Lake City Council adopts two comprehensive-plan amendments, approves SCADA upgrade and appoints Jernigan to regional planning council

Lake City 'On May 4, 2026, the Lake City Council voted unanimously to adopt two amendments to the city's comprehensive plan, approved a resolution to implement a SCADA supervisory control system for utilities, and confirmed Councilman Jernigan as the city's representative to the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council.

The council approved Ordinance 2026-2360 on second and final reading after City Attorney Martin presented the measure as an amendment to the City of Lake City comprehensive plan to add an intergovernmental coordination objective (Objective 7.9) addressing joint planning areas and interlocal service boundary agreements. "You have before you Ordinance number 2026-2360 on second and final reading," Martin said; with no public speakers, Councilman Carter moved to adopt the ordinance and Vice Mayor Young seconded. A roll call produced unanimous approval.

The council also adopted Ordinance 2026-2361 on final reading, which amends the future land use element's mixed-use policy. City Attorney Martin summarized the changes as "changing the minimum percentage of nonresidential uses from 50 to 15, the maximum residential uses from 40 to 75, and changing the residential density limits from 10 to 40 dwelling units based on gross acreage of the overall residential portion of the proposed mixed use land use classification." Councilman Carter moved adoption; Vice Mayor Young seconded and the motion passed on a unanimous roll call.

Council members then approved Resolution 2026-052 to authorize a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system for the city's utility operations. City Manager Rosenthal described the system as "a supervisor control and data acquisition service. It allows remote control of places like the wastewater plant and other utility services." Council moved to approve the resolution and voted unanimously; no public comment was recorded on the item.

On a separate personnel matter, Councilman Carter said he has served as Lake City's representative to the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council but has found the Thursday evening schedule difficult to attend. "For the last year and a half or so, I've served as our representative on the North Central Florida Planning Council. They meet in the evenings on Thursdays ' it's been very challenging to make it to these meetings," Carter said. Councilman Jernigan volunteered to take the appointment; the council moved to approve the nomination and confirmed Jernigan by unanimous roll call. Carter noted meetings are typically held in town (at a Holiday Inn) and that the council sometimes meets once a year in Gainesville.

The council approved all items without public testimony and concluded by hearing departmental remarks and member announcements, including recognition of Columbia High School's JROTC, several proclamations, and community events such as a multicultural spring market at Darby Pavilion and a free shred event at City Hall. Each ordinance's text notes that it provides for severability, repeals conflicting ordinances and "provides an effective date," but the effective dates themselves were not specified during the meeting.

Votes recorded during the meeting were unanimous in favor for each of the items described above.