VOLUME 14 ISSUE 3                                                                                                     JULY 2005

Police Officer Joseph Beaudoin (right) takes the oath of office for the rank of Police Sergeant. Sergeant Beaudoin is a St. Augustine native. He attended St. Agnes School and St. Joseph's Academy, as well as the St. Augustine Technical Center. He was hired as a patrol officer by St. Augustine Beach in 1986. His special area of expertise for the Department is coordinating vehicle maintenance and in-car computers. He also was one of the Department's training officers for newly-hired patrol officers and one of its two motorcycle officers. He is now the Department's second sergeant. The first is Sgt. Terry Prescott.

Mr. Thomas Wheatley (right) takes the oath of office from Mayor Charles. Officer Wheatley was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. From 1977 to 1979 he was a Volusia County Corrections Officer; and from 1979 to March 2004 he worked for the Daytona Beach Police Department. He completed numerous law enforcement courses and became a certified crime prevention practitioner. He had assignments in patrol and community outreach and successfully operated the Police Athletic League and special events when he worked for Daytona Beach. He is lacking only a couple of college credits for his Associate's Degree.

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CHANGES TO CITY'S GARBAGE/TRASH COLLECTION

SCHEDULE BECAUSE OF HOLIDAYS

During July, August and September, there are two holidays which will affect the City's garbage/trash collection schedule. They are: Monday, July 4^th, the Independence Day holiday; and Monday, September 5^th, the Labor Day holiday. The changes will be:

Monday, July 4:             INDEPENDENCE DAY. CITY OFFICES CLOSED, NO PICKUP OF  

                                     HOUSEHOLD WASTES..

Tuesday, July 5:             Residents scheduled for pickup on Monday will have pickup on TUESDAY.

Wednesday, July 6:        Residents scheduled for pickup on Tuesday will have pickup on WEDNESDAY.

Thursday, July 7:            Normal pickup of household wastes and yard trash/ special wastes.

Friday, July 8:                Normal pickup of household wastes.

Monday, Sept. 5:          LABOR DAY. CITY OFFICES CLOSED, NO PICKUP OF

                                     HOUSEHOLD  WASTES.

Tuesday, Sept. 6:          Residents scheduled for pickup on Monday will have pickup on TUESDAY.

Wednesday, Sept. 7:     Residents scheduled for pickup on Tuesday will have pickup on WEDNESDAY.

Thursday, Sept. 8:         Normal pickup of household wastes and yard trash/ special wastes.

Friday, Sept. 9:             Normal pickup of household wastes.

For both holidays, there will be no change to the Wednesday and Thursday schedule of recycling pickups.

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NOTICES

• CHANGE OF DATE FOR COMMISSION'S JULY REGULAR MEETING. The Commission will meet on Monday, July 11^th, at 7:00 p.m. because July 4^th, the first Monday of the month, is the Independence Day holiday.



• SUMMER BLOOD DRIVE. The Blood Center of the St. Johns based in St. Augustine will hold its summer blood drive on Wednesday, July 13, 2005. The mobile blood unit will be parked in the city hall parking lot, 2200 A1A South, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.



• ADDITIONAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. In November 1999, the City Commission passed an ordinance which makes available to St. Augustine Beach homeowners an additional homestead exemption of $25,000. To be eligible for this additional exemption, the homeowner must be 65 years old and must have a household income that doesn't exceed $20,000. Any homeowner who thinks they may qualify for the additional exemption can call the Property Appraiser's office at 827-5500 for more information.

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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

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NOTICE TO CITY RESIDENTS

GOT A COMPLAINT? A PROBLEM?

Residents with a complaint or a problem may wonder which City department or other agency to call. Below we list some of the common complaints or problems and where to call for help.

