizations and institutions with sister city counterparts in such diverse fields as education, business, medicine, culture, sports and local governance.

In 2014, several sister city delegations, including medical, business and municipal leaders from Rzeszów, Poland, and artists and musicians from Jacmel, Haiti, visited

Gainesville for a “Polish Week of Business and Culture” and “Haiti Week.”

Gainesville has been recognized as a world leader in citizen diplomacy since 1982, when it created the first U.S./Soviet Sister City Program initiated without the involvement of national governments. More than 200 U.S. and Soviet cities followed Gainesville’s example. In 1998, Gainesville initiated the first trilateral sister city relationship with a U.S., Israeli and Palestinian city.

More information about the Sister City Program of Gainesville, Inc. can be viewed online at www.gnvsistercities.org.

our inTernaTional connecTions

A delegation from our sister city in Rzeszów, Poland visited Gainesville this year for the “Polish Week of Business and Culture.”

Sister City Programof Gainesville, Inc.

http://www.gnvsistercities.org


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ciTy managerThe City Manager is the administrative officer of Gainesville’s city government, responsible for the operation of all departments, except those under the direction of other charter officers. The City Manager’s Office oversees all General Government programs and services; enforces all city laws, ordinances and policies; acts as the purchasing agent for the city; prepares the budget and performs other duties as assigned by the City Commission. These tasks are accomplished through the selection and supervision of the Assistant City Managers, Administrative Services Director, Economic Development and Innovation direction, Planning and Development Services Director and Chief of Police. The two Assistant City Managers oversee assigned operational departments and serve as project managers to specialty teams.

The Office of the City Attorney is committed to protecting the legal interests and assets of the City of Gainesville with the highest level of professionalism, ethics and dedication. This office provides legal counsel to the City Commission, charter offices, all city departments, including Gainesville Regional Utilities, numerous city boards and committees and the Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

The office provides legal counsel to the city in the conduct of its day-to-day business and in the prosecution and defense of legal challenges. The transactional division of the office assists city and CRA staff in interpreting and applying state and federal statutory law, case law, the City Charter and Code of Ordinances; researches legal authority; and drafts and reviews ordinances, resolutions, contracts, bonds and other legal instruments. The litigation division initiates, defends and settles legal challenges filed on behalf of or against the city. This includes challenges to city ordinances, development actions, employment actions, civil rights actions, torts, tax liability issues, foreclosure of city liens and mortgages and the prosecution of municipal ordinances.

Highlights for FY14• Drafted 68 ordinances and 31 resolutions, including a moratorium on Internet gambling establishments, revisions

to fuel adjustment and purchased power, GRU Power District land use and zoning, game day parking, food truck special events, street vacations, land surplus, sign regulations, towing regulations, alcohol special events and annexations.

• Worked closely with city staff provide necessary documents and to acquire the Empowerment Center project.

• Represented the city in evaluating more than 160 claims and lawsuits.

• Provided legal support to the CRA, including key projects such as Depot Park, GTEC Redevelopment Plans and the Cade Museum.

• Provided legal guidance to the City Commission on Strategic Initiative no. 8.2 - GRU Governance.

• Provided legal counsel at monthly regular and special meetings of 21 city boards and committees.

• Conducted a competitive solicitation process to select bond and disclosure counsel for GRU debt issuances.

• Worked closely with GRU staff on the settlement and release of the city’s ownership interest in the Crystal River Unit 3 nuclear power plant.

ciTy aTTorney

Your Charter Officers

The City Auditor’s Office works to promote honest, effective and fully accountable city government. This is accomplished by providing the public and the City Commission with timely, objective, accurate information about what city departments and programs are doing and how they could improve. By providing this information, the City Auditor’s Office helps hold our government accountable for the stewardship of public resources and continually focuses on ensuring that city operations are utilizing limited resources effectively and efficiently to provide quality services to the citizens of Gainesville.

Highlights for FY14• Prepared and administered, through purchasing, a

request for proposals (RFP) for an external investigative review related to concerns regarding past management practices and business decisions primarily related to the development and implementation of the 30 year power purchase agreement between Gainesville Renewable Energy Center, LLC (GREC) and GRU. Based on the City Auditor’s recommendations, the City Commission approved the ranking of the proposals received, identified funding and established a budget for the investigative review and directed all charter officers and their staff to fully participate with the firm selected. The investigative review is expected to address opportunities for financial and operational benefit to GRU related, but not limited to the GREC purchase power agreement, and provide recommendations of institutional controls that can be implemented that would help avoid management discrepancies of the past and help strengthen the working relationship between GRU management and the City Commission.

• Completed an audit of the CRA’s capital project contracts, which totaled $3.7 and $3.8 million in fiscal years 2012 and 2013, in order to provide the City Commission with reasonable assurance that the contracts are adequately complied with and monitored. Although elements of a strong internal control system were found to be in place, the office noted opportunities to strengthen the monitoring of capital projects to provide greater consistency in contract compliance and ensure that invoices provide adequate support. CRA management agreed to implement each of our recommendations.

• Audited management controls over the city’s CDBG/HOME funding process, which provided oversight for expenditures totaling $2.6 and $2.7 million in fiscal years 2012 and 2013. Based on the results of the review, the office provided several recommendations related to improving internal controls which were agreed to by management. Specific recommendations included improvements in the annual maintenance inspection process, improved procedures to ensure property insurance declarations are received, implementation of periodic on-site monitoring of outside agencies, improved reconciliation of housing program expenditure summary reports and improved procedures to ensure estimates for work are maintained in client/project files.

• Administered a competitive RFP process and negotiated a three-year contract to engage qualified external auditors to complete mandatory annual financial statement audits of GRU, resulting in savings of approximately $100,000 over the term of the contract.

• Monitored agenda items submitted to the City Commission, recalculating financial impacts and monitoring compliance with purchasing policies and procedures.

ciTy audiTor

Dragonfly Ready for Mission by Bob Coordsen,finalist in the annual photography contest



equal opporTuniTy direcTor

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The Office of the Clerk of the Commission records meetings, prepares agendas and minutes and provides administrative support to the Mayor and members of the City Commission. The Clerk of the Commission attends all City Commission meetings and serves as parliamentarian during the proceedings. The office maintains the city’s vital records, ordinances and resolutions and is custodian of the city seal. The office also publishes the city’s notice of public meetings, facilitates appointments to the City Commission advisory boards and committees, publishes legal notices, records official documents and provides research for information requests for public records.

The Clerk’s Office continued to administer the Lobbyist Registration Act, which requires lobbyists who communicate with City Commissioners or Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board members to encourage the passage or defeat of any matter presented for a vote before the City Commission or CRA, to register with the office prior to engaging in lobbying. Additionally, the office continued to administer the Domestic Partner Program for the City of Gainesville.

The Office of Equal Opportunity works to promote equality and opportunity, while ensuring all residents, employees and visitors to the City of Gainesville have access to, and are able to enjoy, all that Gainesville has to offer. The office accomplishes this by resolving discriminatory complaints through efficient enforcement of equal opportunity laws and policies. The Office of Equal Opportunity is responsible for receiving and investigating complaints of discrimination alleging unlawful practices in employment, housing, credit and public accommodations within Gainesville’s city limits.

Highlights for FY14• Held a community viewing and discussion of the documentary “Chain Camera,” which takes a look at the lives of

high school students from diverse backgrounds, facing different issues.

• Continued holding study circles as a part of the Dismantling Racism Initiative, where citizen groups engaged in intimate discussions regarding the pertinent and personal aspects of race and other bias with an eventual call to action.

• Investigated internal and external complaints of discrimination, and continued to provide diversity training to the entire municipal workforce.

• Developed an Affirmative Action Plan, which targets recruitment of minorities and women for employment by the City of Gainesville.

• Held the 2014 Job and Trades Fair, with the participation of non-city entities, giving job seekers an opportunity to speak directly with department representatives and business owners about present and future job openings.

• Continued small business development by maximizing spending with qualified local, small, minority and women-owned businesses and by increasing the amount of business the city does with these businesses.

Reflection by Melissa Hill,placed second in the annual photography contest

clerk of The commission


general manager for uTiliTies

• Participated in, distributed materials at and sponsored several community festivals including the 5th Avenue Cultural Arts Festival, Annual Pride Parade and Festival, Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Porter’s Community Block Party and Downtown Latino Hispanic Festival.

• Established a satellite office at the Reichert House and the Gainesville Housing Authority to expand the office’s services.

• Held the Fifth Annual Employment Law Seminar, sponsored the 2014 ADA Celebration disability awareness training and expo, sponsored the 2014 Fair Housing Celebration, attended the University of Florida’s Annual Small Business Conference & Fair and distributed materials to the community advertising the operations of the office as it relates to processing of complaints of discrimination in housing, public accommodation, credit, and employment.

The General Manager for Utilities oversees the operations of the city’s utilities system, Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU), with a mission to provide safe, reliable, competitively-priced utility services in an environmentally responsible manner to enhance the quality of life in our community. GRU provides electric, natural gas, water, wastewater and telecommunications services to more than 93,000 residential and business customers. GRU provides the critical backbone of infrastructure to support our nationally-prominent health care and technology industries. The utility has provided well-paying, stable jobs to generations of men and women in north central Florida for more than a century. Gainesville’s City Commission serves as the board of directors for GRU, and a portion of GRU’s revenues are transferred to the city’s general fund to support vital city services, such as public safety and parks.

