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Lake City News
Index
2020-2019-2018
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Lake City News 2020
2019-2018
(scroll down)
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Posted
December 15, 2020 10:35 am
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA
COUNTY, FL – A week ago
Monday, Fred Koberlein, Jr., Lake City's City
Attorney, survived a vote of no confidence. A
"closer look" shows Attorney Koberlein came up
short across the board.
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Posted
December 10, 2020 01:35 pm
LAKE CITY,
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On Monday
evening, Lake City's Utility Director Paul Dyal
was to report to the City Council the status of
Lake City's utilities. With economic development
depending on access to utilities, water, sewer,
and gas, this report was of great significance
to the future of Lake City – Columbia County.
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Posted
December 8, 2020 01:23 pm
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night's
City Council meeting had a surprise ending when
Councilman Jake Hill moved to terminate
controversial City Attorney Fred Koberlein's
contract with Lake City.
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Posted
December 7, 2020 02:25 pm
LAKE CITY,
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Lately, utilities in
Columbia County – Lake City have been a hot
button issue. During the November 16 City
Council meeting, City Councilman Todd
Sampson asked for the City's Utility
Director to present the current state of the
City's Utilities.
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Posted
December 5, 2020 08:40 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Columbia County has long been known for its
quintessential backroom dealing. Lately, it
has gone over the top with utility deals
between the County and the City. Both
Columbia County and Lake City are ignoring
their written utility vetting policies.
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Posted
December 2, 2020 09:35 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Yesterday, City Clerk Audrey
Sikes broke a Lake City tradition of decades of
'last minute' government and got the City agenda
posted to the City's website a week before the
next City Council meeting.
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Posted
November 17, 2020 05:59 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – The 2021 Lake City Council took shape last night when
new City Councilman Todd Sampson and Veteran
Councilman Jake Hill, and Mayor Steve Witt took
their oaths-of-office.
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Posted
November 11, 2020 11:15 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – In a process that began in 2006, Columbia County
modified its Land Use Plan to include a
mixed-use development of 2,593.96 acres to
accommodate Plum Creek's development of an
industrial – residential megasite. Fourteen
years later, there is still no utility plan.
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Posted
October6, 2020 07:35 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Last evening in City Hall, Lake
City's City Council held its Fourth-First
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public
hearing. Four, First public hearings may be a
record in Florida, or even America, as the City
continues flying by the seat of its CDBG pants.
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Posted
September 30, 2020 03:50 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – For the past three months,
Lake City's firefighters, members of the
International Association of Fire Fighters, have
been actively negotiating a new contract with
the City. The final hang-up: should the City's
fire fighters receive the across the board 2%
cost of living raise received by every other
City employee, including the City Manager?
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Posted
September 28, 2020 04:35 am | updated
03:14 pm
LAKE CITY,
FL – In its haste to ignore Lake City’s
areas of blight, City Manager Joe
Helfenberger scheduled a Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) public
hearing, which doesn't meet the minimum
statutory notice requirements.
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Posted
August 14, 2020 01:30 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Lake City's firefighters have
to respond at a moment's notice to the VA and
the
other two hospitals in Lake City, as well as
many public schools, hotels, most of the
County's businesses and multiple dwelling units
and trailer parks. If one thought in return the
City could provide the firefighters with timely
access to on-going contract modifications they
would be wrong.
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Posted
August 6, 2020 10:55 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Monday's City-Lake City Fire Union negotiations
were focused on moving forward toward the issue
of firefighter pay and retainment. While the
City seemed to grasp it was losing experienced
firefighters to other communities, it wasn't
entirely clear if it wanted to do something
about it.
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Posted
July 30, 2020 03:00 pm
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On Tuesday morning, July 28, the Lake
City Firefighters Union sat down with the City
to review the City proposed contract. At times,
it was contentious and not pretty as both sides
acknowledged that the firefighters haven't
received a raise since 2003.
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Posted
July 7, 2020 11:45 pm
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Two weeks after
the untimely death of George Floyd, the City
Council was confronted by a nation removing post
Civil War monuments throughout the South and a
request by community activist Sylvester Warren
to remove Lake City's 1928 Confederate Memorial
Monument in its downtown Olustee Park.
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Posted
June 24, 2020 09:25 pm
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
The City Charter Review Board met virtually on
Monday. On its agenda was an item entitled
"Enhanced Public Notice," which would have
mandated timely notice and the inclusion of
agenda material on the Lake City website.
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Posted
June 14, 2020 10:59 pm
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – On Lake
City's Monday night agenda is a discussion item
added by City Manager Joe Helfenberger:
"Comments about petition to remove monuments
from Olustee Park and change name of the park."
