[00:00:02]
>> WELCOME, RESIDENTS, NEIGHBORS, AND GUESTS.
[CALL TO ORDER]
BEFORE WE OPEN THIS MEETING, WE'LL HAVE AN INVOCATION AND PLEDGE TO THE FLAG FROM COMMISSIONER WATERS.>> WHAT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY.
THIS FAST WE REALIZE WE HAVE INDEPENDENCE.
BUT I WANT YOU TO COME INTO ALL OF OUR HEARTS AND FREE US UP.
I PRAY THAT YOU'LL BE WITH THIS TOWN, THIS COMMISSION.
WE HAVE BIG DECISIONS TO MAKE.
WE JUST WENT THROUGH A LONG BUDGET MEETING, ONE OF MANY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TONIGHT ABOUT THE CHARTER AND OTHER TOPICS, AND I PRAY THAT YOU WILL LEAD US AND GUIDE US TO DO WHAT ALL OF ATLANTIC BEACH WANTS TO DO, TO SERVE THEM.
I HEREBY CALL THIS CITY COMMISSION DATED JULY 8TH TO ORDER.
LADESHIA, WOULD YOU DO A ROLL CALL, PLEASE?
>> PRESENT. COMMISSIONER KELLY.
>> PRESENT. BEFORE I GET STARTED, THIS MEETING IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN SOME, AND THIS GROUP THAT'S HERE IS PROOF OF THAT.
WE HAVE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK TODAY.
THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY IS COURTESY OF THE FLOOR, AND THAT'LL COME UP SHORTLY, AND THAT'S ON ANYTHING.
THEN WE WILL HAVE SOME ORDINANCES THAT REQUIRE PUBLIC COMMENT, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK AT THAT.
IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON MULTIPLE ORDINANCES, YOU CAN SPEAK MULTIPLE TIMES.
YOU'RE NOT LIMITED TO ONE TIME, ALTHOUGH IF YOU GOT AHEAD OF YOURSELF AND SPOKE ON AN ORDINANCE COMING UP, SO BE IT, THERE IS A TIME LIMIT ON IT.
THEN FINALLY, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE ACTION AT THE END OF THIS AGENDA.
HOLD ON A SECOND. QUITE A BIT HERE.
WE HAVE A DELIBERATION, AN ACTION ON A REQUIREMENT TO REVIEW CONDITIONS TO EITHER APPROVE OR DENY A REQUEST FOR A VARIANCE, AND THAT ALSO WILL HAVE PUBLIC FORUM.
YOU CAN SPEAK AT EACH ONE OF THEM, OR YOU CAN SPEAK AT ONE TIME, BUT PLEASE DON'T SPEAK ON THE SAME THING MULTIPLE TIMES, SO THAT WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS.
NOW, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE SPEAKING TONIGHT.
WE'RE GOING TO LIMIT THE PUBLIC COMMENT TO TWO MINUTES PER PERSON.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THROUGH EVERYBODY AND HEAR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY.
BUT THAT'S HOW WE'LL RUN TONIGHT.
WE'LL BEGIN. WE'LL OPEN THIS AGENDA.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ITEM 1 IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES.WE HAVE ITEM 1A, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE JOINT WORKSHOP BETWEEN THE CITY COMMISSION AND CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS HELD ON MAY 20TH, 2024.
COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES? HEARING NONE, THE MINUTES STAND AS PRESENTED.
ITEM 1B APPROVED THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON MAY 28TH, 2024.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THESE MINUTES? HEARING NONE THE MINUTES FROM MAY 28TH, 2024, WILL STAND AS SUBMITTED.
NOW WE'LL MOVE TO COURTESY OF THE FLOOR FOR VISITORS,
[2. COURTESY OF FLOOR TO VISITORS]
AND I'M GOING TO ASK DONNA TO JUST LEAD OFF WITH THE FIRST SPEAKER.>> EACH PERSON, WHEN YOU COME UP, IF YOU'LL ALSO RESTATE YOUR NAME, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEING CALLED OUT BECAUSE I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR. ITS JEFF.
>> GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS JEFF SELLHORST.
I'VE LIVED IN ATLANTIC BEACH FOR 28 YEARS, AND I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF ADDING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP TO OUR CITY CHARTER VIA NOVEMBER'S BALLOT.
I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WHO BELIEVES IN COMMON SENSE.
IF WE DON'T START TAKING CARE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT NOW, WE'RE ALL GOING TO SUFFER FOR IT.
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE, AND NOT PASS THE BUCK TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.
I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS, AND IT'S ON US TO ADD ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AS A CONSIDERATION IN THE CITY CHARTER.
THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT THAT'S GOING ON NOW SEEMS TO BE NEEDED MORE AND MORE OFTEN.
LARGER STORMS SEEM TO BE TAKING MORE OF THE BEACH AWAY FASTER.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE JUST VOTING ON MOVING LANGUAGE FORWARD INTO NOVEMBER'S BALLOT,
[00:05:03]
AND WE ARE NOT TRYING TO SOLVE CLIMATE CHANGE TONIGHT, BUT I'M CONCERNED HOW MUCH IT IS GOING TO COST US IF WE KEEP KICKING GENUINE STEWARDSHIP DOWN THE ROAD.THE COST OF INACTION IS ALREADY SHOWING UP AND RISING HEALTH CARE COSTS, FROM POLLUTION RELATED ILLNESSES AND COSTS OF REBUILDING FROM MORE FREQUENT AND STRONGER STORMS, AND GOOD GOVERNANCE AND SMART ECONOMICS TO START PUTTING IN PLACE THE STRUCTURE AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION NOW SO WE CAN PLAN LONG TERM.
I'M ASKING YOU CITY COMMISSION TO PUT THIS ISSUE IN THE NOVEMBER BALLOT AND LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE.
I THINK YOU'LL FIND A LOT OF AB CITIZENS WANT PROACTIVE AND FORWARD THINKING CHANGE.
IT'S TIME WE ELEVATE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND MAKE IT A RESPONSIBILITY AND POWER OF OUR COMMISSION IN OUR CITY CHARTER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND PLEASE MAKE SURE WE ALL CARE FOR THE PLACE WE ALL CALL HOME, LONG INTO THE FUTURE.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS AMY AYRES.
I FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSION FOR GIVING YOUR TIME, ENERGY AND EFFORTS TO THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT.
AS MOST OF US KNOW, WE HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL HERE IN ATLANTIC BEACH.
WE ARE PEOPLE WHO REALLY KNOW OUR NEIGHBORS.
OUR CHILDREN PLAY TOGETHER ON THE TREE LINED STREETS.
OUR COMMUNITY GATHERS AT THE MINI PARKS THAT WE HAVE HERE, THE FARMER MARKET.
THE TITLE PRESERVES, THE BEACHES, AND THE INTERCOASTAL WATERWAYS.
THE WAY WE COMMUNE HERE IS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO OUR LANDSCAPE.
OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, OUR QUALITY OF COMMUNITY, RELATIONSHIPS, AND EVEN CHILDHOOD, DEPENDS ON OUR PROTECTION, PRIORITIZATION, AND PRESERVATION OF OUR NATURAL LANDSCAPE.
APPROVING THE AMENDMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE CHARTER, ARTICLE 2 SECTION 9 ENSURES THAT THE CHARTER MATCHES WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE LIVE HERE IN THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH.
IT REMINDS US AND THOSE WHO FILL THIS HALL IN POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS TO PRIORITIZE AND PROTECT OUR GREATEST NATURAL ASSETS, SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN PROSPER ALONGSIDE OUR TREE CANOPIES, OUR SOIL, OUR BEACHES, AND OUR MARSHES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
>> GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY AND HEARING THIS.
I WANTED TO COME TONIGHT BECAUSE I HEARD ABOUT THE ORDINANCE 332426, WHICH IS 9B ON THE AGENDA.
>> CAN I YOU TO RESTATE YOUR NAME.
>> YES, I'M SORRY. IT'S CHRISTINA KELCOURSE.
I HAVE CHILDREN THAT GO TO ATLANTIC BEACH ELEMENTARY.
I'M AN ATTORNEY, AND I AM A BUSINESS OWNER.
WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THIS WAS UP FOR BEING ON THE BALLOT, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A GREAT THING TO COME AND JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THAT.
WE THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
IT WILL MAKE ATLANTIC BEACH MORE RESILIENT, MORE SUSTAINABLE.
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF CITIES AND COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY DO SIMILAR THINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO BE SMART CITIES.
WITH OUR CITY BEING SO RICH IN NATURE AND TREES, AND THE BEACH AND THE WATERWAYS THAT WE HAVE, IT ONLY MAKES SMART SENSE FOR US TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT PROTECTS IT.
THAT'S SIMPLY IT, SO I AM IN FAVOR. THANK YOU.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CAROLYN ZISSER.
MY ADDRESS IS OF RECORD, A VERY LONG TERM RESIDENT OF ATLANTIC BEACH, AND ALSO AN ATTORNEY.
I WANTED TO SPEAK IN FAVOR AND RECOMMENDING THAT THE ENTIRE COMMISSION ADOPT ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AND PRIVILEGE OF ATTENDING MOST OF THE CHARTER REVISION REVIEW, I SHOULD SAY, MEETINGS, HEARD THE DEBATE, PARTICIPATED IN A NUMBER OF THE DEBATES.
THERE WAS ACTIVE DISCUSSION, AND I THINK THAT ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE VERY WELL REASONED, AND SHOULD BE ON THE BALLOT AND APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION THIS EVENING.
I WOULD ALSO JOIN IN SPECIFICALLY, INCLUDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP LANGUAGE.
OUR CHARTER IS AKIN TO OUR CONSTITUTION.
OUR CONSTITUTION HAS A BILL OF RIGHTS, IN WHICH WE STATE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF OUR GOVERNMENT AND BEING MINDFUL OF
[00:10:02]
OUR ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE HALLMARKS IN ATLANTIC BEACH.THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD NIGHT.
>> MARISSA CARBONE, 391, 8TH STREET ATLANTIC BEACH.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE TONIGHT, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY.
I AM HERE TO ASK YOU TO ALLOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AMENDMENT TO GO THROUGH ON THE BALLOT.
I THINK YOU CAN ALL AGREE. IT DOESN'T USE THE WORD SUSTAINABILITY OR RELIABILITY OR GOD FORBID, CLIMATE CHANGE.
BUT IT DOES USE THE WORD ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, I BELIEVE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT'S ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CHARTER.
WE ALL LOVE ATLANTIC BEACH, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO USE THE WORD ENVIRONMENT AND TO START TALKING ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND [INAUDIBLE] IT IN THE CITY CHARTER.
MY REQUEST IS THAT YOU ALLOW TO STAY ON THE BALLOT OR GET ON THE BALLOT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> HI. I'M KARA MORROW, RESIDENT OF ATLANTIC BEACH SINCE 2007, AND ALSO RUN A NONPROFIT HERE IN TOWN.
I WOULD LIKE ALSO TO INCLUDE THE LANGUAGE REGARDING ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION IN THE NEW CHARTER.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE FEW RESOURCES THAT THIS CITY HAS IS OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND WE SHOULD ESTABLISH PRECEDENT OF THE CITY'S CONTROL OVER SAID RESOURCE BY INCLUDING THIS LANGUAGE.
IF ONLY SO THAT IT CAN BE REFERRED TO LATER ON WHEN THE CITY IS MAKING DECISIONS ASSERTING ITS JURISDICTION OVER SUCH.
I THINK WE'VE ALL REALIZED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT, IT'S EASY FOR THE CITY TO BE OVERRULED BY THE STATE, AND SOMETIMES IN TURN BY PRIVATE INTERESTS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE OUR TOWN'S INTERESTS AT HEART, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS HIT THE BALLOT. THANK YOU.
>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.
I'M BRINKLEY HAROLD 266 STREET.
I AM STANDING UP HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT ORDINANCE 24-34, SOMETHING THAT'S LABELED THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, BUT REALLY, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY A FIRE SERVICES AGREEMENT.
THE DRAFT AGREEMENT THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, I THINK IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
WE HAD A 25-YEAR AGREEMENT THAT EXPIRED TWO MONTHS AGO, AND WE'VE HAD OUR BUY IN.
WE'VE PAID MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO COJ FOR THEM TO HAVE A FIRE TRUCK RIGHT NEXT DOOR HERE.
CONVERSELY, NEPTUNE BEACH PAYS NOTHING, AND THEY GET SERVED BY THIS FIRE TRUCK THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR.
ASPECTS OF THE AGREEMENT THAT ARE WRONG, IS THAT, RESCUE IS INTERSPERSED THROUGHOUT THIS AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU, RESCUE IS ALREADY A DONE DEAL.
THAT WAS SATISFIED IN THE 1982 AND 1985 BASE WORKED INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
RESCUE IS NOT EVEN UP TO DEBATE HERE.
THE THING THAT HAPPENED, THE REASON THAT WE DON'T HAVE FIRE SERVICES IN THE MAIN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, IS BECAUSE IN '82 AND '85, NONE OF THE BEACH CITIES IN BALDWIN CONTEMPLATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE THEIR FIRE DEPARTMENT IN PERPETUITY.
IT WASN'T IN THERE. IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A FIRE DEPARTMENT IN 1982 AND '85, IT WOULD HAVE SAID, FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES ALREADY IN THAT AGREEMENT.
NOW, THE AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU, IF PARAGRAPH 13, THE FUNDING OF IT, $3 MILLION OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, IF PARAGRAPH 13 IS PULLED OUT OF THERE, IT'S AN OKAY AGREEMENT.
IT ALLOWS THEM TO STAY HERE, NO COST TO US, AND FURTHER NEGOTIATION OVER TWO YEARS, OR YOU COULD CHANGE IT TO FIVE OR 10 YEARS AT NO COST, AND THEY CAN KICK THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT DOWN THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
BUT WITH THAT $3 MILLION PAYMENT, IT DISINCENTIVIZE COJ TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. THANK YOU.
I LIVE THREE BLOCKS DOWN ON SEMINOLE ROAD.
I HAVE BEEN HERE. I COULD WALK IF IT WASN'T RAINING.
>> I DIDN'T CATCH YOUR LAST NAME.
I TEACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA.
WHEN MY STUDENTS GET TO KNOW, PROFESSOR DR. BOSSY.
[00:15:02]
MY DAUGHTER HAS GROWN UP HERE.I PICKED ATLANTIC BEACH TO LIVE IN AND PICKED ATLANTIC BEACH TO STAY IN AND BECOME A HOMEOWNER, BECAUSE OF THE AMAZING ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE HERE.
IT'S BOTH AN ECOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT'S INCREDIBLY RICH AND ALSO FRAGILE, AND NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, AND IT'S ALSO AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WE CULTIVATE AS A COMMUNITY.
I ASK THAT YOU ALLOW THE CITIZENS OF ATLANTIC BEACH TO VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP INCLUDED IN THE CHARTER.
COMMISSIONER WATERS SAID THAT WE ARE IN SERVICE OF OUR CITIZENS HERE TONIGHT, AND SO TO ALLOW THEM TO VOTE IS CRITICAL.
WE'VE BEEN CHANGING A LOT AS A CITY.
MY HOUSE HAS DOUBLED IN VALUE, WHICH IS AMAZING.
BUT IT'S BECOME A CITY THAT'S INCREASINGLY TARGETED BY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SPEND TIME HERE, WHO COME TO OUR BEACHES WHO DON'T LIVE HERE.
BY PEOPLE MOVING IN WHO MIGHT NOT SHARE THE SAME SENSE OF COMMUNITY AS WE ALL DO IN THIS ROOM.
I THINK BY INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IN OUR CHARTER, WE REINFORCE THAT WE ARE A COMMUNITY, WHO CARE ABOUT ONE ANOTHER, WHO CARE ABOUT AND TAKE CARE OF THE PLACE THAT WE LIVE IN.
I ASK THAT YOU ALLOW US TO THINK ABOUT THAT TOGETHER AS CITIZENS AND TO VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE AGREE WITH THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, MS. BOSSY. [LAUGHTER]
>> MAYOR, COMMISSIONERS, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT, 391 8TH STREET, AND I DID WALK OVER TONIGHT WITH AN UMBRELLA.
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF CALLING ATLANTIC BEACH HOME FOR 34 YEARS.
I'M A BIG USER OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, WHETHER IT'S WALKING MY DOG ON THE BEACH, SURFING IN THE OCEAN, RIDING MY BIKE TO DUTTON ISLAND.
FOR THOSE REASONS, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP OF THESE ASSETS IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND MANY OF MY FRIENDS WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY'RE ON VACATION.
WE NEED TO PROTECT THESE GEMS. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO URGE YOU TO ALLOW THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AMENDMENT BE PLACED ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.
THE OTHER BEACH COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE SO.
THEY'VE GOT LANGUAGE ON THEIR CHARTERS, INCLUDING NEW SAMARA.
I DIDN'T QUITE GET IT, BUT I WILL GET THE SPELLING LATER. FANATI.
>> ZARKADORIE. HOW DID SHE DO?
>> SHE DID GREAT. SHOULD I REPEAT IT?
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK AND FOR BEING HERE, SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF AGENDA 9B, THE AMENDMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP CHARTER TO ENSURE THAT WE PROTECT, PRESERVE OUR WATER AIR AND EARTH. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, CARRIE. I'M NOT USING YOUR LAST NAME.
>> I'M PROBABLY GOING TO GET THIS WRONG.
>> PRETTY CLOSE, AMY FRANK QIY.
IT LOOKS A LOT FANCIER THAN IT SOUNDS. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I'M ALSO HERE IN FAVOR OF ITEM 9B AND ADDING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP TO THE BALLOT.
I'M A PROUD ATLANTIC BEACH RESIDENT.
I AM AN ADVOCATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, AND I TRY TO DO THE THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN THE SPAN OF MY CONTROL.
FOR EXAMPLE, MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE REMOVED 90% OF OUR LAWN AND HAVE REPLACED IT WITH NATIVE PLANTS, WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL FROM INCREASING BIODIVERSITY, SEQUESTERING CARBON, HELPING CONTROL AND REDUCE THE USE OF WATER.
I HOST PRESENTATIONS AT THE LOCAL LIBRARY ALL ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF NATIVE PLANTS.
I'VE HOSTED SESSIONS HERE WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE ON INCREASING BIODIVERSITY IN ATLANTIC BEACH.
I HELP AND REMOVE INVASIVE PLANTS IN HOWELL PARK.
I'VE GOTTEN MY NEIGHBOR TO ADD HIS MASSIVE LIVE OAK TREE AS A HERITAGE TREE, WHICH IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, WHICH I UNDERSTAND THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF THOSE IN THE AREA.
SO I SHARE ALL THOSE AS EXAMPLES TO SAY THAT I'M VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS TOPIC, AND I KNOW A LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS ARE AS WELL AS THEY'VE BEEN DRINKING MY NATIVE PLANT KOOL-AID AND ALSO STARTING TO CHANGE OVER THEIR OWN LAWNS.
SO I BELIEVE STRONGLY WE MUST DO WHAT WE CAN TO PROTECT THE BEAUTIFUL, NATURAL HABITATS THAT SURROUNDS US HERE AND MAKES LIVING HERE IN THE AB COMMUNITY SO UNIQUE AND WONDERFUL. THANK YOU.
>> IT'S EASY TO PRONOUNCE. EMILY MINOR.
[00:20:06]
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME AND ALL OF US TO SPEAK.I'M ALSO SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF ADDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP TO OUR CHARTER.
I MOVED TO ATLANTIC BEACH, 336 NINTH STREET IN 1989, WHEN I WAS A BABY.
I GREW UP HERE, ATLANTIC BEACH ELEMENTARY, MAYPORT MEDDLE, FLETCHER HIGH.
LEFT FOR COLLEGE AND TO EXPLORE OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, BUT THEN I MOVED BACK HERE WITH MY FAMILY, BOUGHT A HOUSE ON 376 NINTH, LIVED THERE FOR A WHILE, THEN MOVED ACROSS THE STREET TO 363 NINTH.
SO I'VE LIVED IN THREE HOUSES ON NINTH STREET OVER THE COURSE OF MY LIFE.
AND THERE'S A REASON WHY I CAME BACK AND BROUGHT MY MASSACHUSETTS BORN HUSBAND HERE WITH ME TO RAISE OUR CHILDREN.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE AMAZING ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO.
I LOVE WATCHING MY CHILDREN PLAY IN JOHANSON PARK, HOWELL PARK, JACK RUSSELL PARK, BALL PARK, AND, OF COURSE, ALONG THE BEACH.
HAVING LIVED HERE FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS, I'VE HAD THE BENEFIT OF SEEING THE IMPACT OF OUR DUNE SYSTEM, RELATIVE TO JACK'S BEACH, FOR EXAMPLE, DURING HURRICANES, AND I KNOW THAT PRESERVING THE NATURAL DYNAMICS OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEM, SO CRITICAL WITH THE BEACHES IN THE MARCH ARE IMPORTANT TO PRESERVING OUR HOUSES, OUR BUSINESSES, OUR VALUE, AND OUR SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
SO I'M AGAIN, SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF ALLOWING THE CITIZENS TO GIVE THEIR VOICE ON THIS MATTER BY ADDING IT ON THE BALLOT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR SIGNED UP FOR COURTESY, BUT I HAVE SOME FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS LATER.
