NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 13, ISSUE 3 JULY 2004
Sarah Ann Smith (right) is sworn in April 5th as the City's newest police officer.
Officer Smith is originally from Colorado. When she moved to Florida, she lived in Pensacola and has an Associate Degree in psychology from Pensacola Junior College. She has taken the Corrections and Law Enforcement basic recruit course at the St. Johns River Community College. Before she went into law enforcement, she was a store manager for General Nutrition Centers. Officer Smith is the City's third female police officer. The first was hired in the 1970s, when the City had a Marshal instead of a Police Chief. The first female officer's name was, coincidentally, Sharon Smith. The second female officer was hired in the late 80s and left the City in the early summer of 1989.
Officer Tim Evans (right) receives a plaque from Mayor Charles in recognition of ten years of
employment with the City.
Officer Evans is a Jacksonville native. From 1980-84 he was in the U.S. Navy, and from 1985 to 1993 he was in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was hired by the City as a police officer in March 1994. He devotes most of his on-duty time to traffic law enforcement.
DATE FOR JULY COMMISSION MEETING
The City Commission's July regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 6, 2004, at 7:00 p.m. July 5th, Monday, will be a holiday for City employees because the Independence Day holiday (July 4th) falls on a Sunday this year.
HOW TO REACH YOUR CITY
Here is information to help you call or e-mail various City departments:
City Manager's Office: Telephone: 904-471-2122
Fax: 904-471-4108
E-mail: sabadmin@bellsouth.net
Police Department: Telephone: 904-471-3600
Fax: 904-471-0737
E-mail: sabpd@bellsouth.net
Public Works Department: Telephone: 904-471-1119
Fax: 904-471-4191
E-mail: sabpwd@bellsouth.net
Building Department: Telephone: 904-471-8758
Fax: 904-471-4470
E-mail: sabinsp@bellsouth.net
During July, August and September, the City will celebrate the following holidays, which will change the garbage, trash collection schedule:
Monday, July 5th (for the Independence Day holiday on Sunday); and Monday, September 6 (Labor Day holiday).
Monday, July 5: CITY OFFICES CLOSED
BECAUSE OF
INDEPENDENCE DAY
HOLIDAY. NO PICKUP
OF HOUSEHOLD WASTES.
Tuesday, July 6: Residents scheduled for
pickup on Monday will have
pickup on TUESDAY.
Wednesday, July 7: Residents scheduled for
pickup on Tuesday will have
pickup on
WEDNESDAY.
Thursday, July 8: Normal pickup of household
wastes and yard
trash/special wastes.
Friday, July 9: Normal pickup of household
wastes and yard trash/special
wastes.
There will be no change to BFI's collection of recyclables.
Monday, Sept. 6: CITY OFFICES CLOSED
BECAUSE OF LABOR DAY
HOLIDAY. NO PICKUP OF
HOUSEHOLD WASTES.
Tuesday, Sept. 7: Residents scheduled for pickup
on Monday will have pickup on
TUESDAY.
Wednesday, Sept. 8: Residents scheduled for pickup
on Tuesday will have pickup on
WEDNESDAY.
Thursday, Sept. 9: Normal pickup of household
wastes and yard trash/special
wastes.
Friday, Sept. 10: Normal pickup of household
wastes and yard trash/special
wastes.
There will be no change to BFI's collection of recyclables.
1. BLOOD DRIVE. The Blood Bank of the St. Johns will conduct a blood drive in the City on Wednesday, September 1, 2004. The Blood Bank's mobile unit will be in the city hall parking lot, 2200 A1A South, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on September 1st.
2. PLEASE VOTE. The primary election will be held on Tuesday, August 31, 2004.
The two polling places for the City are located in the city hall at 2200 A1A South.
Residents are urged to vote for the candidates of their choice and to vote on two
matters directly concerning the City: the referendum on the City Charter
changes, and the referendum to establish a Land Acquisition Program. Both are
described elsewhere in this newsletter.
