Three recent employee resignations from the City of Alachua’s Planning and Community Development Office caught the attention of elected officials on Monday.
The resignations of Director of Planning and Development Kathy Winburn and principal planners Justin Tabor and Adam Hall come during a steep period of growth in the city. In 2024, the city approved more than 1,500 lots to be developed.
During the regular City Commission meeting Monday night, Commissioner Shirley Green Brown voiced her concern about staff resignations.
“We can’t just sit here and pretend it didn’t happen,” she said. “It happened.”
Vice Mayor Ed Potts called it “catastrophic.”
“It speaks volumes,” he said.
Potts noted the department was down to a quarter of its staff and that “95% of our tenure and expertise” had left. Combined, the three staff members worked for the city for a total of more than 40 years.
The commission unanimously passed a motion directing City Attorney Marian Rush to bring suggestions to the next meeting for outside attorneys to do an independent investigation. Commissioner Jennifer Ringersen likened the planned investigation to an “exit interview”.
“ I think it's important for people to be able to say something and be able to feel OK with saying it,” she said.
Tabor and Hall told WUFT they had no comments at this time. Windburn did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Carson Crockett is the only remaining planner listed in the office’s staff directory. At Monday’s meeting, he presented staff’s review of the preliminary plat for Schmidt Farms: a 182-lot development proposed south of U.S. 441 and west of where it meets Northwest 43rd Street.
The plat was rejected by a vote of 3 to 2 after attendees raised concerns about traffic impacts and flooding.
Job listings for “principal planner” and “planner” roles were posted to the city’s website on Jan. 29 and for “director of planning and development” on Feb. 10.
“I’m not trying to replace anyone,” said City Manager Mike Daroza, “I just have to make sure that the city's business continues one way or another.”