Key takeaways: - The board approved two collective bargaining agreements with the Professional Firefighters of Marion County, including a $20,000 base-salary increase for covered employees and a plan to implement a 24-72 shift schedule by Sept. 30, 2029. Both votes were 4-0, with Commissioner Kathy Bryant absent. (0:58:25)
The board did not adopt a county towing-rate ordinance or resolution for nonconsensual towing after hearing that Alachua County had corrected a prior rate error; the motion to take no action passed 4-0. (1:21:51)
The board approved the consent agenda and several other agenda items, including budget amendments, property disposition forms, and scheduling public hearings, all by 4-0 votes. (0:30:44) (1:01:58)
In the 2 p.m. zoning session, the board denied a special use permit for Wood Resource Recovery of Marion County, LLC and Denali Water Solutions to operate a human food-grade depackaging facility at 8510 and 8548 NW Gainesville Road. The denial vote was 4-0. (4:19:32)
Meeting opening, roll call, and announcements
Chairman Craig Curry? [unclear: chairman’s spoken name in transcript is “chairman’s Alec” during roll call; chair addressed as chairman throughout] opened the regular meeting after the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. The clerk called the roll: the chair, Vice Chairman Kathy? McClain [unclear first name], Commissioner Curry, and Commissioner Stone were present; Commissioner Bryant was absent due to illness, according to the chair. The chair announced a 10 a.m. public hearing on a towing ordinance and a 2 p.m. planning and zoning hearing. (0:11:26) (0:12:39)
Proclamation: National Homeownership Month
The board approved and presented a proclamation declaring June 2026 as National Homeownership Month. The chair read the proclamation. Community Services Director Cheryl Butler presented a video about the county’s purchase assistance program and said that in this fiscal year Marion County had helped 59 families purchase homes through more than $4.6 million in SHIP funding. The video said eligible families may receive up to $100,000 in assistance through a zero-interest deferred-payment loan. Rob Peters, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, thanked the county for its partnership. (0:14:17) (0:17:13) (0:18:54) (0:20:54)
Proclamation: Faith and Family Month
The board approved and presented a proclamation declaring June 2026 as Faith and Family Month. The chair read the proclamation. Amber Rose Pennuto accepted it and thanked the board. She also announced a “first annual family fest” on June 13 at Tuscawilla Park. (0:22:38) (0:23:37) (0:25:25)
Agenda-item public comment: firefighter contracts
Roland Boyd, who identified himself as president of the Professional Firefighters of Marion County Local 3169, spoke on agenda items 9.1 and 9.2. He thanked the board, county administration, fire chiefs, and staff involved in negotiations, and said the agreement supports recruitment, retention, and the future of emergency services in Marion County. (0:27:45)
Minutes, sheriff parcel request, budget amendments, and property disposition
The board approved the March 3, 2026 minutes listed as items 3.1 and 3.2 by a 4-0 vote. (0:30:11)
The board approved item 4.1, Sheriff Billy Woods’ request to pursue the purchase of Parcel No. 21935-002-00, by a 4-0 vote. (0:30:24)
Clerk Gregory C. Harrell presented budget amendment items 5.1.1 through 5.1.7, and the board approved them 4-0. The listed amendments were: County Transportation Maintenance Fund - Transportation - $50,000; Fine and Forfeiture Fund - Sheriff Transfer - $392; Fine and Forfeiture Fund - State Attorney Technology - $1,600; General Fund - Sheriff Jail Transfer - $7,034; Marion County Airport Fund - Marion County Airport - $830,989; MSTU for Law Enforcement - Sheriff Insurance & Tax Fees - $2,825; and MSTU for Law Enforcement - Sheriff Patrol CID Transfer - $550. (0:30:44) (0:30:58)
The board also approved item 5.2.1, disposition of miscellaneous property, by a 4-0 vote. (0:31:06)
Consent agenda
The board approved the consent agenda by a 4-0 vote. No consent items were pulled for separate discussion. The agenda listed, among other items, the Dunnellon airport protection zoning interlocal agreement, several procurement awards and amendments, a Tourist Development Council recommendation for a room-night-generating event up to $49,995, and a subdivision improvement agreement for Melody Preserve. (0:31:31) (0:31:52)
Item 8.1 pulled
County Attorney Guy Minter said item 8.1, regarding acquisition of property interests for the NW 49th Street Phase 3 road construction project, was being pulled because staff was still working out numbers in the agreement and hoped to bring it back at the next meeting. (0:32:02)
Animal Services video presentation
County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes [spelled phonetically from transcript] introduced a video about the new Marion County Animal Shelter. The video described the opening of a 20-acre campus with a 37,000 square foot facility and a 2,000 square foot clinical area. (0:32:44) (0:33:08)