OUT OF FAIRNESS, SINCE I USUALLY OPENED IT UP, DID ANYONE ELSE NOT SIGN IN THAT WANTS TO SPEAK COURTESY OF THE FLOOR?
>> SORRY. [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER] GOOD EVENING.
THANK YOU, ALL. I'M NATHAN BUSSEY.
AND I'M ALSO HERE FOR 9B TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
AS A FATHER, I'VE GOT TWO BOYS OVER HERE, WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, I LIVED IN A VERY BORING BLAND SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT.
WE'D LEAVE AND WE'D GO VISIT MY GRANDPARENTS, AND MY DAD WOULD SAY HAWK, HE'D SEE A HAWK, AND THAT WAS THE BIGGEST THING, IT WAS THE GREATEST THING.
AND NOW I GET TO DO THAT EVERY DAY GOING TO SCHOOL.
WE SEE 1,2, ONE OF MY FAVORITE MEMORIES WAS WHEN THE TWO BOYS WERE IN DIAPERS AND THERE ARE BABY OWLS THAT ARE ON OUR DRIVEWAY, AND THEY'RE JUST LOOKING AT EACH OTHER LIKE, WHO'S THE STRANGER HERE.
IT'S JUST THIS IS WHAT MAKES ATLANTIC BEACH UNIQUE, THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT WE LIVE WITHIN, THE TREES, THE WATERWAYS, THE NATURAL RESOURCES.
I'M ALSO A BUILDER, SO THE BIG BAD WOLF, AND THE BUILDER AND ALL THOSE THINGS AS WELL.
SO I DO TAKE THE ENVIRONMENT SERIOUSLY.
OUR CODE DOESN'T PLAN FOR STORMS IN THE PAST THAT HAVE HAPPENED.
WE DON'T LOOK BACK AND SAY, GUYS, WE SHOULD PLAN FOR THAT STORM.
WE EITHER GO DEEPER FOUNDATIONS.
WE HAVE TO BE ADAPTABLE. WE HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE.
WE HAVE TO BE WISE AND SMART, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
AGAIN, AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER THAT MAKES HIS HOME HERE, FATHER OF CHILDREN, THE ENVIRONMENT IS WHAT MAKES THE CITY UNIQUE AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REFLECTED IN THE BALLOT. THANK YOU, ALL.
>> THANK YOU, MR. BUSSEY. IF THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS FOR COURTESY OF THE FLOOR, WE'LL CLOSE THAT SEGMENT OF OUR MEETING AND LET'S MOVE ON TO CITY MANAGER REPORTS. MR. KILLINGSWORTH.
[3. CITY MANAGER REPORTS]
>> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. OUR FIRST ITEM IS THE 90 DAY CALENDAR.
SO I'LL BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE 22ND, WHICH WILL BE 22ND OF JULY, WHICH WILL BE OUR SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP, THE 27TH OF JULY, WHICH IS A TOWN HALL.
AND THEN ON 12TH OF AUGUST, WE HAVE A THIRD BUDGET WORKSHOP, 26TH OF AUGUST FOURTH BUDGET WORKSHOP.
THE 24TH WILL BE SUMMER BEACH MOVIES IN THE PARK AT JOHANSON.
AND THEN ON SEPTEMBER THE 28TH WILL BE THE FALL FESTIVAL.
AND WITH THAT, MR. MAYOR, I WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE 90 DAY CALENDAR.
>> DO WE HAVE CONSENSUS TO APPROVE THE 90 DAY CALENDAR?
[00:25:01]
HAVE WE DECIDED ON THE TOWN FALL TOPIC?
>> YES. THE TOWN HALL TOPIC IS A CONTINUATION OF THE REVIEW OF CHAPTER 24 STORM WATER AND ANYTHING ANYONE WANTS TO SPEAK ON.
BUT THAT FOR SURE IS GOING TO BE A TOPIC.
>> WILL OUR CONSULTANT BE THERE?
>> AND THAT WE HAVE CONSENSUS ON THE CALENDAR, HEARING NO OBJECTION, YOU HAVE YOUR CALENDAR.
>> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. IS THAT IT? THERE ARE TWO OTHER THINGS, SORRY.
>> I WAS WAITING FOR CONSENT, BUT I NEED TO TALK ABOUT TWO THINGS BEFORE WE GET TO CONSENT.
THE FIRST IS, I KNOW IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE PAST.
BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR CONSENSUS FROM THE COMMISSION TO APPROACH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, IN PARTICULAR, COUNCILMEMBER RON SALEM AND COUNCILMEMBER RORY DIAMOND.
ABOUT THEIR WILLINGNESS TO MOVE THE $500,000 THAT IS CURRENTLY PROGRAMMED FOR GAIL BAKER AND ALLOW US TO MOVE IT TO 101ST STREET.
I THINK SOME OF THE FACTS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE DECISION WAS ORIGINALLY MADE TO FUND THAT SITE.
ONE, WE HAVE NOW INVESTED PRETTY HEAVILY IN PICKLEBALL THERE, AND IF YOU GO BY THERE, IT'S BUSY ALL THE TIME.
THE BIG THING THAT'S CHANGED IS THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB IS NOW OCCUPYING THAT BUILDING AND THEY HAVE A COMMITMENT TO DO RENOVATIONS THERE AS WELL AS WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO MATCH THEIR RENOVATIONS.
AND WE NOW OWN 101ST WEST STREET, WHICH WE DID NOT OWN IN THE PAST.
AT THIS POINT, IT WOULD JUST BE TO ASK WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY SPONSOR AND SUPPORT MOVING IT.
IF THEY ARE WILLING, THEN I WOULD COME BACK TO THIS COMMISSION WITH A RESOLUTION APPROPRIATING OR SENDING THE MONEY THERE.
>> I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF DELINEATING WHAT WE'RE USING FOR STREET FOURTH.
IF I WAS MR. DIAMOND, I WOULD SAY, ROGER, THAT, AND NOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THAT? THAT'S ON OUR PLATE.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF IDEAS, I'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DISTILL DOWN SPECIFICS ON WHAT THE USAGE OF THAT PROPERTY IS.
I'M SAYING THAT I WANT TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING.
>> YEAH, SO I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BE ABLE TO ENCUMBER AND EXPEND THIS MONEY PRETTY QUICK BECAUSE MY CONCERN IS THAT THE MONEY IS GOING TO START TIGHTENING UP, AND THEY'RE GOING TO START LOOKING FOR PLACES WHERE THEY HAVEN'T SPENT IT.
AT THIS POINT, I DON'T HAVE A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE INTENT WAS AT GAIL BAKER.
I KNOW THAT THE USE OF IT HAS CHANGED IN THE SENSE OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
I ALSO KNOW THAT $500,000 WON'T GO PARTICULARLY FAR WITH 101ST STREET.
SO WE HAVE A PROPOSAL READY IN THE EVENT THAT THERE'S A WILLINGNESS AND PERMISSION TO MOVE THE MONEY THAT WOULD LET US ENCUMBER IT REALLY QUICKLY, SO THE FACILITY NEEDS A NEW ROOF ON IT.
AS YOU KNOW, IT ABUTS THE VETERANS PARK ON TWO SIDES.
THE BACK SIDE OF THE BUILDING IS WHERE ALL THE EQUIPMENT IS AT.
BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO INTEGRATE THIS FACILITY INTO THE PARK, SO WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THE FENCE DOWN, REMOVE THE AIR CONDITIONERS FROM THE BACK, PUT THEM ON THE ROOF OR ON THE SIDE IN WHICH FACES THE PARKING LOT AND THEN OPEN UP THE BUILDING TO THE PARK ON THE WALKWAY TOWARDS THE LEGION, AS WELL AS OPEN UP THE PARK TO THE EASTERN SIDE OF IT.
THAT EASTERN SIDE OF THE BUILDING IS WHERE THE KITCHEN IS AT.
IT'S ALSO WHERE THE DINING ROOM IS AT.
SO THERE IS CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET, ONE OF THE PROPOSALS AT THE BUDGET WORKSHOP THIS MORNING AND RIGHT NOW I'M HAVING AN ISSUE REMEMBERING ON WHETHER IT WAS FUNDED OR WHETHER IT'S AN ENHANCEMENT.
THE PARK MASTER PLAN HAS A GAZEBO AND AN EXTERIOR KITCHEN FOR VETERANS PART, RATHER THAN DOING THAT.
WE DO A PAVILION AND OPEN UP THE KITCHEN SO THAT WE HAVE OUTSIDE SEATING AS WELL AS INSIDE SEATING.
THAT AND THE PARKING LOT, I THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY BE VERY CLOSE IF NOT ABOVE THE $500,000.
SO FOR THE $500,000, I THINK WE CAN LOCK UP THE ROOF AND WE CAN ENGAGE THE PARK AND ACTIVATE THE BUILDING AT LEAST IN TERMS OF A RENTAL FOR THE COMMUNITY.
>> WHERE I WAS GOING FOR WAS THE ACTUAL USAGE, WHAT DO WE USE? I UNDERSTAND, PULL THE TRIGGER.
[00:30:02]
I'D LIKE TO GET THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET YESTERDAY.SO I'M NOT DOUBTING THAT, BUT I THINK OUR JOB IS TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUS ON WHAT THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THAT WILL BE.
>> I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. THANKS.
>> SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER BOLE, I WAS THE CHAIR FOR THE MAYOR'S COUNCIL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. GOES FAST.
AND WE SPENT AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT YOUTH PROGRAMMING AND SENIOR PROGRAMMING AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND I KNOW I'VE SEEN IT ON THE PRIORITY LIST FOR COMMISSIONERS, NOT JUST WHILE I HAD BEEN A COMMISSIONER, BUT FOUR YEARS PRIOR TO THIS.
SO LOOKING AT GAIL BAKER, I APPRECIATE THAT THE COMMISSION DID LOBBY TO GET THAT 500,000 TO PUT IT INTO GAIL BAKER TO TURN IT INTO A SENIOR LIVING CENTER ALONGSIDE THE YOUTH CENTER, BUT TO CITY MANAGER GOING TO MATCH RENOVATION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ENHANCEMENT AND CITY MANAGER, IT WAS AN ENHANCEMENT FOR THE ROOF, AS IN IT'S NOT PART OF THE ACTUAL INCLUDED CAPITAL PROJECTS, BUT THE ROOF OF GAIL BAKER, THAT'S ONE OF THE ENHANCEMENTS WE HAVE ON THE LIST ALONG WITH THE JORDAN PARK, AND YOU LOOK INTO AND THERE'S FLOORS ON THERE THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED.
AND SO THERE'S TWO CAVEATS THAT I'M LOOKING AT.
THIS 500,000 WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY LOBBIED FOR FROM THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE TO RENOVATE GAIL BAKER, THAT WAS PRIOR TO 101ST STREET EVEN BEING IN PERSPECTIVE.
SO IN MY HEAD, I DO HAVE A MIND, SOMETHING IN MIND FOR 101ST STREET.
OF COURSE, I'M JUST ONE VOTE OF FIVE.
BUT ONE OF THE IDEAS I'D LIKE IT TO BE IS THE BEACHES VETERANS MEMORIAL USAGE ALONG WITH SENIOR LIVING CENTER.
PULLING OUT THOSE SERVICES FROM GAIL BAKER, SPECIFICALLY ALLOWING GAIL BAKER TO BE A YOUTH PROGRAM.
AGAIN, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR US ALL, BUT THIS IS MY DRUTHERS, IF I WERE TO HAVE IT, AND THEN PUT IT INTO THE 101ST WEST STREET.
WHEN I LOOK AT THAT 500,000 NEEDING TO GO INTO BAKER AND TO EXPAND IT, ONE, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO COST 500,000.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE MUCH MORE THAN THAT, AS YOU HAVE ALREADY STATED, COMMISSIONER BOLE EARLIER WITH THE LIFEGUARD STATION.
I DO THINK THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARY AT THIS POINT TO EXPAND GAIL BAKER.
I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE A LOT OF RENOVATIONS THROUGH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
>> I THINK THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THIS.
>> AND THEN THE 101ST STREET TO THEN HOUSE OUR SERVICES FOR SENIOR LIVING ALONG WITH THE BEACHES VETERANS MEMORIAL SERVICES.
YOU ASKED FOR A SUGGESTION, A PURPOSE BEHIND THAT, AND THAT IS THE PURPOSE BEHIND THAT.
>> WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THIS IS, IF I WAS AT CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, AND THEN YOU SAID, A, I WANT TO MOVE MY GRANT FROM A TO B, WHY ARE YOU MOVING IT TO B? AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO THERE AT B? WE, AS A COMMISSION HAVE NOT ARTICULATED WELL ENOUGH, IN MY OPINION, WHAT WE'RE DOING AT FIRST STREET.
SO I THINK I WOULD JUST WANTED TO MOVE IT UP ON THE AGENDA AND GO, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
WE NEED TO SAY, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH IT. THOSE ARE ALL GREAT IDEAS.
NOBODY IS AGAINST ANY OF THAT.
BUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO, OBVIOUSLY, IS WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND PRIORITIZE.
>> WHEN THE GRANT WAS ASKED OR LOBBIED FOR FROM THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, WAS IT NOT LOBBIED UNDER FOR SENIOR CENTER AND VETERANS AND YOUTH PROGRAMMING?
>> SO IT'S STILL UNDER THAT SAME GUYS.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE PULLING IT OUT TO FUND YOUR 16TH STREET WALKOVER.
>> IF I MAY WEIGH IN, I THINK WE DO NEED TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION, BUT I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY.
IT WAS ONLY TWO WEEKS AGO THAT WE HAD THE PRESENTATION OF THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY THAT WE DID SO WE'RE PROGRESSING, AND THERE ARE SO MANY USES.
THEY'RE JUST DIFFERENT FACILITIES, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S OF INTEREST TO ME IS HOW DO WE UTILIZE GAIL BAKER THE BEST WITHOUT DISRUPTING.
THE ISSUE I THINK THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO ACTUALLY DO AN EXPANSION OF THE BUILDING, NOT JUST RENOVATION, BUT THAT'S PROBLEMATIC WITH TREES AND SO ON TO THE POINT THAT COMMISSIONER RING HAS MADE,
[00:35:01]
IF THOSE SERVICES THAT WERE ORIGINALLY INTENDED FOR GAIL BAKER ARE NOW PROVIDED AT WEST FIRST STREET, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO HAVE THE MONEY THERE.I DON'T HAVE A STRONG OPINION EITHER WAY, BUT I THINK WHAT I HEAR FROM CITY MANAGER KILLINGSWORTH IS TO ASK RON SALEM IF THAT MONEY COULD BE MOOT.
>> THAT IS CORRECT, IF THERE'S NOT A WILLINGNESS FROM CAOJ, THEN THERE'S NOT REALLY A DECISION POINT FOR US.
IF THERE IS, THEN IT WOULD COME BACK TO THE COMMISSION AND I THINK WE WOULD ASK FOR A RESOLUTION REQUESTING IT.
>> ONE SECOND, TO THOSE WHO WOULD SAY, BUT WE STILL NEED TO INVEST IN GAIL BAKER, THAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO OCCUR THROUGH THE COMMITMENT WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
>> THAT'S CORRECT. THERE'S ALSO MONEY IN FOR ROOF AND FLOORING, THOUGH, I WOULD BE HESITANT TO THE ROOF PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE DONE.
THE FLOORING MIGHT BE DONE THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
>> I UNDERSTAND WHERE COMMISSIONER BOLE'S COMING FROM, YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING.
WHEN I WALKED THROUGH THAT FACILITY YEARS AGO WITH MY PARENTS LOOKING FOR A PLACE, AND NOW WE'VE BOUGHT IT, AND WE HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RENOVATE THAT PLACE.
I THINK IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY'RE GOING TO COME.
I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO COME IN YOUTH, THEY'RE GOING TO COME IN SENIORS AND VETERANS AND WHAT OUR CITY MANAGER LAID OUT EARLIER TO ME ABOUT THE INDOOR OUTDOOR, THE POSSIBILITIES FOR HAVING OUR ACOUSTIC NIGHT OVER THERE OR INDOOR OUTDOOR EVENTS.
I THINK EVERYBODY'S GOING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT, AND IT'S IN MAYPORT, AND I THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO BLOSSOM AND WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO, WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE FILLED WITH NOW? I'M NOT SURE IF IT HAS A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES, AND I'M WILLING TO TAKE THAT 500 GRAND AND DO IT. THAT'S WHERE I STAND ON IT.
>> WE COULD TALK MORE, BUT DO WE HAVE CONSENSUS TO THE DIRECT CITY MANAGER KILLINGSWORTH TO AT LEAST REACH OUT TO RON SALEM?
THANK YOU, MR. MAT. THEN THE OTHER ITEM.
WE HAVE TO SET A MILLAGE CAP SO MY PLAN IS TO BRING A RESOLUTION NEXT COMMISSION MEETING.
WE STILL HAVE SOME TIME TO DO IT, BUT I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND GET THAT DONE.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO AHEAD AND SET THE MILLAGE CAP AT THE PRIOR MILLAGE, WHICH WOULD BE THE 3.1035.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT WILL BE OUR MILLAGE, BUT YOU CANNOT GO HIGHER THAN WHATEVER YOU SET YOUR CAP AT.
OUR CURRENT MILLAGE IS 2.8 410, I DON'T EXPECT THAT THAT WILL CHANGE, BUT WARREY AND ME SUGGESTS WE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A DOOR OPEN SOMEWHERE ELSE.
>> WHAT IS OUR DEADLINE FOR HAVING THAT SET?
>> JASON AND I WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT.
IT'S 35 DAYS FROM THE DAY WE GET CERTIFIED TAX RULES.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE CERTIFIED, I THINK WE JUST HAVE THE PRELIMINARY TALKING WITH BRITNEY TODAY. DID YOU CHECK THAT OUT?
>> WELL, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION AND WE SHOULD USE I THINK IT WAS JUNE 28, HAS A BAROMETER SO WITHIN 35 DAYS OF JUNE 28, WE SHOULD MAKE THIS DECISION POINT.
AGAIN, I'M GOING TO CONFIRM IT BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT PRELIMINARY VERSUS FINAL CERTIFIED DATA, BUT I WOULD USE JUNE 28, 35 DAYS FROM THAT.
IN ESSENCE, WE WOULD WANT TO PROBABLY ACCOMPLISH THIS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
>> THE NEXT MEETING, I'M GOING TO BRING A RESOLUTION, IF WHAT I HEAR TODAY IS THERE'S A OBJECTION TO DOING THE 3.1, THEN I'LL JUST PUT THE CURRENT ONE AT 2.8, BUT IT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION TO GO AHEAD AND SET THE CAP AT 3.1.
THE MILLAGE CAN BE BELOW THAT.
IT CAN BE BELOW THE 2.8, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE COMMISSION CHOOSES WHAT IT CAN'T BE IS IT CAN'T BE HIGHER THAN WHATEVER YOU SET.
>> COMMISSIONERS CONVERSATION ON IT.
>> I'M ALL FOR IT. WE GOT THE LOWEST ONE LAST YEAR, SO I'M READY FOR IT.
>> NO. WHAT MR. KILLINGSWORTH IS SAYING IS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO RAISE THE CAP FROM WHAT WE CURRENTLY ARE.
NOW, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS, SO WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE WE STAND UNTIL WE GET AT LEAST ONE OR TWO MORE BUDGET MEETINGS BEHIND US.
BUT YOU ARE SATING GROUND IF YOU APPROVE THAT, SO THAT MAY BE APPROPRIATE.
YOU'RE NOT SATING ANY GROUND, YOU'RE NOT SETTING THE MILLAGE.
ALL YOU'RE SETTING IS THE ROOF AND IT GIVES YOU SOME ROOM TO PLAY WITH IN THE EVENT THAT THERE'S SOMETHING MAJOR THAT YOU WANT TO DO.
IF NOT, I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO SET IT AT 2.8, BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
[00:40:03]
I ACTUALLY HAVE NO PROBLEM AGREEING TO SET THAT OUT THERE, AND I DO AGREE THAT IS NOT A COMMITMENT TO THE FINAL MILLAGE OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IT WOULD NOT EXCEED.>> PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP SO THAT'LL ENTER INTO THAT ALSO.
>> IF WE HAVE CONSENSUS, COMMISSIONERS, THEN WE'RE DIRECTING YOU TO GO AHEAD AND PREPARE THAT RESOLUTION.
>> COMMISSIONER'S REPORTS SO LET'S START WITH COMMISSIONER RING.
[4. REPORTS AND/OR REQUESTS FROM CITY COMMISSIONERS]
>> MAIN STREET HAS WELL, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW THINGS SLATED FOR MAIN STREET, AND EVERYONE ON MAIN STREET, AND IN THE AREA IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
FOR ONE, THREE SPEED HUMPS, AND LOWERING OF THE SPEED LIMIT FROM 25-20.
IT'S PROBABLY MY GREATEST COMPLAINT I GET FROM MY DISTRICT IN WEST OF MAYPORT.