Noise                                Unlicensed vehicles                      Non-functioning                         Loose, sick or vicious

Barking Dogs                    parked on private property             street lights                                      dogs (Humane

Unlicensed                      Construction without a                Trash on streets                               Society ) 829-2737.

vehicles parked on             permit                                              Dead or diseased                            At night, on weekends

street or public                  Tree removal without a                  tree on public                                   or holidays, Police

property                                permit                                               property Dept.                                   471-3600)

Garage sales                    Business being conducted         Non-functioning                           Debris on beach

without permit                     in a residential area                         traffic signals                                    (County Recreation

RVs on public or             Overgrown yards on                     (on weekends                                    Dept. 471-6616)

private property                  developed properties                     and holidays                                   Sick, injured,

Door-to-door                   Trash containers left                     call the Police                                    abandoned animals,

solicitation                           on street                                           Dept. 471-3600)                                 birds, wildlife    (471-

without permit                   Litter/trash on private                 Potholes, missing                              0336 or Beeper

(this does not                      property                                           street signs,                                       808-4333)

apply to religious             Dead or diseased tree                    missing stop signs,

or political groups)            on private property                         etc.

                                                                                                      Questions regarding

                                                                                                        occupational licenses

                                                                                                        and dog licenses

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TO HONOR EAGLE SCOUTS

Mr. Michael David Garner (right) receives proclamation from Mayor Charles in recognition of Mr. Garner achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Mr. Garner is a member of Boy Scout Troop 243, which is

sponsored by the Grace United Methodist Church of St. Augustine. For his Eagle Scout rank, Mr. Garner's community service project was a footbridge in A Princess Place Preserve, a State park in Flagler

County.

Mayor Charles presents resolution approved by the City Commission at its May 2^nd meeting to Mr. Julian 

Chalfant, Eagle Scout candidate. Mr. Chalfant is a member of Boy Scout Troop 243. He did his community

service project in St. Augustine Beach by beautifying a plaza at the southwest corner of 14^th Street and A1A

Beach Boulevard.

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UPDATE OF PROJECTS

1. Sewer System Improvements. In many of the City's older subdivisions, the residents use individual septic systems for sewage treatment. The County Utility Department on the City's behalf has obtained a State grant of over $13 million to put sewer mains in these older subdivisions. At a special meeting on April 18^th, the County's wastewater consulting engineer, Camp, Dresser and McKee, explained the progress of the project to date. Mr. Bill Young, County Utility Director, outlined the costs to the homeowners to connect to the sewer main and the possibility that the County may reduce one of the major costs, the unit connection fee, which is currently $1,938 per residence. A reduction in this fee will have to be approved by the County Commission. Additional costs to the homeowner will be making the septic system inactive and connecting the house to the sewer main. This could cost up to $2,500 per house, according to Mr. Young. At the April 18^th meeting, the Commission approved a resolution which adopts the project's Facilities Plan. The schedule for the implementation of the project is this: design work to be completed by March 2006; submission of bids for the project to be June 2006; construction to start in September 2006; and the project to be substantially complete by July 2009.

2. Beach Restoration. In the fall of 2002, the first major beach restoration project in the County's history was completed. Over 3,500,000 cubic yards of sand were placed on 2.5 miles of beach: from the middle of the State Park to the northern boundary of the Sea Colony subdivision. The cost was $15,800,000. This was the first renourishment of what is to be a series of similar projects for the next 50 years. A follow-up renourishment was scheduled for 2007, but because of the hurricanes and storms during the summer of 2004, the next renourishment project will be done in the summer of 2005. The Army Corps of Engineers awarded the bid to Great Lakes Dredging Company in late May. The bid price is $14,600,000, and approximately 2,500,000 cubic yards of sand will be put on the beach from Pope Road to the northern boundary of Sea Colony.

3. Traffic Signal at A Street. Because the intersection of A Street with the Boulevard can be busy at times with vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists, the City Commission approved a traffic signal at this location as part of the first phase of the City's traffic calming plan. The City has paid a traffic engineer to design the signal in accordance with State requirements. Now the County will pay to have a signal system put in place at this location. The plans were completed in June. The County will advertise for bids. The construction of the signal will be started in August or September.