The City Manager appears to have gotten cold
feet and is going to try and have the agenda
item removed. Elected officials and leading
citizens are against any postponement.
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Posted
May 31, 2020 11:05 am
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – The only
woman on the Lake City City Council has decided
not to run for a fourth term. Two challengers
are running to fill the soon to be vacated seat:
Alden Rosner, a Florida native who now makes his
home in Lake City, and Todd Sampson, a life-long
City resident.
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Posted May
21, 2020 10:15 pm
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – During a
virtual/simulcast meeting of the Columbia County
Tourist Development Board (TDC) on Wednesday,
Lake City's own Nick Patel gave a rundown on his
Lake City hotel business. It wasn't pretty.
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Posted
April 19, 2020 01:58 pm
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Despite confusion and disarray using the WebEx
virtual platform and no toll free number, Lake
City continues to give it its best shot and is
planning 2 virtual meetings on Monday night.
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Posted
April 13, 2020 10:52 pm
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Early today
Mayor Steve Witt told the Observer he has
decided to run for a 5th term. For a while the
Mayor was undecided. He said, "People that I
trust asked me to run again."
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Posted
April 8, 2020 04:55 pm
LAKE CITY, COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Beginning in
2009, the Blanche Hotel in downtown Lake City
has been a matter of government and public
concern and hope. After 11 years of debate,
public record violations, and a split vote by
the City Council to gift $1,000,000 to the
Blanche Developers, the Blanche is back.
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Posted
April 6, 2020 11:30 am
LAKE CITY, FL – As of Sunday
evening there were almost 340,000 confirmed
cases of coronavirus in the US, with deaths
approaching 10,000. Florida had 12,350 cases.
Tonight, Monday evening at 6 pm, the City,
following various guidelines and plain common
sense, will attempt to hold a virtual meeting.
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Posted
April 2, 2020 09:05 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
A 12th hour decision has the Lake City, City
Council meeting at 10:00 a.m. this morning.
While recent emergency measures allow for
virtual meetings, the City did not prepare and
is having its meeting in City Hall, although it
recommends calling in to attend. There is no
video feed.
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Posted
February 29, 2020 09:15 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Thursday evening, 11 years
after the Columbia County Observer
discovered and documented the abysmal state
of disrepair of Lake City's Blanche Hotel,
a veritable death trap that was being ignored by
the City fathers, developer Rhett Holmes and
Mayor Steve Witt cut the grand opening ribbon of
the 'new' Blanche.
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Posted
February 5, 2020 09:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Monday night, except for Councilwoman Melinda
Moses, the City Council stood tall against
in-the-shadows conversations with developers,
their agents, and others coming before the
Council or its subordinate boards engaging in
quasi-judicial hearings or proceedings.
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Posted
January 21, 2020 05:15 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Lake City Councilman Chris
Greene, during the last City Council meeting
said, "This Council should not rework our
schedule for my work schedule." A few weeks
before, the City Council did just that.
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Posted January 14, 2020
11:40 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY / LAKE CITY, FL – Last
night at the Lake Shore Hospital Authority,
the Governor appointed Board declared 12
parcels, bought in crazed buying spree in
2006, surplus to the Authority's needs and
gifted the property to the City of Lake
City.
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Posted
January 7, 2020 08:30 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
Once again, a lack of legal advice leaves Lake
City lurching, with City Manager Helfenberger
and the City Clerk scrambling to re-notice
Monday's January 13 City Council meeting.
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Posted
December 2, 2019 08:30 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
Tonight, the City Council will decide who is
calling the shots when it comes to paying a $54k
road paving bill: City Attorney Fred Koberlein,
Jr., who has advised the City not to pay; or
City Manager Joe Helfenberger, who advised, "The
work was well done...The right thing to do is to
pay the bill."
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Posted
November 27, 2019 04:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
This past Thursday night, November 21, the
Columbia County 5 pledged $15,000 of Columbia
County tax dollars for a marketing campaign
designed to inform the public not to give money
to panhandlers.
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Posted November 14,
2019 11:00 am
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Last night at the
Lake Shore Hospital Authority, Lake City's
City Manager Joe Helfenberger made his pitch
for four parcels of property bought by the
Authority during a crazed buying spree begun
in 2006. The City is looking to build a new
City municipal complex in downtown Lake
City.
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Posted
November 7, 2019 04:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Tucked away on Monday night's
City Council agenda was the issue of paying a
road contractor for work completed on time and
on budget. City Manager Joe Helfenberger said it
was "a job well done" and the bill should be
paid. City Attorney Koberlein said, 'don't pay
the bill'.