Highlights for FY14• The St. Johns Water Management District granted GRU a new consumptive use permit (CUP), authorizing

groundwater withdrawals of up to 30 million gallons per day from the Murphree Wellfield for the next 20 years. As part of this CUP, GRU will implement two new groundwater recharge wetland projects that will replenish the Floridan Aquifer and further reduce the impact of GRU’s withdrawals.

• Substantial completion of Sweetwater Wetlands Park is scheduled for May 1, 2015. The park will improve water quality in the Alachua Sink and restore more than 1,300 acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. A joint project with the City of Gainesville Public Works Department, the park provides access to Paynes Prairie via a 3.5-mile walking path with eight viewpoint shelters. Construction on the park is expected to be completed this spring.

• In April 2013, GRU’s Low-income Energy Efficiency Program (LEEP) reached an important milestone by providing much-needed home improvements to its 1,000th home. Since October, LEEP has met its goal of reducing energy use, improving comfort and lowering the utility bills of an additional 120 customers.

• GRU has worked hard to mitigate price increases to customers. While natural gas customers continue to enjoy some of the lowest rates in the state, GRU reduced a projected electric rate increase from $9.85 per 1,000 kWh to $1.35 per 1,000 kWh by cutting costs in several areas. As a result of these cuts, business customers also experienced lower-than-projected rate increases.

Part of the boardwalk at the Paynes Prairie Sheetflow Restoration Project



Part of the boardwalk at the Paynes Prairie Sheetflow Restoration Project

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• GATOR NET, the Gainesville area’s only digital, all-fiber-optic residential Internet service, has started offering upgraded speed options up to 1 gigabit per second, the fastest Internet in town. GATOR NET is offered at select apartment and housing communities in Gainesville.

• GRU continues to maintain excellent financial strength, as evidenced by AA bond ratings from three separate agencies and the lower bond interest rate it procured from Bank of Montreal. As a result of this lower rate, GRU and its customers will save $230,000 over the life of its three-year contract.

• GRU’s employees continue to support local charities, contributing more than $103,000 to the United Way, one of the largest donations by organizations participating in the United Way of North Central Florida’s Workplace Charitable Giving Campaign. GRU’s annual benefit golf tournament also raised more than $12,000 in 2014 for Williams Elementary School.

• The Gainesville Renewable Energy Center (GREC) began commercial operations in late 2013. The privately-owned biomass plant sells renewable energy to GRU to strengthen the utility’s fuel diversity and improve electric reliability for at least the next three decades.

• GRU’s employees have worked tirelessly to make its workplace safe and efficient. These efforts paid off when the utility received a $180,000 premium reduction after its most recent insurance inspections.

• For the past 10 years, GRU has been replacing the bare steel, cast iron and black plastic pipes in its gas transmission system to meet the goals of the federal Gas Distribution Integrity Management Program. As of September 2014, the Gas Transmission and Distribution Division eliminated all but .3 miles of cast iron pipes in the system and has just 4.56 miles of bare steel and 2.62 miles of black plastic left to be replaced.


Transforming Gainesville


Many large, well-planned projects are coming to fruition. Most of them are the direct result of initiatives to grow and develop partnership opportunities involving public infrastructure, private vision and investment and citizen engagement. In 2014, Gainesville saw the opening of the GRACE Marketplace, the approval of the new Butler North shopping complex, near completion of the Paynes Prairie sheetflow project, completion of the Depot Park stormwater basin and more!

GRACE MarketplaceIn 2005, the City of Gainesville/Alachua County 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness was created. In 2014, GRACE Marketplace opened, providing the homeless population key services in one location. Services available at the GRACE Marketplace include case management, counseling (mental health and substance abuse), social services signup assistance, meals, shelter (including some overnight), showers and restrooms and more.

Paynes Prairie Sheetflow ProjectThe Paynes Prairie sheetflow project broke ground in 2013, after many years of planning. The project will improve our local environment by improving and protecting the water quality in the Alachua Sink and the Floridan Aquifer, create approximately 125-acres of wetland habitat, restore the natural flow to more than 1,300-acres of formerly impacted wetlands in Paynes Prairie and provide recreation and education opportunities for residents of and visitors to our community. The whole project is shaped like an alligator head, a nod to the reptiles that live on the prairie and Gainesville’s own UF. Construction is expected to be complete in spring 2015.

Butler Plaza RedevelopmentLocated near I-75 and Archer Road in the southwest quadrant of Gainesville, sits one of north central Florida’s major destination shopping areas. This privately held commercial area consisting of 267-acres of prime commercial property is beginning a substantial development and redevelopment effort that will transform commercial activity and lifestyles in southwest Gainesville. When complete, the recently initiated construction of Butler North will add approximately 725,000-square-feet of destination and convenience shopping. As Butler North progresses, the 350,000-square-foot Butler Town Center will begin construction at Archer Road and Southwest 34th Street. Butler Town Center intends to bring new shopping and dining options to the public.

The existing 1-million-square-foot Butler Plaza, is not only transforming its look, but also adding more than a million square feet of additional shopping with Butler North and Butler Town Center, changing the retail landscape of north central Florida.

The Paynes Prairie sheetflow project is slated to be complete in spring 2015. The restoration project is shaped like an alligator head, a nod to UF and the reptiles that live on the prairie.

Butler North is the expansion of Butler Plaza, and will break ground in November 2014. The expansion is shown above in blue.

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Transforming Gainesville

Southwest 13th Street Mixed-used DevelopmentIn February, the City of Gainesville approved the site plan for Social 28, the Courtyards redevelopment project located across the street from the University of Florida campus on Southwest 13th Street. The project is nearing completion and includes the demolition of existing surface parking lots to construct two multi-story buildings with ground floor retail, structural parking and residential units above. The existing apartment buildings will be retained and new construction of stormwater management facilities will be accommodated within underground vaults below the structure.

The project includes a complete reconstruction of Third Avenue from Southwest 13th Street to Southwest 12th Street. In addition to significant utility improvements, the roadway will provide full width travel lanes parallel and angled parking spaces between street trees, wide 10-foot sidewalks and significant hardscape improvements including benches, bike racks, trash receptacles and new street lighting.

Northwest 13th Street Commercial Corridor RevitalizationThree years ago, the Albertsons and Sticks ‘N’ Stuff located on Northwest 13th Street near Northwest 23rd Avenue, closed their doors. Two years later, in 2013, Wal-Mart shuttered its location on Northwest 13th Street. Today, the area is once again becoming a destination for shoppers looking for affordable shopping retailers. Burlington Coat Factory has renovated and moved into the northern portion of the former Wal-Mart location. After renovations to the southern portion of the store, Ross will open its doors for business adjacent to Burlington Coat Factory.

Furniture retailer Rooms To Go has announced its intention to locate a store on the northeast corner of Northwest 13th Street and Northwest 23rd Avenue, which is the former site of Sticks ‘N’ Stuff.

In nearby Verde Plaza, the Lucky’s Market, is slated to open its first natural and organic grocery store in Florida in January 2015, on Northwest 23rd Avenue in Gainesville. Other Verde Plaza businesses include Planet Fitness and Dollar Tree. These businesses join other strong retailers in the area such as Lowe’s, Dollar General and Big Lots.

The resurgence of businesses locating along the Northwest 13th Street corridor speaks to the long-term economic vitality of Gainesville and offers a glimpse into a promising future for neighborhoods surrounding this commercial area.

Depot ParkThe Depot Park project has been decades in the making. The park will sit on a redeveloped and remediated brownfield site, where Gainesville’s former train station used to be. Depot Park is right next to Gainesville’s downtown and will once again become the gateway into Gainesville, as the train station was so many decades ago. Once complete, Depot Park will feature restaurants, picnic areas, a children’s play area, an amphitheater, park trails, water features and house the Cade Museum for Creativity and Innovation, named after Gatorade founder James Cade. Construction is expected to be complete in 2016.

When combined with the progress being made at Gainesville’s Innovation Square, the projects described here are tangible proof that through public/private partnerships, the City of Gainesville is aligning its resources with a shared vision for continued growth and prosperity. The remarkable transformation taking place in our community is proceeding at a sustainable rate that not only heralds the city’s evolution from quaint college town to vibrant city, but also builds on our reputation as the cultural and commercial innovation center of north central Florida.

Architect’s rendering of the mixed-use redevelopment project on Southwest 13th Street.

Aerial map of the Depot Park project

code enforcemenTThe Code Enforcement Division strives to enrich and preserve the quality of life and property values through voluntary compliance with the city’s code of ordinances through community education and enforcement. Throughout the year, staff investigates violations based on complaints and proactive patrols. The division is focused on education and provides information about the city’s code of ordinances through various outlets including Channel 12, the city’s website, print advertisements, attendance at neighborhood and community meetings, partnerships with other departments and local agencies.

Highlights for FY14• Investigated approximately 3,500 violations of the city’s code of ordinances. Nearly 30 percent were identified

proactively by staff and almost 86 percent were resolved voluntarily without prosecution before the Code Enforcement Board.

• Demolished four dangerous buildings and oversaw the abatement of seven hazardous lands cases.

• The City Commission appointed a Special Magistrate for Code Enforcement with a term to begin October 1, 2014.

• Issued about 130 game day parking permits for the 2014 University of Florida home football season and major commencement events on the University of Florida campus.