4. Drainage Improvements. The City has about $1.7 million worth of drainage projects scheduled to be done during the next two years. They include the Linda Mar subdivision's stormwater force main, piping the 2^nd Avenue ditch between 3^rd and 10^th Streets, and improvements to Atlantic Alley east of the Boulevard between 6^th and 9^th Streets. For the projects, various permits must be obtained, plans and specifications completed, and then the projects advertised fr bids. No schedule has yet been established as to which project will be started first and when that will happen.

5. Interactive Fountain. The fountain is to be circular in shape and made either of concrete or paving stones and will have recessed fountain heads. It will be located between the County pier and the former city hall. In 2004, the County on the City's behalf applied for a State grant of $92,000-plus. That grant has been awarded to the City. The City now must sign a contract with the State and then have its civil engineering consulting firm draft plans and specifications and apply for a permit from the State to build the fountain seaward of the Coastal Construction Setback Line. As the permit will take several months to obtain, it's likely that construction of the fountain will begin in early 2006.

6. Restrooms for Beach Visitors. At this time, sanitary facilities for beach visitors consist of portable toilets placed along the beach from A Street southwards. The City is considering putting restrooms for beach visitors on one of the plazas adjacent to A Street and the Boulevard and others on the plazas on 10^th Street or on one of the three 10^th Street lots owned by the City. At its June 6^th meeting, the Commission approved the proposed location of the restrooms on the northeast plaza at A Street and the Boulevard; approved a coquina facade for them in accordance with one of the three facades suggested by the County's Scenic Highway consultant; and authorized the City Manager to negotiate with contractors to build the restrooms for an amount not to exceed $27,414.

7. Lakeside Park. This is City property south of the police station between a small lake and State Road A1A. In 2004, the City received an urban forestry grant from the State of Florida. With this grant several types of trees (black cherry, sabal palm, live oak, red cedar) have been purchased and planted, as well as muhly grass and other ground plants. A local Boy Scout, Mr. Joshua Longstreet, has added other improvements to the park, such as picnic tables, a grill, paving stones, benches and plants, as his community service project to attain the rank of Eagle Scout. The City had an 8-foot wide sidewalk/bikepath constructed through the park. Future improvements will include a second fishing pier and restrooms.

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WHERE WE'VE BEEN....

During the past three months, the City Commission made the following decisions, among many:

1. Approved the following ordinances:

• -to provide that amendments to the Land Development Code must first be submitted to the City's Planning Board

 

• -to provide a definition of "condominium hotel."




• -to permit the use of commercially-zoned property for residential use only if the property is not economically viable for commercial purposes.




• -to regulate taxicabs. The ordinance requires that taxicab companies picking up passengers within the City's limits have an occupational license and conform to certain other requirements.

 

• Approved the following resolutions:

 

• -to support the Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County, Inc.

 

 

• -to designate Prosperity Bank as a public depository and to authorize withdrawal of the City's money from it.




• -to amend the City's Purchasing Policies and Procedures Manual to change spending limitations.




• -to support the Florida Open Beaches Act that would require public accesses to the beach not be obstructed.




• -to authorize the execution to renew the agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for the City to maintain the landscaping along State Road A1A.




• -to amend Resolution 89-5 to limit presentations on Commission meeting agendas to 10 minutes and to matters pertaining only to the City or its residents.




• -to amend the Fiscal Year 2005 budget for various reasons.

 

• Did the following miscellaneous actions.

 

• -approved special event permits for: the South Beaches Council of the Chamber of Commerce to hold Friday Family Dances in May, June, July and August 2005 at the County pier pavilion; for the Betty Griffin House to hold its 6^th annual Summer Sizzler Beachfest on Saturday, August 6, 2005 at the County pier pavilion; the Sons of Italy's Italian Festival on Saturday, October 9, 2005 at the County pier pavilion.




• -approved the following proclamations: to declare April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month; to proclaim May 2005 as Civility Month: to proclaim May 2005 as Older Americans Month.