3. POLITICAL SIGNS. Residents are reminded that City regulations do not allow political signs to be put up on private property sooner than 20 days before an election. No political signs are allowed on public property, such as street rights-of-way, at any time.
The City of St. Augustine Beach was incorporated in 1959. Its Charter was adopted in the same year. The Charter outlines the City's basic structure of government: the number of Commissioners, the length of their term, how the Mayor is elected, whether there's a chief executive officer, the City Manager, and so forth. Since 1959, the Charter has been amended a few times but has never had a beginning-to-end review.
In 2003 the City Commission appointed a Charter Review Committee composed of seven City residents. For several months, the Committee held public meetings, during which the members reviewed the existing Charter in detail. The members also reviewed the charters of several other Florida cities similar in size to St. Augustine Beach. From this work, the Committee proposed to the Commission a number of Charter changes, which the Commission has scheduled to be on the ballot for the August 31, 2004 primary election.
The amendments to the Charter will be stated on the ballot as questions, and the voters will be asked to vote either yes for the amendment or no against the amendment.
Below we reproduce the questions as they'll appear on the ballot.
ELECTIVE OFFICERS. Shall Section 1-4 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to require a city commissioner to have been a qualified elector of the City for one year prior to qualification for election or appointment to the City Commission, to provide for the creation of the position of vice-mayor, to prescribe the duties of the mayor-commissioner, and to provide that in the event that a vacancy on the commission shall not be filled by the City Commission within sixty days, it shall be filled by the Governor, and providing the duties of the City Commission?
FORFEITURE OF COMMISSION OFFICE: Shall Section 1-4 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to provide that a commissioner, upon the affirmative vote of four members of the commission, shall forfeit office in the event he or she lacks any qualification for office or violates any standard of conduct or code of ethics established by general law?
LAW ENFORCEMENT. Shall Section 1-9 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to delete references to an assistant chief of police and to provide that the Chief of Police shall be appointed or removed pursuant to a four-fifths vote of the City Commission and deleting language relating to the mayor exercising police power?
REMOVAL OF POLICE CHIEF. Shall Section 1-9 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to provide that the Chief of Police may be removed by the City Commission without cause only upon a four-fifths vote of the City Commission as a whole?
TERM LIMIT FOR MAYOR: Shall Section 1-6 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to limit the election of the Mayor to two consecutive terms, but without limit as to the number of non-consecutive terms?
COMPENSATION FOR COMMISSION. Shall Section 1-5 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to authorize the City Commission to set the compensation of the City Commission and Mayor by ordinance?
EMERGENCY ORDINANCES. Shall Section 1-5 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to provide that emergency ordinances may be passed only upon a four-fifths vote of the City Commission as a whole?
ELECTION PROCEDURE. Shall Section 1-5 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to provide that the supervisor of elections for St. Johns County is authorized to perform all functions required for holding of primary and general elections of the City and to provide that general laws of the State not otherwise inconsistent with the Charter Laws of the City are applicable to city elections.
RUN-OFF ELECTIONS. Shall Section 2-4 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to provide that a candidate receiving a majority of votes cast in a primary election be declared elected?
APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF CITY MANAGER. Shall Section 1-8 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to provide that the City Manager shall be appointed or removed by a four-fifths vote of the City Commission and in the event of removal, upon request the City Manager will be entitled to a public hearing, and providing that his or her compensation shall not be reduced during his tenure except as part of a general salary cutback?
PERSONNEL. Shall Section 1-8 of the Charter Laws of the City be amended to provide that neither the City Commission nor any commissioner shall dictate the appointment of any person to office or employment by the city manager or in any manner prevent the city manager from exercising his own judgment in selecting the personnel of his administration and to provide that the commission and its members shall deal with the administrative service solely through the city manager?
CHARTER AMENDMENT. Shall the Charter Laws of the City be amended by the addition of a new article to provide for the appointment of a Charter Review Committee by the City Commission?
Residents with questions about any of these proposed amendments may call the City Manager at 471-2122 or E-mail him at sabadmin@bellsouth.net.