• Began implementation of the College Park / University Heights off street parking regulations, which was approved by the City Commission. Approximately 200 parking plans have been submitted and are in the process of being implemented by property owners in College Park and University Heights.

• Issued 4,161 landlord permits for the permit cycle beginning Aug. 1, 2013 and ending July 31, 2014.

The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department (PRCA) was proud to be awarded national agency accreditation Oct. 8, 2013, after completing a thorough, internal self-assessment, measuring the department against 144 national, best practice standards. The department is one of 119 agencies in the country to achieve national accreditation.

PRCA responded to a need identified in the department’s master plan, Vision 2020, to include among its staff a position that is dedicated to partnership and sponsorship development. In February, the department hired its first development and partnership program coordinator, dedicated to developing new partnerships and fostering existing partnerships as well as identifying restricted and unrestricted funds to support PRCA. The position seeks alternative funding opportunities through federal and state grants as well as private donors, corporations and foundations. Some successes so far include the first-ever “crowdfunding” campaign to raise funds to support the Summer Heatwave program and a new partnership with Butler Plaza allowing PRCA to have permanent, free advertising space. Additionally, work has started to create a 501(c) (3) foundation for the department as its fundraising arm, knowing some donors will not give funds directly to local governmental entities.

The department-wide marketing efforts expanded in 2014, and supported almost 100 departmental press releases,

parks, recreaTion & culTural affairs

Celebrating Earth Day at the 2014 Farm and Forest Festival at Morningside Nature Center.


Improved Quality of Life

designed 550 pieces of marketing materials such as posters, rack cards, fliers, ads and newsletters, both printed and electronic. The PRCA Web pages received more than 17,000 hits, but the largest increase experienced was the expansion of social media reach which increased from more than 50,000 last year a reach of more than 3,798,600 on the department’s Facebook and Twitter pages. The department manages 14 Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, promoting the diverse programs, services and events offered by PRCA. Expanded marketing efforts have resulted in numerous programs being filled with waiting lists, the first time in many years.

Nature Operations Highlights for FY14• More than 286,850 people visited the city’s nature

parks.

• Hosted the 15th Annual Great Air Potato Round-Up was held in January, when about 900 volunteers rounded up 6.6 tons of air potatoes, 2,235 pounds of other invasive exotic vegetation and a 20-yard construction dumpster of trash from 29 sites throughout the city.

• The new Survivors of Suicide Memory Garden was completed and dedicated at Cofrin Nature Park in coordination with the Alachua County Crisis Center.

• Four additional nature parks were added to the Registry of Protected Places.

• Completed three prescribed fires on 23 acres at Morningside Nature Center.

• Treated 276 acres of invasive non-native plants in our natural areas.

• Maintained the tree planting program, which included 63 tree sponsor trees, 235 city-maintained trees and 80 giveaway trees.

• Secured the planting of more than 165 mitigation trees for tree removal permits to replenish Gainesville’s urban forest and paid $3,600 to the city’s tree mitigation fund.

• Celebrated 30 years as a Tree City USA.

• Created an “Adopt-a-Trail” program where citizen volunteers perform monthly clean-ups of paved bike trails.

• Nature Park acquisitions included: - Hogtown Creek Floodplain (October 2013, 47 acres, mitigation donation), Morningside Nature Center north addition (November 2013, 98 acres, $264,000) and Forest Park Addition (September 2014, 4.2 acres, mitigation donation).

Recreation Highlights for FY14• Experienced an all-time high record attendance at the three city pools increasing from 120,854 in 2013 to 130,784

in 2014, an increase of more than 8 percent.

• Served more than 350 participants in the World’s Largest Swim Lesson (WLSL), a simultaneous world-wide event to promote water safety.

• Hosted the seventh annual HeatWave Basketball league and “Operation Respect Yourself” events during summer 2014, serving more than 250 participants, playing Monday through Thursday evenings, for eight weeks during the summer. The Heatwave program offered life skill classes which helped educate youth, teaching them important life lessons using inspirational speakers, hands-on activities and group discussions.

• Served more than 227 children in the nine-week recreational summer camps. Camp included activities such as arts and crafts, free play, nature education, character education and field trips. In addition, all children received free swimming lessons.

• Served several hundred youth during the fall and winter Pop Warner football, cheerleading and coed youth

Perfect Resting Place by CH Flavin, placed third in the annual photography contest

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basketball, keeping them involved in positive activities.

• Held environmental and cultural history programs, where nearly 9,000 people, including all 6th grade science students at Westwood Middle School, benefitted from the programs. Attendees were able visit Loblolly Woods and use their own campus to learn about the scientific method and birding through a grant from the US Forest Service.

• Processed more than 540 park reservations and fulfilled more than 1,800 requests for 10 ball fields and three multi-purpose fields.

Cultural Affairs Highlights for FY14• Received a $150,000 Local Arts Agency grant from State of Florida Division of

Cultural Affairs, which has supported the major 352ArtsRoadmap initiative to create a five- to 10-year set of priorities for the development of arts and culture in Gainesville and Alachua County. In addition, it has provided funding for: the new Jewel Box Concerts at the Thomas Center series which features national and international touring artists; the development and administration of the 352Arts website; enhanced Thomas Center Gallery programming and marketing; artists fees for the Downtown Cultural Series and staff support for the Cultural Resource Center, which serves the arts community and enhances our tourism marketing for the region.

• Initiated and/or completed multiple Art in Public Places project installations including two of the three planned for the new GPD headquarters, as well as conducting the call to artists for a temporary installation, the Main Street Artscape, which will be part of the Public Works Department’s project on South Main Street.

• Continued to provide affordable studio space for regional artists at the Tench Building, the Wilhelmina Johnson Community Center and its programming partner, the Cultural Arts Coalition which serves as a vital resource for citizens in its historic neighborhood. The Union Academy/Rosa B. Williams Recreation Center and its programming partner, YOPP! Inc., continued to provide arts education for young audiences.

• Administered $821,820 in city and county grant awards to arts and cultural organizations on behalf of the City of Gainesville-Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board and the Visitors and Convention Bureau serving 32 agencies through the Tourist Product Development Grant, 13 agencies through the Outside Agency Grants, three through the Professional Arts Producing Institutions Grant and three through the Arts Tag Grant.

• Drew in 80,000 visitors to the 2013 Downtown Festival & Art Show, which was ranked no. 12 on Sunshine Artist magazine’s “200 Best” list of top fine arts festivals in the nation, climbed from no. 95 to no. 31 in the Art Fair Source Book ranking and was one of the only festivals that made the “Top 20 Events” in north Florida by USA Events & Festivals online.

• Brought 26,000 attendees to the Bo Diddley Community Plaza throughout the year for 33 Free Fridays, Downtown Countdown and Jest Fest! performances, enlivening downtown Gainesville and supporting area businesses.

• Provided more than 13,000 people an elegant, low-cost option for their special event by hosting more than 190 private rental events at the Historic Thomas Center. The Thomas Center also hosted more than 4,200 guests at nearly 70 cultural events such as plays, concerts and recitals.

• Set a festive mood in December, with holiday music, carriage rides, Santa and, of course, the illumination of the giant holiday tree at the annual Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration at the Historic Thomas Center.

• Hosted more than 55,000 attendees at the Hoggetowne Faire, in which 57 percent attended from outside the county, helping to stimulate our local economy. Record attendance was a result of increased marketing initiatives which helped reach out of state tourism through platforms of direct mailing and social media platforms such as Facebook and online marketing.

• Presented 11 featured exhibitions at the Thomas Center Galleries, including About Face: Portraits with Presence, which was the largest and best-attended exhibition in the Thomas Center’s history with 107 portraits by 37


The Flying Wallendas walk across the Bo Diddley Community Plaza at the 2014 JestFest!


artists, and the bilingual The Heart of a Culture: The Santos of Xavier Colón Marrero exhibition, which was part of a collaborative series of exhibitions and events celebrating Latino culture produced jointly with the University of Florida, Oak Hall School and the Latina Women’s League.

Ironwood Golf Course Highlights for FY14Ironwood renovations were completed in November 2010, and its conditions have positioned Ironwood as one of the best courses in north central Florida. Drainage was installed underneath the greens, which makes our greens some of the most consistent putting surfaces in the region. Residents and visitors are encouraged to play a round at Ironwood and enjoy the improvements.

• Offered various pricing options, which provided visitor flexibility, and online registration, which makes setting up tee times simple and convenient. Also, established a monthly calendar of different specials and incentives for discounts for play on different days of the week.

• Ran three separate commercials on the Golf Channel, promoting different aspects of what is offered at Ironwood.

• Continued to use “Golf Now” (in association with the Golf Channel) to help market the course and provide golfers across the United States with a way to schedule tee times online, as well as via a mobile phone application.

• Continued to host more than 50 civic and charity fundraising golf tournaments each year. High school golf teams from across the county use the facility for their practices, matches, district and regional championships. Ironwood also continues to serve as a venue for Special Olympics golfers and their companions.

• Continued to charge a $5 surcharge per round, which has easily recovered the $98,000 in debt service that paid for the course renovations. This allowed the renovation project to be fully funded without using any tax dollars.

• Held a junior camp for three weeks over the summer, taught young golfers the game and developed their skills. Ironwood also offers free clubs for kids wanting to learn the game of golf.

• Received the Audubon Certification again for its conservation of water use and for the natural wildlife at the course. Ironwood has maintained this designation since 1999.