• -approved a conditional use permit for the construction of a residence in a commercial land use district at 208 12^th Street.




• -approved providing incentive bonuses to the City's new Building Inspector for each certification he earns for various types of inspections, such as electrical, plumbing, etc.




• -approved the City administration advertising for bids for workers' compensation, property and liability insurance.




• -authorized Police Chief Hedges to hire a new police officer.




• -approved the plat for Unit VIII of the Sea Grove subdivision for 104 single-family residential lots on 33.46 acres.




• -reviewed the report for 2004 on development in the City.




• -approved the forms for the annual evaluation of the Police Chief and the City Manager




• -presented a certificate to Ms. Kimbra Tyre, Building Department Permit Technician, to mark her five years of employment with the City.




• -approved the disposal of certain items of surplus property from the Police, Finance/Administration and Other Governmental Services departments.




• -authorized the purchase of a cement mixer for the Public Works Department, and authorized the purchase of a used truck for the Solid Waste Department.




• -approved the opening of four platted but unbuilt streets and the stabilizing of them: 2^nd Street west of 2^nd Avenue; and 4^th, 6^th and 8^th Streets between 2^nd Avenue and A1A Beach Boulevard.




• -approved the creation of up to 1.6 acres of wetlands on the Public Works property on Mizell Road as a condition to obtain a Water Management District permit for the City's master drainage plan.




• -approved an agreement with the Sea Colony Neighborhood Association to allow the City's Police Department to enforce traffic regulations on the subdivision's streets, which are privately owned.




• -appointed Mr. Robert Beskind as the City's representative to the County-wide committee responsible for implementing the Scenic Highway plan.

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WHERE WE'RE GOING....

During the next three months, the City Commission will consider the following topics, among many:

1. Ordinance to Vacate Alley. The alley is in Coquina Gables in the block between B and C Streets and 3^rd and 4^th Avenues. The ordinance had its first reading at the Commission's June 6^th meeting. It is scheduled for a public hearing and second reading at the Commission's July 11^th meeting.

2. City's New Budget. Fiscal Year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and will end on September 30, 2006. During June, the City's department heads have prepared their respective FY 06 budgets. A draft of the budget should be ready for review by the public about July 11^th. The City commission will likely hold its first public review of the budget at a special meeting on Monday, July 25^th, at 7:00 p.m. in the city hall. What may be included in the FY 06 budget is a new sanitation truck, a special truck that can pick up debris more efficiently, and a request for one or two new Public Works employees. Drainage, road paving and new sidewalks may also be included. Residents with questions about the proposed budget may call the City Manager at 471-2122.

3. Impact Fees. By interlocal agreement with the County, the City collects the impact fees levied by te County and forwards the money collected to the County, less 3% of the revenue to reimburse the City for the costs to collect and account for the money. Recently, the County Commission increased the impact fees significantly. For the time being, the City is continuing to collect the fees for the County. However, at the Commission's July 11^th meeting, County Commission Chairman Bruce Maguire will discuss with the Commission a new arrangement which would provide directly to the City a higher percentage of the impact fees collected. The City Commission could then decide for what purposes the money will be spent. Or the Commission could decide that the City should either levy its own impact fees or not levy impact fees, except perhaps those for new schools.

4. Beach Management. By interlocal agreement, the County manages the City beach. The County collects beach tolls, and from the revenue hires lifeguards, pays for portable toilets, beach cleaning and law enforcement services. As the agreement hasn't been updated since it was signed in 1988, the City staff drafted a revised version that sets specific standards, such as the locations of lifeguard towers, the number of portable toilets and the frequency of removal of debris from the beach. A group of residents, headed by Civic Association President Robert Samuels, want the agreement to require the County to provide better restroom and shower facilities for beach visitors and to give the City regularly an accounting of the uses of the beach toll revenue. The suggestions from the Civic Association's Beach Committee have been included in a proposed revised agreement. City officials will meet with County officials to work on the details.