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Posted
November 4, 2019 01:42 pm
COLUMBIA
COUNTY/LAKE CITY, FL – Last Thursday, the United
Way Homeless Coalition subcommittee met to
discuss an advertising campaign to discourage
people in Columbia County from giving money to
panhandlers (and the homeless).
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Posted
October 15, 2019 11:50 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – The City Council and the Homeless County 5
(the County Commission) met in City Hall last
night to discuss issues of mutual interest. The
hot topic of the evening was the New City Hall
proposal and shared use with the County 5.
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Posted
October 7, 2019 04:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
In August 2018, 20 year Council veteran, Eugene
Jefferson, ran for City Council, won, and was
sued to have him removed from office. Tonight he
is scheduled to ask the City Council to have the
taxpayers pay his legal fees.
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Posted
September 23, 2019 09:40 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Unforeseen events have delayed
the start date of Vince Akhimie, Lake City's new
Assistant City Manager to Monday, October 14,
coincidentally the date of the next City-County
joint meeting.
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Posted
September 16, 2019 07:30 am
LAKE CITY, FL – A last minute change to Lake City's agenda has Lake
City's new Assistant City Manager, Vince
Akhimie, introducing himself to the public and
staff members at 5:15 pm this evening before the
Council meeting is gaveled to order at 6 pm.
City Manager Helfenberger said, "There will be
snacks."
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Posted
September 5, 2019 02:55 am
LAKE CITY, FL – On Tuesday night, September 3, the City Council
breezed through its budget items, approving the
2020 City fire assessment, the budget, and after
a few hiccups, let its prior approval of a
renewed contract with Waste Pro for City trash
collection and construction and demolition
debris stand.
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Posted
August 24, 2019 12:45 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
In May, Lake City began searching far and wide
for an Assistant City Manager; applicants
applied from all over America. On August 19,
Vince Akhimie, P.E., a person with over 25 years
of senior local government management
experience, accepted City Manager Joe
Helfenberger's offer to become Lake City's Asst.
City Manager.
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Posted
August 23, 2019 11:15 am
LAKE CITY, FL – On Wednesday, August 21, Waste
Pro served up three pricing options to go along
with the four previously presented to the City
Council. Waste Pro is asking the Council to pick
an option at its September 3 Council meeting. If
the Council does not decide, the contract will
be extended for five more years as is.
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Posted
August 21, 2019 02:10 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Lake City, Florida, has some of
the lowest residential garbage pickup rates in
Florida. Three of the five City Council members
may be putting those rates in jeopardy.
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Posted
August 19, 2019 02:10 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
This evening, the City Council may be deciding
whether to end Waste Pro's exclusive franchise
for roll off and commercial waste. If
exclusivity is denied, City residents can expect
a rate increase of up to 28%, or more if Waste
Pro's contract is not renewed.
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Posted
August 5, 2019 02:59 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Tonight in City Hall, City
Manager Joe Helfenberger will be advancing his
continuing plan to secure the City's IT
resources from another cyber attack. It will be
expensive.
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Posted July
14, 2019 09:35 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – Columbia County's
homeless and panhandler issues have been swept
under the carpet for the past 10 years. Some
think United Way is the problem.
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Posted July
11, 2019 09:00 pm |
Updated July 12, 2019
COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL – During Monday
evening's joint Lake City / Columbia County
meeting of the elected leaders and top
management of both bodies, the number one topic
was the homeless and panhandlers.
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Posted July
2, 2019 09:15 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Last night in City Hall it
wasn't only the City's Rules of Procedure that
were being questioned, it was the process
itself.
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Posted July
2, 2019 09:15 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – After months of discussing
changes to Lake City's Rules of Procedure, rules
which had not been problematic for over a
decade, the City Council's proposed new rules
hit a roadblock of resistance.
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Posted June
25, 2019 07:45 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Monday morning the Lake City
City Council met in an unposted, unnoticed
special meeting to approve the payment of a 42
Bitcoin ransom (Monday value approximately
$462k) so the City could attempt to get its
locked down and encrypted data back.
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Posted June
11, 2019 01:00 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Sometime over the weekend
the city government of Lake City, Florida
was hit with a virus-malware attack that the
IT department claimed was the "Triple
Threat." The third leg of the "Triple
Threat" is a request for ransom. As of 9:20
am Monday, the City Manager said the City
has not been asked for a ransom and so far
he has not said it has.