Collective bargaining agreements with firefighters (Items 9.1 and 9.2)
Assistant County Administrator Amanda Tart presented two proposed collective bargaining agreements between Marion County management and the International Association of Firefighters Local 3169. She said negotiations began in June 2025. She reviewed prior contract changes from 2018-2021, 2021-2024, and 2023-2026, including a $3.43 per hour increase in one earlier contract, a 3% cost-of-living adjustment, a 2% annual education incentive, and a 5% longevity increase in five-year increments in the current agreement. (0:35:29) (0:36:19)
For item 9.1, Amanda Tart said the short-term agreement would run from June 20, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2026, to align with the fiscal year. She said each covered employee would receive a $20,000 increase to base salary, and starting pay for all positions would also increase by $20,000. She said the proposed annual base pay would be $65,000 for a firefighter EMT and $75,000 for a firefighter paramedic. (0:39:18)
For item 9.2, she said the agreement would run from Oct. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2029, and would implement a 24-72 shift schedule by Sept. 30, 2029. (0:40:20)
Fire Chief James Banta said the agreement was intended to improve recruitment and retention, reduce mandatory overtime, and support firefighter health and wellness. He said the transition to the new schedule would occur over about three years and be tied to hiring and staffing milestones. (0:42:03)
Commissioners discussed the agreements and thanked staff, fire leadership, and union representatives. (0:46:06)
The board approved item 9.1 by a 4-0 vote. (0:58:25)
The board approved item 9.2 by a 4-0 vote. (0:58:37)
After the votes, the chair invited firefighters, chiefs, and the negotiating team forward for a group photo. (0:58:57)
Notation for action items 11.1 through 11.3
The board approved items 11.1 through 11.3 together by a 4-0 vote. Those items were scheduling and advertising a June 16, 2026 public hearing on the Local Mitigation Strategy Five-Year Plan 2025 Update; scheduling and advertising two public hearings on the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Annual Action Plan for CDBG, HOME, and ESG on July 7 and Aug. 4, 2026; and ratifying a May 21, 2026 letter of support for the Ocala Rapid Response Aerial Pilot federal grant for the Ocala Police Department. (1:01:43)
General public comment before the 10 a.m. hearing
Joseph Walker spoke about county property near a fire station in the Forest area, saying there was a homeless camp, drugs, used needles, and dumping on county property. He asked why the property had not been cleaned up. (1:02:52)
A resident who identified herself as Jennifer Morrell criticized a remark made to Walker and said residents pay officials’ wages. (1:05:47)
Public hearing: nonconsensual towing ordinance and rates (Item 6.1)
Chief Assistant County Attorney Dana Olesky said the hearing was a continuation of the May 5, 2026 public hearing on an ordinance creating section 18-8 of the Marion County Code on nonconsensual towing and a resolution establishing maximum rates. She said one revision had been made to the ordinance so tow companies could not exceed the maximum rates in the resolution and could not charge additional fees not outlined in the resolution. She said three draft resolutions had been published: one with staff’s proposed rates, one with rates proposed by the Professional Wrecker Operators of Florida, and one showing the rates last used by the Florida Highway Patrol in 2024. She said if the board took no action, rates would default to Alachua County. She also said a prior Alachua County rate of $5,000 for Class D vehicles had been a scrivener’s error and should have been $500. (1:12:57) (1:13:42) (1:15:40)
Florida Highway Patrol Captain Jonathan Young said FHP had asked the board to consider setting rates because of “crazy tow bills” caused by the Alachua County error. He said FHP no longer sets rates as of January and that if Marion County adopted rates, the only other county it could affect would be Levy County. (1:16:34)
Public speakers included John Duggan, who said he had met with staff and FHP and believed there had been agreement on reasonable rates, and Mike Seaman, executive director of Professional Wrecker Operators of Florida, who asked the board to adopt rates he said were fair and equitable. (1:18:46) (1:20:09)
Vice Chairman McClain said he had not heard complaints before the Alachua County error and called the issue “a solution in search of a problem.” He moved that the board take no action and leave the default to Alachua County now that the error had been corrected. The motion passed 4-0. (1:21:51) (1:23:04)
General public comment after the towing hearing
Several speakers addressed the board about the missing-person case of Sarah Gayle Ebersole and interactions with law enforcement.