5. London Tract Development. The London Tract is located on the east side of the Boulevard between the Bermuda Run and Sea Colony subdivisions. The St. Augustine Development Association has proposed a residential planned unit development on the Tract. The main features of the development will be: 72 clustered residential units; the deeding to the City of approximately 1.5 acres of land along the Boulevard for open space/preservation; the deeding to the City of a 10-foot strip of land along the Tract's southern boundary to provide a public beach access. The Planning Board reviewed the proposed planned unit development at its April 19^th meeting and approved it with certain changes. The Commission at its May 2^nd meeting approved all the proposed changes but one and passed the ordinance adopting the planned unit development narrative on first reading. A public hearing on the ordinance was held at the Commission's June 6^th meeting. The Commission postponed a decision on the ordinance and scheduled a special meeting on June 20^th to discuss various matters concerning the proposed development. If the ordinance adopting the planned unit development is approved on June 20^th, then the developers still must present a final development plan to the Planning Board for approval.

6. Land Acquisition. In 2003 the City Commission adopted a program for the City to acquire vacant land for various public purposes, such as open space and conservation. As noted in the April issue of this Newsletter, the City has acquired three lots on 10^th Street east of the Boulevard, two oceanfront lots at the east end of 15^th Street, and about an acre along the east side of State Road A1A and adjacent to the Ocean Oaks subdivision. As part of the London Tract development, the City will be given 1.5 acres adjacent to A1A Beach Boulevard. Now the City has an opportunity to acquire, with the County, a six-acre parcel on the west side of the Boulevard north of the shopping center. The City Commission at its June 6^th meeting approved a memorandum of understanding with the County for the joint purchase of the property. At future meetings, the Commission will consider having the County apply to the Florida Communities Trust for a grant that could reimburse the City and the County for the property's cost. Also, the City will work with the County on the development of the property as a nature park. A walkway could be put through the lower part of the property as a nature trail.

7. Condominium Hotel. A condominium hotel is a new form of hotel ownership. Instead of a single company owning all the rooms in a hotel, each room is owned by an individual. The room is then rented out on a daily or weekly basis like a regular hotel room. Recently, the City Commission reviewed an application to convert the Ramada Inn, 894 A1A Beach Boulevard, to condo hotel. City regulations permit condo hotels in a commercial land use district by conditional use permit only. The Commission reviewed the application for the permit at its June 6^th meeting, but because of a number of questions, the application was referred back to the Planning Board. It's likely that the application will be brought back to the Commission for consideration at its July 11^th meeting.

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BRICK PAVER PROJECT

Editor's Note: The information below was provided by Ms. Pat

Greenfield for the St. Johns Cultural Council's project to raise

funds for the renovation of the former city hall into a cultural

and arts center.

The St. Johns Cultural Council is happy to announce that the brick pavers are in! Those who purchased them during our initial phase have their bricks placed in the display area in front of the Cultural Center (old city hall). This brick paver project is now in full swing, and we invite all residents to join in and purchase a brick for themselves, or to honor a deceased relative, as a gift for a special occasion or for businesses to display their support for this project.

Please go by and take a look at the paver display area and also take a look at how nicely the building is coming along. The murals were done by a Flagler College student. We plan on having the front of the building windows also have murals. Many programs have already been held in the old city commission room, which is now a beautiful fully mirrored room. It will be utilized by the Dance Company as soon as the building's first floor is completed during their operation hours but also for other occasions in the mornings and on weekends.

We now also have applications for those who wish to join the St. Johns Cultural Council. A full explanation and an application form are available on the counter in the City Manager's office, as are the brick paver brochures. If you cannot get to city hall, please call Pat Greenfield, 471-3734, and they can be mailed to your home. Remember, over $500,000 has been invested in this National treasure. The paperwork for the National Historic Designation for the building is in its final phase. The building is already on the State National Historic List

Join us as a member and/or purchase a brick to assist in continuing the renovation, and hurry the grand opening date.