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Posted May
28, 2019 04:00 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
The City of Lake City is accepting applications
for the position of Assistant City Manager. This
is administrative and technical management work
requiring independent judgment and a high degree
of responsibility in assisting the City Manager
in performing functions and activities necessary
for the effective operation of Lake City.
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Posted May
21, 2019 06:00 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Last night in City Hall
began innocently, with long time resident
Sandra Smith addressing the City Council
commenting on the rules of procedure for
public speakers and the City giving a
"soapbox" for any comments at all.
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Posted May
13, 2019 11:30 am
LAKE CITY, FL – For the last few years, if
one attended a Lake City, City Council
meeting, sitting at the table off to the
left in the front of the room along with the
City's Director of Finance, was Assistant
City Manager Grayson Cason. After 18 years
with Lake City, Mr. Cason is retiring on May
31.
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Posted May
9, 2019 02:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – With over $10 mil in utility projects on the drawing
board and millions in other projects Lake
City and Columbia County are finally
realizing the fruits of their location. Lake
City, the Gateway to Florida, on the
intersection of I-75 and I-10, is looking
for an Assistant City Manager.
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Posted May
7, 2019 04:15 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Last night in City Hall
Mayor Witt proclaimed May 5-11 City Clerks
Week. This was not just another
proclamation, but also an act of well earned
recognition of City Clerk Audrey Sikes,
Deputy Clerk Katy McCrary, and staff
assistant Nikki Starling, who are
collectively the information center for the
City government and the community.
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Posted May
5, 2019 11:59 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – During the past couple of
months there has been much discussion
regarding the Lake City Council's rules of
procedure and public participation. There
have been suggestions and counter
suggestions, with one councilperson moving
the City backwards and another hop scotching
the fence from following the lead of the
County's more meaningful public comment
rules to agreeing with moving the City
backwards in time.
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April 23, 2019
07:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Meeting rules for public participation were a hot
topic at last night's City Council workshop.
Councilwoman Melinda Moses was not open for
rules that allowed for timely public
comment. No member of the public spoke in
support of her old guard policy of
disjointed public comments which could have
speakers making comments so far in advance
of an item coming up for action that the
Council members would be hard pressed to
remember what the public had to say.
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Posted
April 22, 2019 07:55 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
A few weeks ago, City Councilman Jake Hill said
that City Hall is and has been referred to as
the "White House." He was not explaining the
color of the building, but the color of its
occupants and employees throughout the City. The
City Council is looking inward this evening.
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Posted
April 1, 2019 08:25 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
Tonight, April 1, the City Council has an
extensive agenda with 8 resolutions, a Community
Development Block Grant public hearing, which
links the City and the County, and other
business on the docket. The agenda with
supporting information has not been made
available on the internet; neither has the short
version. The 5 pm special meeting agenda is also
not available.
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Posted
March 5, 2019 01:15 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – IDP's Dennille Decker came to
the microphone last night to give the City
Council and the attending public an update on
the $15 mil Blanche reconstruction. Long a
controversial project and the hallmark of former
City Manager Wendell Johnson's career, in about
90 days everyone, will know if City Manager
Johnson's vision will pay off.
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March
4, 2019 07:40 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Tonight in City Hall, the City Council has an
extensive agenda with 14 ordinances and 9
resolutions on the docket. The agenda with
all supporting information is 406 pages and has
not been made available on the internet. Neither
has the short version.
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Posted
February 7, 2019 12:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
After going over the City Council approved rules
for addressing the Council and asking all
speakers to address their comments to the
Council "as a whole..." Mayor Witt invited Lake
City resident and community activist Sylvester
Warren to the microphone.
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Posted
February 7, 2019 12:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Monday night, February 4,
2019, Lake City Mayor Steve Witt, for the
first time since January 21, 2014,
specifically referenced the City's rules of
"Decorum." The rules were brought up
matter-of-factly before any speakers were
invited to the lectern to address the City
Council. Lake City resident and community
activist Sylvester Warren was caught by
surprise. City Manager Joe Helfenberger
wasn't. Both had a problem abiding by the
rules.
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Posted
February 5, 2019 07:10 pm
LAKE CITY, FL – Last night in City Hall,
Mayor Steve Witt proclaimed the month of
February Black History Month.
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Lake City News 2018
(scroll down)
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Posted
December 19, 2018 08:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Monday night, December 17, little noticed on the
City Council agenda was a $22,000 item which
will bring Lake City web design and agenda
preparation into the 21st century. City Manager
Helfenberger is also working to make the City
more transparent.
