Newsroom

In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, city offices (which are now working remotely) will be closed Monday, May 25.

The City of Gainesville has scheduled its first virtual swearing-in ceremony at noon Thursday, May 21 for three commissioners who were elected in March.

Commissioner Gigi Simmons is hosting a telephone town hall Monday, May 18 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on the COVID-19 pandemic in communities that have socioeconomic disparities, including access to health care, and the pre-existing conditions that are tied to the COVID-19 crisis.

Virginia Grant, executive director of Gainesville Black Professionals, will serve as moderator and will be joined by Gainesville's District 1 Commissioner Gigi Simmons, City of Orlando Commissioner Bakari F. Burns, CEO of Orange Blossom Family Health, Rep. Shevrin Jones - Florida House of Representatives District 101 and Adrian Tyndall, M.D., interim dean at the UF College of Medicine, and professor and chair of emergency medicine.

To help us best meet the needs of our neighbors please submit your question and/or comment in advance. This will allow more time for our speakers to address questions during the call.
To submit a question or comment, please visit https://cityofgainesville.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0IJZGU5G35VZQC9.

Pre-register your telephone numbers to ensure you will receive a phone call at Registration link: https://bit.ly/3bpiQJC. Please note, registration closes two hours before the town hall.

To call in in English, call 888-410-3427. To call in in Spanish, call 844-881-1317.

In support of local food establishments and industry employees as they reopen dining services for patrons, the City of Gainesville will ease regulations temporarily on outdoor seating.

The Office of Equal Opportunity Invites the community to join us for a livestreamed Telephone Town Hall for small businesses Friday, May 15 from 5-7 p.m. Gainesville City Manager Lee Feldman will discuss the GNVCares financial aid package and SBA Economic Development Specialist Thaddeus Hammond will give an overview of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program and the Paycheck Protection Program. 

The City of Gainesville has launched GNVCares, a $3.18 million program aimed at expanding local relief and recovery efforts through direct assistance to city residents and to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The City of Gainesville has proposed amendments to its 2018-22 Consolidated Plan, the 2018-22 Citizen Participation Plan and the 2019-20 Annual Action Plan in order to reallocate federal and additional funding sources to support local COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts. The proposed amendments would modify priority needs and strategic plan goals to support the city's proposed GNVCares initiative, which aims to provide direct assistance to city residents and small businesses.

In May 2019, the City of Gainesville formed a Charter Review Commission to review and propose changes to the City Charter. They are hosting three virtual public hearings to gather feedback from community members about the proposed charter amendments listed below. Hearings have been scheduled for:

• Wednesday, April 15, 4-6 p.m.
• Thursday, April 23, 6-8 p.m.
• Thursday, April 30, 6-8 p.m.

Starting Monday, April 13, Gainesville area restaurants will provide meals to some of the city’s most vulnerable residents during the coronavirus crisis. The City of Gainesville has partnered with the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce and local restaurants to provide grab-and-go meals seven days a week for community members in need.

Effective immediately, Gainesville businesses that are temporarily closed for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency are exempt from enforcement of the city ordinance requiring a minimum level of service of once a week for garbage collection. City of Gainesville Solid Waste Inspectors will temporarily suspend enforcement of that requirement on any closed businesses until such time as they reopen. There is also no minimum collection requirement for recyclables. All businesses that are still generating garbage are still subject to the ordinance.