On behalf of my fellow Commissioners and I, welcome to Alachua County. You are about to discover why Alachua County is described as “Where Nature and Culture Meet.” In our theme park, the animals are real, the rivers are wild and no “all-day pass” is required.  

Alachua County has an astonishing diversity of natural and cultural attractions.  Whether you are communing with nature hiking through Payne’s Prairie State Park or rooting for your favorite University of Florida Gator team; canoeing pristine rivers or attending a great theatre, dance, music or visual arts event; biking on our excellent Hawthorne Trail or exploring our historically significant, unique municipalities; exploring art or natural history museums or swimming in a crystal-clear spring; Alachua County has something for everyone. 

To county residents who have picked up this publication, I encourage you to rediscover your home county and take the time to vacation, without leaving home. 
Get ready to experience the heart of Florida. 

Mike Byerly, Chairman, Alachua County Commission 

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office is an accredited 5 “C” (Criminal, Court, Civil, Corrections and Communications) law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in more than 900 square miles of Alachua County and almost 900 sworn and civilian employees. For the past two years, we have enjoyed an unprecedented cooperative relationship with our area law enforcement agencies and will be partnering with them on juvenile crime, intelligence sharing and violent crime in the coming years. Priorities this year include enhanced focus on juvenile and gang crimes, jail population reduction and continued enhancement of our community and district policing model. 

We are also charged with operating the Department of the Jail (DOJ) through a contract with the County Commission. A jail population that was steadily reaching a high of almost 1,200 inmates in a jail with a 780 capacity has declined in the past 9 months – now averaging 750 inmates. The renewed collaborative efforts of law enforcement, judicial and court services are credited with this steady decrease. Inmate works and re-entry programs are a priority at the DOJ this year. 

I am honored to serve this community and to promote a service orientation that compliments safety and security needs. To learn more, please visit www.alachuasheriff.org.

Sheriff Sadie Darnell

As an agency, we count ourselves among the leaders in the nation in progressive law enforcement and true community-oriented policing. 

The Gainesville Police Department is unique in that the city of Gainesville has a population of approximately 120,000 and serves an area of approximately 54 miles; however, GDP provides service to a much larger base of approximately 150,000 citizens, primarily because of the student and urban-fringe population who enter the city each day. 

Gainesville Police Department members answer more than 130,000 calls for service each year. To this end, GPD has many special programs to combat crime and work with the community. Since August 2000, the department operates under a District and Community Policing concept, where officers and supervisors are assigned to permanent zones, which allows us to be much more effective at providing the highest level of quality-of-life service to our neighborhoods. 

As an agency, we depend on our community and government agency partnerships to assist us in delivering the highest-quality services. Please visit our Web site at www.gainesvilledp.org to become involved in our community programs.

Norman B. Botsford, Chief, Gainesville Police Department

At the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, it is our mission to enhance the quality of our business community by making it easier for our members to do business every day. How are we doing that? By “growing business” and “growing jobs” right here in our neighborhood. 

Gainesville is a leader in education, healthcare, business, technology and the arts, making it easy to see why our community is recognized as the nation’s most livable city. We hope to add to that success through programs focusing on community improvement, business advocacy and providing our members with the best marketing and networking resources. 

Through our commitment to economic development, the technology industry and building a strong workforce, Gainesville can continue on its path of being one of the best cities in which to live, work and raise a family.
The Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization of more than 1,400 members, representing 75,000 employees—more than 50 percent of the workforce of Alachua County. It has served as the voice of business in Gainesville/Alachua County since 1924. For more information, visit www.gainesvillechamber.com. 
 
J. Brent Christensen, President and C.E.O., Chamber of Commerce

University of Florida Police Department officers are professionally trained and State-of-Florida certified. The department provides 24-hour coverage with complete law enforcement services including investigating all crimes committed in its jurisdiction, making arrests, providing crime prevention/public safety programs, enforcing traffic laws and maintaining crowd control for campus special events.

In March 1996, the University of Florida Police Department became one of only 14 university law enforcement agencies in the country to achieve national law enforcement accreditation, and in May of 1997 the Department received state accreditation. Upon achieving these prestigious designations, the UFPD became the first accredited collegiate law enforcement agency in the state of Florida, and the second largest accredited campus agency in the country. On November 30, the University of Florida Police Department was awarded accreditation by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and became the first agency in the country to acquire accreditation’s "Triple Crown," being accredited by three distinct accrediting bodies.

For more information regarding the University of Florida Police Department, please visit www.police.ufl.edu.

Linda J. Stump, Chief, University of Florida Police

You have chosen well by visiting or considering Gainesville. This cosmopolitan yet livable city possesses the advantages of a much larger metropolitan area while holding fast to its many cultural, environmental, civic and educational assets. 

A major educational asset is Santa Fe College. In the last year our name changed to reflect the state government’s decision that Florida’s community colleges can, and should, offer bachelor’s degrees where they are needed. Nonetheless, Santa Fe’s conversion to a college leaves untouched its traditions of open access, service to students and the community, career opportunities for individuals and economic prosperity for the region and state. 

Welcome to our town. Our wish is that you soon will consider Gainesville your town.

Jackson N. Sasser, President, Santa Fe College

The University of Florida opened its doors in Gainesville in 1906. We have been a proud member of the Gainesville and Alachua County communities ever since. 

A total of 102 students enrolled at UF in the fall of 1906. Today, that number has grown to more than 50,000, making UF the second largest university in the country. While in the early years UF offered only a handful of degree programs, today we have more than 100 bachelor of arts degree programs and more than 200 graduate and professional degree programs available. 

We owe our remarkable growth and success in no small measure to the gracious support and assistance of our host communities of Gainesville and Alachua County. As a result, we value our role as a significant community partner very highly. We operate a number of outreach programs. We strive to nurture local technology initiatives. And, our students, faculty and staff are engaged in many volunteer and service projects. 

We are pleased and gratified to call Gainesville our home and look forward to continuing our productive relationship with this city and Alachua County for many years into the future. 

J. Bernard Machen, President, University of Florida 

Welcome to the City of Gainesville — the historic seat of Alachua County, the commercial hub of north-central Florida and the capital city of the Florida Gators. On behalf of our nearly 123,000 residents, I am delighted to extend my heart-felt greetings to you. I am also pleased to welcome more than 7,000 new residents and approximately 100 new businesses in the recently, and soon-to-be, annexed areas of Butler Plaza and along Southwest 20th Avenue. No matter what brings you to Gainesville, you’ll be amazed at the wealth of experiences that await you.

During the past year, Gainesville has taken many steps to become a greener, more sustainable community. The city’s bus transit system, RTS, now utilizes buses fueled with biodiesel as part of its service fleet. Many of our city administrative offices also work four-day, 10-hour work weeks to allow us to decrease energy fuel costs in City buildings. Additionally, Gainesville Regional Utilities, the city-owned multi-service utility, now offers innovative incentives to business and residents through its Solar Feed-In-Tariff program, which has become a national model. Our many energy efficiency rebates and incentives are another key element of our commitment to a cleaner, greener future.

Gainesville is a vibrant and friendly community that prides itself on being a thriving university city with a small-town feel. Once you experience this wonderful city, you’ll understand why we say in Gainesville, every path starts with passion. 

Pegeen Hanrahan, Mayor, Gainesville

 

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