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Posted
November 4, 2018 04:30 am
LAKE CITY, FL – Last night in City Hall,
City Clerk Audrey Sikes gave City Councilman
Eugene Jefferson his 6th oath of office and
his wife, Betty Jefferson held the family
bible and family members looked on.
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Posted
October 24, 2018 11:59 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
With low non living wage dead end jobs
populating Lake City's US 90 corridor like a
field of wild mushrooms, local law enforcement
has felt the pressure with more traffic and
congestion. Last night in City Hall Mayor Witt,
recognizing the fact that the City had stopped
providing funeral procession escorts "years
ago," directed the City Manager to come up with
a policy for the City and the Police Department.
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Posted
October 2, 2018 07:00 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
Last night in City Hall, veteran Councilman
Eugene Jefferson received the Mayor John Land
Years of Service Award from the Florida League
of Cities.
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Posted
September 21, 2018 01:40 pm
COLUMBIA COUNTY/LAKE CITY, FL – On Wednesday
afternoon, Lake City's new city manager, Joe
Helfenberger, along with Public Works
Director Thomas Henry, and Community
Redevelopment Advisory Committee (CRAC)
member Gloria Spivey appeared before the
Tourist Development Council (TDC) looking
for money to fill a claimed $300,874
shortfall in the Waterfront Entertainment
District, half of which it wanted from the
TDC.
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Posted August 1, 2018 03:00 am
On July 30, 2018, investigators from LCPD’s
Criminal Investigation Division and the State
Attorney’s Office traveled to Asheville, North
Carolina with an arrest warrant and located...
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Posted July
30, 2018 11:10 am | Op-Ed
While I
support local news coverage, I share the
belief with many of a growing deception of
news coverage to advance personal opinion,
which if we desired, we would seek
individually and not be forced to cough
up $1.00 under the guise of news.
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Posted July
20, 2018 06:30am
LAKE CITY, FL – Wednesday morning, former
Congresswoman Corrine Brown's long time
District Supervisor (Jacksonville), Glenel
Bowden, dragged VA hospital staffer and Lake
City resident Clarence Tucker into the
Columbia County/Lake City Circuit Court
seeking an injunction to remove Mr. Tucker
from the upcoming City election ballot. Mr.
Bowden claimed that Mr. Tucker did not live
in the district to satisfy the Lake City
Charter requirement for one year prior
residency for city council candidates.
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Posted July
16, 2018 11:55 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Eighteen months ago around midnight, Mayor Steve
Witt's car drove itself into Lake DeSoto after
he left the Elks Lodge, a well known local
hangout for Columbia County's politicians,
movers and shakers. He had too much to drink.
"I was feeling dizzy because of a new blood
pressure medication I was taking and got out of
my car to get some air. I didn't take it out of
gear and it drove itself into the lake," he said
today. Six months later Mayor Witt pleads no
contest to a DUI. The story could have ended
right there, but Columbia County's mainstream
media, the local version of Pravda, had a
message to send.
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Posted July
9, 2018 09:30 am
LAKE CITY,
FL – The recent search for a city manager in
Lake City was generally an unscripted – fly
by the seat of your pants – affair. The Lake
City City Council was responsible for the
search methods and the final methodology of
the background check of the applicants. In
the civilized world, HR departments and
credit reporting agencies perform detailed
background checks of finalists. Lake City
sent two armed Lake City Police Department
(LCPD) plain clothes investigators
unannounced into the present and past
communities of the two finalists, Joe
Helfenberger and Danielle Judd.
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Posted July
8, 2018 05:45 am
LAKE CITY,
FL – Lake City should have a new City
Manager ready to begin on August 1, 2018 if
all goes according to plan during Monday
evening's City Council meeting. On the
agenda is the approval of the contract
between Joe Helfenberger and the City.
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Posted July
8, 2018 05:30 am
LAKE CITY,
FL – Those that have been driving around
downtown Lake City may have noticed activity
happening on the brick walls of City Hall.
These walls are brick façade. They are
falling down.
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Posted July
1, 2018 11:55 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Thursday's June 28, 2018 special City Council
meeting was the Friday morning main topic of
Columbia County's mainstream print media, the
Pravda of North Florida and the self-proclaimed
only Columbia County news source that you can
trust, the Lake City Reporter. While there were
a few rocky moments, in which the only
City Manager candidate left standing and
ultimate designee Joe Helfenberger was "cool –
calm – and collected," Friday's headline accused
Councilmen Jefferson and Hill of "trying to
throw up a last-minute roadblock." This was not
true.
