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Municipal Minutes is an electronic newsletter for the community. The monthly e-newsletter provides information about upcoming activities, projects and events in the City of Gainesville. For more information about this e-newsletter, please contact the Communications Office at 334-5017.

Northwest Eighth Avenue between Northwest 31st Drive and Northwest 23rd Street will be closed Friday, Jan. 2 and Saturday, Jan. 3 in order to restripe it to a four-lane road.

City offices will observe the new year Thursday, Jan. 1. There will be a schedule change in curbside waste collection for New Year's week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s waste collection will be as scheduled; however, there will be a one day delay for Thursday's collection. Reduced bus service will be provided on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, and paratransit service will run as normal. In observation of New Year’s Day, RTS offices will be closed and there will be no bus or ADA service. Please visit http://www.go-rts.com/ for bus route and schedule information for the holiday week.

In observance of the holiday season, city and GRU offices will be closed Thursday, Dec. 25 and Friday, Dec. 26. There will be a schedule change in curbside waste collection for Christmas week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s waste collection will be as scheduled; however, there will be a one day delay for Thursday's collection. RTS will run its Sunday service on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. Route run times are indicated by a “U” in the online and printed schedule. Paratransit service will be available between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. There will be no bus or paratransit service on Dec. 25.

The Thomas Center Galleries announce the opening of the INSIDE OUTSIDE the spectacular world of mr. eddy exhibition to be presented in the Historic Thomas Center’s Main Gallery from Friday, Jan. 9 to Saturday, Mar. 14. An opening reception for the exhibition will take place Friday, Jan. 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The City of Gainesville is closing the downtown Bo Diddley Community Plaza for renovation tentatively beginning March 1, 2015. Work to refurbish the plaza should be complete in 12 months. Scheduled events and programs that regularly occur at the plaza will be unable to use the facility during the renovation period, including the Union Street Farmers Market, which operates at the plaza Wednesday afternoons.

The "City Manager’s Biweekly Report to the City Commission" provides information about significant upcoming activities, projects, and meetings in the City of Gainesville over the course of the next two to three weeks. In addition to brief descriptions on each of the upcoming activities, you can click on hyperlinks for more information regarding the presented topic. The December 18-January 14 edition is now available.

On Dec. 12, the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department’s (PRCA) Pop Warner cheerleading squad, the Gator Midgets, placed first in their division at the National Cheer and Dance Championships at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Not only did the squad win the title, they also received the Spirit of Sportsmanship Award.

The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department will host Downtown Countdown, a New Year’s Eve celebration concert, at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza. Headlining the concert is The Beatles tribute band, The Impostors, a six-piece group comprised of some of the area’s most popular musicians. Band members include Mike Boulware (guitar/vocals), Don David (guitar/vocals), Michael Derry (guitar/vocals), Ron Thomas (bass guitar/vocals), Brad Bangstad (keyboards) and Rob Rothschild (drums). Sitting in for Rothschild on the drums will be Larry Thompson. The Impostors were hatched by keyboardist Mark Loveland and guitarist Michael Derry in 1984. That year, they formed a 14-piece band that played a two-show night at the Thomas Center to a rave response. At that concert, Ron Thomas joined the cofounders with 11 other musicians. Don David joined in 1985, Mike Boulware joined in the early ’90s, Rob Rothschild joined shortly after and the newest member, Brad Bangstad, joined last year. The Impostors play a full range of Beatles’ music from the popular hits of the early heydays, through the experimental era of “Revolver” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” to the final rooftop appearance and “Abbey Road.”

The City of Gainesville Building Inspection Department is pleased to announce the availability of online building permits effective Thursday, Dec. 11. This enhanced service is available to all contractors and property owners that register with the city (state law does require applicants to initially register in person). Applicants will be able to apply for the following permits, which account for approximately 50 percent of permits issued by the city annually:

• mechanical,
• electrical,
• garage door,
• roofing,
• HVAC change outs,
• water heater replacements,
• plumbing re-pipe,
• gas piping and
• window and door replacements.