Michelle Tullis said Ebersole disappeared on March 3, 2023, and said it took from March 31, 2023, until March 5, 2025 for updates to be reflected on a missing-person flyer. She said a presumptive death letter had been issued without notifying the family and said there was now an active death certificate for Ebersole while she was still listed as missing and endangered. (1:24:49)
Melanie Connell asked for a thorough investigation into Ebersole’s disappearance and said protesters had faced opposition. (1:29:54)
Barbara Decker said she had participated in protests and asked what more could be done to get answers. County Attorney Guy Minter said public rights-of-way are traditional forums for peaceful protest, but he was not commenting on the facts of any specific law-enforcement interaction. Commissioner McClain offered to meet with the speakers after the meeting or on another day to review what they had done and discuss possible next steps. Commissioner Curry suggested contacting State Attorney Bill Gladson. (1:32:18) (1:34:52) (1:36:40)
Heather Miller asked about missing persons and deaths in jails and prisons. Commissioners said law-enforcement matters should be addressed with law-enforcement officials or FDLE. (1:38:59)
Kayla LaCroix said she had been arrested at a public protest and said she was denied medical care in the Marion County jail. (1:40:53)
Wendell London said the board approves the sheriff’s budget and should require accountability. (1:43:14)
Jennifer Dawn Morrell spoke about drug activity in Marion County and her own past experiences. (1:44:25)
Commission comments and recess to 2 p.m. zoning hearing
Commissioners Curry, McClain, and Stone said they had no comments. The board then recessed until the 2 p.m. zoning session. (1:47:33)
2 p.m. zoning session: opening and quasi-judicial instructions
The board reconvened for the zoning portion of the meeting. The clerk called the roll with the same attendance as the morning session. County Attorney Guy Minter explained the quasi-judicial process for special use permits, including the need for competent substantial evidence and the three findings required for approval: consistency with the comprehensive plan and Chapter 163, public interest, and compatibility with surrounding property. He then swore in anyone who might testify. (2:00:57) (2:01:29) (2:03:14) (2:12:02)
Planning and zoning consent item approved
Deputy Director of Growth Services Kenneth Weirich presented the consent item, case 260501SU, a special use permit for Ward-Merrill, L.L.C. to allow an accessory structure without a primary residence on parcel 4938-001-001. No one asked to pull it from consent. The board approved it 4-0. (2:13:12) (2:14:10)
Planning and zoning item denied: Wood Resource Recovery / Denali special use permit (15.3.1)
Senior planner Kendall Odom [spelled phonetically from transcript] presented case 260503SU for Wood Resource Recovery of Marion County, LLC and Denali Water Solutions. He said the request was for a special use permit in an M-2 Commerce District to add a human food-grade depackaging facility to an existing vegetative-debris composting operation at 8510 and 8548 NW Gainesville Road. He said the site had operated as a vegetative-debris composting facility since 2009 and that the proposed process would separate organics from packaging, create a slurry, and place that material into compost windrows. He said staff had proposed 14 conditions and believed the request met the required criteria. (2:14:39) (2:15:14) (2:17:03) (2:23:00) (2:25:27)
Commissioners asked questions about traffic, zoning history, and permit duration. Kenneth Odom said Gainesville Road was operating at about 43 percent of capacity and that the proposed operation would involve about three trucks per day, or about six trips. He said the M-2 zoning had been in place for some time and that the special use permit was being used because the county had not previously considered this type of depackaging technology in its code. (2:17:03) (2:18:35) (2:26:02) (4:13:12)
Applicant representative Levin Gaston said the operation would receive expired foods, separate packaging from organics, process the organics into slurry, and blend that material with carbon and vegetative debris. He said the operation could be run without odors leaving the property and that if it could not be done correctly, “we either have to fix it or close it down.” He said the operation would not spray slurry onto windrows but would blend it into carbon in the building. (2:31:41) (2:33:30) (2:39:19) (3:57:08)
Sarah Harrison, Denali’s environmental director, said Denali operates organics recycling facilities around the country and that the project would also require a Florida DEP permit, a stormwater permit, and an industrial stormwater permit. She said the facility would have trench drains and stormwater storage and that the design would not allow more than 24 hours of incoming material storage. She said Denali had facilities with similar open-sided roofed structures and said Denali had not been under consent orders or notices of violation for those same-building depackaging facilities. (3:58:28) (4:01:01) (4:03:15) (4:09:56)
Public speakers opposed the request. Speakers included Tracy Walker, who said her family owns the Canyons Zip Line and Adventure Park and lives less than one mile from the site; attorney Alexandra Scales, speaking for several property owners; Wes Price; Pastor Martin Smith of Progressive Union Missionary Baptist Church; Joe McCants; Kenny McKenzie; Justin Wilson; Laura Domus; Robert Walker; Thomas Nichols; Jeanette MacDonald; Busy Shires, speaking for the St. Bernard Foundation; Abigail Rose McCoy; Asante Craig; Gail Stern; Ed Gaska; Iris Stern; Cynthia Hill; Greg Thompson; Mike Negrini; and Linda Ward. Concerns raised included odor, groundwater, runoff, school proximity, tourism impacts, traffic, wildlife, and compatibility with surrounding uses. (3:03:19) (3:09:34) (3:19:25) (3:20:09) (3:22:01) (3:24:07) (3:25:59) (3:27:58) (3:29:22) (3:31:01) (3:33:01) (3:35:39) (3:37:57) (3:41:16) (3:43:59) (3:46:26) (3:47:27) (3:47:57) (3:49:33) (3:51:00) (3:54:02)
During board discussion, the chair said the property’s M-2 zoning and Commerce District designation already allow a range of heavy industrial uses by right, and he listed examples from the code. He said a special use permit at least gives the county some regulatory control, but he also said he was concerned about the risk if the board approved the request. Commissioner McClain said he was not in favor of the site “under the current conditions.” Commissioner Stone said she was willing to take the risk that the property could be sold for another use rather than approve this request. (4:14:15) (4:17:31)
Commissioner Stone moved to deny the request, saying she did not believe it was in the public’s best interest and did not think it was compatible with surrounding properties. The motion passed 4-0. (4:19:32)
The board then approved adoption of the ordinance related to the zoning action by a 4-0 vote. (4:19:53)
Watch the full meeting recording
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