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Posted June
28, 2018 05:00 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
Yesterday evening in City Hall, Joe Helfenberger
was the "Last Man Left Standing" in the race to
fill the City Manager position, vacated when
Wendell Johnson turned in his resignation
earlier this year and
Danielle Judd, who had finished in a
dead heat with Mr. Helfenberger, withdrew.
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Posted June
7, 2018 11:35 am
LAKE CITY,
FL – Beginning at 9 am and ending a little
after 6 pm, the City Council soldiered
through the five final candidates for the
vacated city manager job. The top two
finishers, Joseph Helfenberger and Danielle
Judd, finished in a dead heat and have been
the top two since the first tabulation by
the Council. Both candidates are different
in style and substance. The final decision
will be made at a special meeting on June 19
after the final interviews, which will begin
at 1 pm.
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Posted June
5, 2018 03:20 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Wednesday morning beginning at 9:30 am the City
Council will be interviewing the five
semifinalists who wish to be the next City
Manger. The process began with a bumpy start in
February,
City Manager Search Halted, Job Posting
Withdrawn, Council Regroups...; then gained
an even keel and faltered again in April, after
Councilman Jefferson wasn't prepared with his
candidate rankings,
City Manager Search Stalls - Starts. City
Council in Disarray. Emerg Mtng Called.
Things were smooth again until City Attorney
Fred Koberlein's suggestion that the scheduled
interview times, might not be the actual times.
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Posted May
22, 2018 11:40 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Columbia County and Lake City have one thing in
common: a school district that does not teach
the importance of effective government. Both
local governments have been plagued by elected
officials and appointed ones, all alumni of the
Columbia County School District that come to
public meetings and just cannot be heard or
understood.
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Posted May
10, 2018 09:40 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Mayor Witt got right down to business. He asked
if anyone wished to address the Council and
seeing none he addressed the Council: "I'm sure
everybody received a packet that Ms. Greene
prepared. I want to thank her for a lot of hard
work puttin' this together and our purpose
tonight is to give us a little short list and
figure out when and how many we want to
interview."
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Posted May 10, 2018 07:15 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
Lake City City Hall is shutting down from 11am
to 1pm, during lunch time for many who do their
business with the City. No one knows who gave
the order. Last night, City Councilman Eugene
Jefferson thought the building was being shut
down for maintenance. It's not. It is being shut
down for a publically funded dinner for the
City's woman workers, some of whom with their
benefits, cost taxpayers over $100k a year. The
event is voluntary.
|
Posted May
9, 2018 07:15 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
A special meeting has been called for tonight at
6 pm in City Hall to whittle down the list of
the 9 city manager semi finalists. By the
conclusion of the meeting, the City Council will
have decided which candidates to interview.
|
Posted
April 26, 2018 04:10 pm
LAKE CITY,
FL – Eight years after
hiring IBI to develop a master plan
for downtown Lake City, the Community
Redevelopment Advisory Committee (CRAC)
approved the design for an
amphitheater/bandshell for Wilson Park in
downtown Lake City.
|
Posted
April 20, 2018 10:30 pm
13 Finalist Applications & Rankings
Available in Story
LAKE CITY, FL –
Thursday evening was busy in Lake City with both
the City Council and the County 5 meeting
concurrently for the first time in the decade
that this reporter has been covering the two. On
the City's emergency-special meeting agenda was
the continuation of the new city manager search.
|
Top Initial Rankings Spreadsheet, All
Applications: Available in Story
Posted
April 18, 2018 04:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Monday night at City Hall had the City Council
searching for a way to rank and rate the 54
applicants for the City Manager spot, soon to be
vacant with the retirement of Wendell Johnson,
who is departing at the end of May.
|
Posted
April 8, 2018 10:20 am
LAKE CITY, FL –
A last minute flurry of activity had City
Manager resumes flying into Lake City the last
two days before the April 6, 12 pm deadline.
Through March 14 the City had received 10
resumes. Three weeks later on April 4, the City
had received another ten. Between last Wednesday
and the Friday deadline, the City had received
another 34, two of which were from well known
former local officials and one from a present
official.
|
Posted
February 28, 2018 07:45 am | updated
02:45 pm*
LAKE CITY, FL –
Monday night in City Hall, Mayor Witt reviewed
the City Manager Position papers in an effort to
make them ready for prime time. There was input
from the two candidates who will be running
against incumbent councilman Eugene Jefferson,
as well as a couple of members of the public and
the council members.
|
Posted
February 23, 2018 08:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Thursday afternoon, after receiving the updated
City Manager Position advertisement from HR
Director Michele Greene, Mayor Witt called for a
special meeting on Monday evening, February 26
at 6 pm to review the latest version of the City
Manager Position description and request for
applicants.