THE ISSUE IS THAT THERE'S A DELAY.
IT'S GONE FROM, I THINK WE HAD JUNE TO NOW JULY, AND THEN I RECEIVED THE CITY MANAGERS UPDATE THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SLATED TO START UNTIL AUGUST 12 AND THEY ARE DEVASTATED.
THEY ARE REALLY DEVASTATED SO I I EXPLAINED TO THEM, I SPOKE WITH OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR SCOTT WILLIAMS, WHO SAID IT WAS OUT OF HIS HANDS.
WE DID TAKE THE LOWEST BID WHICH DID GIVE US 200,000 EXTRA TO PAVE, WHAT SIX TO EIGHT EXTRA ROADS, WHICH WAS GREAT.
BUT IT DID ALSO MEAN THAT THIS PAVING COMPANY DID PUT US ON THE BACK BURNER OR THEY'RE JUST REALLY BUSY A LOT OF PEOPLE ALSO HIRED THEM.
ANY CASE, WE'RE BACK AT MID AUGUST SO MY SOLUTION, WHAT I'D LIKE TO ASK IS THAT WE SEND MORE ABPD PATROLS IN THAT AREA JUST TO SIT HERE AND THERE AND WATCH THE SPEED BECAUSE THERE'S MAJOR ISSUES ALL THE WAY DOWN FROM FAMILIES TO WE DON'T HAVE A SIDEWALK ON MAIN STREET.
WE NEVER HAVE AND I KNOW I'VE SHARED WITH THE COMMISSIONER THAT I GREW UP OVER THERE IN THE 80S AND WALKED THAT STREET MANY TIMES FROM MY BUS STOP TO MY BABYSITTER'S HOUSE OR MY BABYSITTERS HOUSE HOME.
I UNDERSTAND BOTH AS A CHILD, AND NOW AS A MOTHER, MYSELF, THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY ON MAIN, AND IT IS QUITE BUSY FOOT TRAFFIC, SKATEBOARD TRAFFIC, STROLLER TRAFFIC, ALL TRAFFIC.
IF WE COULD, I ASKED CHIEF FICK AND ABPD TO PUT EXTRA PATROLMEN OUT THERE JUST TO APPEASE AND KEEP OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AT THE FOREFRONT, AS I'M SURE, CHIEF FICK ALWAYS DOES, BUT UNTIL THE SPEED HUMPS AND THE SPEED LIMIT SIGNS DO GET PUT IN, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
>> YES. COMMISSIONER RING, YOU ALSO LEFT OUT THE CHILDREN AT PLAY SIDES. ALSO GOING TO GO.
>> WE'RE GOING TO DO THOSE ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
THEY'RE VERY EXCITED, I'VE BEEN TELLING THEM IT'S COMING, BUT THEY REALLY DON'T APPRECIATE THAT IT KEEPS GETTING PUT OFF MONTH TO MONTH AND HONESTLY, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A GUARANTEE THAT IT'S GOING TO GO IN IN AUGUST, ACCORDING TO SCOTT BECAUSE IT COULD BE LONGER.
UNTIL THOSE SPEED HUMPS COME IN, AND THE CHILDREN AT PLAY SIGNS, ALONG WITH THE LOWERING OF THE SPEED LIMIT, ALL HAPPENS, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE MORE PATROLMEN OUT THERE ALONG WITH ALL MY CITIZENS OVER AND NEIGHBORS OVER IN THAT AREA. THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER WATERS.
>> I WAS NOT HERE THIS PAST WEEK DURING THE FOURTH I TALKED TO CHIEF AND SAID IT WAS PRETTY UNEVENTFUL, SAFE IN MY AREA.
MY DISTRICT, JOE AS FAR AS, I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE DOES OUT THERE FOR ALL OF US, THE TRAFFIC AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I WANT TO REACH OUT TO THE OAK STREET.
FOLKS, I DROVE OUT THERE A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND I KNOW SCOTT WILLIAMS BEEN OUT THERE AND CITY MANAGER KILLINGSWORTH HAVE BEEN OUT THERE.
I WANT TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THEIR STREET AND IT'S GOING TO BE A PROCESS.
THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE FLOODING IN THEIR HOUSES.
THEY ARE NOT SO IT'S GOING TO BE A PROCESS, IT'S ON THE AGENDA.
WE'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZE IT AND HOPEFULLY FIX THAT FOR THEM BECAUSE I KNOW THE STORMS ARE COMING AND HURRICANE SEASON AND THEY'RE AFRAID OF FLOODING THE STREETS AND ALL THAT IT BRINGS SO I JUST WANT TO REACH OUT TO THEM THAT WE HAVEN'T FORGOT ABOUT THEM.
>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER KELLY.
>> I'D LIKE TO REFER BACK TO THE BUDGET FOR JUST A MINUTE.
SINCE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE PAST, WE'VE KEPT IN MIND THAT
[00:45:01]
EQUITABLE SPENDING ON BOTH SIDES OF MAYPORT ROAD IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET, PERHAPS WE CAN TAKE A STAB AT PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT.
THE SECOND THING IS, SPEAKING OF HURRICANE SEASON THAT THOSE POOR TOWNS IN TEXAS, I ALWAYS FEEL BAD FOR THOSE LITTLE TOWNS LIKE OURSELVES, AND HOPE THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO US IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS IS HURRICANE SEASON AND THAT WE SHOULD BE PREPARED BOTH FINANCIALLY AND PHYSICALLY FOR THAT TIME.
>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER BOLE'S.
>> I WANT TO DO SOME GOOD NEWS.
WE HAVE GOT THE BEST GARBAGE COLLECTION OF ANY CITY THAT I'VE EVER LIVED IN OR BEEN IN.
THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF OUR BEST BOATS, I HAVE NEVER HEARD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE, BUT I SEE SOME HAPPY CAMPERS.
>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. ALLEN.
>> ROUNDED OUT. I WANT TO THANK MR. KILLINGSWORTH AND PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR SCOTT, WILLIAMS, FOR PUTTING TOGETHER A BEACH GUIDE.
WHAT DO WE CALL THAT? BEACH MANAGEMENT POLICY MANUAL.
FOR THE CITIZENS HERE, WHAT THAT'S DESIGNED TO DO, IT'S DEFINITELY ABOUT ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT WE PROTECT THE DUNES WITH ROPE GOLF AREAS, SIGNAGE, PULLING CATAMARANS OUT OF THE DUNE LINE AND SO IF ANY OF YOU HAVE YOUR CATAMARANS IN THE DUNE, I'M SORRY, BUT THEY SHOULD NOT BE STORED IN THE DUNE.
THEN MAKING SURE THAT TRASH CANS AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE SEAWARD OF THE TOE OF THE DUNE VERSUS IN THE DUNE.
WE JUST HAD A CONVERSATION TODAY, SO MR. KILLINGSWORTH, I UNDERSTAND, YOU'RE GOING TO FOLLOW UP ON BEST PRACTICE THERE, BUT THE IDEA IS TO MAKE IT CONVENIENT FOR PEOPLE TO PUT THEIR TRASH IN A RECEPTACLE WITHOUT GOING INTO THE DUNE.
THIS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BY MANY CITIZENS, AND I JUST WANT OUR CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND.
WE'RE TAKING IT SERIOUSLY, WE HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING RECENTLY BECAUSE WE KNEW THE RENOURISHMENT WAS COMING, AND YOU CAN'T VERY WELL PUT ALL THAT STUFF INTO PLACE WHILE YOU'RE RENOURISHING.
BUT WE SHOULD BE DONE IN A WEEK AND A HALF.
VERY SOON WE'LL BE DONE JUST IN TIME FOR HURRICANE SEASON.
LET'S HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T WASTE SOME OF THAT SAND.
BUT THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT, AND THANK YOU TO SCOTT WILLIAMS. MOVING ON, WE'RE MOVING TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[6. CONSENT AGENDA]
ITEM 6 ON THE AGENDA, ALL MATTERS LISTED UNDER THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE BY THE CITY COMMISSION AND WILL BE ENACTED BY ONE MOTION IN THE FORM LISTED BELOW.THERE WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF THESE ITEMS. IF DISCUSSION IS DESIRED, THAT ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND WILL BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION AND STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COMMISSION ON THESE ITEMS. WE HAVE TWO ITEMS, WE HAVE 6A AND 6B.
IS THERE ANY DESIRE TO PULL EITHER OF THOSE OUT OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? I'LL READ THEM, AND THEN WE'LL VOTE ON THAT.
6A IS AWARD BID 2324-07 IN THE AMOUNT OF $199,773.75 TO UNITED LAND SERVICES AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE CONTRACT.
ITEM 6B IS AWARD ENGINEERING SERVICES CONTRACT AND THE AMOUNT OF $84,884 TO KIMLY HORN AND ASSOCIATES INC FOR THE PROJECT SCOPE LISTED IN RFQ 2024-03.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE?
>> I'LL MAKE A MOTION WE APPROVE TO CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 6A AND 6B AS WRITTEN.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND THE SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> OPPOSED. THAT WOULD BE UNANIMOUS.
[7. COMMITTEE REPORTS]
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION.COMMITTEE REPORTS, ITEM 7A, ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE, DANIELLE GIOVANNI. PLEASE COME UP.
I WANT TO FIRST APOLOGIZE HORRIBLE WAY TO START.
THAT I'VE BEEN RELIABLY INFORMED THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU, I HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED MYSELF.
NEITHER WHERE I LIVE, WHO I AM NOR WHAT I DO.
IT'S A SECRET. NO. I'LL DO THAT. VERY BRIEFLY.
MY NAME IS DAN GIOVANNUCCI, DAN HERE, JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE ELSE, IT'S DANIELE, WHICH IS ITALIAN FOR DANIEL.
I'VE STOPPED WORKING THIS PAST YEAR.
[00:50:02]
I'M OFFICIALLY RETIRED, BUT PRIOR TO THAT, I'VE WORKED IN A NUMBER OF AREAS.ON AT THE WORLD BANK FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, ADVISING A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENTS AND WORKING A LOT WITH MANY OF THE WORLD'S LEADING CORPORATIONS DIRECTLY ON SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES, BUT THE WORK I DO THAT I MOST LOVE IS MY WORK TEACHING, AND I'VE TAUGHT AT THREE DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES, THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS.
THAT'S THE WORK I REALLY LIKE MOST.
BUT TONIGHT, SO SORRY FOR THAT BIT OF AN OVERLOAD, BUT AT LEAST NOW YOU KNOW WHO I AM.
I DO LIVE HERE. I LIVE ON FIFTH STREET.
I AM HERE SERVING AS THE VICE CHAIR OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE, WHICH I'M VERY PROUD TO SERVE ON.
WE HAVE A QUARTERLY UPDATE BEFORE YOU ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED AND SO HERE WE GO.
I'LL JUST JUMP RIGHT IN QUICKLY.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT AREAS THAT WE'VE HAD SO FAR IN 2024, SHOW YOU SOME USEFUL DATA AND ALSO SHARE SOME AREAS OF FUTURE FOCUS THAT WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOUR INPUT ON.
IMPACTS THIS YEAR ON ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, A COUPLE OF KEY AREAS.
ONE, WE'VE SIMPLIFIED AN APPROACH FOR OUR CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT PLAN THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE'VE ENHANCED A NUMBER OF THE WORKSHOPS THAT WE WERE DOING TO BE HOW WORKSHOPS, PRAGMATIC WORKSHOPS, BY POPULAR DEMAND AND THOSE ARE BEING QUITE WELL ATTENDED.
WE'VE ORGANIZED A FLEET ASSESSMENT THAT THE TPO CONDUCTED FOR THE CITY AT NO COST TO IMPROVE OUR EFFICIENCIES, OBVIOUSLY, AND REDUCE COSTS.
WE'VE RESPONDED TO COMMUNITY INTEREST IN SOMETHING THAT MAY BE ODD TO MANY OF YOU, THE IDEA OF FOOD SECURITY BECAUSE IT'S A RATHER WEALTHY COMMUNITY IN MANY WAYS, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT ABOUT 20% OF OUR CITIZENS ARE ON FIXED INCOME, AND ALL OF OUR CITIZENS, I THINK ARE PROBABLY INTERESTED IN LOW COST AND HEALTHY FOOD.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH EDIBLE TREES, COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS WHERE PEOPLE CAN SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS DIRECTLY AND A FEW OTHER AVENUES.
ON OUR PARKS AND OPEN SPACES AREA AND THAT FOCAL AREA, WE'VE PROVIDED A GOOD BIT OF SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE TO IMPROVE THE PROTECTIONS ON THE MARSH-SIDE IN AN AREA THAT I THINK OFTEN HAS BEEN CERTAINLY NOT UNDERVALUED, BUT NOT AS WELL TENDED TO AS IT SHOULD BE.
THE OTHER THING WE'VE DONE IS INPUTS TO INCREASE THE UTILITY AND THE VIABILITY, AND DARE I SAY THAT HORRIBLE WORD, THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS AND EVERYONE SEEMS TO HATE THAT WORD.
WE'VE ALSO DONE OR HELPED PROVIDE A PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT OF COASTAL INVASIVES THAT ARE EVIDENT IN OUR DUNES AND CAN EVENTUALLY DAMAGE THEM BY OVERTAKING NATURALLY DEEP ROOTED PLANTS THAT ARE LOCAL AND NATIVE.
IN THE AREA OF BEAUTIFICATION, AN AREA THAT WE TAKE SERIOUSLY, BUT IS OFTEN THE LAST THING WE DO.
WE'VE LOOKED AT REVIEWED AND PROPOSED NEW WAYS TO LOOK AT HOW PEOPLE SEE OUR CITY, THE MAIN ENTRANCES OF OUR CITY.
SOME OF THEM ARE RATHER UNPLEASANT LOOKING, FULL OF CONCRETE, LOTS OF JUST NOT A VERY PRETTY SITE, AND IT DOESN'T PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD, EVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING BY.
THERE ARE LOW COST WAYS TO AFFECT THOSE AREAS, AND SO WE'VE CONSULTED WITH A NUMBER OF EXPERTS, INCLUDING PLANNERS, ARCHITECTS, AND ENGINEERS TO GET A PRESENTATION TOGETHER TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMISSION TO SEE ABOUT SOME OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST THERE.
WE'RE ALSO ASSESSING A NUMBER OF LOW COST MAINTENANCE OPTIONS FOR PRESERVING, ENHANCING AND RESTORING OUR UNIQUE AESTHETIC CHARACTER, AND THAT'S RELATED IN THE SAME WAY, BUT ALSO CONSIDERING THE IDEA OF MUCH MORE NATIVE PLANTINGS, BECOMING A BEACON FOR COASTAL CITIES RATHER THAN A FOLLOWER.
AS SOMEONE POINTED OUT EARLIER, WE HAVE AN AMAZING SET OF ASSETS HERE.
THEY DIDN'T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT, BUT THEY CAN EASILY GO AWAY IF WE'RE NOT CONSCIOUS OF THEM.
THE LAST THING, IS WE CONTINUE PARTNERING ON THE IMPORTANT BEACH CLEANUP EFFORTS.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE, BUT WHEN I CAME HOME FROM BEING AWAY ON THE DAY AFTER FOURTH OF JULY,
[00:55:02]
I TOOK A BUCKET AND FILLED IT AND I WAS WALKING ON THE BEACH WITH MY WIFE AND WE ONLY GOT ONE BLOCK, AND WE FILLED OUR BUCKET WITH A BUNCH OF TRASH.USUALLY, IT TAKES 4, 5, 6 BLOCKS FOR US TO PICK UP PLASTICS, LEFTOVERS FROM FIRE CRACKERS, ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
STILL SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO EDUCATE, NOT SO MUCH, PROBABLY THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE, BUT PERHAPS OUR VISITORS.
FINALLY, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON SOMETHING THAT WE THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT AS INCREASING THE DESIGNATED HERITAGE TREES THAT WE HAVE.
THESE ARE TREES THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR SOMETIMES HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
REPLACING THOSE IS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE, AND THEY ARE A DRAMATIC AND IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CHARACTER IN THE CITY.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN REFINING CHAPTER 23, THE PART OF THE CODE THAT GOVERNS A LOT OF THE SUSTAINABILITY WORK WE DO OR THE STEWARDSHIP WORK THAT WE DO, INCLUDING, OF COURSE, WHAT IS RELATED TO TREES AND THE CANOPY, INCLUDING THE LESSONS WE LEARNED ABOUT TRANSPLANTING PALMS RECENTLY WITH ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS.
NEW IDEAS, WAYS OF BECOMING MORE EFFICIENT.
WE ALSO CONTINUE, I GUESS A NEGATIVE IMPACT HERE IS WE HAVE A NET LOSS OF CANOPY.
WE'RE REPLACING TINY TREES AND TAKING DOWN BIG TREES.
WHILE IT LOOKS LIKE THE INCHES MATCH UP, INCHES DON'T REALLY MATTER, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S HOW WE OFTEN REPORT THEM.
WHEN YOU LOSE A 30 INCH DIAMETER TREE THAT'S SPREADING OVER FOUR OR FIVE HOMES, AND YOU'RE REPLACING IT WITH FOUR OR SIX, I GUESS, 6, 5 INCH TREES, WHICH ARE THIS SMALL MORE.
>> I JUST WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION FACT BECAUSE YOU'RE PRESENTING TO THIS DIRE YOU'RE NOT PRESENTING TO THE COMMUNITY.
>> I AM. THANK YOU. GOOD POINT.
THE IDEA THAT WE'RE REPLACING OFTEN BIG TREES WITH A SIMILAR NUMBER OF INCHES OF SMALLER TREES, AND YET THOSE SMALLER TREES DO NOT PROVIDE ANY OF THE SERVICES.
THEY HAVE HIGHER MORTALITY RATES, ETC.
WE'RE ALSO DOING ONE OTHER NEW APPROACH, IF YOU WILL, OR TAKING A NEW APPROACH, WHICH IS TARGETING AREAS AND PLANNING STRATEGIC TREE REPLACEMENTS.
PARTICULARLY TO REDUCE THE MORTALITY OF TREES THAT WE ARE PLANTING AS A CITY BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE PLANTINGS ARE EXPENSIVE, REDUCING STAFF EFFORT AND HAVING TO MANAGE, LOOK AT, AND FOCUS ON WHERE TO PUT THOSE TREES, AND ALSO THAT WE'VE DOUBLED OUR GOAL BY PLANTING ABOUT 275 NEW TREES ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES WITH THE HELP OF OUR CITIZENS IN THIS PAST YEAR.
ONE FINAL PIECE OF IMPACT IS THIS, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO A SIGNIFICANT EXTENT AND THAT WE SPEND A FAIR BIT OF TIME.
WE HAVE A WELL CONNECTED GROUP OF PEOPLE.
OUR COMMITTEE IS A BIT LARGER THAN MOST, BUT THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT AND THE REASON IS PRIMARILY THAT WE HAVE VERY LONG TERM OBJECTIVES AND GOALS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF SUBCOMMITTEE, A LOT OF WORK THAT GETS DONE.
PART OF THAT IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN LOOKING AT FUNDING, AND JUST IN THIS RECENT YEAR, YOU CAN SEE CLOSE TO TWO MILLION DOLLARS OF GRANT FUNDING THAT IF SUCCESSFUL, WE'D BE BRINGING AND ADDING TO THE BUDGET OF THE CITY TO DO WORK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US ALL.
THAT'S I THINK A VITAL PIECE THAT OFTEN ISN'T SEEN.
ONTO THE DATA, JUST A FEW BRIEF ITEMS. AGAIN, THIS IS OUR TREE, THE DATA FROM THE CITY THAT WE'RE FINALLY ABLE TO NOW GATHER IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WONDERFUL STAFF WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
IN THE TREE PERMITS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF INCHES PLANTED IN THE GREEN BAR VERSUS THE NUMBER OF INCHES REMOVED IN THE RED BAR, EVEN JUST INCHES.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FACT THAT HUNDREDS OF MOSTLY MATURE TREES ARE BEING ILLICITLY CUT, ALL THE TIME, WITHOUT REPORTING, WITHOUT PERMITS, AND THIS IS IN PART DUE TO A LOOPHOLE IN THE STATE STATUTE AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'D LOVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY TO SEE WHAT WE MIGHT DO TO TIGHTEN OUR ABILITY TO, OF COURSE, COMPLY WITH STATE LAW, BUT ALSO BE ABLE TO OPTIMIZE THE CONTROL WE HAVE LOCALLY, THE ABILITY TO REALLY TO MANAGE OUR TREES AND OUR ENVIRONMENT.
I AM FORWARDING AND IT IS RIGHT.
WE'RE NOT RESPONDING. LET'S TRY THAT.
WOULD YOU MIND FORWARDING IT FOR ME? THANK YOU.
JUST A QUICK NOTE ON OUR ESC CONTRIBUTIONS ANNUALLY.
[01:00:04]
EVERY ESC MEMBER ON AVERAGE, SOME OBVIOUSLY DO A LOT MORE, WORKS ABOUT 132 HOURS.THAT'S 7.5, EIGHT DAYS A YEAR FOR FREE, OF COURSE, AS VOLUNTEERS.