Capital Improvement Projects Highlights for FY14PRCA has continued to develop and complete capital projects funded by the citizens of Gainesville and Alachua County with the Wild Spaces-Public Places (WSPP) half-cent surtax initiative. Collections ended Dec. 31, 2010, and the department anticipates completion of all WSPP-funded projects by the end of 2014. PRCA continues to participate in the citizen advisory board meetings of the Wild Spaces-Public Places Citizens Oversight Committee, which reviews all Alachua County expenditures of WSPP funds. In addition, the department received Capital Improvement Project funding from for specific projects to renovate and enhance existing parks. Below are a few capital projects completed during FY14 including:

• Resurfaced tennis courts at T.B. McPherson Park and Cofrin Nature Park.

• Resurfaced the parking lots at Kiwanis Challenge Park and Greentree Park and the track at Kiwanis Challenge Park.

• Completed the renovation of the Albert Ray Massey “Westside” Park outdoor restrooms and added a small dog park at the Northeast Park as requested by more than 30 neighbors.

• Installed new lighting in the Thomas Center Galleries and new lights at the Albert Ray Massey Park basketball courts.

• Installed a new sound system at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza using grant funding.

• Determined restoration needs of Beville Creek in Cofrin Nature Park to address erosion issues.

• Renovated Smokey Bear Park extensively, including a new playground, dog park, parking area and walking path.

• Completed ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) access upgrades to the restrooms at Possum Creek Park.

• Installed new fencing and a bench at the Pine Ridge Tot Lot and repaired the sidewalks at Cedar Grove Park.

Parkitecture by Gary Paul, finalist in the annual photography contest

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The Public Works Department is responsible for all transportation and stormwater services and infrastructure owned by the City of Gainesville. In addition, the department maintains and operates traffic signal infrastructure throughout Alachua County, and is responsible for selected facilities as determined by maintenance agreements with the county and the State of Florida. The department also provides solid waste services and transportation services through the Regional Transit System, the top transit service provider in Florida in ridership per capita, and the Traffic Management System. The department strives for excellence in all areas of service and at all levels of the organization. Currently, several practices and programs are recognized as models including most recently the Clean Water Partnership nominated as a best practice by Sustainable Florida.

Highlights for FY14• Reached substantial completion on the Depot Stormwater Park.

• Began construction on Depot Avenue, between Southwest 11th Street and Main Street and opened the “peanut roundabout” at Southwest 11th Street.

• Added new bike facilities with the completion of the West Sixth Street Rail-Trail from Southwest Second Avenue to Northwest 16th Avenue, designation of the Bike Boulevard along West 12th Street and installation of a bike box at Southwest Second Avenue at 13th Street.

• Installed LED pedestrian level and street lights on Main Street, between Depot Avenue and North Eighth Avenue.

• Completed the software upgrade and the installation of new hardware at the Southwest Downtown Parking Garage to improve the functionality for garage users.

• Completed construction of sidewalk along Southwest 35th Place, between Southwest 34th Street and Southwest 23rd Terrace.

• Completed citywide conversion to flashing yellow arrows, making the City of Gainesville the first city in Florida to achieve full implementation.

• Added 12 new automated traffic counter (ATC) controllers on Newberry Road for SynchroGreen real-time adaptive traffic control.

• Picked up litter along 274 miles of city rights of way, swept 20,367 miles of roadway and mowed 2,573 acres of right of way.

• Resurfaced approximately 3.48 miles of roadway, replaced 5,657 linear feet of roadside curb and gutter and installed 72 new ADA curb ramps for ADA accessibility. Staff also restriped 12 miles of roadway center and edge lines and replaced 576 traffic signs to ensure sufficient retro-reflectivity for motorists.

Regional Transit System (RTS) Highlights for FY14• Completed 95 percent of its new administration, operations and maintenance facility (Phase I) located at 34 SE 13th

Road. Land was acquired for additional bus parking (Phase II). Design and construction for this parking area began in the last quarter of the fiscal year. The total $39 million project is being funded through a competitive federal grant process.

• Upgraded the fare collection system over the summer to a new swipe card system. This $1.5 million project allows for easier use by RTS bus operators and patrons alike. The new fare swipe cards also improve revenue collection on the buses.

• Used automatic passenger counter (APC) information to analyze the number of passengers by route and time of day.

public works

Infrastructure & Transportation


Painting markings for the first bike boulevards and bike boxes.

This allowed for the reallocation of about 2,700 hours of service to higher productive areas and the removal of almost 1,500 hours of less productive service.

• Began design and construction on 55 ADA bus stop improvements using state and federal funding, as well as local developer contributions. Worked with the Public Works Department to include bus stop improvements on major roadway projects such as Southwest 35th Place.

• Fulfilled the City of Gainesville strategic initiative 5.5 by completing Bus Rapid Transit Alternative Analysis and Streetcar Feasibility Conceptual Study.

• Conducted external, consultative audit (Comprehensive Operational Analysis [COA]) of system efficiency and effectiveness. Conclusions are included in the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) mandated five-year major update to the RTS Transit Development Plan (TDP) which is available on the RTS website. The TDP also included trend and peer analysis of performance, forecasted staffing and capital needs and fare policy evaluation.

• Completed analysis of route running times by day of week and time to improve schedule performance and reduce unnecessary layovers.

• Began operation of 30-minute frequencies in large portions of east Gainesville. New service has resulted in increased ridership. Additional early morning service was added to support east Gainesville work commutes.

• Generated more than $400,000 in contracted advertising revenue through bus advertising sales, including exterior and interior advertisements. This was a new record for a fiscal year.

• Assisted 12 nonprofit organizations to provide transportation options to their patrons through the Discount Pass Program. The program is being funded through a $10,000 match by the FDOT.

• Upgraded the fleet maintenance software to streamline RTS maintenance operations and allow for systems to communicate with each other more efficiently.

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Public art at the new Regional Transit System’s building, which opens in November 2014, and was paid for entirely by federal grants.

Infrastructure & Transportation

For Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR), 2014 was a year of significant achievement. On March 11, 2014, the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) awarded accredited status to GFR. The Fire Chief and the Assistant City Manager appeared before the CFAI Commission at its semi-annual conference in Henderson, Nevada to answer questions about the agency’s strategic plan, fire and emergency medical services self-assessment and standards of cover. The City of Gainesville joins an elite group of 202 municipalities and organizations world-wide with accredited fire departments. Maintaining accredited status will require diligent work by GFR staff at all levels to maintain service excellence and to meet the CFAI’s annual compliance requirements.

Highlights for FY14• Earned an improved Insurance Services Office (ISO)

Public Protection Classification (PPC). The PPC was upgraded from a three to a two effective Sept. 1, 2014. This upgraded rating should help building and home owners enjoy some reductions in their property insurance premiums.

• Worked with Human Resources to revise the firefighter hiring process by utilizing the National Training Network which will reduce expenditures by nearly $20,000 for each hiring process. Hiring processes are typically run at 18- to 24-month intervals.

• Held the first annual recruitment day for GFR’s external mentorship program.

• Attended the ShandsCair ALS (Advanced Life Support) competition, where GFR’s Tactical Medical Support Team won second place.

• Upgraded the Support Services’ large classroom to facilitate computer-based teleconferencing training to increase the amount of time units are in-station.

• Awarded voting member status in the North Florida Health Care Coalition.

• Completed active shooter response training for the entire department in conjunction with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.

• Participated in a full-scale active shooter exercise at the Oaks Mall in conjunction with GPD and Alachua County Fire Rescue.

The Gainesville Police Department (GPD) continues to reinvent public service each year by strengthening its ties with the community they serve. It is imperative that the public have complete trust in the men and women charged with protecting them. In FY14, GPD placed an emphasis on ensuring positive encounters between police and the youth in our community. GPD has identified different issues that result in juvenile contacts and arrests and are working with multiple community partners to successfully reduce those statistics. GPD continues to make Gainesville a safe place to work and live, and they are constantly looking for ways to reduce both violent and property crime in our community.

gainesville fire rescue

gainesville police deparTmenT

Public Safety


In FY14, Gainesville Fire Rescue was awarded accredited status, making it one of 202 accredited fire departments nationally.

Highlights for FY14• Reduced property crime by 6.71 percent for an

overall Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) reduction of 5.35 percent, as compared to FY13. A notable reduction of 15 percent was seen in the burglary category.

• Created an online “Citizen Satisfaction Survey” to solicit honest feedback from the public GPD serves. A majority of the responses have been positive, and GPD has worked with the candid information from the public to enhance their services.

• Moved into the new headquarters at the corner of Northwest Sixth Street and Eighth Avenue. All GPD entities are now in one location, which greatly increases inter-departmental communication. The single location is also much more convenient for citizens needing in-person services.

• Created a Youth and Community Services Bureau to better streamline GPD’s community-oriented policing efforts, and to enhance their services to local youth. The bureau works closely with residents to reduce the amount of youth that are drawn into a life of crime.

• Made policy changes and increased training for police encounters with local youth. GPD has been holding monthly dialogue meetings where at-risk youth meet with officers to discuss and understand behavior of both police and youth.

• Held biweekly meetings with local law enforcement agencies and community leaders to discuss the “school to prison pipeline.” GPD has identified the need to develop a system of care to address the needs of our youth prior to entering the criminal justice system. The workgroup is also developing intervention programs for those youth already in the criminal justice system. In FY14, we have reduced violation of probation arrests in city schools by 90 percent and reduced campus arrests by 35 percent.

