Main Street Program in jeopardy

After five years in operation, High Springs city officials are predicting a grim future for the nationally designated High Springs Main Street Program.

As a private non-profit corporation, the program is based on a model set forth by the National Historic Trust for Preservation, with the goal of combining historic preservation with economic development, explained High Springs City Manager Jim Drumm.

Since the local program was established five years ago, it has been responsible for community events like Fantastic Fridays and the annual High Springs River Festival.

Though it is a private entity and operates entirely independent of the city government, each year High Springs has chosen to award grant funding to the program, which, according to Drumm, accounts for about 75 percent of Main Street’s annual budget.

In 2008, the program entered into an agreement with the city as an independent contractor hired to manage the downtown Farmer’s Market, which the city owns and is responsible for operating.

It was a two-year contract, which will end Sept. 30 of this year. 

During an Aug. 12 meeting, city commissioners decided they would not seek to renew the contract. Instead, it will be put out to bid, at which time Main Street is welcome to reapply for consideration, but there is no guarantee it will be awarded the contract again.

According to Drumm, this is not a reflection of rumors that the Farmer’s Market has not brought in as much revenue as its Main Street manager claims.

At the meeting, Ross Ambrose, treasurer of the Farmer’s Market, spoke out in response to a comment he said another citizen made during a Community Redevelopment Agency meeting earlier that evening.

Ambrose said he was informed that someone in the audience accused the Main Street Program of lying about the predicted amount of $17,000 in revenue that would be brought in by the Farmer’s Market by the end of this fiscal year.

He then advised the commission and audience that whoever made that statement was incorrect, and that the true numbers could easily be proven.

According to the Farmer’s Market monthly recap sheet for July 2010, a document provided as public record by the City of High Springs, it appears that Ambrose’s claim can be substantiated.

The preliminary figures indicate that at this point in time, the Farmer’s Market, under the management of the Main Street Program as contracted by the city, has generated about $500 short of the claimed $17,000 target. Based on this it would be reasonable to believe that by the end of the contract, the goal will be met. 

Commissioner Eric May pointed out “there are a lot of unknowns” right now regarding what will happen to the Main Street Program and that is the reason behind the commission’s hesitation to renew the contract.

Drumm reiterated this later, explaining that the commission is concerned what would happen if the city does not award any grant funding to the program, but does renew the contract for managing the Farmer’s Market, and then the program shuts down for lack of sufficient funding.

Though a final decision has not been made about whether the city will refrain from funding Main Street in the coming fiscal year, there has been talk indicating it is likely.

At an Aug. 4 budget meeting, commissioners commented they had doubts about continuing to give money to a private organization that is not held accountable to the city.

However, the money that the city has been and would be awarding to Main Street comes from a restricted fund. Those funds can only be used for specific development and upkeep in the downtown area, whether it’s spent through Main Street or by the city directly.  Even if the commission votes to halt Main Street funding, those funds cannot be moved around in the budget to save jobs or be spent on other items like general road repairs.