THE ANNUAL VALUE OF THOSE HOURS, WE JUST DID A QUICK BACK OF THE ENVELOPE CALCULATION BASED ON WHAT WE NORMALLY MIGHT EARN IN THOSE HOURS IS $290,000 A YEAR, THAT IS BEING GIVEN TO THE CITY FREELY AND WITH GREAT LOVE.
I JUST THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW THAT.
THAT'S ABOUT 1,300 VOLUNTEER HOURS EVERY YEAR, AND THE WORK WE DO, WE THINK, WE HOPE, ALLOWS US TO REDUCE ONE TO TWO STAFF POSITIONS EQUIVALENT.
IT'S THAT MUCH WORK IF YOU WERE TO DO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH STAFF.
IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ESC ACTUALLY DOES.
HERE'S WHERE WE'RE GOING. THE FOCAL AREAS, TWO OF THEM ARE BEING BETTER INFORMED, MORE DATA DRIVEN IN OUR PROCESS AND FINDING MORE EFFICIENT WAYS TO SUPPORT BOTH THE CITY AND ITS STAFF.
IN THE BETTER INFORMED AREA, WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT BETTER DATA, INCLUDING BEST PRACTICE UNDERSTANDING, REVIEWING WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE, WHAT WE'VE LEARNED, AND WHAT WE CAN TAKE FROM THAT SO THAT WE HAVE A MUCH MORE INFORMED POLICY.
THAT INCLUDES THE CANOPY SURVEY THAT WE'RE NOW FINALLY ABLE TO DO HOPEFULLY EVERY ONE OR TWO YEARS.
LOOKING AT HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS AND OTHERS THAT AFFECT POORER PARTS OF TOWN AS MUCH AS ANYONE OR AFFECT MORE THAN ANYONE.
WE'RE ALSO IDENTIFYING AND PROTECTING OR MAINTAINING THE REMAINING MATURE AND HERITAGE TREES THAT CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY AND IS ONE THAT I THINK IS GOING TO NEED AN ENLIGHTENED COMMISSION TO SUPPORT BECAUSE MOST OF THOSE TREES ARE ON PRIVATE LAND, AND WE OFFER NO BENEFIT WHILE THOSE TREES OFFER A HUGE PUBLIC BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'D ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THAT THE NEXT TIME THAT TOPIC COMES UP.
FINALLY, EXPANDING THE COMMUNITY INPUTS AND THE EXPERT INPUTS TO BETTER CONVERGE ON WHAT ARE THE HIGH VALUE PRIORITIES.
IT'S NOT THE IDEAS OF A FEW PEOPLE, BUT REFLECTING THE WISHES OF MANY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT WE SPEAK TO ON A REGULAR BASIS FROM EXPERTS AND SCIENTISTS TO LOCAL COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS.
I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT REFLECTION THAT WE HOPE SUPPORTS AND MAYBE EVEN SOMEWHAT ENHANCES THE EFFORTS OF THE COMMISSION.
FINALLY, THE IDEA OF MORE EFFICIENT SUPPORTS.
WE'VE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE TAKE A FAIR BIT OF TIME.
WE DON'T ALWAYS MOVE THINGS AS QUICKLY AS WE'D LIKE, AND SOMETIMES WE EVEN IMPEDE OR WE WORK WITH STAFF SO MUCH THAT IT MIGHT REDUCE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN OTHER AREAS.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT IMPROVEMENTS TO CHAPTER 23, REFLECTING THE LEARNING AND WAYS OF REDUCING STAFF EFFORTS TO MANAGE THINGS LIKE OUR TREE PERMITTING PROCESS.
WE HAVE AND INTEND TO FURTHER IMPROVE OUR MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK TO MAINTAIN A CULTURE THAT VALUES SUPPORTING OUR STAFF TIME AND LESSENING THE PRESSURE ON THEM BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE A LOT.
WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT STAFF, I WOULD SAY, AND I THINK THEY ALL ARE VERY, WELL, PRESSURED TO WORK A LOT.
THAT'S JUST LIKE THE REST OF US, I GUESS.
THEN FINALLY, I WOULD ASK, IT'S NOT EASY TO GET PEOPLE OF THE CALIBER WE NEED TO SERVE ON THE ESC.
THE BOARD REVIEW COMMITTEE HAS BEEN HOLDING UP SOME ESC APPOINTMENTS.
IT NOT ONLY HOBBLES OUR WORK TO BE TWO PEOPLE SHORT, BUT IT ALSO PREVENTS US TRAINING THE NEXT, SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO COME IN AS EVERYBODY'S LEAVING.
WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CYCLING OUT THIS YEAR, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE FOLKS PREPARED TO COME ON BOARD.
WE HAVE CANDIDATES WHO HAVE APPLIED, BUT IT'S BEEN HELD UP.
I HAVE ONE LAST LITTLE THING, IF I CAN HAVE ANOTHER BRIEF MINUTE, AND THAT IS JUST THE MULBERRY TREE STORY.
ON JACK RUSSELL PARK, JUST ON THE WEST SIDE, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THAT THERE IS A PRIVATELY PLANTED MULBERRY TREE JUST OUTSIDE THE GATE AS YOU EXIT THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN IT. YOU CAN TELL IN SEASON BECAUSE THERE'S STAINS ALL OVER THE SIDEWALK AND BECAUSE IT IS FULL, NOT OF BIRDS, BUT OF CHILDREN, CLAMBERING UP THE TREE, AND THE NEIGHBORS LOVE IT BECAUSE AT ANY GIVEN DAY WHEN THAT'S IN SEASON, THERE ARE 20 DELIGHTED CHILDREN WHO ENJOY THAT TREE.
I'LL TELL YOU DECADES AGO WORKING IN UZBEKISTAN,
[01:05:02]
I WAS STRUCK IN A SMALL TOWN IN THE CENTER OF IT.THERE WAS A TREE THERE THAT HAD THIS LITTLE OLD PLAQUE ON IT, AND IT SAID THAT THE TREE WAS PLANTED IN 1450.
THAT TREE WAS THERE BEFORE COLUMBUS LANDED IN AMERICA, AND IT WAS PLANTED THERE TO FEED WORMS, BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT THAT MULBERRY LEAVES ARE THE FAVORITE FOOD OF SILKWORMS. ON THE SILK ROUTE THROUGH THIS PART OF CENTRAL ASIA, SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH IT, WHERE THE ORIGINS OF SILK FROM CHINA MADE THEIR WAY, WORTH THEIR WEIGHT AND GOLD TO EUROPE FOR MANY CENTURIES, 4,000 MILES.
WITHOUT THESE VALUABLE TREES, THERE WAS NO SILK TREE.
THEY HAD TO PLANT THEM ALONG THE ROAD TO FEED AND KEEP THE WORMS. TODAY, HERE IN ATLANTIC BEACH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE MULBERRY TREES. WE HAVE QUITE A FEW.
I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO TELL ANYONE WHERE THEY ARE, BECAUSE A FEW ENLIGHTENED FOLKS LIKE TO SHARE THEM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO DO SO IF YOU WISH.
BUT THEY MOSTLY FEED DELIGHTED CHILDREN AND EVEN SOME TRAVELERS LIKE ME.
THIS IS THE SIMPLE AND YET POWERFUL EXPERIENCE THAT TO ME, MAKES A COMMUNITY IS THIS ABILITY TO SHARE, TO HAVE CHILDREN ENJOYING A TREE THAT IS IN SOMEONE'S FRONT YARD.
ON A FEW BLOCKS, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE ACTIVELY PLANTED FRUIT TREES ON THE VERY FRONT EDGE OF THEIR PROPERTY, JUST AS A GIFT TO ALL OF US.
I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL CIVIC DUTY AND A JOY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
THAT'S PART OF ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO AS WE GO FORWARD.
JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT BECAUSE IT MAKES FOR A GREAT COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU, OF COURSE, FOR ALL OF, IF I PUT YOUR VOLUNTEER HOURS ON HERE, I'M SURE THEY WOULD BE ASTRONOMICAL. THANKS AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU, MR. GIOVANNUCCI.
BEFORE YOU HANDS DOWN, ANY QUESTIONS?
>> I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
ESPECIALLY FOR THE METRICS ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS, BREAKING IT DOWN INTO VOLUNTEER HOURS AND TOTAL SAVINGS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATION TODAY.
>> YOU'RE MOST WELCOME, SIR. THANK YOU.
>> MOVING TO ITEM 8A, RESOLUTION NUMBER 24-33,
[8.A. RESOLUTION NO. 24-33]
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO ENTER INTO THE 2024 JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT DIRECT PROGRAM, AUTHORIZING ATLANTIC BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT STAFF TO APPLY FOR AND MANAGE THE GRANT PROCESS, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR, CITY MANAGER, AND CITY ATTORNEY TO EXECUTE CONTRACTS, AND PURCHASE ORDERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND AS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS RESOLUTION AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE, MR. KILLINGSWORTH.>> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M GOING TO ASK THE CHIEF TO COME UP, FIRST BECAUSE THERE'S A QUESTION THAT I DIDN'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO EARLIER TODAY.
WHAT EXACTLY IS REALITY-BASED TRAINING?
>> [INAUDIBLE] CHIEF POLICE. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSION, MAYOR.
THAT'S A TERM WE USE THREE-DIMENSIONAL CONFRONTATIONAL SIMULATION-BASED TRAINING.
IT'S A LOT OF FANCY WORDS TO SAY SCENARIO TRAINING.
IT SOUNDS LIKE AN EASY THING TO DO, BUT I'LL SAY THIS, SADLY, EVERY YEAR IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE WIND UP KILLING SOMEONE IN SCENARIO TRAINING, UNFORTUNATELY.
THEY ARE USUALLY SHOT WITH AN UNLOADED GUN, THAT'S HOW THE HEADLINES READ.
THERE IS A SYSTEMATIC FORMULA FOR RUNNING SAFE SCENARIO TRAINING, WHERE WE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFTEN HAVE SIMULATED FIREARMS AS PART OF THAT TRAINING, AND ROLE PLAYERS WHO ARE ENGAGING OFFICERS.
THINK ABOUT A LARGE-SCALE EVENT AT A SCHOOL WHERE WE'RE TRAINING FOR A SCHOOL ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENT, AND YOU HAVE KIDS AND CIVILIANS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ALL MIXED TOGETHER TRYING TO MAKE THIS THING AS REALISTIC AS POSSIBLE SO THE OFFICERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT STRESS IS GOING TO BE LIKE.
THAT'S THE SCENARIO TRAINING WE'RE SENDING THESE OFFICERS TO TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING THAT SAFELY.
>> COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF? I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE.
>> I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 24-33.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
[8.B. RESOLUTION NO. 24-34]
RESOLUTION NUMBER 24-34, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AND DELIVER AN EXTENSION TO THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH AND THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE FOR THE COORDINATION AND PROVISION OF FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MR. KILLINGSWORTH.>> THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF A 25-YEAR CONTRACT FOR
[01:10:02]
TWO YEARS WHILE WE NEGOTIATE WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE REGARDING UPDATING OUR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THEM.THE CONTRACT HAS EXPIRED, THOUGH THAT'S PAID IN QUARTERLY PAYMENTS, SO WE PAID A QUARTERLY PAYMENT PRIOR TO IT EXPIRING, WHICH GAVE US FOUR MONTHS OR THREE MORE MONTHS OF SERVICE THROUGH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE CONTRACT CAN BE TERMINATED AT EITHER PARTY AT EITHER TIME.
THE INTENT IS ONCE WE COME TO A CONCLUSION ON NEGOTIATED LANGUAGE IN THE ILA BETWEEN US AND THE CITY, THAT THAT LANGUAGE WOULD THEN SUPPLEMENT THIS LANGUAGE.
WITH THAT, MR. MAYOR, I WOULD RECOMMEND A MOTION TO APPROVE.
>> WE WERE TALKING THE OTHER DAY, ISN'T IT TRUE WE GET $300,000 TO COVER NEPTUNE, CITY OF JACKSONVILLE?
>> UNDER THE OLD CONTRACT, YES.
>> IS THIS A CONTINUATION OF THAT?
>> THIS CONTRACT NETS OUT THAT, SO IT'LL BE A $1.4 MILLION.
>> BUT WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING.
>> BEFORE WE HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE?
>> I'LL MAKE A MOTION WE ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 24-34.
>> OKAY, COMMISSIONER BOLE HAS THE SECOND ON THAT.
NOW, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR CONVERSATION. YES. COMMISSIONER RING.
>> I BROUGHT THIS UP TO JOE GERRITY, FORMER INTERIM CITY MANAGER, THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
I KNEW THAT THIS CONTRACT BEGAN IN 1999 WHEN WE CONTRACTED OUT TO JFRD OUR FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES.
I KNEW THIS WAS COMING, AND I WONDERED IF IT MEANT THAT, LIKE A MORTGAGE PAYMENT, WE WOULD BE DONE AT THE END OF 25 YEARS. HERE WE ARE.
MY READ ON THAT CONTRACT LAST YEAR WAS THAT IT WAS LIKE THAT MORTGAGE PAYMENT, AND WHEN WE WERE DONE, WE WOULD BE DONE.
NOW, WHAT I WANT THE CITIZENS TO UNDERSTAND THAT IN '82, THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WAS INITIALLY DRAFTED DID NOT INCLUDE FIRE SERVICES '84, SO THIS IS WHY OUR ORIGINAL INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT DID NOT INCLUDE FIRE SERVICES.
THEN IN '96, IT WAS REVISITED AGAIN WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.
AT THAT TIME, WE DID PROVIDE OUR OWN FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES, BUT THEN IN '99, THAT WAS WHEN WE CONTRACTED OUT, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON THOSE DATES.
I UNDERSTAND WHY IT WASN'T ORIGINALLY PART OF THIS.
I HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH OUR INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
WE JUST DID A BUDGET WORKSHOP AN HOUR PRIOR TO THIS, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT PIE CHART FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE AS CITIZENS ARE PAYING, WE'RE KEEPING 16 CENTS.
DUVAL COUNTY, OUR COUNTY IS KEEPING 46 CENTS.
WE'RE GETTING THE SHORT END OF THE STICK HERE, AND WE HAVE BEEN.
I KNOW THERE'S AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT GROUP THAT'S MEETING UP TO DISCUSS THIS.
I'M NOT PRIVY TO THAT GROUP, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
I TRUST THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT.
I SEE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT THIS.
WHAT GETS MY GOAT IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE STILL GOING TO PAY 1.4 MILLION THIS YEAR, AND THEN A 3% INCREASE, SO 1.5 MILLION NEXT YEAR DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS, THAT'S $3 MILLION THAT WE'RE PAYING MORE THAT I'M NOT SURE WE SHOULD HAVE TO.
THAT'S ONE. TWO, HAS NEPTUNE BEACH IN THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT IN '99, HAVE THEY BEEN PAYING AN INCREASE OF 3% OR IS ATLANTIC BEACH CONTINUING TO RECEIVE OR TAKE THE BRUNT OF THAT BILL, PAY THE BRUNT OF THAT BILL? I KNOW I'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH CITY MANAGER EARLIER TODAY, BUT I WANTED TO JUST SHARE THAT.
THOSE WERE MY ISSUES WITH THIS AGREEMENT.
I LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE'RE NEGOTIATING ON THE TABLE.
THAT SOUNDS GREAT. LAST YEAR, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT WAS BRUSHED UNDER THE RUG OR WHAT, BUT AT LEAST WE'RE HEARING ABOUT IT NOW.
>> LET ME JUST PUNCTUATE THAT.
FOR THE CITIZENS HERE AND CITIZENS THAT MAY WATCH LATER, THE CITY IS WORKING WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE ON THE ORIGINAL INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT WAS LAST REVISED IN 1985, WHICH, AS YOU JUST HEARD, DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FIRE AGREEMENT,
[01:15:01]
THAT WAS UNDER A SEPARATE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT CAME ABOUT IN 1999.MR. KILLINGSWORTH AND SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HE PUT TOGETHER TO REVIEW THIS ARE MEETING WITH CITY OF JACKSONVILLE OFFICIALS OF LIKE SIZE AND REVIEWING IT TO HOPEFULLY INCORPORATE EVERYTHING INTO ONE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.
IN THAT EFFORT, I HOPE THAT WE'LL HEAR THAT WE BENEFIT SIGNIFICANTLY.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET INTO THE DETAILS BECAUSE WE NEED TO LET OUR STAFF DO WHAT THEY DO BEST, AND THAT IS WORK WITH THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE.
BUT REST ASSURED THAT THERE ARE MANY OF US IN THIS CITY AND CERTAINLY ON THIS DIAS THAT BELIEVE THAT WE'RE BEING DOUBLE TAXED, WE'RE PAYING TOO MUCH IN TAXES TO COJ, AND THEN TURNING AROUND AND ALSO PAYING FOR FIRE SERVICES A SECOND TIME.
MORE TO COME ON THAT IN THE FUTURE, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE STAND TODAY.
COMMISSIONER RING, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARITY.
WITH THAT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
>> WHY ISN'T NEPTUNE BEACH PART OF THIS CONTRACT? THEN THEY NEED TO BE PAYING SOME OF THIS TOO.
>> NEPTUNE BEACH HAS NOT PAID FOR FIRE SERVICE FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS.
>> THAT IS ONE OF THE SALIENT POINTS ABOUT WHY WE SHOULD NOT ALSO BE PAYING.
ANYWAYS, WITH THAT, LET'S CALL THE QUESTION AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> OPPOSED. OKAY. RESOLUTION PASSES.
MOVING TO 8C, RESOLUTION NUMBER 24-35,
[8.C. RESOLUTION NO. 24-35]
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO ENTER INTO THE 2024 JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT COUNTY-WIDE PROGRAM AUTHORIZING ATLANTIC BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT STAFF TO APPLY FOR AND MANAGE THE GRANT PROCESS, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR, CITY MANAGER, AND CITY ATTORNEY TO EXECUTE CONTRACTS AND PURCHASE ORDERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AND AS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS RESOLUTION AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.THERE'S NO DEPUTY CITY MANAGER HOGENCAMP, SO I GUESS THAT'S YOU, OR DO YOU WANT TO BRING [INAUDIBLE]?
>> YEAH, I'LL [INAUDIBLE] I'LL TAKE A STAB AT IT, AND THEN IF I GROSSLY MISMANAGE IT, THEN THE CHIEF CAN COME UP AND FIX IT.
BUT THIS IS A $61,000 APPROXIMATELY GRANT FROM THE JUSTICE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THIS GRANT IS ABLE TO BE USED FOR PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS EQUIPMENT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S A MATCH ON THIS, IS THERE? IT'S 100% GRANT. WITH THAT, MR. MAYOR, I WOULD RECOMMEND APPROVAL.
>> DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE?
>> I MOVE WE ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 24-35 AS WELL.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> OPPOSED. THANK YOU FOR THE UNANIMOUS VOTE.
[9.A. ORDINANCE NO. 33-24-25, Public Hearing and Final Reading]
IN THIS, WE'LL BEGIN DISCUSSION OF ORDINANCES, AND EACH ONE WILL HAVE A PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, IF YOU SO CHOOSE.9A IS ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-25, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL READING.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, ARTICLE 2, THE COMMISSION, SECTION 6, POWERS, SUBMITTING THE AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL, PROVIDING FOR THE APPEARANCE OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT ON THE BALLOT, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
>> NO COMMENTS OTHER THAN DO YOU WANT TO EXTEND, WELL, AGAIN, THIS IS PLACING IT ON THE BALLOT FOR THE VOTERS TO DECIDE WHETHER TO CHANGE THE CHARTER TO EXTEND THE QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR SOMEONE RUNNING FOR OFFICE FOR CITY COMMISSION FROM TWO YEARS TO FOUR YEARS PRIOR TO QUALIFYING.
>> CORRECT. COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE, AS WE GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE, YOU MAY WANT TO WRITE A NOTE BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL TAKE ACTION ON TODAY IS POSSIBLY RANK ORDERING THIS ON THE REFERENDUM.
I JUST LABELED THIS AS RESIDENCY.
LET'S SEE. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
DONNA, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SPEAKING ON THIS?
>> OKAY. THEN WE'LL MOVE BACK TO ANY DISCUSSION AMONGST COMMISSIONERS.
EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THIS ONE IS? IT'S JUST EXTENDING FROM WHAT, TWO YEARS TO FOUR?
>> OKAY. HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE.
[01:20:05]
ALL IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY WITH AYE.[9.B. ORDINANCE NO. 33-24-26, Public Hearing and Final Reading]
WHICH IS ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-26.THIS IS ALSO A PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL READING.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH ARTICLE 2, THE COMMISSION, SECTION 9, POWERS, SUBMITTING THE AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL, PROVIDING FOR THE APPEARANCE OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT ON THE BALLOT, AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MR. GABRIEL.
>> THIS ONE WAS THE PROVISION IN SECTION 9 TO INCLUDE, AND I'LL JUST READ IT, POWERS TO INCLUDE A NEW PROVISION ADDING THE POWER AS PERMITTED BY LAW FOR THE COMMISSION TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE CITY'S BEACHES, MARSHES, MARITIME, TREE, CANOPY, AND PROPERTY THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
IT'S ADDING THAT NOMENCLATURE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP TO THE CHARTER.
