St Augustine Beach Commission Meeting – November 4

On Monday November 4, 2019 the City of St Augustine Beach held a Regular Commission Meeting, discussing and presenting issues including an appointment to the code enforcement board, the River-to-Sea Multi-Use regional trail, a climate change survey, an ordinance to encourage the repealing of the preemption of local laws regarding the use or sale of single-use plastic bags and polystyrene materials, and changes to land development regulations.

A non-ad valorem assessment on the collection of household waste, e-scooters, evaluating City attorney applicants, and an events policy will be discussed at a continuation of tonight’s meeting to be held Wednesday, November 6 at 6:00 p.m. at St Augustine Beach City Hall (2200 A1A South, St Augustine Beach, FL, 32080.)

The City of St. Augustine Beach’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony will be held on Monday, November 11, 2019 at 3pm.  The event will take place at Lakeside Veterans’ Memorial Sculpture Garden (2200 A1A South, St. Augustine Beach, FL 32080), behind the Beach Police Station.  This event is open to the public and the public is invited to attend.

To begin, the City Commission interviewed and appointed Raymond Lovett to fill a vacant alternate position on the Code Enforcement Board. Lovett is a resident of the Sea Grove subdivision and has a background in law enforcement.

Following the appointment, Christina Kelcourse of the North Florida Green Chamber of Commerce made a presentation on the benefits of being a member of the Florida Green Chamber, including the Buyer’s Club. This club is a collective group of businesses, that are members of the Green Chamber, which purchase eco-friendly products in bulk at a lower cost. For more information, please visit: https://northfloridagreenchamber.org/

Next, Commissioner Dylan Rumrell presented the “Ash Can Project.” In light of the ordinance that made cigarette butts a form of litter and to protect the City’s unique coastal environment, the City of St. Augustine Beach and Beaches Go Green have partnered to place these cans around the City of St. Augustine Beach to collect cigarette butts. The City will start placing these cans around town in early December.  Historic City News will stay tuned to the City of St. Augustine Beach’s website for more information.

The Commission heard a presentation from Rodney Cooper, County Traffic Engineer and Project Manager of the River-to-Sea planning study, and Heather Neville, president of Versatile Road User Movement concerning the proposed routes for the River-to-Sea Multi-Use Regional Trail. The current plan is for the trail to be continued into St. Augustine, through its urban core, and across the Bridge of Lions to Anastasia Island and the City of St. Augustine Beach along A1A Beach Boulevard.  An alternative route has been proposed in the event the trail cannot go into St. Augustine’s urban core and come onto Anastasia Island by means of the Bridge of Lions. It would go along U.S. 1 south to 312, then east across the 312 bridge to Pope Road to Beach Boulevard, or to Pope Road to Mickler Boulevard, south along Mickler to either A or F streets, then east to A1A Beach Boulevard.  After discussion, the Commission approved Resolution 19-11 in support of this trail.

In response to the recent resolutions concerning sea level rise and climate change, the Sustainability and Environmental Planning Advisory Council (SEPAC) presented and the Commission approved a climate change survey. This survey will be distributed to St. Augustine Beach residents and presented at the Arbor Day celebration in April. The goal of this survey is to gauge community perceptions regarding climate change.

Next, the Commission reviewed and passed an ordinance that encourages the State Legislature to approve Senate Bill 182 and to repeal the preemption of local laws regarding the use or sale of single-use plastic bags and polystyrene materials. This ordinance will be sent to State Representative Cyndi Stevenson, State Senator Travis Hutson, and to the Florida League of Cities. City staff will also bring it to the attention of the Board of Directors of the Northeast Florida League of Cities, so that they can ask their respective cities whether they want to pass a similar resolution.

Building and Zoning Director Brian Law presented the changes recommended by the Planning and Zoning Board to land development regulations, specifically reductions in setback requirements. After discussion, the Commission decided to not accept these changes. However, the Commission will review the other regulations, like signage, at the December 4th Commission Meeting.