GRU (Gainesville Regional Utilities)

The Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority unanimously passed three resolutions Wednesday that will allow it to hire its own attorney, request to exempt itself from right-of-way regulations and permit fees, and ask the city to remove the referendum from the November ballot asking city voters whether to return control of the utility to the city.

That comes after months of pushback and a lawsuit from Gainesville residents questioning the governor’s ability to appoint board members who don’t live within the city.

A variety of scenarios relying on solar power and batteries are now under consideration for future power generation by the Gainesville Regional Utilities board.

The Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority board postponed a decision Wednesday on whether its government services contribution fund would be cut in half or eliminated altogether.

Grocery stores continue to open in West Gainesville while store options in East Gainesville remain sparse. Parts of East Gainesville qualify as a food desert, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Hundreds of job seekers made their their way around the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Multipurpose Center Tuesday morning for the annual Gainesville job fair. Gainesville's unemployment rate increased from 4.3 percent in April to 5 percent in July, so the job fair was just what many people needed.

Rep. Keith Perry confirmed that a bill which would have allowed voters to establish a HB-1325 has died in the Florida House of Representatives. The hearing of HB 1325, was postponed during the last meeting of the Regulatory Affairs Committee.

Gainesville City Commission at-large seat 1 elections are Tuesday. WUFT News has interviewed candidates to help voters make informed decisions. The candidates on Tuesday's ballot shared their reasons for running and visions for the city of Gainesville.

The City of Gainesville’s Equal Opportunity Committee met last Tuesday to continue to discuss a report card that indicated minorities are underrepresented in the city government.

According to a recent survey, most people are confused about water conservation. Small efforts add up, but awareness of water consumption is most important, according to GRU.