>> I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-26.
>> GO AHEAD. [LAUGHTER] I LIKE THIS ONE.
>> I MOVE TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-26.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION IN THE SECOND.
>> OH, I APOLOGIZE. THANK YOU.
WE WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS.
>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. I'M ELLEN GLASSER.
MY ADDRESS IS ON THE YELLOW SHEET.
I'M A FORMER MAYOR OF ATLANTIC BEACH, AND I HAVE TO SAY I'M EXTREMELY GRATIFIED BY SO MANY PEOPLE WHO CAME TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS AMENDMENT.
IT WAS NOT SO SIMPLE TO GET IT TO YOU ALL.
THERE WAS SOME RESISTANCE FROM SOME PARTIES ON THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.
I WANT TO COMMEND THE CHAIRS OF ESC, SARAH BORN, AND ALSO, MARK RABINOWITZ, FOR STARTING THAT EFFORT.
ATLANTIC BEACH PRESERVATION DID TAKE IT OVER THE FINISH LINE BY COMING UP WITH SOME LANGUAGE UNDER COMMISSION POWERS THAT I WILL PERSONALLY TAKE CREDIT FOR.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THAT HARD.
I THINK ALL OF US THAT SPOKE TONIGHT THOUGHT THAT THE CITIZENS WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS IN OUR CHARTER, BUT IT DID MEET SOME RESISTANCE.
SINCE I'M UP HERE TO SAVE MYSELF THE BOTHER OF HAVING TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, I DID WANT TO COMMENT ON THE 500,000 FOR AT THE BAKER CENTER, AND I WANT TO SAY THAT THAT STARTED.
MANY OF YOU WILL RECALL AS A REPROGRAMMING OF MONEY FROM JOHNSTON ISLAND.
THE COMMISSION MET AND HAD CONSENSUS ON TRYING TO GET FUNDS FOR THE [INAUDIBLE] STATION, WHICH COUNCILMAN RORY DIAMOND DID TAKE THE LEAD ON.
THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, IT TOOK AN EXTRA YEAR TO GET THE MONEY FOR THE BAKER CENTER, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEN PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL RON SALEM TOOK THE LEAD ON, AND WE WERE VERY GRATEFUL TO HIM.
IT IS TRUE THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
THE FACT THAT THIS TOPIC HAS COME UP IS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO ME.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT IT WAS COMMISSION CONSENSUS AND THAT WE LOBBIED HARD TO GET THAT MONEY FOR TWO YEARS WITH A VERY SPECIFIC INTENT FOR YOUTH, WELL, ACTUALLY FOR SENIORS.
THEN COJ DID NOT DESIGNATE THAT WHEN WE GOT IT, IT HAD TO BE LIMITED TO SENIORS.
I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT I THINK THAT CITIZENS SHOULD KNOW BECAUSE THAT WAS DONE FOR THAT CENTER.
I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY WHEN YOU DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO USE ALMOST HOME.
ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SUGGESTING BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION THAT WE BACKTRACK IN TERMS OF OWNING THAT BUILDING, BUT THE LAST ORDER OF PRIORITY WAS VETERAN SERVICES.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO THAT, PLEASE GO AND EXPLORE SOME PUBLIC-PRIVATE OPTIONS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY FOR VETERAN SERVICES THAT OUR TAX DOLLARS DON'T HAVE TO USE TO PAY FOR ENHANCEMENTS.
I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK ON THAT, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
I WOULD ASK, I'M SO SORRY I'VE GONE OVER, THAT YOU RANK ORDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP LANGUAGE AS NUMBER 1 BECAUSE I THINK THAT WILL GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION AS THEY MOVE ON DOWN IN THE BALLOT TO THE OTHER AMENDMENTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THE OTHER CARD I HAVE FOR THIS MAYOR DID NOT WISH TO SPEAK.
[01:25:05]
IT'S DR. [INAUDIBLE], BUT SHE IS IN SUPPORT OF ORDINANCE 33-24-26?>> IF WE'RE AT THE END OF THAT, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND WE'LL MOVE BACK TO THE MOTION, WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE THE MOTION AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> I'M AFRAID WHEN WE DID 9A, I DIDN'T HEAR WHO MADE THE MOTION AND WHO SECONDED, IF IT WAS EVEN DONE BEFORE THE VOTE.
>> WELL, WE HAD THE MOTION AND SECOND, BUT WHO DID IT?
>> COMMISSIONER BOLE [PHONETIC] WAS THE SECOND CANDIDATE.
>> NOW WE'RE MOVING TO ITEM 9C, ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-27.
[9.C. ORDINANCE NO. 33-24-27, Public Hearing and Final Reading]
ALSO, A PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL READING AND ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, ARTICLE 4, THE CITY CLERK, SECTION 28, APPOINTMENT, DUTIES AND SUBMITTING THE AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL, PROVIDING FOR THE APPEARANCE OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT ON THE BALLOT AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.>> YES. THIS IS REALLY MORE OF A SCRIVENER CHANGE TO BE QUITE FRANK, BUT ITS CHANGING A PROVISION IN THERE FOR THE CITY CLERK THAT SHE IS, REALLY, A FILING OFFICER FOR CITY ELECTIONS, NOT THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTION.
THAT WOULD BE THE CURRENT JERRY HOLLAND.
>> LET'S OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SPEAKING ON THIS?
>> I HAVE NO CARDS, BUT I GUESS WE HAVE A SPEAKER.
>> I DO. I THINK HE'S SAYING THAT HE SIGNED UP FOR MORE THAN ONE.
>> I ACTUALLY PUT ALL THE CHARTER AMENDMENTS ON THAT.
>> SORRY ABOUT THAT. SHOULD I HAVE JUST CALLED YOU ON THE OTHER TWO?
>> I'M GOOD. I THINK IT WAS LAST COMMISSION MEETING.
>> MY REAL NAME IS BRINKLEY HAROLD, AND MANY PEOPLE KNOW ME IN MY REAL NAME, AND I LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM YOU.
IT'S A LONG STREET. ON THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE HERE, ON THE SIXTH CHARTER AMENDMENTS, COMMISSIONER KELLY, I THINK IT WAS THE LAST MEETING, RAISED A HUGELY INTERESTING POINT ABOUT RANK ORDERING THE SIXTH CHARTER AMENDMENTS BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE, AS THEY GET TO THE VERY END OF A TWO-PAGE BALLOT THIS YEAR, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET TO IT.
NOW, THE IRONY HERE IS THAT THREE OF THE AMENDMENTS CAUSE NO ACTION.
THE 50% OR THE 60%, WHAT IF THEY VOTE NO AGAINST THIS ONE? WELL, IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT OUR CITY CLERK IS STILL ONLY THE FILING OFFICER AND NOT THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTION.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF IT FAILS? NO, NOTHING HAPPENS, NOTHING AT ALL.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER ONES, EVEN THE PREVIOUS ONE ABOUT THE ESC.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THAT ONE FAILS, OR WHAT IF IT PASSES? THERE'S NO ACTION THAT IT CAUSES OR REQUIRES.
I THINK THAT'S THE CASE WITH THREE OF THESE.
THE PRIMARY VERSUS THE GENERAL ELECTION, ABSOLUTELY NUMBER 1 IMPORTANT.
THE QUALIFICATION PERIOD RUN FROM OFFICE 2-4 YEARS; I THINK IT OUGHT TO BE 10 OR 20 YEARS, BUT OKAY, SO VERY IMPORTANT ONE, BUT THREE OF THESE HAVE NO TEETH TO THEM, AND THEY REALLY DO NEED TO BE RANK ORDERED BY Y'ALL, PERHAPS AT THE END OF THIS MEETING.
I'M NOT SURE, BUT JUST TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THREE OF THESE HAVE NO TEETH IN THEM WHATSOEVER.
DO I GET AN EXTRA MINUTE HERE?
>> I'LL COME BACK AT THE NEXT ONE.
>> THANK YOU, MR. HAROLD. WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ORDINANCE.
[01:30:01]
WE NEED A MOTION, OR WE HAVE A MOTION?>> I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A MOTION YET. WE NEED A MOTION.
>> I MOVED THAT WE APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-27 AS READ.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? THEN ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> OPPOSED. THAT'S UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU.
MOVING NOW TO ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-28.
[9.D. ORDINANCE NO. 33-24-28, Public Hearing and Final Reading]
THIS IS ALSO A PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL READING.A ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, ARTICLE 2, THE COMMISSION, SECTION 9, POWERS.
SUBMITTING THE AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL, PROVIDING FOR THE APPEARANCE OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENT ON THE BALLOT AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MR. GABRIEL.
>> THIS ESSENTIALLY CHANGES A CURRENTLY EXISTING PROVISION OF THE CHARTER THAT THE SEAL OR ANY DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC PARKS BE DONE VIA A REFERENDUM VOTE RATHER THAN WHAT IT CURRENTLY HAS IN THERE AS A UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.
IT REMOVES IT FROM A UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE ENTIRE COMMISSION TO THE ELECTORS. THAT'S WHAT THIS DOES.
>> WE'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
>> JUST TO REITERATE WHAT I SPOKE ABOUT JUST A MOMENT AGO, YES, I REMAIN BRINKLEY HAROLD.
AGAIN, THREE OF THESE HAVE NO TEETH IN THEM.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY LUDICROUS THAT ANYBODY WOULD EVER THINK THAT ANY OF THE FIVE OF YOU OR YOUR SUCCESSORS OR PREDECESSORS WOULD EVER SELL A PARK. MOVING ON.
I AM REAL HOPEFUL GOING BACK TO A BUDGET THING BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT MR. KILLINGSWORTH [PHONETIC] WAS GOING TO PRESENT UNDER THE BUDGET.
HAVING HEARD HIM DURING THAT EARLIER HOUR, I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE CURRENT ROLLBACK RATE WILL BE BASED UPON THE CERTIFICATION OF TAXABLE VALUES THAT YOU RECEIVED A WEEK OR SO AGO FROM THE DUVAL COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER'S OFFICE.
WE KNOW WHAT LAST YEAR'S ROLLBACK RATE WAS, 2.8410.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS ONE IS.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A HIGHER NUMBER OR A LOWER NUMBER BECAUSE WE'VE HAD ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION ADDED, BIG REMODELING, ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
KNOWING WHAT THE ROLLBACK RATE IS BASED UPON THE HIGHER TOTAL ASSESSED VALUES IN ATLANTIC BEACH WILL HELP DRIVE SOME OF THE NUMBERS, AS YOU VERY WELL KNOW, KNOWING THAT YOU'RE NOT NEW TO THE BUDGET PROCESS.
I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT Y'ALL VOTED TO SPEND $1.5 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS TO COJ.
YOU DISINCENTIVIZE THEM TO EVEN NEGOTIATE.
YOU COULD HAVE SAID, YEAH, WE'RE DONE; WE'RE OKAY, WE'LL STILL NEGOTIATE, BUT THAT$1.5 MILLION A YEAR, WELL, THERE WAS ALREADY A POTENTIAL BUDGET SHORTFALL THAT WAS BRIEFED EARLIER; THAT COULD HAVE MADE UP A LOT OF THAT.
I THINK IT WAS TWO MILLION OR TWO-AND-A-HALF MILLION.
WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND HOW LONG COJ ACTUALLY COMES TO THE TABLE AND NEGOTIATES OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
THEY COULD KICK THAT CAN DOWN THE ROAD QUITE A BIT. THANK YOU AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU, MR. HAROLD. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE.
>> I MOVE WE APPROVE ORDINANCE 33-24-28.
>> A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER RING [PHONETIC], A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER KELLY.
ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> OPPOSED. THAT'S UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU.
[9.E. ORDINANCE NO. 33-24-29, Public Hearing and Final Reading]
ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-29, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, ARTICLE 2, THE COMMISSION.SECTION 12, VACANCIES IN THE CITY COMMISSION.
SECTION 14, INDUCTION OF CITY COMMISSION INTO OFFICE, MEETINGS OF THE CITY COMMISSION, ARTICLE 9, ELECTIONS.
SECTION 40, ELECTIONS, PRIMARY, AND SECTION 41 ELECTIONS, GENERAL, SUBMITTING THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL, PROVIDING FOR THE APPEARANCE OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENTS ON THE BALLOT AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MR. GABRIEL.
>> THIS IS PROBABLY THE ONE OF THE SIX THAT HAS THE MOST CHARTER PROVISIONS IN IT FOR AMENDMENT, BUT BASICALLY,
[01:35:03]
WHAT IT DOES IS IT ADDS A REQUIREMENT TO HOLD A PRIMARY ELECTION WHEN THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR THE SAME COMMISSION SEAT.IT ALSO MAKES REFERENCES AND ADDS THE WORD PRIMARY ELECTIONS TO A FEW DIFFERENT SPOTS IN THE CHARTER, WHERE IT ONLY TALKS ABOUT GENERAL ELECTIONS NOW.
THEN LASTLY, AGAIN, THIS PART, I WOULD CONSIDER MORE SCRIVENER, BUT IT MAKES A CLARIFICATION TO WHEN COMMISSIONERS TAKE THEIR SEATS.
IN FACT, I THINK THE WAY THE CHARTER READS NOW IS IT TALKS ABOUT A MEETING IN NOVEMBER, BUT IN FACT, BY THE TIME THAT CERTIFIED RESULTS COME BACK FROM THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, IT'S REALLY THE FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER TYPICALLY THAT THEY'D BE ELIGIBLE TO TAKE THEIR SEATS, SO WE'VE CLARIFIED IN THE CHARTER PROVISION THAT ESSENTIALLY COMMISSIONERS WOULD TAKE THEIR SEATS FOR THEIR NEWLY ELECTED SEAT AT THE FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER OR THEREAFTER IF, IN FACT, THE ELECTION RESULTS ARE CERTIFIED THEREAFTER THAT'S POSSIBLE, NOT LIKELY, BUT POSSIBLE.
BUT AGAIN, ESSENTIALLY THE PRIMARY THRUST OF THIS AMENDMENT IS TO ADD A PRIMARY ELECTION IF THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR THE SAME COMMISSION SEAT, SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE NOW.
THIS WOULD ALSO PUT IT IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE WAY THAT JACKSONVILLE BEACH AND NEPTUNE BEACH DOES THEIR ELECTIONS.
>> THANK YOU. DONNA, DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS?
>> MR. HAROLD, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THIS TIME TO GO AHEAD AND STAY ON TOPIC.
I LEAVE IT OPEN ON THE REGULAR COURTESY OF THE FLOOR, BUT ON THESE ORDINANCES, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO STAY ON TOPIC, PLEASE.
>> THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE MOST KEY AMENDMENT OF ALL OF THEM.
YOU COULD GET RID OF THE OTHER FIVE, AND THIS WOULD STILL BE THE KEY ONE.
IT'S A HUGELY DEMOCRATIC THING TO HAVE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ELECTED BY A MAJORITY, NOT A PLURALITY.
I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN ANOTHER ADDITIONAL AMENDMENT THAT WOULD HAVE ALSO FURTHERED OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, AND THAT REALLY IS ABOUT THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT, AND THE FACT THAT ONCE ONE OF YOU-ALL ARE ELECTED UP HERE, YOU'RE GOLDEN FOR EIGHT YEARS, BUT NOBODY ELSE CAN RUN IN YOUR DISTRICT FOR EIGHT YEARS BECAUSE THE POWER ALWAYS GOES TO THE INCUMBENT, AND YOU'VE REDUCED WHO CAN ACTUALLY RUN FOR IT, BUT REGARDLESS, ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, ABSOLUTELY.
IT'S MOST IMPORTANT AND WHEN YOU RANK ORDER LATER ON, I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A FORESIGHT TO PUT IT IN THE NUMBER 1 SPOT. THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? DONNA, NO OTHER SPEAKERS?
>> WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO APPROVE.
>> JUST ONE POINT, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT WE TALKED ABOUT.
THIS IS NO NET COST TO THE CITY?
>> I MAKE A MOTION WE APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-29.
>> MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BORDERS [PHONETIC] AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER RING.
>> WHEN WE DID AWAY WITH THE PRIMARY, IT WAS BECAUSE WE HAD NEVER BEFORE HAD A RUNOFF.
IT'S ONLY THIS ELECTION WHERE WE HAD THE PLURALITY AND THE WINNER WAS ONLY A WINNER BY 18 VOTES THAT THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED IN RECENT MEMORY.
THAT'S WHY WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE, PLUS WE WERE VOTING IN OFF YEARS AND NOT GETTING A VERY GOOD TURNOUT, WHICH WAS NOT VERY REPRESENTATIVE.
THAT'S HOW WE GOT HERE, AND THIS IS HOW PEOPLE HAVE CHOSEN TO GET OUT. COMMISSIONER RING.
>> I HAD A QUESTION. DOES THIS CHANGE QUALIFYING PERIOD? I KNOW NEPTUNE BEACH AND JACK'S BEACH'S QUALIFYING PERIOD HAS ALREADY ENDED.
OURS IS GOING TO GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH UNTIL AUGUST.
THIS WILL CHANGE THE QUALIFYING PERIOD.
>> BECAUSE I REMEMBER NOT DOING MUCH CAMPAIGNING UNTIL AUGUST BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE OUT OF TOWN AND I JUST CAMPAIGNED IN AUGUST.
>> THIS IS A QUESTION. THANKS FOR BRINGING IT UP.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
IF IT CHANGES THE QUALIFYING PERIOD, WE'RE NOT RUNNING A PRIMARY UNLESS WE HAVE MORE THAN TWO CANDIDATES.
HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT TO TELL PEOPLE THE QUALIFYING PERIOD IS.
>> IT CLOSED IN LIKE END OF MAY OR EARLY JUNE.
>> I THINK DONNA CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
>> I THINK YOU WOULD ASSUME THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ONE WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR CALENDAR UP.
[01:40:05]
THEN THAT WOULD BE YOUR QUALIFYING PERIOD.>> IF WE DID THAT, AND THEN WHEN WE GOT TO THAT DATE, IF WE DON'T HAVE MORE THAN TWO CANDIDATES, WOULD WE EXTEND THE QUALIFYING PERIOD?
>> WE WOULD JUST CLOSE IT OUT EARLY. THERE YOU HAVE IT.
>> THERE IS GOING TO BE A, I WOULD ASSUME, OF COURSE, LAWS CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, THAT YOU'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA COST BECAUSE OF THE JUST ADVERTISING TYPE STUFF, PUTTING EXTRA ADS IN THE PAPER, THAT SORT OF THING.
>> BUT NOT FOR THE CITY. JUST FOR THE CANDIDATES.
>> SHE'S TALKING ABOUT CITY TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT, IN FACT, THERE'S A ELECTION.
STILL, A MINOR COST; THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD, BUT VALID QUESTION, MR. BOLE. FURTHER DISCUSSION.
>> HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> OPPOSED. THAT ALSO CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
[9.F. ORDINANCE NO. 33-24-30, Public Hearing and Final Reading]
WHICH IS ORDINANCE 33-24-30, WHICH ALSO HAS A PUBLIC HEARING, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, ARTICLE 18, WHEN ACT TAKES EFFECT IN PERIODIC REVIEW SECTION 81, PERIODIC REVIEW, SUBMITTING THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CHARTER FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL, PROVIDING FOR THE APPEARANCE OF THE CHARTER AMENDMENTS ON THE BALLOT AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. MR. GABRIEL.>> THIS ONE HAS TO DO WITH THAT SECTION 81, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THE PERIODIC REVIEW, WHICH REALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE CHARTER REVIEW PROCESS.
SOME OF IT'S MORE CLARIFICATION THAN NOT, BUT BASICALLY WHAT IT DOES IS IT CLARIFIES THAT THE PLACEMENT OF ANY CHARTER AMENDMENTS WOULD BE ON THE GENERAL.
AGAIN, I THINK THIS ASSUMES FOR A MOMENT THAT THERE MAY BE A PRIMARY, SO IT WOULD CLARIFY THAT THAT VOTE ON THE CHARTER AMENDMENTS WOULD ALWAYS BE A GENERAL ELECTION.
THAT'S ONE THING IT DOES. THE OTHER IS THAT IT CHANGES THE APPOINTMENT TIMING OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO FEBRUARY RATHER THAN JANUARY.
THEN IT CHANGES THE LEGISLATIVE MANNER IN WHICH THE CITY COMMISSION CONSIDERS CHARTER AMENDMENTS FROM RESOLUTIONS TO ORDINANCES.
IT SAYS RESOLUTIONS, BUT WE ALWAYS DO IT BY ORDINANCE.
>> THAT'S IT. DONNA, WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP A PUBLIC HEARING.
>> POSSIBLE THAT I JUST ASK A QUESTION.
>> IF YOU COME UP TO THE LECTERN.
>> HELLO, I'M CAROLINE [INAUDIBLE].
I JUST HAVE AN OBSERVATION AND A QUESTION.
I JUST HOPE I HAVEN'T MISSED SOMETHING.
