Chuck Hatcher, assistant director of the Florida Park Service, presented a check worth $500,000 to Live Oak City Council President Keith Mixon, left, and Mayor Sonny Nobles, right, at Tuesday night's council meeting.


LIVE OAK — The city council officially approved on Tuesday the fire service assessment resolution that will charge $8.75 per residential unit on the Live Oak residents’ utility bill beginning this year in March.

Also at the meeting, Chuck Hatcher, assistant director of the Florida Park Service, presented a check worth $500,000 to the Live Oak City Council at a Tuesday meeting.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection awarded the check for improvements to First Federal Park as one of 10 unique abilities projects funded through the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP).

The money will be used for the new development of a barrier-free playground with shade structure, Americans Disability Act (ADA) accessible picnic facilities, fitness stations, barrier-free Miracle League baseball field, handicap parking area, landscaping and security lighting.

County chairman Ricky Gamble attended the meeting and said the county received another $500,000 from FRDAP. It was a $3 million grant statewide, and Suwannee County got a third of it, he said.

“You applied through the parks and recs department and so did we,” Gamble said. “We have a million total for Suwannee County.”

The city also paid the bill for former city council president Adam Prins’ lawsuit. Prins was found not guilty of violating ethics laws. The council agreed to pay his lawyer’s fees worth around $9,500.

Police Chief Buddy Williams then requested $3,400 from the fine and forfeiture account to implement a evidence tracking system for the police station. Not only does it track evidence, Williams said, it is also used to keep track of equipment.

The city approved the funding.

The city council then heard from Nick Mazzio, a resident of Live Oak, who presented the council with a petition with 70 signatures of people who work on Union Avenue and Howard Street in downtown.

Mazzio said the city needed to do something about the flooding in those areas. A light rain can cause terrible flooding, forcing people to wait for traffic to stop before heading to their car for fear of being splashed.

“I know there are a lot of issues you guys are dealing with, but this is our main road coming into our town here, and it’s something that needs to be addressed,” Mazzio said.