• Created www.ReportRapeGainesville.org, in partnership with the Alachua County Victim Services/Rape Crisis Center. The website contains a wealth of information that can be accessed privately by a victim. National studies have shown that many victims do not report. This website allows incidents to be anonymously reported, which increases the probability of victims reporting these types of attacks.

• The Traffic Safety Team was awarded $100,000 of grant funds to help educate and enforce traffic laws ranging from aggressive driving to pedestrian violations. In addition, GPD’s “Click it or Ticket” seatbelt enforcement efforts resulted in Alachua County having 94.4 percent seatbelt use, a 5.4 percent increase over the statewide average.

• Added a passive drug sniffing K-9 to the School Resource Unit. The dog and school resource officer handler will work with the Alachua County school district to reduce the amount of illegal drugs on school campuses. The two-year old black Labrador was donated and is still in training.

• Identified and dealt with a serious gang-related crime issue in the Pineridge neighborhood. GPD worked with local community partners and residents to attack the issue of gang-related violence which eventually led to a large reduction in the amount of incidents and a safer community.

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Public Safety

The Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) helps underserved regions attract private investment through community initiatives and partnerships, competitive economic development incentives and improved public infrastructure. Recent projects have ranged from the signature 13th Street Helyx Bridge to incentivizing Mindtree Ltd.’s pledge to create 400 high-wage local jobs.

The CRA’s redevelopment efforts operate in four core urban areas (Downtown, Eastside, Fifth Avenue/Pleasant Street and College Park/University Heights). The CRA is devoted to helping Gainesville achieve its full potential as a vibrant, diverse community.

Highlights for FY14• The CRA finished building the signature, tree-lined Innovation Square corridor this summer. The project is more

than scenic: its robust underground utility grid provides a crucial foundation for local job creation initiatives. The “plug-and-play” infrastructure will accelerate development of Innovation Square’s ambitious 40-acre live/work/play community.

• After nearly four years of site studies and community discussions, the Bo Diddley Community Plaza, which is the heart of downtown, is getting a new look. The facelift will include a gently-trickling water wall, a green room for performers and a second café space. The rejuvenation will attract more visitors at all times of day and create a fun, active space for all to enjoy. Construction on the plaza will begin in 2015.

• The CRA completed significant remediation milestones and engineering/design refinement on the 32-acre Depot Park. Anchored by the rehabilitated historic Depot Building and the planned Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention, Depot Park will tie together our city’s past and future. Its outdoor amphitheater, football field-sized children’s playground, bustling restaurants/shops and beautiful nature trails will be a regional draw and a hallmark for the whole community.

• The CRA created a conceptual redevelopment plan for the Power District, 17-acres of former industrial land that is adjacent to Depot Park. The Power District’s funky character will attract young tech startups and light manufacturing ventures to the region. Last year, a warehouse was converted into the corporate headquarters for local tech company Prioria Robotics—the district’s first major project.

• Anchored by the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center (GTEC), the planned 13-acre campus will kick-start commercial growth in east Gainesville. GTEC was the very first business incubator built within city limits.

• The CRA made considerable progress on construction planning and design for the former Kennedy Homes site, which is a future residential property near the GTEC master campus. The new neighborhood will provide attractive, affordable homes and relaxing community space for families with close proximity to schools.

• The CRA’s paint programs helped eight homeowners fix up their properties in the Pleasant Street/Fifth Avenue district. The program encourages residents to refresh the exterior of their homes and beautify their neighborhoods by providing applicants with vouchers for up to $500 in painting supplies.

• The CRA helps business owners increase the curb-appeal of their storefronts by providing up to $10,000 or $50,000 in matching funds for façade improvements. The public-private investment encourages more attractive public corridors, stronger community pride and often contributes to improved public safety through urban design. The CRA helped 12 businesses improve their façades over the past three years.

• The CRA moved forward with the strategic visioning process that kicked off with Fast Company magazine founder Alan Webber a year ago. By asking the question “How do we get out of this business?,” the CRA crystallized its motivations for improving Gainesville, and implemented tactics to simplify procurement, attract and retain staff talent, as well as increase partnerships with small, local and diverse vendors. The CRA also launched its first social media channels in an effort to improve community engagement and communication.

communiTy redevelopmenT agency

Economic Development & Redevelopment

New roads and park at Innovation Square


• The CRA earned several accolades, including a national “Project of the Year” award from the American Public Works Association for the Helyx Bridge, a state Transportation/Transit Enhancement award for the Helyx Bridge from the Florida Redevelopment Association and a local American Institute of Architects award for the Catalyst Building.

The Economic Development and Innovation Department was created by the City Commission to facilitate economic development opportunities citywide, with an emphasis on building the area’s innovative economy. The department coordinates economic development activities with private industry and local partners and will direct efforts at the creation and retention of jobs and a broadening of the city’s tax base. In addition, the department is tasked with working with city departments to ensure a transparent, consistent and predictable regulatory regime that is hospitable to the growth and development of private industry.

Highlights for FY14• Established collaborative relationships with members of the local business community through attendance of first-

step and GRU project meetings to improve the regulatory environment to increase their competitive viability.

• Became a sponsor of the Gainesville Area Innovation Network (GAIN) and interacted with members of the innovation community.

• Advocated for City Commission strategic initiatives for economic development.

• Worked collaboratively on workforce issues involving the City of Gainesville Job Fair, Start-Up Quest and a workforce component to the Empowerment Center.

• Pursued framework development for future economic development activities, including suggested metrics and benchmarks.

• Staffed the Economic Development University Community Committee and processed the committee’s recommendations to the City Commission regarding the Florida Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research grant agreement.

• Provided a consensus-building, facilitator role between business owners and the city, and served as a city liaison to the Gainesville Small Business Growth Task Force. The task force met on several occasions throughout FY14, and city staff has accomplished the majority of the recommendations outlined in the task force report.

• Published ombudsman recommendations to the City Manager, GRU Manager and City Attorney.

• Worked with the Council of Economic Outreach on joint marketing materials, as well as a variety of collaborative efforts such as the regional partners initiative and the development of an international economic development strategy and worked to process several QTI (Qualified Target Industry) requests to the City Commission.

• Worked with GRU staff to establish a proposed economic development rate for large power users and associated marketing materials.

• Attended the Gainesville Regional Airport’s governing board as the city’s ex-officio member and, in this capacity, worked with airport staff on airport development opportunities and the processing of the annual Federal Aviation Administration grant.

• Worked internally with General Government and GRU staff to develop the city’s Innovation Team, which resulted in a successful hackathon and a framework for future departmental and charter officer problem-solving efforts.

economic developmenT & innovaTion

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Planning and Development Services is comprised of the Planning and the Building Inspection Departments. Planning is responsible for all current and long-range city planning, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Historic Preservation Program. From a strategic perspective, the department works to facilitate urban development and redevelopment citywide while striving to enhance efficiencies, customer service, and our built environment. Building Inspection promotes public safety in construction activities by enforcing applicable building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire prevention and life safety codes citywide. The department also manages the First-Step Development Assistance Center, which is designed to provide a convenient on-stop location for review of applicable code requirements or prospective projects.

Planning Highlights for FY14• The Plan Board processed 67 petitions and held

multiple public hearings about the land development code update.

• Staff worked with the City Beautification Board to give 26 awards to various projects within the city that beautify and make Gainesville unique.

• Staff conducted more than 80 outreach meetings regarding the land development code update with varied individuals and groups including, but not limited to, citizen groups, neighborhoods, the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce and the Builders Association of North Central Florida (BANCF).

• Staff facilitated revisions to the development review process between various General Government and GRU departments by reconciling submittal deadlines and review schedules to better facilitate development proposals.

• Staff developed an online interactive map for the land development code update process so citizens could see proposed zoning changes which links to the proposed code.

Building Inspection Highlights for FY14• Staff conducted 123 first-step development assistance meetings to inform and guide prospective applicants through

the development process.

• The Building Official instituted cross-departmental coordination meetings to enhance consistency in the application of various regulatory provisions.

• Staff enhanced customer service and efficiency by implementing online inspection requests.

• Staff enhanced customer service by offering extended hours in the building department. Customers now have 50 hours each week to conduct business and receive building services.

• 162 certificates of occupancy were issued for new or renovated space and 749 certificates of completion were issued.

• 1,592 building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical plans and revisions were reviewed, with an overall average review time of 29 days.

planning & developmenT services

The UF Health addition (top) and the roads and infrastructure plans for Butler North (bottom) were both approved in FY14, with construction starting in FY15.



The mission of the Housing and Community Development Division (HCD) is to provide housing and community development opportunities by providing leadership in the preservation, revitalization and improvement of neighborhoods for the benefit of citizenry of Gainesville. The HCD receives federal, state and local grant program funding designed to encourage innovative and constructive approaches to improve physical, economic, social and housing conditions. The HCD provides Gainesville with a broad range of programs, such as housing, community development, public services, public infrastructure and neighborhood planning.

Highlights for FY14• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment

Partnerships (HOME) Program funding was awarded in the amount of $1,894,892 to 26 nonprofit agencies and three city departments to provide housing programs, code enforcement services, senior services, youth programs, job training opportunities, food distribution programs, homeless programs, child care programs, child abuse prevention programs, medical assistance programs and public infrastructure services.