Each regular and special Commission meeting is videotaped. The tapes of the regular meetings are usually then broadcast on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. on the County's Government Channel, which is Channel 3 for those St. Augustine Beach residents who are cable-TV subscribers. The only exception to this schedule is when there are five Wednesdays in a month. Then the tape of the Commission meeting will be broadcast on the THIRD Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. For the months of July, August and September 2004, the tapes will be shown on:
Wednesday, July 14
Wednesday, August 11
Wednesday, September 15
For special City Commission meetings, the tapes will usually be broadcast on the last Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. on Channel 3.
Eventually, the City Commission meetings will be broadcast live.
In 2003 the City Commission held a number of meetings to discuss how to acquire land for preservation, conservation and other public purposes. From those discussions came the decision to have a Land Acquisition Program.
The first step in the development of the program will be a question on the ballot for the August 31, 2004 primary. City residents will be asked to approve or not approve the following question:
Shall the City of St. Augustine Beach consider establishing a Municipal
Open Space and Recreation Preservation Fund to be funded at a rate not
to exceed $0.50 per $1,000.00 of total municipal equalized real property
valuation, and used exclusively for acquisition of lands for recreation and
conservation purposes?
If the residents approve the question, then this will authorize the Commission in a future
tax year to levy a property tax millage up to half a mill (or 50 cents for each $1,000 of
the assessed value of a property). Over the years, money would accumulate in the fund
so that the City could buy land and thus protect it from being developed, as the land
purchased could be used ONLY for recreation and/or conservation purposes.
The table below provides a guide as to the cost to the individual homeowner of the tax for the Open Space and Recreation Preservation Fund.
Home Assessed Tax if Millage Tax if Millage
After Homestead Is 25 Cents per Is 50 Cents per
Exemption $1,000 of $1,000 of
Assessed Assessed
Value Value
$150,000 $37.50 $ 75.00
$200,000 $50.00 $100.00
$250,000 $62.50 $125.00
$300,000 $75.00 $150.00
$350,000 $87.50 $175.00
$400,000 $100.00 $200.00
Residents are urged to vote at the August 31st primary on the referendum question stated above.
In December 2002, the City Commission adopted a Land Acquisition Program. The purpose was and is for the City to obtain vacant land adjacent to A1A Beach Boulevard so that it will not be developed but can be used for such public purposes as a park or passive recreation, a parking lot or for drainage.
The City then attempted to acquire several properties. A major one was the London Tract between Bermuda Run and Sea Colony subdivisions. Another major possibility was the Atkerson property on the west side of the Boulevard north of the shopping center. The London Tract became unavailable because the owners wanted to sell it for private development; and purchase of the Atkerson property wasn't possible because of its price and the lack of interest by the owner to work with the City on obtaining a State grant to help pay part of the purchase price. In response to inquiries from the City, several owners of smaller properties adjacent to the Boulevard said they were not interested in selling.
In March, the City learned of five lots for sale on the east side of the Boulevard between 10th and 11th Streets. A contract was negotiated with the City paying $750,000 for three of the lots and having an option to buy the remaining to in 2007 for a price to be determined by an appraisal. The $750,000 for the three lots will be paid from bond revenue provided through the Florida League of Cities' Municipal Loan Program. The revenue received from the City's telecommunications tax will be used to pay the interest and principal for the next 30 years. Money will be set aside in the City's budget for the next two fiscal years for the purchase of the remaining two lots.
The closing on the three lots will be in early September. The Commission will then decide on the uses of the lots. At this time, they are being used as a storage area for supplies and equipment used to construct the new hotel on the south side of 10th Street.
The Commission at its June 7th meeting approved an option to buy two adjacent lots on the south side of 11th Street east of the Boulevard in 2007. The price of these two lots will be determined by an appraisal that will be made at the time in 2007 that the Commission exercises the purchase option.
The Building Department has recently encountered numerous issues regarding window replacement in existing buildings within the City. If you are a resident who is proposing changing the windows in your residence, please note the following City requirements.