|
Posted
February 21, 2018 02:30 pm
LAKE CITY, FL –
Last night in City Hall, the topic of the city
manager search was not included in the evening's
agenda, even though it was scheduled during the
last City Council meeting. City Manager
Johnson's explanation, given as the meeting was
winding down, seemed to fall short [as spoken],
"I apologize that under departmental
administration I do have an add-on for
discussion: that the -- Michele Greene HR
Director is gonna' (unintelligible) on the city
manager advertisement."
|
Posted
February 8, 2018 07:15 am |
Part II | go to
Part I
LAKE CITY, FL –
Following Monday's City Council city manager
workshop the regularly scheduled City Council
meeting was gaveled to order. Some members of
the public were still talking among themselves
regarding the city manager search and the
revelations by City Manager Johnson regarding
the experience required for the new city manager
applicant. Between the workshop and the regu#2015lar
meeting long time Lake City resident and former
Councilman Glenel Bowden asked to be put on the
agenda. Mayor Witt granted his request.
|
Posted
February 7, 2018 06:35 am | Part I
| go to
Part II
LAKE CITY,
FL – Monday night in City Hall the search
for a city manager to replace retiring City
Manager Wendell Johnson was halted. The 5
o'clock meeting, billed as a workshop for
the council members to discuss what they
wanted in a new city manager, fell flat as
none of the council members appeared ready
for the meeting. A previous job posting,
approved by City Manager Johnson, was
withdrawn and the Council began regrouping.
|
|
|
Fred Koberlein, Jr.,
Lake City's City Attorney: His Last Performance
Was Cause for Concern
The Report: Lake City Utilities, Where was it? Where is it? Where is it
going?
Fred
Koberlein, Jr., Lake City's City Attorney,
Survives Vote of No-Confidence, 3-2
Lake
City, City Council to Get City Utilities Update
Tonight: Is It Going to be for What Was Asked?
Columbia County & Lake City
Throw Utility Vetting Rules Out the Window To
Bring a Water Bottling Plant to the Plum Creek -
Weyerhaeuser Mega Site
Lake City Finally Gets Its
Agenda Act Together: City Clerk Takes
Over, Sets the Rules & Deadlines
Lake City Swears In
Councilman Todd Sampson, Councilman Jake Hill,
and Mayor Steve Witt
Columbia County Econ
Development
Gov't Mess: City Holds
Fourth-First Community Development Block Grant
Public Hearing
Lake City Firefighters Set to Vote On Union Contract. Should They Be Treated Like
Other City Employees and the City Manager?
Today's Lake City Community
Dev Block Grant Pub Hearing Misses Mandatory
Notice Requirements
LC
Firefighter Negotiations Hobbled by Continuing
City Failure to Provide Timely Access to
Contract Documents
Third
Round of LC Firefighter Negotiations Lays
Groundwork for Monday's City-Union Match-Up
City Labor Atny
to Firefighters: "We understand your position is
the firefighters are underpaid."
After 92 Years, Lake City's
Confederate Olustee Memorial Will Finally
Get a Public Hearing
Lake
City Charter Revision, City Manager Helfenberger
to Revisit Enhanced Public Notice
Battle of Olustee Memorial
Monument & Battle Reenactment Funding On Tap in
LC Monday Night
Alden Rosner & Todd Sampson
Vying for Lake City Council District 13 This
Fall: They're 'off & running'
Lake
City Hotel Mogul Nick Patel Optimistic Despite
80% Drop In Occupancy Due to the Coronavirus
Lake
City Going Virtual Monday Night in an Effort to
Take Care of Business & Keep the Public Safe
Mayor Steve Witt Running for a 5th Term: "There
Is Still More Work to Do"
The Blanche: A $1,000,000 'Technical Violation?'
The City Will Be Counting Days & Decide
City
Council Going Virtual Tonight: Is the City IT
Staff & Management Up To the Task?
Lake City, City Council to Meet in Emergency
Session at 10 a.m. Today: Unprepared
Lake City's
'New' Blanche Hotel, Resurrected and
Controversial, Celebrates a Grand Opening
Lake City, City Council Says
'Yes' to Ethics – 'No' to Ex Parte Communication
Councilman Greene:
Vacations-Work Should Not Determine Lawful City
Meeting Schedule
Lake City Downtown Revival
to Continue: LSHA Declares 12 Parcels Surplus -
Donate to City
City Manager Straightening
Out City Meeting Scheduling Mess: City Attorney
- Zero Direction
Who
Is the Boss – City Attorney or City Manager?