IN LISTENING TO EACH OF THESE OPPOSED ORDINANCES, ADOPTING CHARTER REVIEW REVISIONS, AND LISTENING TO MR. GABRIEL, WHO SUMMARIZED REALLY THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS.
I WAS JUST HOPING THAT WHEN THEY ARE ON THE BALLOT, THERE WILL BE A PLAIN ENGLISH SUMMARY OF WHAT THEY ARE ALL ABOUT.
SINCE IN READING EACH OF THE ORDINANCES, THERE WAS SUCH SIMILARITY, I HOPE, THIS IS NOT TOO OBVIOUS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT UP, THOUGH. YOU'RE RIGHT.
ON THE REFERENDUM, THERE NEEDS TO BE CLARITY OF WHAT YOU'RE VOTING ON.
>> THROUGH THE MAYOR TO THE PUBLIC AND TO THE COMMISSION, THERE'S A STATUTORILY REQUIRED 15-WORD OR LESS SUMMARY.
THERE'S A STATUTORILY REQUIRED 75-WORD OR LESS BALLOT QUESTION.
THEN WE'LL GET WITH THE SUPERVISOR ELECTIONS.
THERE IS SOME MORE LITERATURE THAT ACCOMPANIES IT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL ORDINANCE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN ATTACHED STRIKE-THROUGH REDLINE THAT SHOWS YOU WHAT WE'RE ADDING, WHAT WE'RE TAKING OUT.
I DO BELIEVE THAT'S ALSO ACCESSIBLE CERTAINLY THROUGH THE WEBSITE, BUT WE'LL SEE THERE'LL BE LINKS TO THAT AS WELL.
THERE CERTAINLY WILL BE MORE CONTEXT.
I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE.
>> I MOVE WE ADOPT ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-30 AS READ.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER KELLY AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BOLE.
[01:45:02]
>> DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-30. SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
BY YOUR ACTION, WE HAVE PASSED THE FINAL ORDINANCE.
>> I THINK MAYBE YOU ARE GOING TO DO THIS.
I DON'T MEAN TO PRESUME ANYTHING.
BUT I KNOW THE LAST ITEM OF THE DAY IS THE PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT BEFORE WE DO, WE WANTED TO GET CONSENSUS, I SPOKE TO THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY OFFER TO THE SUPERVISOR HOW YOU WOULD LIKE THESE SIX AMENDMENTS RANKED.
WE WOULD DO THAT VIA COVER LETTER, AND SO MR. [INAUDIBLE] AND MYSELF WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S YOUR DESIRE?
>> BEFORE YOU PREEMPTED MY MOVEMENT.
>> NO, THAT'S OKAY. BEFORE YOU DID THAT, I WAS THINKING, WE DEFER THIS BECAUSE THIS WILL PROBABLY END UP IN A DEBATE.
HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT ON OUR AGENDA TO DO THAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP FOR A QUICK CONVERSATION, IF WE CAN RESOLVE IT TONIGHT, GREAT.
OTHERWISE, WE'LL PUT IT ON NEXT MEETING'S AGENDA, BUT WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD DO IF IT'S OKAY IS I'LL TAKE A MOTION FROM ANYBODY TO IDENTIFY NUMBER 1 ON THE REFERENDUM.
>> I MAKE A MOTION TO IDENTIFY ESC RESOLUTION.
>> 320. THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT. GO AHEAD.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION. WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER KELLY.
>> I THINK I MENTIONED IT LAST TIME, THE ONLY THING I REMEMBER ONE OF THE POLITICAL SCIENCE COURSE JUST WAS THAT STATISTICALLY, IF YOU VOTE FOR THE FIRST ONE, YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE FOR THE REST OF THE.
IF I SEE THE COMMISSION'S CONSENSUS THAT WE WERE ALMOST UNANIMOUS ACROSS THE BOARD ON THOSE FIVE, WE WANT THE ONE THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CHECK, AND GUESS WHAT? THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE YOU CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE MAP, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE YES ON THE OTHER ONES.
WE WANT ONE TO LEAD OFF, IF, IN FACT, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
I AGREE WITH MS. [INAUDIBLE] LIKE THE FIRST TIME, THAT REALLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS IS THAT WITH THE PRIMARY ELECTION, THAT'S CRITICAL TO THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
>> THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. THAT'S JUST MY THEORY.
>> NO, I HEAR YOU. IT MAKES SENSE TO ME. YES, COMMISSIONER.
>> YEAH. I BATTLE BETWEEN THE ESC AND THE GOING TO A PRIMARY MAJORITY VOTE BEING FIRST AND SECOND, THEY'RE PRETTY TIGHT FOR ME.
I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT READABILITY AND THE FLOW, THE TEACHER IN ME DOES SEE COMMISSIONER BOLE'S POINT ABOUT LISTING IT THE ESC FIRST AND THEN MOVING INTO THE SECOND.
BUT I COULD GO EITHER WAY, AND I WOULD BE FINE EITHER WAY.
>> OKAY. WELL, LET'S JUST TAKE A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR. SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> IT'S UNANIMOUS. SO THAT'S NUMBER 1.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THE NEXT ONE.
>> I MOVE THAT WE MAKE ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-29 SECOND.
>> ALL RIGHT. JUST TO PRIMARY.
>> OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND?
>> MR. BOLE, YOU GAVE THE SECOND DISCUSSION.
>> I'M JUST GOING TO SAY, I THINK THIS ONE PRETTY CLEAR.
ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
LET'S GO TO NUMBER 3. WHO WANTS TO MOVE ON THAT?
>> I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-28, THE SELLING OF PARKS AS NUMBER 3.
>> I DON'T HAVE A SECOND, THEN I DON'T HAVE A DISCUSSION.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. THERE'S NO SECOND.
I'LL ENTERTAIN ANOTHER MOTION ON SOMETHING ELSE.
>> I MOVE WE MAKE RESIDENCY NUMBER 3.
>> RESIDENCY, WHICH ONE IS THAT ORDINARY?
>> TWENTY FIVE. DO WE HAVE A SECOND ON THAT?
>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
THE SECOND WAS FROM COMMISSIONER BOLE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> OPPOSED. THANK YOU. NEXT ONE.
>> I'M GOING TO TRY THIS AGAIN. I MOVE THAT AND FOURTH PLACE.
[01:50:01]
YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY MOVE 4, 5, AND 6 AT ONE TIME.>> LET'S DO THAT. I MOVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-28, THE SELLING OF PARKS BE FOURTH, AND THEN ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-27, THE CITY CLERK'S DUTIES, BE FIFTH.
THEN FINALLY IN SIXTH PLACE, ORDINANCE NUMBER 33-24-30, THE CHANGE OF DATE FOR THE FIRST MEETING AFTER ELECTION AS OUR FINAL.
>> DO YOU HAVE THAT, DONNA? WELL, LET'S SEE.
>> I SECOND IT SHOULD BE FOURTH. THE LAST ONE.
>> YES. THE LAST ONE, THE LAST ORDINANCE.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A SECOND.
THAT FAILS, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN ANOTHER MOTION.
>> YEAH. RESIDENCY HAS ALREADY BEEN COVERED.
>> RESIDENCY HAS BEEN COVERED ALREADY.
>> I THINK THE CHARTER SHOULD BE NEXT.
IT SHOULDN'T BE ALL THE WAY DOWN, BUT IT SHOULD BE ON THERE.
>> THAT WAS WHAT I SAID BEFORE.
>> THAT'S NUMBER 30 IN THE SEQUENCE.
>> I MOVE WE MAKE THE CHARTER A REVIEW NUMBER 4.
>> ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> OPPOSED? THAT PASSES. LET'S GO TO THE FIFTH.
>> SIX AND ONE HALF DOZEN OTHER.
>> A MOTION TO MAKE THE CLERK'S DUTIES IS NUMBER 5, AND BY DEFAULT, THE LAST ONE WOULD BE?
>> DONNA, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?
>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WONDERFUL. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH AYE.
>> YES. MR. CITY ATTORNEY, SIR.
>> YES. IF I HEARD YOU RIGHT, WE GIVE THE ELECTIONS, BUT HE CAN OR SHE CAN RANK THEM ANY WAY THEY WANT, OR YOU THINK HYPOTHETICALLY OR?
>> I ASKED THE QUESTION TO THE SUPERVISOR ELECTIONS LAST WEEK, AND HE SAID IN A DEFAULT, HE WOULD JUST PICK IT RANDOMLY HIMSELF.
BUT WITH DIRECTION, HE WILL HONOR THE DIRECTION WE GIVE THEM.
THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO GET CONSENSUS.
WE'RE GOING TO PUT A COVER LETTER THAT DEPICTS WHAT YOU JUST DID AND SEND IT OFF ALONG WITH THE LANGUAGE.
BY THE WAY, ALL THESE BALLOT MEASURES, I HAD PROVIDED TO THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTION SO HE COULD TAKE A LOOK.
HE'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL THROUGH THE PROCESS.
>> WHEN HE LOOKS AT THEM, DOES HE SAY THEY'RE LEGAL?
>> HE DOESN'T PASS ANY JUDGMENT ON THAT.
BUT I THINK HE THOUGHT THEY WERE IN THE RIGHT FORM AND SUBSTANCE, AND I THINK IT LOOKED FINE.
>> BECAUSE THE CHARTER COMMITTEE TALKING ABOUT WHAT MR. HAROLD SAID, SOME OF THIS WAS CLEAN UP.
BECAUSE SOME OF THEM WE TOOK OUT THAT WE NO LONGER NEEDED.
>> BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, I WILL TELL YOU BECAUSE I ATTENDED MOST OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETINGS, THE PARTICULAR ONE ON THE PRIMARIES, MR. HAROLD ACTUALLY PRESENTED ON THAT VERY ISSUE, AND SO HE'S VERY INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THAT PARTICULAR ONE, AND I'D SAY THAT'S THE ONE THAT HAD THE MOST MAYBE.
>> NOT COMPLICATION. THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT WORD.
MAYBE MORE SUBSTANCE, I GUESS THAN THE OTHER ONES.
I DON'T MEAN THAT IN ANY DEROGATORY SENSE TO ANY OF THE OTHERS.
>> DO WE HAVE TO DETERMINE IF WE'RE REFERENCING THEM AS AMENDMENT NUMBERS OR QUESTION NUMBERS? DO WE HAVE TO GO THAT SPECIFIC?
[10.A. Public Hearing - APP 24-0001 - Appeal of the Community Development Board (CDB) - Decision for ZVAR 24-0005 (1743 Seminole Road)]
MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS, ITEM 10A, PUBLIC HEARING FOR APP 24-0001, APPEAL OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD CDB DECISION FOR ZVAR 24-0005, WHICH IS 1743 SEMINOLE ROAD.THIS IS A REQUEST FOR A VARIANCE TO REDUCE THE MINIMUM SIDE YARD SETBACK ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY TO CONSTRUCT AN ADDITION AT 1743 SEMINOLE ROAD.
[01:55:06]
>> THIS IS A QUASI-JUDICIAL PROCEEDING.
DECISIONS ON REZONING, SUCH AS PUDS, WAIVERS, AND APPEALS SUCH AS THIS ONE ARE CONSIDERED QUASI-JUDICIAL IN NATURE, SO THERE'S CERTAIN PROTOCOLS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
FIRST, EACH COMMISSIONER MUST DISCLOSE ON THE RECORD ANY EX PARTE COMMUNICATION THEY MAY HAVE HAD WITH ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRIOR TO THE HEARING.
ESSENTIALLY, JUST A QUICK SUMMARY OF WHO YOU SPOKE TO WHEN IT TOOK PLACE AND WHAT THE SUBJECT MATTER WAS ABOUT.
FINALLY, ALL QUASI-JUDICIAL DECISIONS MUST BE BASED ON SUBSTANTIAL COMPETENT EVIDENCE, WHICH MEANS IT'S A DECISION THAT'S SUPPORTED BY FACT-BASED MATERIAL.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU.
>> DO WE HAVE ANY DISCLOSURES?
>> OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. GABRIEL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO SWEARING IN OF ALL PERSONS WHO WILL SPEAK.
IF YOU'LL RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE SPEAKING ON THIS VARIANCE REQUEST.
DO YOU WANT TO SWEAR THEM IN OR IS DONNA? DONNA, ARE YOU DOING THAT?
>> THANK YOU, DONNA. MR. GABRI.
>> JUST ONE MORE CLARIFICATION TO APPEALS FOR OUR CODE ARE DE NOVO WHICH MEANS THERE IS A RECORD BELOW, BUT YOU'RE NOT CONSTRICTED TO THE RECORD BELOW.
YOU CAN ASK ANY QUESTIONS, YOU WANT, AND GO FURTHER THAN WHAT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD DID.
>> THANK YOU. I BELIEVE, AMANDA, YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE A STAFF OVERVIEW.
>> HI, GOOD EVENING. AMANDA, ASKEW, THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING.
GIVE ME JUST A MOMENT TO GET OUR POWERPOINT ON THE SCREEN.
SO WE HAVE THE APPEAL TONIGHT BEFORE US.
IT'S A REQUEST TO APPEAL THE DECISION OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR VARIANCE ZVAR24-005.
THE VARIANCE WAS TO REDUCE THE MINIMUM SIDE YARD SETBACK ON THE SOUTH SIDE, WHICH IS THE SHARED TOWNHOME PROPERTY LINE AND FOR THE PROPERTY AT 1743 SEMINOLE.
I WENT A LITTLE TOO FAST. THE TOWNHOUSE IS LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF SEMINOLE.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET NORTH OF 17TH STREET.
IT IS ZONED RESIDENTIAL TWO FAMILY.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET WIDE BY 134 DEEP.
IT WAS BUILT IN 1975, AND THIS BLOCK IS PRIMARILY OVER HALF DEVELOPED AS TOWN HOMES.
THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD HEARD THIS ITEM IN APRIL AND VOTED TO DENY THE REQUEST, FINDING THAT IT DID NOT MEET ANY OF THE REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN CHAPTER 24 SECTION 65(C).
THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE OR CHAPTER 24 ALLOWS THE APPEAL OF THIS DECISION BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD BY ANY ADVERSELY AFFECTED PERSONS.
AS THE CITY ATTORNEY STATED, IT IS DE NOVO, SO WE ARE STARTING FROM THE BEGINNING.
PER 24-49(B), THE APPLICANT MUST INDICATE THAT THE DECISION OF THE BOARD IS BEING APPEALED IS IN CONFLICT WITH OR IN VIOLATION OF CHAPTER 24.
HERE IS A STREET VIEW OF THE PROPERTY.
THE APPLICANT WAS SEEKING A VARIANCE TO 24-107(E), AND THAT'S THE SIDE PROPERTY LINE TO CONSTRUCT A TWO STORY ADDITION ON THE FRONT OF THEIR TOWNHOME ALONG THE SHARED PROPERTY LINE.
THE ADDITION WOULD BE PROPOSED AT A ZERO-FOOT SETBACK ON THAT SHARED TOWNHOME PROPERTY, AND THE OTHER SIDE WOULD BE A 10-FOOT SETBACK.
HERE'S A COPY OF THE SURVEY THAT YOU CAN SEE.
THIS IS THE SHARED TOWNHOME SIDE, AND THEY DO HAVE A SETBACK RIGHT THERE THAT MEETS THE CODE.
OUR CODE DOES REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONS TO PROPERTIES TO MEET THE REQUIRED SETBACKS.
AFTER OUR TOWNHOME IS DEVELOPED, IT IS CONSIDERED A LOT OR A LOT OF RECORD.
ANY LOTS IN THE ZONING CODE MUST MEET ZONING REQUIREMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, SETBACKS, LOT COVERAGE OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH POOLS OR ACCESSORY STRUCTURES.
THE PROPOSED PLAN, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE ADDITION IS IN THE FRONT OF THE TOWNHOME.
THEY ARE PROPOSING A TWO STORY ADDITION, THE FIRST FLOOR PRIMARILY BEING A GARAGE AND THE SECOND FLOOR BEING LIVING SPACE.
THE SIDE YARD SETBACK ADJACENT TO THE NEIGHBORS WOULD BE 10 FEET,
[02:00:04]
AND THAT'S THE NON-SHARED PROPERTY LINE.THIS IS JUST ANOTHER FLOOR PLAN OR THE ROOF PLAN SHOWING THE ADDITION IN THE FRONT OF THE TOWNHOME.
THAT PROPOSED ADDITION PROJECTS ABOUT 22 FEET IN FRONT OF THE ADJACENT TOWNHOMES.
THESE ARE RELATIVELY LONG DEEP LOTS.
THE EXISTING TOWNHOME ITSELF IS SET PRETTY FAR OFF THE STREET.
OF THE SEMINOLE, IT'S SET APPROXIMATELY 53 FEET BACK.
THE RECAP OF THE DECISION OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD, THERE ARE SIX CRITERIA THAT'S USED WHEN YOU ARE EVALUATING VARIANCES, AND THEY HAD A VOTE OF FIVE TO TWO, AND DID NOT FIND THAT THEY MET ANY OF THE CRITERIA SET FORTH.
THE FIRST ONE IS EXCEPTIONAL TOPOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS OF OR NEAR THE PROPERTY.
SURROUNDING CONDITIONS OR CIRCUMSTANCES IMPACTING THE PROPERTY DISPARAGELY FROM NEARBY PROPERTIES.
THREE, EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES PREVENTING THE REASONABLE USE OF THE PROPERTY AS COMPARED TO OTHER PROPERTIES IN THE AREA.
NUMBER 4, ONEROUS EFFECT OF REGULATIONS ENACTED AFTER PLATTING OR AFTER DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTY OR AFTER CONSTRUCTION OR IMPROVEMENT UPON THE PROPERTY.
FIVE, IRREGULAR SHAPE OF THE PROPERTY, WARRANTING SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.
SIX, SUBSTANDARD LOT OF RECORD WARRANTING A VARIANCE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FOR THE REASONABLE USE OF THIS PROPERTY.
THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD HAS HEARD IN THE PAST SEVERAL VARIANCES VERY SIMILAR TO THIS ONE, HOWEVER, ON THE SHARED TOWNHOME PROPERTY SIDE, ALL OF THOSE PROPOSED ADDITIONS WERE IN THE REAR YARD, AND THIS PROPOSED ADDITION IS IN THE FRONT YARD.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING, BUT WHEN YOU GUYS TAKE ACTION ON THE APPLICATION, THE REVIEW, AND YOU'RE GOING TO REVIEW, AND YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THIS APPEAL, IF YOU APPROVE THE APPEAL, THAT BASICALLY MEANS YOU ARE APPROVING THE VARIANCE.
IF YOU WOULD DENY OR MAKE A MOTION IN THE NEGATIVE, YOU WOULD NOT BE APPROVING THE VARIANCE REQUEST.
I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR STAFF.
THERE ARE TWO OTHER SIMILAR DUPLEXES JUST DOWN FROM THIS PROPERTY THAT HAVE ADDITIONS ON THE FRONT WITH NO OBSERVED FIVE-FOOT SETBACK.
THERE'S 1747 SEMINOLE AND 1757 SEMINOLE.
1747, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PERMITS ON FILE FOR THAT ONE.
THEN THE ONE FURTHER NORTH THAT IS VERY SIMILAR THAT THEY ADDED A GARAGE IN FRONT WAS ACTUALLY PERMITTED IN 2006, AND I THINK STAFF JUST DIDN'T INTERPRET IT THAT WAY OR MISSED IT.
>> AT THE BOARD, THE ADJOINING NEIGHBOR, DID THEY SPEAK?
WE DID GET A E MAIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN IT IN YOUR EMAIL.
>> ARE THE NEIGHBORS HERE? THANKS. I'M JUST JUST CURIOUS. THANK YOU.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR AMANDA? I'M JUST CURIOUS, IT MAY NOT INFLUENCE MY DECISION, BUT IF THIS WAS PERMITTED, WHAT WOULD BE THE FRONT SETBACK ON THIS NEW ADDITION?
>> THIS IS A VERY DEEP PROPERTY.
>> OH, I HAVE. IT'S VERY DEEP. THANK YOU.
>> I'M GOING TO BRING UP THE APPLICANT'S PRESENTATION.
>> GOOD EVENING. ZACH MILLER, 32030, BARN COURT.
EVERY TIME I COME TO ATLANTIC BEACH, I SAY FORMALLY OF 6TH, SHERRY AND FORMERLY OF BEACH AVENUE, AND 11TH.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN ATLANTIC BEACH.
IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE BACK.
I DO THIS ALL OVER THE NORTHEAST FLORIDA, AND THIS IS MY FAVORITE CITY TO GO IN.
NOW ON TO THE SUBSTANCE OF THIS VARIANCE.
YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN THIS VIEW OF THE PROPERTY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S ONE BUILDING, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT COMING UP IN A SECOND.
THIS IS THE NORTHERN TOWNHOME THAT WAS DEVELOPED IN 1975.
IT'S DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE SOUTHERN TOWNHOME.
REASON THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT, THIS IS THE STREET VIEW, YOU CAN SEE THE SOUTHERN NEIGHBOR DRIVE PAD PARKING AREA, AND THEN THE DRIVE PAD PARKING AREA OF MY CLIENT.
