Public policy making in St Augustine is topic of new book

Dr. Don D. Berglund, Associate Professor and director of the Public Administration Program at Flagler College, has published a book examining a number of controversial and compelling issues that the City of St. Augustine has faced in recent years.

The book, St. Augustine: Preservation vs. Makeover — Public Policy Making in America’s Oldest City, details the conflicts and resolution surrounding such noteworthy issues as the building of the new Bridge of Lions, the debate over the proposed Lightner parking garage, the closing of the Ponce de Leon Golf Course, and — more recently — the controversy surrounding the construction of the proposed Cordova Inn and the town-and-gown challenge.

“As a public policy specialist, I naturally follow public issues and controversies. I began to ask myself this question: how much does St. Augustine’s historical background affect public policy decision making?” said Berglund. “This book is a study of how the past continues to affect the present lives and fortunes of St. Augustinians, and those who hope one day to count themselves as one of us.”

Berglund, a transplant to St. Augustine from Lincoln, Nebraska, said he was fascinated upon his arrival in the Oldest City with the ways history and tradition influence public policy making. He also found himself asking questions about how the city’s long history continues to play into public opinion when it comes to issues of development, change and politics.

In total, the book examines nine controversies that captured the attention of St. Augustine residents since 2003:

• the Lightner parking garage controversy
• the closing of the historic Ponce de Leon Golf Course
• the Bridge of Lions dispute over whether to build a new bridge or to rehabilitate
• the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind and its effort to obtain Eminent Domain
• the debate over flags being allowed to fly on the Bridge of Lions
• the horse-drawn carriage dispute
• ongoing town-and-gown challenges
• the recent Cordova Inn debate
• problems related to operation of the Planning and Zoning Board

In the last chapter, Dr. Berglund outlines conclusions and recommendations drawn from the chapters and offers suggestions on the best ways St. Augustine can move ahead into the future from here.

Historic City News editor, Michael Gold, is a graduate of Flagler College, cum laude; earning a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration under Berglund’s direction.  “I enjoyed the years I spent at Flagler,” Gold said.  “Dr. Berglund was never afraid to challenge ideas.  His methods were slow and deliberate; but he reaches excellent conclusions, in my opinion.  I learned a great deal about critical thinking, program analysis, and ethics in public policy from Don, and wish him all the best in marketing his new book.”

St. Augustine: Preservation vs. Makeover — Public Policy Making in America’s Oldest City will be released in late August by Old Kings Road Press, a publisher specializing in Florida history books.