• An average of 42,637 low- to moderate-income persons benefitted from various public service programs that provided housing, senior services, youth programs, job training opportunities, food distribution programs, child care programs, child abuse prevention programs, gift gardens, homeless emergency shelter assistance and homeless medical assistance programs.

• Assisted 210 low- to moderate-income households through the city’s comprehensive housing program: - 17 through the Homeowner Rehabilitation Program; 13 through the Roof Program and eight first-time homebuyers were assisted through the Down Payment Assistance Program. - 172 families received housing counseling assistance through the Housing Counseling Program. This program is designed to expand homeownership opportunities, prevent homelessness and improve access to safe, stable and affordable housing.

• The Community Grant Program awarded $112,500 in small grants to 40 local nonprofit organizations. Those grants support activities that serve a public purpose and improve the quality of life for Gainesville residents. Specifically, the grants assist charitable organizations that provide needy families and individuals with support services such as nutritional programs, temporary housing, utility payments, youth activities and senior programs.

• The city continued to collaborate with Alachua County, Shands, North Florida Medical Center, St. Francis House and several other nonprofit organizations to manage the Medical Respite Care Program for homeless residents. This program is jointly funded by the City of Gainesville and Alachua County, and allows homeless persons discharged from the hospital to recover in a safe, sanitary, restful environment, rather than “on the street.” In FY14, 36 people were assisted recovery services based on their medical needs.

• In partnership with Alachua County, the Cold Night Shelter Program provided $62,225 for temporary shelter and other support services to 3,081 homeless persons during the coldest winter months, when the temperature dropped below 45 degrees.

housing & communiTy developmenT

Alachua Sink Oak by Ray Carson, finalist in the annual photography contest

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Human Potential

The Administrative Services Department coordinates the strategic planning activities for the City of Gainesville, provides oversight to the departments of Budget & Finance and Risk Management and manages the contractual arrangement with GRU to provide information technology services to General Government. Strategic planning activities include coordinating the city’s tactical and strategic planning efforts, including all annexation activity, corporate goal setting and management planning. The office oversees the city’s performance measurement program, performs productivity analyses, program evaluations and leads work teams on special projects. The primary responsibilities of the Budget and Finance Department are to safeguard the city’s assets, ensure cost-effectiveness, provide financial support to operating departments and report accurate and timely financial information to the City Commission, management and residents of the community. The department offers budgeting, accounting, treasury, revenue recovery, grant fiscal coordination and procurement services to city departments. This includes providing financial analyses upon request, preparing the city’s biennial budget, quarterly monitoring reports and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. It also administers position control, billing and collection of the city’s revenues, including occupational taxes and landlord permits, and the processing of payroll and accounts payable. The department also oversees the coordination of all city cash and investment management, pension management, debt management, mail services and the disposition of all surplus property through public auction. The Risk Management Department manages the general insurance and employee health, accident and life insurance benefits of the city, including a self-insurance plan for workers’ compensation, automobile and general liability coverage. The department also provides employee health, nutritional and psychological services through a city clinic. Wellness services are available to employees and retirees, as well as their spouses/domestic partners, if they are covered by the city’s group health plan. The wellness focus represents the city’s commitment to create and maintain healthy employees, ensuring the future financial stability of the city’s group health plan.

Highlights for FY14• Completed financial software upgrade and conversion efforts.

• Assisted GRU with FY13 audit and financing efforts.

• Completed the five-year financial forecast for FY15-19.

• Completed the five-year capital improvement plan for FY15-19.

• Completed the FY15-16 biennial budget, with the commission adopting the millage at the rolled back rate.

• Earned Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the FY13 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

adminisTraTive services

Cost-Effective Governance


In FY14, the city’s Innovation Team hosted the city’s first hackathon, as seen above.

• Implemented the City of Gainesville’s Open Data platform, which had more than 300,000 page views in the first 10 months.

• Hosted a civic hackathon in conjunction with National Open Data day.

• Implemented a performance dashboard to report on operating performance and status of strategic initiatives.

• Hosted two virtual town meetings with more than 300 participants per meeting.

• Managed the city’s strategic planning process, including the adoption of the FY15-16 strategic plan.

• Coordinated a successful move and transition to the newly constructed centralized fleet facility without service interruption.

• Continued offering ProClub wellness incentives to employees and retirees to help control the trajectory of health care costs.

• Completed the closure of both the Fifth Avenue and 39th Avenue garage hazardous material small quantity generator sites with the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, to include disposal of all regulated materials on site.

• Continued to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles and equipment for General Government and GRU, as well as published recommendations for more fuel-efficient operations of the city’s fleet. Over the past two years, this effort has resulted in a four-percent (33,000 gallon) reduction in overall fuel consumption.

The Communications Office is responsible for coordinating General Government communications and promotional activities. Responsibilities include information and education programs; broadcast and maintenance of Community 12TV, the local government cable television channel; comprehensive communications activities; management of internal communications programs; content management of the city’s social media pages and main internal and external websites; development of electronic media outreach and public education initiatives.

Highlights for FY14• Assisted with coordinating and planning more than

45 ribbon-cuttings, groundbreakings and other events.

• Continued to manage the content of the city’s website and intranet, and develop issue-specific Web pages and public information programs.

• Developed presentations for the City Manager and other key executive staff, and designed, edited and published the 2013 Citizen’s Report and 2013 Popular Annual Financial Report, which was once again honored with Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association.

• Provided more than 250 city communications to the City Commission, staff, the media and the public through various publications, including press releases, the City Manager’s Biweekly Report to the City Commission and the Municipal Minutes e-newsletter.

• Provided live meeting broadcast coverage; produced public service announcements and produced original television programs for Community 12TV. The office also provided telecasts of event replays on Community 12TV and online via video Web streaming technology.

communicaTions office

The city launched a new website and the city’s first mobile-friendly website in FY14.

29


• Offered the 14th and 15th sessions of Gainesville 101: the City of Gainesville Citizens’ Academy, registering 71 residents for the course. The office also teamed up with the School Board of Alachua County and hosted City Government Week for the eighth consecutive year, giving 25 fifth graders the opportunity to learn about Gainesville’s municipal government. Private citizens and the State Attorney’s Office generously raised money to provide a charter tour bus for the students and their chaperones.

• Continued to chair the Communications Advisory Group, and staff from the office provided training opportunities throughout the year to staff throughout the city on best practices in communications.

• Maintained the city’s official social media presence, utilizing websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr. The office continues to increase its social media audience and now reaches more than 39,800 followers, a 7.5 percent increase over last year. In FY14, more than 1.3 million people were reached via social media, with more than 33,000 engagements with social media users.

• Chaired the Website Design Update Team and the Mobile Website subcommittee, which facilitated the launch of a new website in January and the city’s first mobile-friendly website in July.

• Produced City Snapshot, a new video series spotlighting city programs, projects and departments.

The Facilities Management Department includes Facilities Management and capital projects involving vertical construction. The department is responsible for the administration, repair and maintenance of more than 100 city-owned buildings. The department also provides custodial and construction management services to General Government facilities. Facilities Management is a vital component of the Neighborhood Improvement Department as the city works to be a good neighbor in its many facilities.

Highlights for FY14• FY14 saw substantial work on a number of vertical capital projects, including:

- The Gainesville Police Department Operations building and the Gainesville Police Department Physical Training Facility were completed in March 2014. - The Centralized Garage was completed in November 2013. - Renovations on three facilities for homeless shelter use were completed, including the food services building, the library and the laundry facility at the Gainesville Empowerment Center. Work will continue on the restroom renovations in dormitory D and other buildings for shelter use into 2015.

• The focus to reduce the carbon footprint continued in FY14 as several energy efficiency upgrades were completed. For example, LED lighting upgrades were completed in several facilities. This also includes installation of higher efficiency HVAC systems, with natural gas heat, in city facilities such as Fire Station 5 and the Gainesville Empowerment Center dormitory.

• Facilities Management also worked to improve ADA accessibility throughout city facilities. Examples of this are illustrated by the Equal Opportunity conference room renovation, which provides for better accessibility for wheelchairs and other mobility devices. This was also demonstrated in the installation of a hearing loop in the City Hall basement that will assist with communications for citizens using hearing devices.

faciliTies managemenT



Citizens’ Academy participants met with the city’s entomologist and learned how the city controls mosquitoes and larvae.

The Human Resources/Organizational Development (HR/OD) Department supports the foundation of the City of Gainesville—the people who serve our citizens. Its goal is to optimize the effectiveness of our employees: to recruit, develop and retain talent; to align the workforce with the goals of the City Commission and to implement programs that enhance communication and collaboration between those individuals and departments.

Highlights for FY14• HR Administration/Labor Relations guides HR/

OD processes, reviews and updates policies and procedures, and facilitates labor union contract negotiation. In FY14, Labor Relations assisted in finalizing pension reform, and secured agreement with both the IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters) and the CWA (Communications Workers of America) on new, three-year labor contracts.

• Staffing Services provides support to hiring managers to recruit and select qualified individuals from a diverse pool of applicants to keep city operations running smoothly. In FY14, Staffing Services processed more than 13,500 applications, and filled 354 positions, including new hires, promotions and transfers. Staffing Services has fully transitioned to a web-based approval process that reduces approval time and provides a paperless system.