City Council Decides Tonight: 'To pay or not to
pay'
County 5 Pledge $15,000 for
an Anti Panhandler Marketing Campaign Without
Seeing a Plan
A New Downtown Lake City
City Hall: 3 LSHA Gov Appointees Will be the
Deciders on LC's Future
City
Attny Koberlein vs. City
Manger Helfenberger: Which Way Will the City
Council Go?
Panhandlers: Councilwoman
Moses & Com. Witt Want to Throw Tens of
Thousands $ Without Data
Downtown Lake City
Revitalization Hot Topic at City/County Meet -
LSHA: the Gorilla in the Room
Tonight:
Jefferson Set to Ask City Council For $17,828 in
Legal Fees When He Ran For City Council
Lake City Approves Budget,
Holding the Line on Taxes, Fire and Garbage
Assessments
Lake City Garbage Woes: Will
Low Rates and Pickups Continue Uninterrupted?
City
Residential Garbage On Tap Monday Night:
Residential Rates May Be Heading Up – Way Up
City Manager Declares War on
Cyber Attacks – Fortifying City IT: It Will Be
Expensive
County's United Way Is the Homeless Coalition:
"The problem is getting worse," Ron Williams,
Jr.
Columbia Cnty – Lake City
Homeless/Panhandlers: "Too Big of a Problem –
We Need a Joint Effort"
Lake City's Rules of
Procedure: Racist? Dictatorial? Fair? – It's
Back to the Drawing Board (Part II)
Lake
City's Rules of Procedure – Not Problematic For
Over a Decade – Background (Part I)
Lake City Finally Admits to Cyber Ransom, FL
League of Cities to Pay Approx $474,000
White Supremacy vs. Public
Opinion in City Hall: Morph Into Race Baiting by
the Lake City Reporter
Lake City Assistant City Manager: City on the
Move, Position to be Advertised Shortly
City Council Rules, Mayor
Witt Says, "Let's Try Another Way"
Meaningful Public Comment:
Challenging for Lake City's Old Guard
Lake
City Keeping the Public in the Dark Again
Tonight's Agenda Nowhere on City Website
Lake City's Blanche Hotel: IDP's Decker
Gives City Council an Upbeat Construction
Update
City Leaves Public in the Dark About Pending
Issues at Council Meeting Tonight
City
Manager Upgrading City Web Presence –
Working Towards More Transparency &
Participation
City
Councilman Eugene Jefferson Takes Oath for
the 6th Time: Begins 21st Year on City
Council
Mayor
Witt Directs City Manager to Develop a
Policy for Police Escorts at Funerals
Unprepared,
the City Appeared before the TDC $300,874
Short for the Lake DeSoto Waterfront
Lake
City's Mainstream Media: Lake City Reporter,
A Growing Deception of News Coverage
Bowden
v Tucker, Rudimentary Court Rules Out the
Window: Tucker Removed From Dist. 10 City
Race
Lake
City's Mainstream Media Rakes Mayor Over the
Coals: Sends Message to New City Manager
LCPD
City Manager Investigation: Background Check
or Stassi Like Police Overreach?
City
Hall, The Bricks Are Falling Down
Lake
City Reporter Gets It Wrong Again: "It
wasn't a roadblock," Councilman Jefferson
Last
Man Left Standing: Helfenberger Stars at the
"Meet & Greet" the City Manager Candidate
The
Race for City Manager Now Down to Style &
Substance In a Dead Heat: It's Helfenberger
v Judd
City
Manager Search, Next Up The Interviews –
Will the Semifinal 5 Begin With a Clean
Slate?
City
Manager Grayson Cason: Mostly Couldn't Be
Heard, Agenda Material Incomplete for $296k
Job
Spec
Mtng Whittles City Mngr Candidates From 9 to
5: Interviews June 6
City
Hall Shutting Down Mid-Day: No one admits to
giving the order - City Manager Cason - Silent
City
Manager Candidates On Tap in City Hall 6pm
Tonight: Who will be interviewed?
Amphitheater/Bandshell
Coming to Downtown Lake City: Committee
Gives Final Approval
City
Mgr Search Back on Track, Field Narrowed to
13, Mayor Welcomes Q's From the Community
City
Manager Search Stalls - Starts. City Council
in Disarray. Emerg Mtng Called - Conflicts
w/The 5
City
Manager Search to Resume
City
Manager Search Getting Back On Track, Mayor
Witt Calls Special Meeting for Monday Night
Lake
City, City Manager Search: "Off to a Bad
Start," Glenel Bowden
Lake
City Charter/City Manager Confusion