Highlights from the February 24, 2026 County Commission Meeting | | |
These highlights will give residents a quick review of the most recent County Commission meeting and provide video, agenda, and other useful links.
Gun Violence Prevention Alliance
The County Commission heard a presentation from the Community Gun Violence Prevention Alliance about its five-year strategic plan. The alliance is a partnership between the county, City of Gainesville, Santa Fe College and Children’s Trust.
The alliance has multiple goals, including reducing firearm-related injuries and juvenile gun-related arrests; reducing recidivism; educating people on proper gun storage; strengthening family stability; and working with the School Board of Alachua County on prevention efforts by creating a coordinated “system of care” to provide programs and resources for area youth.
County staff will continue planning and collaborating as an alliance member to help prioritize the plan's strategies.
Read the complete highlights for this meeting.
| | County Seeks Grant Applicants for East Gainesville Legacy Project | | |
The Alachua County Division of Housing and Strategic Development is seeking qualified applicants to submit innovative proposals for a grant to develop the “East Gainesville Legacy Project.”
Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026, and must be submitted to housing@alachuacounty.us. Late submissions will not be accepted or considered. Early submissions are encouraged.
The project focuses on creating sustainable, affordable homeownership opportunities to improve residents' quality of life and boost the local economy. It will develop market-rate and affordable single-family homes and create opportunities for homeownership and neighborhood revitalization. The initiative stems from feedback emphasizing the need for workforce housing and market-rate housing in the area.
The East Gainesville Legacy Project is a significant investment in housing, economic growth and community development. The location for the project is a 13-acre site at the corner of Southeast 15th Street and Southeast 8th Avenue, near the Lincoln Heights and Azalea Trail neighborhoods.
View and download the East Gainesville Legacy Project grant application.
| | 2026 Alachua County Youth Fair & Livestock Show | |
The Alachua County Youth Fair and Livestock Show Association is excited to announce the return of the upcoming 2026 Alachua County Youth Fair & Livestock Show.
Youth Fair & Livestock Show – March 5-10, 2026, at the Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian Center (23100 W. Newberry Road, Newberry).
The fair is a free, educational platform for youth in Alachua County interested in agriculture. Youth will exhibit both livestock and non-livestock 4-H & FFA projects.
“The Youth Fair benefits agriculture and the local community by providing an educational opportunity for youth to learn about production agriculture,” said UF/IFAS Extension Director Cindy Sanders. “Working with livestock and other agricultural events through the Youth Fair prepares future citizens of Alachua County to be knowledgeable about agriculture production and land use. This benefits Alachua County by providing citizens the opportunity to see our 4-H & FFA youth projects."
Visit the Alachua County Youth Fair & Livestock Show website for more information and the schedule.
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After reviewing Alachua County’s current wildland fire conditions and in consultation with state officials, the mandatory countywide burn ban has been extended and will remain in effect through Feb. 27, 2026.
Residents are urged to exercise extreme caution as severe drought conditions continue to significantly increase wildfire risk across our community.
In response to worsening drought conditions and elevated wildfire activity statewide, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 26-33, declaring a State of Emergency that includes Alachua County. The order recognizes the growing wildfire threat resulting from critically dry conditions across Florida.
Read more about the Burn Ban.
| | Veterans Stand Down and Resource Fair | | |
Alachua County Veteran Services, in collaboration with community partners, will host the Veterans Stand Down and Resource Fair on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Santa Fe College Blount Center (530 W. University Avenue, Gainesville).
The event is free and open to all veterans. It aims to reduce barriers to care, support stability and strengthen connections between veterans and the community resources available to them.
Find out more about Veterans Stand Down event.
| | Cuscowilla Summer Camp Registration Opens March 1 | | |
Adventure, exploration and outdoor fun return to Cuscowilla Nature and Retreat Center this summer.
Registration opens at 8 a.m. on March 1, 2026, for this year’s camp, themed “Nature Navigators.”
Seven separate weeks of day camp will run June 8 through July 24, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Children ages 7 to 11 may register for individual weeks or the full summer. Weekly activities include archery, swimming lessons, kayaking, outdoor skills, arts and crafts, and field trips throughout Alachua County.
Learn more about Cuscowilla summer camps.
| | The My Alachua County App Is Here! | | |
The My Alachua County app is here!
Access commonly used county resources anytime, anywhere. This free mobile app puts county services, news, and timely notifications right at your fingertips.
Get updates on county news, meetings, events, road projects, weather alerts, services and more.
Download My Alachua County today on the Apple App Store or Google Play:
IOS: https://tinyurl.com/n293e9ec
Android: https://tinyurl.com/msnvbur6
| | Volunteer Crisis Line Counselors Needed | | |
The Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center is seeking caring, compassionate volunteers to serve as crisis line counselors. The next training class begins Tuesday, March 3, 2026, and runs for six weeks. The center asks for a minimum commitment of nine months. There is no fee for the training, and applicants do not need to possess any specific degrees or experience to attend.
Volunteers serve as counselors who answer the agency's 24/7 crisis helpline while the office is closed during nights, weekends and holidays. Volunteers receive 40 hours of training on crisis intervention, advocacy and the dynamics of interpersonal violence.
Applicants meet twice a week for virtual group training classes and interactive role plays facilitated by the agency's staff. Upon completion, volunteers are certified in Advocacy Core Training through the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence.
Potential volunteers must submit an online application.
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County EPD Senior Planner Published in Peer-Reviewed Florida Academy of Science | | |
Alachua County is proud to announce that Greg Owen, a senior planner within the county’s Environmental Protection Department, was recently one of several authors published in the peer-reviewed journal of the Florida Academy of Science for research examining nitrogen levels in the Santa Fe River Basin.
The research article explains how, since the 1950s, development and land use have increased nitrogen in groundwater that feeds the Santa Fe River. A network of groundwater monitoring wells was established to monitor water quality trends. In 2008, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) declared the river impaired and set a goal to reduce nitrate levels to 0.35 milligrams per liter.
Read more about the article.
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