ONE THING YOU'LL SEE AS WE SHOW ON THE SURVEY IS, THE AREA THAT THEY'RE BUILDING ON IS NOT GOING
[02:05:02]
TO NECESSARILY CHANGE THAT PARKING PAD AREA.THERE'S ACTUALLY A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AREA OF VEGETATION, ACTUALLY A WALL, AND A WALKWAY OF WHERE THIS IS GOING TO GO.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THIS IS THE DESIGN OF THE AREA.
IT'S NOT TOWNHOMES THAT ARE FLAT FACING.
THERE'S AN ELEVATION CHANGE IN THE FRONT.
TOWNHOUSES OR TWO UNIT TOWNHOUSES ARE ALLOWED BY RIGHT IN THIS ZONING DISTRICT.
THAT ZONING DISTRICT HAS A SIDE YARD REQUIREMENT OF 15 TOTAL FEET AND FIVE FEET MINIMUM ON EITHER SIDE.
YOU CAN'T BUILD A TOWNHOUSE WITH A FIVE FOOT MINIMUM ON EITHER SIDE.
THAT'S WHY THEY'RE A TOWNHOUSE.
I BELIEVE YOUR CODE ADDRESSES THIS, AND I BELIEVE THAT YOUR CODE, THIS IS THE REASON IN THE PAST TOWNHOMES LIKE THIS DIDN'T HAVE TO GET A VARIANCE.
THIS IS JUST THE DEFINITION OF YOUR CODE IN A TOWNHOUSE.
THERE ARE COMMON WALLS. IF YOU HAVE ATTACHED UNITS, YOU HAVE COMMON WALLS, YOU CAN'T, BY DEFINITION, HAVE A FIVE FOOT SIDE.
YOU'RE AT SETBACK. SETBACK MEANS THE REQUIRED DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LOT LINE AND THE BUILDING OR STRUCTURE.
I'VE GOT THE FULL DEFINITION OF BUILDING OR STRUCTURE HERE THAT I CAN READ TO YOU.
BUT MY READ OF THE CODE IS THAT, THE ENTIRE BUILDING, THE TWO UNITS, CONSTITUTES ONE BUILDING, AND YOU MEASURE THE SETBACK ON THE SIDES OF THAT.
THAT IS WHAT IS CONSISTENT UNDER YOUR CODE, BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU CAN'T HAVE A FIVE FOOT SETBACK WHEN YOU HAVE A SHARED WALL.
THAT'S HOW YOU SHOULD READ YOUR CODE.
THE SIDE YARD SETBACKS ARE ON THE NORTHERN SIDE AND THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE ENTIRE BUILDING.
THEY ARE MORE THAN WHAT YOUR CODE REQUIRES.
RESPECTFULLY, I THINK THAT WAS MISSED IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD MEETING IN THEIR VOTE.
THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD, ACTUALLY, RIGHT BEFORE MY CLIENT'S PRESENTATION, HAD A VERY SIMILAR VARIANCE.
IT WAS IN THE REAR YARD WHERE THEY ACTUALLY APPROVED A SEVEN-FOOT SETBACK, WHICH IS LESS THAN WHAT IS REQUIRED, AND A ZERO-FOOT SETBACK, AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE CODE REQUIRES.
DURING THAT PRESENTATION, THE COMMUNITY BOARD MEMBERS SAID, I DON'T THINK THE INTENT OF THE CODE IS MEANT TO ADDRESS A ZERO LOT LINE AFTER THEY HAVE A LIMIT.
ANOTHER REQUIREMENT, THIS IS GOING TO SECTION 4 OF THE VARIANCE REQUIREMENT, IT SEES AN IMPOSSIBLE HURDLE FOR PROPERTY RIGHTS.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT.
THIS IS VARIANCE REQUIREMENT NUMBER 3.
SAME ISSUE, THE PREVIOUS ONE, IT'S ACTUALLY LESS.
THE POINT BEING IS THAT, AGAIN, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A TOWNHOUSE.
DURING THE PRESENTATION, STAFF COMMENTED THAT IF IT WAS NEW CONSTRUCTION, YOU WOULDN'T NEED A VARIANCE AT ALL, BUT BECAUSE IT'S AN EXISTING BUILDING, YOU NEED A VARIANCE.
THIS WAS THE OTHER PROPERTY THAT WAS AT ISSUE OVER ON 17TH STREET.
IT'S ABOUT 350 FEET AWAY FROM HERE.
AGAIN, THAT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
THIS IS A SURVEY OF THE PROPERTY.
DON'T WORRY. I'M GOING TO ZOOM IN ON IT.
THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD REALLY DIDN'T FOCUS ON THE CRITERIA IN THE VARIANCE.
THEY SEEMED TO BE CONCERNED OF THE EFFECT ON THE NEIGHBORS.
AGAIN, THAT'S NOT ONE OF THE CRITERIA OF THE VARIANCE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS.
IF YOU ZOOM IN HERE ON THE SURVEY, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE ADDITION OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS ACTUALLY IN AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY IMPERVIOUS AND ALREADY HAVE COVERAGE.
THERE WAS CONCERN THAT THIS WAS GOING TO IMPACT THE NEIGHBOR'S ABILITY TO BACK UP AND TURN AROUND ONTO MY CLIENT'S PROPERTY.
NOW, THEY DON'T HAVE AN EASEMENT.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT.
BUT THE AREA THAT THEY'RE BUILDING ON IS A WALKWAY, A WOODEN DECK, AND AN OVERHANG.
I WOULD HOPE THE NEIGHBOR WOULD NOT BE DRIVING OR PARKING IN THAT AREA ANYWAY.
THE SHADED AREA AND RED IS THE AREA THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ADDING ON.
YOU CAN SEE, COMPARED ON THE CURRENT VERSION, THAT'S WHERE THE PARKING PAD IS.
AS STAFF COMMENTED, IT'S A 53-FOOT SETBACK RIGHT NOW.
IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT 23-25 FEET SETBACK AFTER THIS ADDITION IS ON.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THIS ISN'T THE AREA THAT THE NEIGHBOR IS TURNING AROUND ON.
ON THE CRITERIA AND YOUR CODE, AND I THINK THIS HITS ON IT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIND ONE OF THEM, AND YOU DON'T ALL HAVE TO AGREE ON IT EITHER.
ON SECTION 2, SURROUNDING CONDITIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES IMPACTING THE PROPERTY DIFFERENT FROM NEARBY PROPERTIES.
AGAIN, THIS IS A BUILT TOWNHOUSE.
IF IT WAS A NEW TOWNHOUSE, APPARENTLY, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO AGREE AT A VARIANCE.
NUMBER 3, EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES PREVENTING THE REASONABLE USE OF THE PROPERTY AS COMPARED TO OTHER PROPERTIES IN THE AREA.
VERY SIMILAR. IF IT WAS A NEWLY CONSTRUCTED TOWNHOUSE,
[02:10:03]
YOU WOULD NEED A VARIANCE.BUT BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT IN 1975, YOU HAVE TO GET A VARIANCE.
DO YOU HAVE A ZERO LOT LINE, EVEN THOUGH YOU ALREADY HAVE A ZERO LOT LINE.
SEVERAL OTHER PROPERTIES IN THE AREA HAVE ZERO LOT LINE, EVEN THOUGH THEY DID NOT HAVE TO GO GET A VARIANCE.
NUMBER 4, THIS IS WHAT WAS HARPED ON IN THE ONE THAT WAS IN THE REAR YARD, ONEROUS EFFECTIVE REGULATIONS ENACTED AFTER PLATTING OR AFTER DEVELOPMENT OR AFTER CONSTRUCTION ON THE PROPERTY.
YOUR ZONING CODE WENT INTO EFFECT AFTER THIS PROPERTY WAS PLATTED.
I BELIEVE YOUR CODE ADDRESSES THAT, AGAIN, IN THE DEFINITION OF THE BUILDING, BUT I THINK THAT NUMBER 4 STILL APPLIES.
NUMBER 6, SUBSTANDARD SIZE, LOT OF RECORD, WARRANTING A VARIANCE TO PROVIDE FOR REASONABLE USE OF THE PROPERTY.
AGAIN, THIS PROPERTY WAS CREATED BEFORE YOUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
WE'RE JUST HERE ON THIS ISSUE ON THE SIDE YARD.
IT WILL STILL MEET FRONT YARD SETBACK.
IT'LL STILL MEET SIDE YARD SETBACK ON THE NORTH SIDE.
I'LL STILL MEET A LOT COVERAGE.
WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR WHAT ANY NEWLY BUILT TOWNHOMES CAN DO.
WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ALSO THE OWNER IS HERE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THEM. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, SIR. AMANDA, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU ANOTHER QUESTION.
ARE YOU ABLE TO TELL US WHY THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK IS REQUIRED?
>> PER OUR CODE, THIS IS CONSIDERED A LOT.
EACH LOT INDIVIDUALLY NEEDS TO MEET WHATEVER ZONING DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS ARE.
THIS ZONING DISTRICT REQUIREMENT DOES REQUIRE TO COMBINED 15 FOOT SIDE YARD SETBACK WITH NEITHER LESS THAN FIVE.
SINCE STAFF CONSIDERS THIS A LOT, IT MEETS THE DEFINITION OF A LOT, YOU WOULD NEED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH LOT IN YOUR ZONING DISTRICT, THEREFORE, YOU WOULD NEED A SIDE YARD SETBACK FOR ANYTHING CONSTRUCTED AFTER THE ORIGINAL TOWNHOME.
>> THANK YOU. I UNDERSTAND THAT ONCE AGAIN.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT SETBACK ON THE SOUTHERLY SIDE OF THIS BUILDING?
>> THAT'S THE SHARED PROPERTY LINE.
[OVERLAPPING] THE NORTHERLY IS A LITTLE OVER 10 FEET.
>> I'M JUST TRYING TO DISTILL THIS OUT.
IF I BUILT A NEW TOWNHOME, BUT THE DEFINITION OF TOWNHOME IS THEY'RE CONNECTED, SO HOW DO YOU GET AROUND THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK?
>> AT THE TIME THAT YOU CONSTRUCT A TOWNHOME DEVELOPMENT TODAY, YOU WOULD HAVE TO MEET THE REQUIRED SIDE YARDS FOR EITHER SIDE.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE A TOWN [OVERLAPPING].
>> NO. YOU COULD HAVE THE SHARED PROPERTY LINE.
ANYTHING AFTER THE ORIGINAL TOWN HOME FOOTPRINT WOULD NEED TO MEET THE SIDE YARD SETBACKS.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE ARE ADDRESSING IN THE UPDATE OF CHAPTER 24.
TO FURTHER CLARIFY THAT, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD HAVE HAD SOME DISCUSSION, AND WE'VE GOT SOME PROPOSED LANGUAGES IN THE CHAPTER 24.
>> YES. AND THIS IS THE WAY IT'S TRADITIONALLY BEEN INTERPRETED OVER TIME BY STAFF.
NOT NECESSARILY THAT I AGREE WITH, BUT THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE HISTORICALLY INTERPRETED.
>> BECAUSE WE NEED TO FIX SOMETHING.
OBVIOUSLY, WE NEED TO FIX THE QUESTION.
>> THE OTHER TWO FURTHER SOUTH PROPERTIES.
THEY WERE ADDITION ON THE REAR SIDE?
>> YES. ALL OF THE VARIANCES THAT WE'VE HEARD FOR TOWN HOME DEVELOPMENTS THAT THEY'RE ASKING OR SEEKING A REDUCTION TO ZERO FOOT ON THE SHARED SIDE HAVE BEEN IN THE REAR YARDS.
>> THIS IS SO FAR BACK [INAUDIBLE].
THAT'S NOT REALLY AN ISSUE, IS IT?
>> I THINK THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF DESIGN AESTHETICS, BUT THAT REALLY WASN'T A MAJOR POINT OF DISCUSSION IN THE BOARD.
>> ABOUT THE NEIGHBOR AND A FEW CHANGING THAT HAS ALL [INAUDIBLE] THESE LITTLE HOUSING IN A MANSFIELD NEXT TOO.
SO THINGS CHANGE LIKE THAT FOR NEIGHBORS ALL THE TIME INSTEAD OF LIVING.
I'M JUST FIGURING THAT OUT. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.
>> THANK YOU, AMANDA. AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. DONNA.
>> I HAVE A SPEAKER FORM FOR LUCY.
>> GOOD EVENING. I KNOW EVERYONE'S A LITTLE BIT TIRED.
I'LL MAKE THIS JUST THE FACTS LIKE YOU WANTED.
I'M REALLY SORRY, BUT THIS IS NOT A NEW CONSTRUCTION.
WHEN I READ THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD REASONS FOR GRANTING OR VARIANCE.
THERE IS NOTHING HERE THAT THEY MEET.
AS A STAFF REPORT STATES, PROPERTY SETBACKS WERE ESTABLISHED FOR REASONS INCLUDING AIR,
[02:15:01]
VENTILATION, SUNLIGHT, SOUND, PRIVACY, AND NEIGHBORHOOD, CHARACTER, AND DESIGN.THE PROPOSED ADDITION, WHICH WOULD BE ZERO FEET FROM THE SHARED LOT LINE IN THE FRONT WOULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT MY PROPERTY, 1741 THAT I SHARE A WALL WITH, AND I KNEW WHEN I PURCHASED, I WAS SHARING A WALL, NOT ANOTHER ADDITIONAL 22 FOOT WALL RIGHT ON MY ZERO LOT LINE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WILL SET A PRECEDENCE IN THE LARGER COMMUNITY, WE ARE A SMALL GROUP OF TOWN HOMES IN THAT AREA.
THE PROPOSED VARIANCES THAT WERE GRANTED WERE NOT 350 FEET AWAY, ACCORDING TO GOOGLE MAP, IT'S 1/10 OF A MILE, 700 FEET, BUT I GUESS IT DEPENDS IF YOU WANT TO GO AROUND THE CORNER OR YOU WANT TO DO FROM MY PORCH TO LOOK OUT THAT WAY, WHAT DISTANCE.
BUT IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT.
ALSO, THE TWO OTHER VARIANCES FOR FRONT WERE CARPORT, AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, AND ONE WAS A GARAGE, BUT THE GARAGE IS NOT ON THE ZERO LOT LINE.
WHICH I'M NOT ARGUING SHE CAN'T HAVE A GARAGE.
SHE CAN FOLLOW THE CODE AS IT WAS WRITTEN FOR THIS PROPERTY.
I'M JUST SAYING, DON'T PUT IT ON THE ZERO LOT LINE, PLEASE.
BECAUSE WHEN I WALK OUT MY FRONT DOOR, THAT TWO JOINING WALL, THAT'S OUR FRONT DOORS.
WHEN I WALK OUT, I'M GOING TO SEE A LONG WALL.
AGAIN, AFFECTING THE REASON FOR WHY THE VARIANCE WAS CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IT WOULD IMPACT THE SUNLIGHT THAT I GET INTO MY FRONT DOOR.
IT WOULD IMPACT AND ALSO GREATLY VARY FROM THE OTHER TOWN HOMES IN THE SAME COMMUNITY.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE WITH A WALL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SEE THAT OR IT'S NOT IMPORTANT AGAIN.
THIS IS AFTER THE COMMUNITY BOARD MEETING.
THE PROPERTY OWNER SET UP A PLASTIC TART BECAUSE SHE LEFT HERE QUITE FRUSTRATED.
I DON'T BLAME HER BECAUSE HER BUILDER GAVE HER A DESIGN.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PROMISES WERE MADE, BUT NOW SHE'S GOT TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
YOU CAN SEE HERE MY DAUGHTER'S CAR, SHE COULD PROBABLY MOVE IT UP A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, BUT YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE THREE POINT.
NO, WE WILL NOT BE GOING DRIVING INTO THE DOOR.
YEAH, WE WILL OBVIOUSLY, AT THIS POINT, NEVER ATTEMPT TO GO EVEN A FOOT OVER NEXT DOOR, AND IT GOES VICE VERSA.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE REALIZES WHEN YOU DO CONSTRUCTION IN THE SHARED SPACE, BIG TRUCKS COME IN, AND THOSE BIG TRUCKS HAVE NOWHERE TO PARK AT THIS POINT.
BUT I'M TRYING TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, SO WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT IF AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
AS AN OWNER IN THIS COMMUNITY, I WELCOME NEW DEVELOPMENT, BEAUTIFICATION OF HOMES.
I'VE COMPLETELY GUTTED AND REDONE THE WHOLE INSIDE AND CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT.
I FEEL THAT IN ADDITION TO THE ZERO LOT LINE WILL NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE VALUE AND CREATE UNDUE HARDSHIP TO ME.
IN ADDITION TO THE SIX VARIANCES OR REASONS FOR GRANTING A VARIANCE, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A NEW PROPERTY.
THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONAL TOPOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE'S A LARGE TREE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A HERITAGE TREE, A LARGE MAGNOLIA, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE TO BE CUT DOWN.
ALSO, THERE ARE NO UNIQUE SURROUNDING CONDITIONS THAT IMPACT.
THAT'S NUMBER 2, NO EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES FOR REASONABLE USE.
IT'LL JUST BE FIVE FOOT SMALLER.
THERE ARE NO ONEROUS REGULATIONS ENACTED AFTER THE PROPERTY WAS DEVELOPED, THERE'S NO IRREGULAR SHAPE.
IT'S NOT SUBSTANDARD SIZE LOT.
ALSO, I WAS READING ALSO THAT IN ORDER FOR THE COMMUNITY BOARD AT LEAST TO GRANT A VARIANCE, THERE HAS TO BE EXCEPTIONAL PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES OR UNDUE HARDSHIP.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME IF IT DOES GET GRANTED, NOT TO HER. I DON'T REALLY SEE THAT.
ALSO IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD RULES, IT SAYS THAT VARIANCES SHALL NOT BE GRANTED SOLELY FOR THE PERSONAL COMFORT OR CONVENIENCE.
THERE'S OTHER PARTS TO THAT FOR RELIEF FROM FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OR RELIEF FROM SITUATIONS CREATED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER.
BUT THAT FIRST STATEMENT TO ME IS THAT SHE JUST WANTS A BIGGER GARAGE.
I DON'T REALLY SEE WHERE ANY OF THE SIX IS MET.
I DON'T SEE WHERE THERE'S ANY EXCEPTIONAL PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES.
I DON'T SEE WHERE THERE'S UNDUE HARDSHIP FOR THIS NEW HOMEOWNER TO MAKE HER BUILD.
I'M NOT A MIND READER, THAT THE PERSON JUST WANTS A BIGGER GARAGE.
[02:20:06]
I AM AFFECTED BY THIS DECISION, AND I HOPE YOU TAKE THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION.I KNOW THAT THAT IS SOMETHING YOU'RE HERE AND WHY YOU OFFER US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
>> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS?
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY CARDS, MAYOR.
>> YES, YOU CAN. PLEASE COME FORWARD AND GIVE YOUR NAME.
I'M JUST IN THE TOWNHOUSE SOUTH OF THIS PROPERTY.
I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE. I'M SORRY.
>> HOLD ON A SECOND. YOU WERE NOT SWORN IN.
>> IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S GOING TO SPEAK? RICK, STAND UP AND RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANYBODY THAT HAS NOT BEEN SWORN IN THAT'S GOING TO SPEAK, PLEASE DO SO.
DONNA, CAN YOU GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN, PLEASE?
>> DO YOU SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH? SO HELP ME GOD.
>> THANK YOU. CAN YOU START OVER [OVERLAPPING].
>> START AGAIN. I'M LAURIE SOWERS.
I LIVE AT 1735 SEMINOLE ROAD, WHICH IS THE TOWNHOUSE UNIT JUST SOUTH OF THIS PROPERTY.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE DRIVEWAYS AND THE PARKING PATHS ARE SHARED.
I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A PROPERTY LINE, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THE DRIVEWAY IS SHARED, YOU CANNOT DRIVE IN THE DRIVEWAY JUST ON YOUR SIDE OR THE OTHER SIDE.
WHILE IT MAY LOOK LIKE THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM IN THE PARKING PAD.
WHEN YOU'VE GOT CARS PARKED NEXT TO EACH OTHER, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO BACK OUT AND NOT CROSS OVER YOUR NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY LINE, THE ZERO LINE.
ON A DAILY BASIS, I'M CROSSING OVER MY NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY LINE, AND THEY WILL DO THE SAME THING.
TO PUT A WALL THERE, A TWO STORY WALL, IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS TRYING TO GET IN AND OUT.
SURE THEY COULD PERHAPS PARK CLOSER TO THE ROAD, BUT NOW YOU'RE HAVING TO PARK FARTHER AWAY FROM YOUR FRONT DOOR IF IT'S RAINING AND IT'S DARK OR WHATEVER.
AS LUCY STATED, OUR FRONT DOORS, THE WAY THEY'RE SITUATED, THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH AT THE ZERO LOT LINE.
IF YOU HAVE A TWO STORY WALL THERE, YOU'RE GOING TO WALK OUT YOUR FRONT DOOR, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE GOT IS SOMEBODY'S TWO STORY WALL RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR FRONT DOOR.
