OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

West Ocala CRA Advisory Committee Meeting Summary - March 26, 2026

City Council & Boards — Thursday, March 26, 2026
BodyOcala, Florida
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateThursday, March 26, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 26:17

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

They have all our members here.

0:06

We're ready for roll call.

0:10

Miss Wilkerson here.

0:14

Mr.

0:14

Carlock.

0:16

Ms.

0:16

Hunt.

0:17

Mr.

0:17

McFanton is absent.

0:20

Mr.

0:20

Fritz?

0:21

Yeah.

0:21

And Miss Reed.

0:23

We have a quorum.

0:24

Thank you for the public notice.

0:27

And now we'll have the approval of minutes, November 2025.

0:36

If we've all read it, there's attachment also.

0:42

We can entertain a motion.

0:45

You want to read the proof of publication?

0:48

Oh, we didn't get that, did we?

0:49

I'm sorry, I'm reading it all together.

0:52

All right, proof of publication.

0:53

Thank you.

0:54

The public notice for the West O'Cala CRA advisory committee was published on March 19, 2026.

1:01

Alright, now we're ready for approval of minutes.

1:05

I make a motion that we approve the minutes as stated.

1:09

Second.

1:13

Aye.

1:13

Aye.

1:13

Any opposers?

1:15

So move.

1:16

All right, we down to the grant application.

1:24

Roberto Ellis Economic Development Manager.

1:27

I apologize.

1:28

We had some issues with getting the presentation on the screens, but there is a copy in front of you.

1:35

If you can just follow while I explain this application.

1:49

So as you can see, we have one CRA grant application for this meeting.

1:54

The application and the property owner is Miss Lisa Coleman.

1:59

She is located in the Point Siena Heights community.

2:04

And she submitted a grant request to replace uh to install a new perimeter fencing.

2:10

And this will be a privacy PVC fence colored in white.

2:16

The property is located at 2052 Southwest 2nd Street.

2:23

The home was built in 1992, and it has the appropriate zoning designation.

2:30

And I just like to add that this is the applicant's primary residence.

2:36

We did a staff did a site visit on February 22nd to look at the site conditions and discuss the application with the applicant.

2:45

This is also a first-time applicant, so we are pleased to see new people taking advantage of the grants.

3:02

Properties just south.

3:04

And you'll also see a case map showing the zoning within the area.

3:15

Under the section titled findings, you'll see images of the home.

3:22

Currently there is no fence at the front, and you'll see there are no plans that bring the fence to the front all the way to the front property line.

3:34

So the side there is a chain in fence that will be removed once this fence goes in.

3:44

And then if you skip further, you'll see a sketch of what the proposed new fence the location will be.

3:55

So fencing is a part of the list of eligible work items that can be covered by the grant.

4:02

The quotes that were provided, the low quote was $6,954.

4:08

The high quote was $8,443.

4:12

And this the CRA grant offers a 75% match.

4:18

That works out to be five five thousand two hundred and sixteen dollars.

4:23

That's the maximum CRA grant that would be issued once approved.

4:36

Since the start of the year, we've approved four grants in the West O'Call CRA.

4:42

Um those so far as totaled $58,920.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety██████████████████████████████30%
Public Engagement█████████████████████21%
Capital Improvement Planning███████████████████19%
Procedural█████████████████17%
Economic Development█████████████13%
Summary of Proceedings

West Ocala CRA Advisory Committee Meeting Summary - March 26, 2026

The West Ocala Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Advisory Committee met on March 26, 2026, at 8:15 PM. The meeting included a quorum with members present: Miss Wilkerson, Mr. Carlock, Ms. Hunt, Mr. Fritz, and Miss Reed (Mr. McFanton absent). The committee approved previous minutes, reviewed a grant application for new fencing, received updates on capital improvement projects, and discussed community infrastructure concerns.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The committee unanimously approved the minutes from the November 2025 meeting. The motion was made and seconded, with no opposition.
  • Proof of Publication: The public notice for the West Ocala CRA advisory committee was published on March 19, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made during the designated period.