Certain requirements are mandated by the Florida Building Code for barrier island construction, window design being a component addressed by the Code. A 120 mph wind speed is used as the design basis for a window frame and the glazing. The problem is that the older homes within the City are built in accordance with the older building codes, some meeting a 100 mph or 110 mph wind speed.
If the windows are changed in your residence, the windows must be in accordance with the current code. The window manufacturer will provide the specifications for the 120 mph wind speed. You are not required to purchase the impact resistant glass. In place, the code allows for hurricane shutter protection from either wood or metal type shutters. Wood is required to be structural plywood or structural OSB, the type used for roof and wall sheathing. A 5/8" thick plywood is the preferred material by the Building Department. Part of the permitting process will require that the contractor cut the protective panels and install the fasteners for the panels as the windows are installed. The protective panels will also be identified, and the owner is then responsible for storing the panels. Prior to entering into a contract for window change-out, please contact the Building Department. There are provisions within the Building Codes that allow for exceptions.
Additional requirements are tempered glass in certain locations and emergency egress requirements from bedrooms. The codes have changed from year to year regarding this requirement. If the current opening is sized to install a window style that meets the egress requirement, this window style is required even if the style does not match the style used for the remainder of the structure. Another issue regards any residence or structure within a line of sight from the beach. Any opening facing the beach is required by State law to install what is referred to as turtle windows. This is a tinted window that negates a percentage of the interior light being transmitted to the outside. This is for protection of the nestlings after hatching.
If a contractor presents any information contrary to the above requirements, please call the Building Department (471-8758) for clarification prior to entering into a contract for work.
WHERE WE'VE BEEN.........
During the past three months, the City Commission made the following decisions, among many:
1. Approved the following ordinances;
- to amend Ordinance 01-15, to modify the planned unit development narrative for the commercial and multi-family sections of the Sea Grove Subdivision (former Cooksey property).
- to regulate arcades.
- to prescribe an additional method of enforcing of City ordinances.
- to regulate motorized parasails or paragliders when taking off or landing in the City's beach.
- to reduce from seven to five the number of regular members on the Code Enforcement Board.
- to adopt the County's cable-TV ordinance
2. Approved the following resolutions:
- to declare various items of City property as surplus and to authorize their disposal
- to amend the City Commission's Policies and Procedures Manual to establish procedures for the selection of alternate and regular members of the Planning Board.
- to support driving on the beaches of St. Johns County.
- to amend the Fiscal Year 2004 budget for various reasons.
3. Did the following miscellaneous actions:
- approved the following appointments: Ms. Margaret England as an alternate to the City's Planning & Zoning Board; Mr. Douglas Macke and Dr. Sonia Planey as alternates to the Code Enforcement Board; Dr. Patricia Gill to a second term on the Code Enforcement Board.
- approved a conditional use permit to construct a house in a commercial land use district east of the Boulevard at #12 6th Street.
- approved amendments to the contract with Stone, Joca and Mahoney for civil engineering services for various drainage projects.
- approved permits for the following special events: Flagler College Sport Management Class' 5K Charity Run/Walk on April 10th; Betty Griffin House's Race for Love on Beach, May 15th; Betty Griffin House's Annual Summer Sizzler, July 31st; AVB Media Group's 4th Annual Surf Classic, August 18-21; and the Sons of Italy's Columbus Day Italian Festival on October 10th.
-approved the purchase of an additional projector and screen for showing of visual aids during Commission and Planning Board meetings.
-awarded the bid for the excavation of the remaining 5 acres of the City's Mizell Road retention pond to V.J. Usina Contracting of St. Augustine, and approved the reduction of the bid price from $276,000 to $180,000.
-approved the following proclamations: to declare April, 2004 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month; to proclaim April 24, 2004, as Turtle Town USA in St Augustine Beach; to declare April 30, 2004, as Arbor Day in the City; to declare May, 2004, as Civility Month; to designate May 15, 2004 as Peace Officers' Memorial Day.
-decided not to renew with the firm of Bessent, Hammack and Ruckman the agreement for civil engineering services.
-approved the City to applying to the Water Management District to re-permit the City's stormwater management system.