I'M FULLY IN FAVOR OF PEOPLE'S PROPERTY RIGHTS, BUT THIS IS A SHARED PROPERTY.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN JUST DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE DAY TO DAY IMPACT ON YOUR NEIGHBOR.
>> YES. YES, SIR, COME UP, PLEASE.
I'M THE OWNER AT 1757, THE PROPERTY WITH THE GARAGE JUST NORTH OF THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION.
THERE'S BEEN REFERENCES TO IT EARLIER.
JUST A COUPLE OF CLARIFICATIONS.
I DO HAVE, I THINK THE ONLY GARAGE OF THIS GROUP OF TOWN HOMES.
IT DOES HAVE A SETBACK FROM THE PARTY LINE.
THERE'S ENTRANCE WAYS ON BOTH SIDES.
IT WAS IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY.
I ECHO EVERYTHING MY NEIGHBOR SAID ABOUT THE PARKING PADS AND THE EGRESS AND INGRESS OUT OF THESE GROUPS OF TOWN HOMES.
ALL OF THEM WERE BUILT WITH A COMMON ENTRANCE TO THE STREET.
FOR THIS GARAGE TO BE BUILT, THEY WOULD MOST LIKELY FORCE THEIR NEIGHBORS TO REDESIGN THEIR ENTIRE FRONT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A DRIVEWAY FOR THEM SO IT WOULD BE AN IMPINGEMENT ON THE NEIGHBOR FOR THEM TO BUILD THIS DRIVEWAY BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD HAVE THIS COMMON ENTRANCE AND EXIT THAT ALL THE OTHER TOWN HOMES CURRENTLY HAVE ON HERE.
>> MR. MALL, SINCE YOU HAVE A GARAGE AND HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE SETBACK, DO YOU HAVE TO BACK ALL THE WAY TO SEMINOLE ROAD TO GET ONTO SEMINOLE ROAD, OR DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH SPACE TO TURN AROUND?
[02:25:03]
>> OUR PARKING PAD AND MY ADJOINING NEIGHBORS ARE ROUGHLY ACROSS, AND THERE'S THE ABILITY FOR MUCH AS THE OTHER ONES TOO FOR US TO BACK INTO THEIRS AND THEM TO BACK INTO US.
IT'S A CHALLENGE TO COME IN OUT OF THE GARAGE.
WE HAVE A ONE CAR GARAGE THAT WE EITHER HAVE TO ZIPPER OUT OR DO SOME WHY.
BUT RIGHT NOW THERE'S THE FRONT OF OUR GARAGE AND OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR PARKING PADS ARE DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER SO THERE'S NO PROBLEM.
IT'S AS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A GARAGE BECAUSE WE'RE THE PART OF THE DUPLEX THAT'S SET BACK, SO THE GARAGE DOESN'T AFFECT THAT. YEAH.
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE PLANNING DIRECTOR I MEANT TO ASK YOU.
>> HEY, AMANDA. CAN THE REAR ADDITIONS, HOW CAN THOSE REAR ADDITIONS BE GRANTED THE VARIANCE, BUT NOT IN THE FRONT?
>> THOSE ARE INDIVIDUALLY LOOKED AT BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
SPECIFICALLY VARIANCES SHOULD BE LOOKED AT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
I WOULD HAVE TO PULL ALL OF THE REASONING AND ALL THE MINUTES TO GIVE YOU THE EXACT REASONING, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN APPROVED IN THE REAR THAT'S GONE BEFORE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD.
>> THIS IS A MATTER OF IT BEING A FRONT ADDITION, AND THAT IS A BIG ISSUE.
I VERY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THESE TOWN HOMES ON SEMINOLE.
I HAD FRIENDS GROWING UP THERE BACKING IN AND OUT OF EACH OTHER'S DRIVEWAY.
I CAN SEE THAT THIS WOULD BE A HUGE ISSUE FOR THE NEIGHBOR.
WITH THAT SAID, AMANDA, DO YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE FOR THE 1757, AND I DID LOOK UP AT THE GARAGE, THE NEIGHBOR WHO JUST SPOKE, THAT IT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THIS APPLICANT COULD STILL HAVE HER GARAGE AND HER SECOND STORY IF SHE WERE TO MOVE OVER.
I KNOW THE NEIGHBOR HAD JUST MENTIONED THAT SHE WOULD JUST HAVE A SMALLER GARAGE.
>> YES, IT WOULD BE. IT WOULD JUST BE A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
>> IT WOULD JUST BE A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
I DON'T KNOW. BUT IS THE HOMEOWNER HERE?
>> THEIR ATTORNEY IS HERE. ARE YOU THE HOMEOWNER? THEY KEEP REFERENCING AS SHE.
>> THANK YOU. IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS, WE'LL OPEN UP FOR CLOSING COMMENTS AND REBUTTAL.
YOU STOOD UP FIRST. DO YOU WANT TO GO FIRST?
>> THEN I'LL DEFER TO YOUR JUDGMENT.
>> SURE. MY NAME IS HARTLEY PAISLEY.
WE'RE A FAMILY ACTUALLY TRYING TO MOVE BACK IN.
I'M A RETIRED COMMANDER. OVER 25 YEARS MET MY WIFE IN THIS TOWN.
SHE GREW UP AND WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL IN THIS COUNTY.
SHE HAD MENTIONED BEFORE TO YOU THAT HOME PRICES HERE MAKE IT IN ORDER TO AFFORD, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BUY WHICH YOU CAN, AND THEN IMPROVE AND SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE TODAY.
THE POINTS THAT ARE BEING MADE COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED PRIOR TO THIS.
I THINK THAT IF THE OWNER WOULD HAVE REPLIED TO THE MULTIPLE CALLS WE DID TO TRY TO TALK WITH THEM PRIOR TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE JUST GOING BY THE RULE.
WE HAD TO MOVE FORWARD, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
THERE IS A FULL 30 FEET THERE THAT THEY CAN ACCESS THEIR PROPERTY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE LAST PERSON THAT SPOKE SAID THAT IT WAS JOINED, AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE PROCESS AND TALKING WITH MY NEIGHBOR PRIOR.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE'RE JUST HERE ASKING TO ENJOY THE FULL USE AND ENJOYMENT OF OUR PROPERTY AND ASK FOR APPROVAL OF THE VARIANCE.
YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED TODAY THAT THERE'S A CODE THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED, AND I URGE YOU NOT TO DELAY AND TO FIX WHAT YOU IDENTIFIED SO THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD.
>> RESPECTFULLY, I THINK YOUR ATTORNEY WILL ADVISE.
I THINK ONCE I SPEAK THAT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS CLOSE, THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENTS.
I DON'T BELIEVE SHE GETS REBUTTAL.
>> TYPICALLY, THE APPLICANT HAS THE LAST WORD WITH REBUTTAL.
>> THEN IF YOU'LL STAND THERE, WE'LL HEAR FROM HER [OVERLAPPING]
>> I THINK MAYBE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THEN HAVE MR. MILLER IF THAT'S THE LAST OPPORTUNITY.
[02:30:09]
>> I HEARD THE NEW HOMEOWNER AND THAT'S HEARSAY BECAUSE MY HUSBAND ACTUALLY SPOKE TO HIS WIFE ONCE, AND IT WAS TO SEE IF WE COULD BORROW THEIR GARBAGE CAN BEFORE THEY WERE MOVING IN BECAUSE WE WERE CLEANING UP.
I SPOKE TO MY HUSBAND BECAUSE SHE HAD MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, AND I SAID, DID SHE TRY TO REACH OUT? UNFORTUNATELY, I WOULDN'T HAVE WANTED YOU TO HAVE BUILT ON THAT ANYWAY.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE, LIKE I SAID, THAT A BUILDER DIDN'T GIVE YOU TWO CONTINGENCY PLANS AND BASE IT ON THE DECISION THAT MAY OR MAY NOT COME OUT OF THIS.
ALSO, JUST TO REITERATE, THEY'RE RIGHT.
I DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT, I GUESS TO GO OVER THE ZERO LOT LINE TO PULL MY CAR OUT.
BUT NOW IF YOU HAVE ONE CAR IN THE END AND THERE'S SPOTS FOR TWO OTHERS, IT'S GOING TO BE A DOMINO.
THE FIRST CAR HAS TO MOVE THEN THE SECOND CAR AND THEN THE THIRD TO GET OUT, WHICH IS EVEN MORE OF AN ISSUE.
THINK ABOUT THAT. YOU'VE GOT TO DO A THREE POINT TURN.
I SHOWED YOU THE PICTURE. NOW IF THERE'S A SECOND CAR OR THIRD CAR, YOU HAVE TO START DOMINO AFFECTING THEM TO GET OUT.
AGAIN, I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RULES OF THE VARIANCES AND WHEN TO OFFER THEM, THE UNDUE HARDSHIP AND PRACTICALITY IS GOING TO BE ON ME, NOT ON THEM.
>> THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSION FOR OUR TIME ON THIS.
WELL, MAKE MY POINT SO MY MANA TRIES TO RESET IT.
ONE OF THE POINTS IS BROUGHT UP, JUST GO ABIDE BY THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK.
AGAIN, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS ANY NEW CONSTRUCTION.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIAGRAM, THE ACTUAL INTERIOR AREA IS ONLY ABOUT 16-17 FEET.
IT'S A 19-FOOT WIDE STRUCTURE ON A 30-FOOT LOT.
IF YOU TAKE OUT THAT FIVE FEET, YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR AN INTERNAL AREA FOR PARKING IN A GARAGE OF PROBABLY EFFECTIVELY 11-12 FEET.
IF THE ISSUE IS PARKING THEN, THAT'S A REASON TO APPROVE IT.
YOU WANT THE CARS TO BE INSIDE THE GARAGE THEN THE TWO CAR GARAGE.
THEN THEY'RE NOT PARKING ON THE PARKING PAD, WHICH EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE ACKNOWLEDGED THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO USE MY CLIENT'S PROPERTY, THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR MORE AREA FOR THEM TO THEN DO A TWO POINT TURN TO GET OUT.
ON THE NEGATIVE IMPACT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DESIGN OF THESE PROPERTIES, YOU'VE ALREADY GOT THEIR PROPERTY NEXT TO MY CLIENTS, ALREADY JUTS OUT AND ALREADY CAST A SHADOW ON MY CLIENT'S PROPERTY.
AGAIN, NOT TO GET TOO TECHNICAL.
THESE PROPERTIES ARE NORTH AND SOUTH AND THE SUN GOES EAST TO WEST.
EXCEPT WHEN THE SUN IS IN THE NORTHERN SKY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE MUCH OF A SHADOW BEING CAST HERE.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE IN A SHADOW CAST IF YOU ABIDE BY THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK OR NOT.
WELL, I WAS GOING TO SHOW YOU GUYS THE SURVEY AGAIN.
I'M SURE YOU CAN BRING IT UP IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. THANK YOU.
>> I DO HAVE A QUESTION. LET'S GO BACK TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT THE WIDTH OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.
>> THE EXISTING OR JUST MY CLIENT'S PART?
>> THAT'S RIGHT. WELL, THEY'RE BOTH THE SAME RECIPROCALS.
THAT EXISTING STRUCTURE IS HOW WIDE?
>> IT'S APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET WIDE.
>> THE WIDTH OF THAT PLATTED LOT IS?
>> YOU SAID THE STRUCTURE IS 20?
>> IT'S TEN FEET ON THE NORTHERN SIDE AND THEN THE SATELLITE HAVE USED IS NOT GREAT, BUT I BELIEVE THEY HAVE 10 ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE NEXT TO MY CLIENT'S PROPERTY.
>> EFFECTIVELY, IF NOT APPROVED, HE COULD TURN AROUND AND BUILD A 15-FOOT WIDE ADDITION.
>> GARAGE. AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THAT'S FROM THE OUTER EDGES.
WHEN YOU ACTUALLY START DOING THE FIRE RATING AND ACTUALLY START BUILDING IN, YOU GET TO LOSE ABOUT TWO FEET ON EACH SIDE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT A PRETTY SMALL AND NARROW ADDITION.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE WHAT WAS SUBMITTED AS PART OF OUR SURVEY, I THINK IT WAS JUST 19 FEET ACTUALLY IS THE ACTUAL WIDTH.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WE'RE GOOD.
COMMISSION, TIME FOR US TO DELIBERATE.
WHILE WE DO THIS, CAN WE PUT THE SLIDE BACK UP FOR THE SIX REASONS TO JUSTIFY A VARIANCE ON THIS.
>> JUST TO CLARIFY, WE'RE CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[02:35:02]
>> YEAH. LET'S GO AHEAD AND CLOSE.
DON, WE'RE CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING AND MOVING ON TO DELIBERATION ITEM 10.88.
>> IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, YOU MAY HAVE TO TURN AROUND AND LOOK BACK HERE.
I'LL OPEN IT UP TO CONVERSATION QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS.
>> MAYBE THE ONLY ONE I WAS THINKING OF WAS NUMBER 5 IS THE SHAPE OF THE PROPERTY.
BUT AGAIN, AS AMANDA SAID THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHETHER THE DEFINITION OF THE TOWNHOUSE, THE COMMON LAW IS AS FAR AS SETBACK.
LIKE YOU, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THIS.
>> WELL, THERE'S A REASON WHY IT GOT BUMPED TO US FROM CDB.
WHILE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT, THE DESIRE TO UPDATE OUR CODE, I DON'T THINK IS A REASON FOR SAYING WE SHOULD THROW OUT OUR CODE.
>> LIKE YOU, I'M LOOKING AT THE SIX OPTIONS.
I'M NOT FINDING ONE THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS AND YET I UNDERSTAND THE BURDEN ON THE HOMEOWNER, ALTHOUGH I ALSO I WAS HERE WHEN ALL OF THOSE WERE BUILT, I'M THAT OLD.
I AM SURPRISED THAT WE HAVE OTHERS THAT HAVE BUILT OUT, AND I'M SORRY, I'M NOT MEANING TO IMPUGN THE QUALITY OF YOUR PROPERTY, SIR, BUT I CAN'T SEE ONE OF THE SIX TO JUSTIFY IT.
IF WE WERE TO CHANGE CODE AND START ALLOWING FRONT BUILDING EXTENSIONS AT THE SAME ZERO LOT LINE, AND I HEAR THE ARGUMENT THAT IF WE ARE BUILDING NEW, WE COULD DO THAT TODAY WITH ZERO PARTY WALL AND ZERO LOT LINE.
BUT THEN THE HOUSE MIGHT BE DESIGNED DIFFERENTLY, AND THE PARKING MIGHT BE DESIGNED DIFFERENTLY AND SO IT'S A CONCERN.
I'M JUST GOING TO SAY AND I'M GOING TO SHUT UP ON THIS.
THERE ARE TWO PARTIES IMPACTED HERE.
I RESPECT YOUR DESIRE TO DO WHAT YOU WISH, SIR, AND I RESPECT THE FACT THAT YOU LIVE THERE AND IT'S ACTUALLY AN IMPACT TO YOU.
WITH THAT, WHAT OTHER DISCUSSION ITEMS?
>> I HAVE ALWAYS SAID, BUILD TO THE LOT YOU'VE GOT.
>> IT IS POSSIBLE TO BUILD A GARAGE IN A SECOND STORY LIVING SPACE AS 1757 IS SHARED THAT IS WITHIN OUR CODE.
>> WELL, CLEARLY, THIS GENTLEMAN HERE HAS ALREADY DONE IT OR BOUGHT A PROPERTY THAT WAS ALREADY DONE, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> NO. PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
>> THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT A VARIANCE, RIGHT?
>> YEAH. THIS IS A TOUGH ONE, GUYS.
DIANA, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS.
WE NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO EITHER APPROVE OR DENY.
>> CAN WE HAVE A MOTION OR DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT FIRST? [LAUGHTER] WELL, LET'S GET A MOTION AND A SECOND, AND THEN WE CAN EVEN HAVE FURTHER COMMENT.
>> I MOVE WE DENY THE VARIANCE AS REQUESTED.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION?
>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
NOW, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO EVEN FURTHER CONVERSATION.
COMMISSIONER WATERS, YOU'RE CONCERNED.
>> AS FAR AS ONE OF THE SIX FEET HERE IS SUBSTANDARD SIZE OF RECORD WARRANTED A VARIANCE TO PROVIDE THE REASONABLE USE OF PROPERTY.
>> IT IS NOT A SUBSTANDARD LOT.
IT IS A LOT OF RECORD THAT WAS PLANTED THAT WAY.
>> WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS COMPARED TO HOMES BECAUSE HOMES THAT BUILD
[02:40:03]
THE TWO STORY SIZE SMALLER HOME SHADOW IT DO NOT HAVE THE PARKING ISSUE AND IT'S JUST A SMALLER AREA.IT IS JUST A DIFFERENT THAN TWO HOMES.
>> ANY OTHER CONCERNS? DIANA, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL VOTE.
>> WE'RE VOTING TO DENY OR NOT TO.
>> RIGHT NOW, THE MOTION IS TO DENY WITH A SECOND.
CERTAINLY, THERE COULD BE MORE CONSIDERATION.
BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR, IF THAT'S THE MOTION AND THERE'S NO FURTHER DELIBERATION, IT'S BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MEET ANY OF THAT CRITERIA.
AS UNDERSTOOD, YOU NEED TO MEET ONLY ONE OF THEM, AND I THINK WHAT THIS COMMISSION IS SAYING IS THAT IT MEETS NONE OF THOSE.
>> IF WE APPROVE THIS MOTION, CORRECT?
>> IF YOU VOTE AYE YOU DENY IT.
>> CORRECT. THANK YOU FOR ASKING.
>> COMMISSIONER WATERS. COMMISSIONER BOLE.
THAT CLOSES THAT PORTION OF THE MEETING.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON NOW TO ITEM 11.
FOLKS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE ALL EVENING TO GET TO THIS POINT, AND I'M SORRY IT DIDN'T COME YOUR WAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS FOR ALL THE PARTICIPANTS.
CITY ATTORNEY, I KNOW YOU HAVE COMMENTS.
>> I HAVE PLENTY OF COMMENTS, BUT NO PRESENTATION AND NO COMMENTS FOR TONIGHT. BLESS YOU.
>> COMMISSIONERS, LET'S START WITH COMMISSIONER BOLE.
[12. CLOSING COMMENTS BY CITY COMMISSIONERS AND CITY MANAGER]
>> I'M GOING TO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER RING ON SOMETHING.
I HATE VOTING FOR 1.4 MILLION WITH OUR FRIENDS IN JACKSONVILLE.
I THINK WE'RE IN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, THOUGH.
THE ALTERNATIVES ARE, WE GO OVER HERE AND WE BUILD IT, BUT MY INPUT IS, I VOTED FOR IT, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY GO TO THE [INAUDIBLE] AND WHATEVER IT TAKES.
IT COULD BE POLITICIANS THAT AREN'T IN OUR DISTRICT, AND PUBLIC AS WE'RE DOING WITH THE SCHOOL.
I JUST DIDN'T HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE. THAT'S IT.
>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER KELLY.
>> I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT THE SENIOR PROGRAMMING 500,000 MOVING IT FROM GE BAKER OVER TO AND I KNOW IT COULD BE A MOOT POINT IF RON SALEM AND COJ DOESN'T AGREE TO THAT SLATING OVER, BUT WE'RE KEEPING THE SENIOR PROGRAMMING FUNDS IN SENIOR PROGRAMMING, WHICH IS WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY ALLOCATED FOR.
IT'S JUST NOW GOING TO A COMMUNITY CENTER.
DISTRICT 1312, WHERE THERE ISN'T EVER BEEN ONE.
I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT.
>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER WATERS.
>> WHAT COMMISSIONER BOLE SAID WAS A LITTLE PIT IN MY STOMACH RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE MEETING.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING IS SOMEHOW, I THINK WE ARE A ROCK IN A HARD PLACE, AND HOPEFULLY, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIGHT.
>> THANK YOU, ALL. I'LL CLOSE IT OUT BY SAYING THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR THE COMMENTS THERE.
DON'T LOSE YOUR RESOLVE BECAUSE YOU MAY NEED IT DOWN THE ROAD.
WHERE WE STAND TODAY OR AT LEAST MY OBSERVATION IS WE HAVE A COMPETENT CITY STAFF LED BY CITY MANAGER KILLINGSWORTH, AND WE NEED TO UTILIZE ALL PROPER DIPLOMACY AND AFFORD THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT WE THINK IS THE CORRECT THING.
BUT FAILING THAT, I AM WITH YOU, AND I FULLY EXPECT THAT WE WILL HAVE THE RESOLVE AT THAT TIME TO SEEK OTHER ACTION, WHETHER IT BE LEGAL OR OTHERWISE, IF WE DON'T GET REASONABLE CONSIDERATION ON THAT.
THANK YOU. I'M SORRY, I ALWAYS LEAVE YOU OUT. GO AHEAD.
>> I HAVE SPOKEN MORE THAN ENOUGH TONIGHT.
>> [LAUGHTER] THERE'S NO FURTHER COMMENT. THIS MEETING IS CLOSED.
>> YOU GOT TO HAVE AN OPEN BAR FOR.
YOU GOT TO DATE OR SOMETHING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.