Jason Futch
reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
What was to be a simple evening that included community updates and a planned presentation on several grants being offered to showcase the town's history turned into a battle of words between the town council and the president of the White Springs Historical Preservation Society (WSHPS). On Tuesday, Dec. 10, the White Springs Town Council convened for its final meeting of the year, which, during the opening, were updates to the agenda and the Christmas parade that happened on Friday, Dec. 6. When it was time for WSHPS president Sharon Shea to present to the board about a $40,000 Department of State (DOS) grant being offered to erect interpretive signs throughout the Town of White Springs, the tone changed inside the portable building. During Shea's presentation, which included proposing the letter of concurrence for the grant she claims she sent to Mayor Jackie Williams, Town Manager Vanessa George expressed her discontent that the letter had not been sent to the council for review prior to the meeting. "Why are we now just getting these," George said. "You need to send the letter to me, not Jackie." Shea continued to explain plans to update the brochures for the walking tour, stating the grant would create an interpretive sign near the town easement at Wesson Street and River Road. As she continued, Vice Mayor Anita Rivers chimed in. "I don't even know what this grant entails, as I haven't had an opportunity to review it," Rivers said. Shea advised that she had turned in the grant proposal to Town Clerk Audrey Ruise. Ruise responded that she had spoken to Tallahassee about the grant after she had received complaints from town citizens about the grant Shea turned in to the council. Later, Ruise explained that the complaint was a result of the town not having anything to do with the grant, but by the WSHPS. George, seemingly agitated by the situation, wanted to know more about what Shea was expecting the council to do since the members did not seem to have information about the grant, a copy of the proposal, or anything that could help the council make a decision. "I'm trying to find out how the council is supposed to vote on something that you just came up with tonight," George said. "I haven't even received anything because you skipped over the whole process. I don't know what you are asking the council to vote on and sign, which is something that they are just looking at right now." Shea replied, saying, "I am happy to answer any questions the council may have, and I appreciate your concerns, but this has been a long and difficult process. One of the things I'm not going to do is come in front of the council and say that I got something unless I know I have it. Too many people told me that, when going up for a DOS grant, until you see the money, it can go away and disappear." Shea continued her presentation until Rivers began to share concerns about the letter of concurrence. "On this letter of concurrence, my concern is it says the name of the owner or designee is Town of White Springs," Rivers said. "The state said that we had no part of this grant and that you all had your group handling this. I don't understand how we are the designee when the state told Vanessa the town had nothing to do with this grant." "I called the state to see what this grant entails," George said before Shea interjected, saying that George could have called her too. "I wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth," George responded. "Just like you didn't call me, I called the state to find out exactly, and they said the town had nothing to do with the grant, so I left it alone." Rivers and George continued to express concerns about why the proper channels had not been used to communicate this grant, as well as the letter labeling the town as the designee for the grant. "What the state requires is a letter stating that you agree to have your properties included in the White Springs walking tour, which is great and positive for the town," Shea said "It is," Rivers responded. "But I disagree with being the owner or designee. That's my whole point. Why am I listed here as the designee?" Rivers continued to voice her concerns, her voice growing louder as Shea attempted to respond to the questions. George explained that without further details on where the signs were going to be posted or what was planned to be done, it concerned her that there could be damages made to town property, specifically water lines, if people chose to dig on properties without the town inspecting them first. "I have a problem with not being notified; I have a problem with administration knowing anything that you want to put the property on the town easement, and we don't have any knowledge of it.” she said. “I feel like she totally disrespected the whole town administration, went over us and said, ‘I'm going to the mayor to have her sign this and have the council agree to do this’, and it's disrespectful to the council." George continued to criticize the letter while Shea apologized, stating that no disrespect was intended. Following the discussion of the letter, Shea shared information about where the signs would be located. When she mentioned that the Carver School interpretive sign was to be placed at the easement near the Bullard House, Rivers asked, "Why is the Carver School sign being placed there when it is down the street?" When Shea mentioned it being a walking tour, Rivers continued, asking, "So they don't walk through the Black neighborhoods, you're saying?" From there, the presentation turned into a debate on diversity and race issues in the town. Rivers asked Shea who was on the committee to choose where to place the signs. When Shea responded, Rivers pressed about where the diversity was in the placements. The council agreed with Rivers and chimed in. "How do you know what needs to be put in neighborhoods or something significant to Black culture?" Ruise asked. "I think what you have said is wonderful, but when you have people on the committee that do not look like us, we feel left out." "And I feel like I can't do anything right with this council," Shea responded, to which Rivers said that Shea could. "You say you want to work with us, and you're saying it's for diversity, but you do not have one African-American on your committee to make these suggestions." From there, the arguments ensued about the lack of diversity in White Springs. At one point, Rivers addressed a situation where she was asked to serve on a committee regarding a sign placement. However, she claimed she had never gotten a call until the day the sign was put up and was asked to be part of a photo opportunity. "I'll never get over that," she said. George defended Rivers's statement, also alleging organizations have used black people as photo opportunities in the past to show diversity. "I want you to understand why she can't get over that," George said, addressing Shea. "She felt she was just used as a photo op to show, 'Oh, we got somebody Black.'" The conversation eventually shifted to painting a mural on the side of Suwannee Hardware & Feed, which was part of a different grant that is planned to be disbursed. When Shea announced the Florida Trail Fest was going to be held in White Springs in 2025, Rivers let out a sarcastic "yay" while pumping her fist in the air. Shea continued, informing that the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation contacted WSHPS about becoming one of their mural towns and that they would be providing a grant to do the artwork. Rivers became agitated when it was mentioned that the quilts that currently occupy the side of the store would be moved and restored while the mural would replace the quilts. Because the quilts were owned and maintained by the town, Rivers was becoming visibly angry, expressing she felt that Black history was being removed, as Queenie Udell, who taught quilt classes at Stephen Foster Folk Center State Park, had her quilts displayed at the store through a grant in the past. "So you're telling me you are going to take down those Black history murals and put a painting up there?" Rivers asked. "We are taking them down to be restored," Shea said before continuing to speak more on the mural. However, Rivers continued to express her discontent. "First, you cannot take down the murals because they belong to the town. Do you really understand that you have to come to the town council and ask for them to be taken down?" "They are on private property," Shea said. "Then he (Don Wilson) needs to come to us," Rivers responded. The debate continued while Shea continued the presentation, with questions and comments continuing to come forward at the conclusion of the presentation, until the discussion reverted back to the Letter of Concurrence. George made it known that she would not sign off on anything and refused to put anything on the town letterhead. "I'm not comfortable with it,” she said. “If the council asks me to, I will, but the council will sign too." "I'm not comfortable with the town being the owner or designee," Rivers said. At the end of the presentation, Shea shared with the council her love for the community and that she only wants the best for the town. "We all do," Mayor Williams replied. Following the presentation, the council continued with town business before concluding the meeting. The following White Springs Town Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, located at 10363 Bridge St., in White Springs.