• The Classification and Compensation Division audits and ensures proper classification of positions; administers the city’s pay plans and maintains appropriate citywide reward systems within budgetary constraints. These actions protect the city from a legal standpoint, and move the organization forward from a strategic standpoint. In FY14, Classification and Compensation calculated and administered retroactive pay increases to union employees upon ratification of their labor agreements, and was instrumental in testing, planning, evaluating and training on the upgrade to the Human Resources/ Payroll/ Finance System as part of the CGI Advantage 3.10 Upgrade Team, which was selected as the GG/GRU Cross-Functional Team of the Year.

• The Learning & Development Division offers employee development solutions and helps to lead organizational development efforts for the city. Gainesville Corporate University provides development opportunities for General Government and GRU employees—from managers to front-line—on topics ranging from computer training to compliance, to effectively managing employee performance, leading innovation and problem-solving. During this past year, Learning and Development launched the Emerging Leaders Program, a comprehensive development program that will equip high potential employees with the skills and knowledge needed to complete for future leadership opportunities and help the organization prepare for future talent needs. This division has expanded innovation efforts by participating in the Alliance for Innovation’s Innovation Academy and continues to lead customer service initiatives for General Government and GRU.

• The Employee Relations Division provides guidance to managers to comply with state and federal laws, as well as city policies, procedures and labor agreements. Employee Relations partners with managers and employees to foster an engaged workforce and a positive work environment.

human resources

The city’s TEAM (above) focuses on fostering a positive employee culture through recognition and team-building activities.

31


financial informaTionThe financial information presented here is summarized and does not substitute for the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The CAFR details the city’s financial position and operating activities for each year in conformity with governmental accounting principles. This report, by its summary nature, is not intended to conform to generally accepted accounting principles and associated reporting standards set forth by applicable governing bodies. Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU), a major component of our organization, issues a separate report in compliance with its bond requirements. GRU financial information is not included in this report. The financial information presented in this report also excludes the city’s component units, Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency and Gainesville Enterprise Zone Development Agency.

Certain presentations of financial data also exclude other General Government funds, as described in each schedule or graph. Some statistical information is derived from the city’s Financial and Operating Plan (annual budget). The budget, the Citizen’s Report and the CAFR have received awards for outstanding financial reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. The documents are available on the city’s website.

financial highlighTs of The yearAt the end of the current fiscal year, the unassigned fund balance in the General Fund was $15,087,973 (figure 1). General Fund revenues exceeded expenditures for the fiscal year by $1,486,761 (table 1). The city’s total bonded debt (excluding debt belonging to GRU) decreased by $11.9 million or 8.6 percent during the current fiscal year (table 2).

Bonded Long-Term Liabilities - General Government

as of Sept. 30, 2014 and 2013

Table 2: Bonded Long-Term Liabilities for General Government

2014 2013

Increase (Decrease)

Governmental Activities:

Revenue Bonds $ 47,307,219 $ 50,217,219 $ (2,910,000)Pension Obligation Bonds 79,230,933 80,790,291 (1,559,358)OPEB Obligation Bonds --- 7,430,000 (7,430,000)Governmental Activity Bonded Long-Term Liabilities $ 126,538,152 $ 138,437,510 $ (11,899,358)

General Fund - Fund Balance$

Mill

ions

Figure 1: General Fund - Fund Balance

2014 2013

2.960.77

13.41

UnassignedAssignedNonspendable

2.750.79

15.09


Table 1: General Fund Revenues and Expenditures

Gen

eral

Fun

d - R

even

ues &

Exp

endi

ture

s as

of S

ept.

30, 2

014

and

2013

Revenues by Source:Taxes: Real Property, Net Utility Taxes Local Telecom Services Tax Other TaxesLicenses and PermitsIntergovernmental: State Revenue Sharing Half-cent Sales Tax Other IntergovernmentalCharges for Services: Fire Assessment Indirect Costs Other Charges for ServicesFines and ForfeituresMiscellaneous RevenuesTransfers from Other Funds: From Utility From General Government Total RevenuesExpenditures by Department:Neighborhood ImprovementEconomic DevelopmentPlanning and Development ServicesAdministrative ServicesCity CommissionClerk of the CommissionCity ManagerCity AuditorCity AttorneyInformation TechnologiesBudget & FinanceEqual OpportunityPublic WorksPoliceFireCombined Communications CenterFacilities ManagementParks, Recreation and Cultural AffairsHuman ResourcesRisk ManagementCommunicationsNon DepartmentalTransfers to Debt Service FundsTransfers to Other Funds Total ExpendituresExcess of Revenues Over/(Under) Expenditures

Fund Balance, Oct. 1Fund Balance, Sept. 30

2014

$ 22,530,748 10,412,699

4,431,329 1,793,541

924,195

2,904,795 6,672,508 2,270,488

5,096,180 5,269,321 3,182,934 1,360,788 1,921,357

37,316,841 546,670

106,634,394

1,178,338 174,680

1,587,875 375,293 370,560 594,786 908,324 492,393

1,512,396 1,888,717 2,568,277

665,829 9,771,542

31,675,605 16,876,340

4,077,690 1,994,975 6,957,899 1,077,882

6,633 369,204

3,268,929 11,304,604

5,448,862 105,147,633

1,486,761

17,140,463 $ 18,627,224

2013

$ 22,407,757 10,780,430

4,676,956 1,757,449

899,441

2,682,857 6,441,998 2,061,581

5,156,311 4,969,760 2,922,591 1,172,915

52,928

36,656,458 869,697

103,509,129

1,215,847 141,986

1,377,706 384,467 367,939 632,876 781,215 492,475

1,576,225 1,816,000 2,579,694

589,656 9,443,810

32,861,287 15,535,126

3,608,769 1,968,127 7,138,733 1,258,991

6,140 373,252

2,855,543 10,243,129

6,807,398 104,056,391

(547,262)

17,687,725 $ 17,140,463

FINANCIAL INFORMATION 33

financial reporTingThis financial summary and history is based upon a condensed view of the city’s assets and liabilities for only the General Fund of the city at a specific point in time, Sept. 30, 2014, which was the end of the city’s fiscal year (table 3).

CURRENT ASSETS are highly liquid and include cash, investments, inventories and receivables.

CAPITAL ASSETS (table 4 and figure 2) are the city’s long-term investments in land, buildings, equipment, improvements, infrastructure and construction in progress. The stated values represent the original cost less an amount for accumulated depreciation. While current assets are available to finance regular city operations, capital assets are not.

economic ouTlookThe economic landscape in Gainesville continues to be dominated by the government sector. Many jobs in Gainesville are provided by federal, state or local government. This reliance on jobs from outside the private sector tends to modify Gainesville’s reaction to external economic stimuli, such that the local economy grows less rapidly than others during boom periods, but also suffers less during economic declines. The unemployment rate has decreased to 5.0 percent as of September 2014. This rate is lower than the state’s unemployment rate of 6.9 percent at the same point in time. Enrollment at the University of Florida, the city’s largest employer, increased during the last 10 years from 48,765 to 49,555.

governmenTal fundsGOVERNMENTAL FUNDS are accounting segregations of city activities that are budgetarily oriented and not business-type activities. The following are the city’s governmental fund types.

The GENERAL FUND reflects the majority of the financial activity of departments within city government. Taxes, user fees and transfers from other city departments (including GRU) make up the majority of funding sources.

SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS are used to account for specific revenue sources that are restricted to expenditures for specified purposes. The sources of these funds include federal and state grants. These monies are normally spent over an extended period of time and are reflected on the financial statements until the programs are completed.

DEBT SERVICE FUNDS are used to account for receipt and payment of general long-term debt proceeds, principal and interest. The city typically issues bonds in order to finance capital projects.

CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDS account for financial resources to be used for the acquisition or construction of major facilities or improvements (figure 3). Capital projects are projects which include the installation, construction or major repair and maintenance of the city’s infrastructure. These can include construction, buildings (fire stations, operation centers, etc.), parks, drainage improvements, paving new streets, resurfacing paved streets, sidewalk installation and more, typically costing $25,000 or more. The sources of these funds are usually General Fund transfers, gas tax, federal and state grants and debt issues. The city maintains a five-year Capital Improvement Plan, which was adopted by the City Commission for 2013 through 2017.

General Fund - Balance Sheetas of Sept. 30, 2014 and 2013

2014 2013AssetsCash and Investments $ 12,916,401 $ 9,630,831 Other Assets 9,809,523 11,311,109 Total Assets 22,725,924 20,941,940 LiabilitiesAccounts Payable and Accrued Payroll 3,541,754 3,254,250 Other Liabilities 556,946 547,227 Total Liabilities 4,098,700 3,801,477 Fund BalanceNonspendableInventories 13,249 18,050 Long-term ReceivablesLifeQuest and PC Loans 162,974 137,284 CRA Notes 2,577,275 2,804,253 Assigned 785,753 772,730 Unassigned 15,087,973 13,408,146 Total Fund Balance $ 18,627,224 $ 17,140,463

Table 3: General Fund Balance Sheet


proprietary fundsPROPRIETARY FUNDS are used to account for the government’s ongoing organizations and activities that are similar to those often found in the private sector. They are divided into two main categories: Enterprise and Internal Services.

ENTERPRISE FUNDS are self-supporting activities that provide service to the public on a user-charge basis. They are financed and operated in the same way private businesses operate. The mission of these entities is to provide goods and/or services to the public, while covering the cost of operations. Any profits are invested back into the entity for capital maintenance and acquisition.

INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS are used to give an accounting for activities provided by one governmental fund to other governmental funds. The charges for those services are designed for cost recovery only.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Governmental Activities Business-type Activities * Total2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013

Land $ 32,906,986 $ 30,338,301 $ 7,279,223 $ 7,270,473 $ 40,186,209 $ 37,608,774 Buildings 51,649,358 34,962,718 5,953,583 5,054,040 57,602,941 40,016,758 Improvements 9,454,893 7,577,012 2,001,636 10,954,067 11,456,529 18,531,079 Machinery and Equipment 10,961,495 10,726,014 18,090,331 19,162,326 29,051,826 29,888,340 Infrastructure 78,021,991 65,172,974 11,891,638 10,596,021 89,913,629 75,768,995 Construction in Progress 27,499,708 40,649,374 48,123,679 20,493,190 75,623,387 61,142,564 Total $210,494,431 $189,426,393 $93,340,090 $73,530,117 $303,834,521 $262,956,510

General Government Capital Assets*as of Sept. 30, 2014 and 2013 (Net Depreciation)

Table 4: General Government Capital Assets (*excluding Gainesville Regional Utilities)

Figure 2: General Government Capital Assets (*excluding Gainesville Regional Utilities)

General Government Capital Assets* as of Sept. 30, 2014

Land - $40.2 millionBuildings - $57.6 million

Improvements - $11.5 million

Machinery & Equipment - $29.1 million

Infrastructure - $89.9 million

Construction in Progress - $75.6 million

35


fiduciary fundsFIDUCIARY FUNDS are used to account for resources held for the benefit of parties outside the government. These funds are not available as sources for the city’s own programs. The city’s fiduciary fund type includes Pension, Disability and Other Post Employment Benefit (OPEB) Trust Funds. The trust fund net assets totaled just over $624.1 million on Sept. 30, 2014. They experienced increases in net assets during FY14 as the economy continues to recover from the recession of prior years.

debt administration The city’s required principal and interest payments on outstanding debt were remitted timely and in full during fiscal year 2014. The city’s total bonded long-term liabilities at the end of the current fiscal year were $126.5 million, which excludes all debt belonging to the utility (table 4). The city has approximately $6.1 million of this debt due during FY15.

component unitsThe Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency and the Gainesville Enterprise Zone Development Agency were created by ordinance of the city to carry out community redevelopment within the city of Gainesville. The City Commission appoints the boards of these organizations and approves their budgets. The Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency’s purpose is to correct blighting influences through construction of enhancements to public places and land. Improving derelict buildings helps to create an environment conducive to private investment. The Gainesville Enterprise Zone Development Agency targets areas for economic revitalization. It offers financial incentives to businesses to encourage private investment and to increase employment opportunity for the areas’ residents. Three non-contiguous business districts within the City of Gainesville make up the zone.

Capital Projects - Fiscal Year 2014 General Government Expenditures in

Capital Projects Funds

Figure 3: Capital Projects for Fiscal Year 2014

New Construction & Renovations - $10.6 millionRoads & Drainage -

$ 6.9 million

Recreation Facilities & Equipment - $1.0 million

Equipment & Computers - $1.6 million

37FINANCIAL INFORMATION

0

1

2

3

4

5

Trend in Millage RatesM

illag

e Ra

tes

Figure 4: 10 Year Trend in Millage Rates

During the budget process, the Gainesville City Commission sets the millage rate (property tax), which is effective Oct. 1 of each year. One mill represents $1 of tax charged per $1,000 of assessed value.

MILLAGE RATES (figure 4) are levied based on debt service and operating needs. The millage rate for FY14 is 4.578.

0

5

10

15

20

25

Property Tax Revenues

$ M

illio

ns

Figure 5: 10 Year Trend in Property Tax Revenues

PROPERTY TAX REVENUES (figure 5) are primarily driven by the value of residential and commercial property, and represent 21.1 percent of the City of Gainesville’s total general fund revenues.

Advisory Boards & Committees


City of Gainesville Advisory Boards and Committees: The boards are comprised of citizens with an interest, or expertise, in a specific issue or program. They advise and are appointed by the Gainesville City Commission. Volunteering countless hours, the diverse citizenry of our Citizen Advisory Boards and Committees provide valued input, insight and assistance to staff and the City Commission in addressing important issues to our city. The following is a listing of current Citizen Advisory Boards and Committees. You can learn about the duties of these boards and committees, as well as any current openings, on our website.• Art in Public Places Trust (5 members: 3 city, 2

county)• Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Board (12 members: 4

city, 4 county, 4 MTPO)• Board of Adjustment (5 members: City residency

required)• Board of Trustees of the Consolidated Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Retirement Plan (5 members: City residency

required for the two appointed by the City Commission)• Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Community Development (15 members)• City Beautification Board (15 members)• City Plan Board (7 members: City residency required)• Development Review Board (7 members: City residency required)• Fire Safety Board of Adjustment (5 members)• Gainesville Energy Advisory Committee (9 members)• Gainesville Enterprise Zone Development Agency (8 members)• Gainesville Housing Authority (5 members)• Gainesville Human Rights Board (7 members: City residency required)• Gainesville/Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board (15 members: 10 city, 5 county)• Gainesville/Alachua County Regional Airport Authority (9 members 5 city, 1 county, 3 governor)• Historic Preservation Board (9 members: City residency required)• Nature Centers Commission (12 members)• Pension Review Committee (5 members: Successful investment and advisory experience required)• Public Recreation and Parks Board (9 members)• Regional Transit System Advisory Board (9 members: 6 city, 3 county. City residency required for city appointees)• State Housing Initiatives Partnership (11 members: City residency required) • Student Community Relations Advisory Board (7 members: City residency required)• Tree Advisory Board (5 members)• Tree Board of Appeals (3 members)

Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Citizen Advisory Boards: To the extent possible, members of each redevelopment advisory board should reside or work in the area. Members are appointed by the Community Redevelopment Agency board. • College Park/University Heights Redevelopment Advisory Board (9 members)• Downtown Redevelopment Advisory Board (7 members)• Eastside Redevelopment Advisory Board (7 members)• Fifth Avenue/Pleasant Street Redevelopment Advisory Board (7 members)

The Story of Rosa Parks - History of a Bus Station by Suzanna Mars, finalist in the annual photography contest

39

Contacting the City

If you would like more information about city services, please contact the appropriate department. For numbers not listed, please call the city’s main line at 352-334-5000 or visit www.cityofgainesville.org.

Persons with disabilities who require assistance to participate in City Commission meetings should notify the Equal Opportunity Office at 334-5051 or call the TDD line at 334-2069 at least 48 hours in advance.

About This Report This report was prepared by the Communications Office to inform residents about the City of Gainesville, its operations, services, programs and financial condition. It is suitable for readers that prefer an overview or summary of city government activities. The following pages provide brief descriptive information about your government’s organizational structure and how that structure relates to the services provided to Gainesville’s residents. We hope this report will give you a better understanding of the services provided by the city, its accomplishments and its overall financial condition. We welcome your comments and suggestions for improving this report.

Photography Photographers of varying experience levels participated in the Sixth Annual Gainesville Photography Contest. Pictures that were submitted express the growth and vitality of Gainesville as a special place to live, work and play; photos that depict Gainesville’s physical and natural beauty. We are pleased to present some of the photos throughout this report, including the grand prize winner, “Waxed Rose,” by Allan Austria (shown at right and featured on the cover). This photograph and the other finalists will be on display at City Hall in early 2015. Additionally, the 2015 printable calendar containing all finalists can be found on our website at www.cityofgainesville.org. Other photography contest entries are shown and noted throughout this report. Other photographs within this report that were not part of the photography contest were taken by various city staff.

Assistant City Managers334-5010

Communications Office334-5017

Ironwood Golf Course334-3120

Budget & Finance334-5054

Community Redevelopment Agency334-2205www.gainesvillecra.com

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs334-5067

Building Inspection Department334-5050

Economic Development & Innovation393-8614

Planning Department334-5023

City Attorney334-5011

Equal Opportunity334-5051www.gainesvilleequalopportunity.org

Police334-2400www.gainesvillepd.org

City Commission334-5016

Fire Rescue334-5078

Public Works334-5070

City Manager334-5010

Gainesville Regional Utilities334-3400www.gru.com

Regional Transit System334-2600www.go-rts.com

Clerk of the Commission334-5015

Housing & Community Development334-5026

Solid Waste334-2330

Code Enforcement334-5030

Human Resources334-5077

Traffic Operations393-8155

Waxed Rose by Allan Austria, grand prize winner of the Sixth Annual Photography Contest.

Communications OfficePO Box 490, Station 6Gainesville, FL 32627

20

14

get connectedConnect with the City of Gainesville to stay in touch with what is going on in your community. You can stay abreast of Gainesville events, news and local issues in a variety of ways. All you have to do is decide which way works best for you.

Attend a City Commission meeting or an advisory board or committee meeting.

Connect with Gainesville on our openGNV platform, including dataGNV, engageGNV, statGNV and talkGNV.

Connect with Gainesville on various social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Sign up online for Municipal Minutes, Gainesville’s monthly e-newsletter, delivered directly to your inbox. You can also subscribe to receive City of Gainesville press releases via email.

Watch Community 12TV online or take a look at the schedule and watch at home. Some of Community 12TV’s programming can also be viewed on our YouTube Channel.

2014 city of gainesville citizen's report: reimagining public service

Documents