-approved the City paying to have the former Commission meeting room roof on the old city hall replaced for $23,875.
-decided not to pass a resolution to support the Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment.
-decided not to have an ordinance to allow wireless telephone communications towers at locations in the City where the towers are not visible (e.g., behind the parapet wall of a building)
-reviewed the City's long range finance plan.
-supported Mr. Sumner Gray's request to the County and the State for "Bicycle Friendly" road improvements.
-approved a right-of-way permit for a new business, Rita's Ice, 380 A1A Beach Boulevard, to put a sewer line under City property.
-approved the plats for Units III and IV, Sea Grove Subdivision (former Cooksey property).
-accepted a report prepared by City staff of on-beach and off-beach parking of vehicles.
-decide to hold a workshop meeting with the Planning Board in June to discuss the definition of "hardship" and possible guidelines for approving variances.
-reviewed a proposal from Mr. Alan Jones, Emergency Communications Coordinator for the County, about emergency equipment the City could purchase so that it would be able to communicate with other emergency agencies during and after a hurricane.
-approved the City paying half the impact fee and some other expenses for the connection of a shower at A Street to the County water system.
WHERE WE'RE GOING......
During the next three months, the City Commission will consider the following, among many topics:
1. Ordinance to allow off-premise sign for bed and breakfast businesses. This will allow bed-and-breakfast businesses located east the Boulevard (but not on the Boulevard) to put their sign on the sign of an existing business on the Boulevard. This will help patrons of the bed-and-breakfast businesses to locate them.
2. Ordinance to allow condominium hotels by conditional use permit. This ordinance will give the Commission control of residential condominiums that are built in a commercial land use district and operated as hotels. The City Commission can require as a condition of the permit that the building be owned by one company or individual, as a true hotel would be, instead of the rooms being owned by separate individuals.
3. Ordinance to restrict the height of retaining walls to 8 feet. This ordinance will have its first reading at the Commission's July 6th meeting.
4. Ordinance to change certain regulations for solid waste pickup service for businesses. A public hearing on this Ordinance is scheduled for the Commission's July 6th meeting.
5. Sewer System Improvements. Residents in several of the City's older subdivisions rely on individual household septic systems for sewage treatment. Newer subdivisions have underground sewer mains that collect sewage from each house and take it to the County's sewage treatment plant at the west end of 16th Street. While the individual septic systems worked well for years, their number has increased as the City has grown, and with the increase in individual septic systems, such systems, especially on small lots, have come an increased risk of groundwater contamination.
Recently, the City was informed that it was eligible for a $3 million State grant to put in sewer mains in the older subdivisions. Sewage would be collected by the mains, thus making unnecessary the individual septic systems. The County would add to the grant $1.5 million from its own funds.
At its May 3rd meeting, the City Commission approved the County administering the grant program on the City's behalf. The first step will be the development of a survey questionnaire by the County's consulting engineers. The survey will be sent to residents in those subdivisions without sewer mains, to see if a majority of the residents in the subdivisions want to connect their homes to the mains.
6. Exchange of Land. The exchange will be County property for City property. The City will give the County the fire station and former public works garage next to the pier parking lot in exchange for seven-plus acres of County land on Mizell Road next to the City's current Public Works garage. The City needs this land for storage of vehicles and equipment. Also, part of the land could be used as a nursery for trees and shrubs. The County and the City will likely exchange deeds by September.
7. Master Plan for A1A Beach Boulevard. At a special meeting on May 24th, the City Commission discussed developing a master plan or vision for the City's "main street", A1A Beach Boulevard. Elements of the plan would include architectural styles for buildings, landscaping and other improvements. The first step of the plan will be to ask City residents by means of a questionnaire what are their concerns, desires, suggestions for improvements, etc., for the Boulevard. At its June 7th meeting, the Commission reviewed the first draft of a questionnaire that had been prepared by the Building Official. The Commission will modify the questions and discuss them at their July 6th meeting. Residents are invited to send their suggestions for improvements to the Boulevard by mail or e-mail (sabadmin@bellsouth.net) to the City Manager.