Discussion Items

  • CRA Grant Application (CRA 26-0008): Roberto Ellis, Economic Development Manager, presented a grant request from first-time applicant Lisa Coleman for a new perimeter privacy PVC fence at 2052 Southwest 2nd Street in the Poinciana Heights community. The home was built in 1992 and is the applicant's primary residence. The low quote was $6,954, and the high quote was $8,443. The CRA grant covers 75% of eligible costs, with a maximum grant of $5,216. Staff conducted a site visit on February 22 and recommended approval. The committee noted that the property falls within the CRA boundary. The motion to approve carried unanimously.

  • Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Update: Eric Smith, Senior Transportation Project Administrator, provided an overview of planned CIP projects, including:

    • Safe Routes to School sidewalk and lighting upgrades (finalist status to be determined in July 2026)
    • West Ocala Streetscape improvements (complete streets, sidewalks, mid-block crossings, lighting, plantings)
    • West Ocala land acquisition (focusing on parcels around Mary Sue Rich Center and Reed Place)
    • Ocala fiber infrastructure for underserved areas (meeting held with Ocala Fiber to address gaps, particularly around Tucker Hill and Mary Sue Rich Center)

    Committee members raised concerns about:

    • Poor internet connectivity in the Martin Luther King and Mary Sue Rich area (Cox service reportedly inadequate). Eric Smith offered to advocate for improvements.
    • Cars parking on sidewalks, which is a violation of Florida statute. Smith noted enforcement is a police issue.
    • Lack of sidewalks on Northwest 21st Street and the need for crosswalks, especially near the wetland recharge park. Smith explained the warrant study process for crosswalks and speed bumps, and directed residents to the City of Ocala Engineering department.
    • Request for signage to inform the community about upcoming projects. Smith noted that the city's Public Information Office maintains project updates on the website and uses signs when required by funding sources.

  • Staff Comments: Charlita Whitehead, Economic Development Project Coordinator, announced upcoming events:

    • Marion County Day at the McPherson Complex (March 30? 2026, 10 AM – 3 PM), a free community festival.
    • Ocala Skate Park expansion grand opening (March 30? 2026, 11 AM – 4 PM), featuring a new competition bowl and snake run, with appearances by skateboarding legend Rodney Mullen and a film screening at the Marion Theater.

  • New Members and Staff: The committee welcomed new member Linda Wilkerson (approved by City Council on March 17, 2026) and new CRA Specialist Sarah Andre.

Key Outcomes

  • Grant Approval: CRA 26-0008 was approved unanimously, authorizing a grant of up to $5,216 for fencing at 2052 SW 2nd Street.
  • Next Meeting: The committee will next meet on May 21, 2026.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned unanimously after a motion and second.

Meeting Transcript

They have all our members here. We're ready for roll call. Miss Wilkerson here. Mr. Carlock. Ms. Hunt. Mr. McFanton is absent. Mr. Fritz? Yeah. And Miss Reed. We have a quorum. Thank you for the public notice. And now we'll have the approval of minutes, November 2025. If we've all read it, there's attachment also. We can entertain a motion. You want to read the proof of publication? Oh, we didn't get that, did we? I'm sorry, I'm reading it all together. All right, proof of publication. Thank you. The public notice for the West O'Cala CRA advisory committee was published on March 19, 2026. Alright, now we're ready for approval of minutes. I make a motion that we approve the minutes as stated. Second. Aye. Aye. Any opposers? So move. All right, we down to the grant application. Roberto Ellis Economic Development Manager. I apologize. We had some issues with getting the presentation on the screens, but there is a copy in front of you. If you can just follow while I explain this application. So as you can see, we have one CRA grant application for this meeting. The application and the property owner is Miss Lisa Coleman. She is located in the Point Siena Heights community. And she submitted a grant request to replace uh to install a new perimeter fencing. And this will be a privacy PVC fence colored in white. The property is located at 2052 Southwest 2nd Street. The home was built in 1992, and it has the appropriate zoning designation. And I just like to add that this is the applicant's primary residence. We did a staff did a site visit on February 22nd to look at the site conditions and discuss the application with the applicant. This is also a first-time applicant, so we are pleased to see new people taking advantage of the grants. Properties just south. And you'll also see a case map showing the zoning within the area. Under the section titled findings, you'll see images of the home. Currently there is no fence at the front, and you'll see there are no plans that bring the fence to the front all the way to the front property line.

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