St Augustine and St Johns County community reopening news

Historic City News was informed by the St Johns County Emergency Operations Center of the following items that relate to reopening business and recreational facilities in our area.

• Governor Ron DeSantis Executive Order 20-131
  Organized youth activities may operate, including youth sports teams and leagues, youth clubs and programs, and childcare. Summer camps and youth recreation camps may operate including, but not limited to, those defined 409.175 and 513.02, Florida Statutes, respectively.

• St Johns County’s Plan for Opening Short-Term Vacation Rentals was approved by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations on May 20, 2020. The plan outlines details regarding a variety of factors including reservations, staffing, cleanings, and inspections. St Johns County’s Plan for Opening Short-Term Vacation Rentals prohibits reservations or visitors from states with more than 500 cases per every 100,000 residents. As the list is updated frequently and states can rise above or fall below the 500 cases per every 100,000 residents threshold, it is recommended that short-term vacation rental owners and rental companies view the CDC COVID Data Tracker frequently at https://www.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/index.html to verify the number of cases in the states from which they are taking reservations. For additional information, please visit www.sjcfl.us to review the plan for opening short-term vacation rentals.

• The St Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier Gift Shop and Visitor Information Center has reopened after a five-month rehabilitation project. The gift shop and visitor information center will remain open to the public from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, during the summer season. During the project, all deck boards, guard rails, posts, support beams, exposed piles, and boardwalk boards were replaced. The rehabilitation project is projected to extend the life of the pier for up to 10 years. Passes to access the pier or fish from the pier can be purchased in the gift shop.
  
  The fees are as follows:
  • Sightseeing – $2.00
  • Fishing Residents – $4.00
  • Fishing Non-residents – $6.00
  • Military or handicapped – $2.00
  • Children under six or resident seniors over 60 – Free

• City of St Augustine relays recent regulatory interpretation
  Pursuant to recent Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) interpretations, microbreweries and tattoo parlors are permitted to operate as follows:
  • Microbreweries that partner with a food truck, an adjacent food establishment, or operate with food on-site may sell alcohol for on-premises consumption with the same restrictions as set forth in Governor DeSantis’ Executive Order 20-123, including 50% capacity, social distancing, appropriate seating configurations, and no bar seating. A microbrewery may partner with a Food Truck if it can be contained completely on-site where food trucks are permitted by City Code.
  • Tattoo parlors may open with 15 minutes between appointments, no group appointments, and all employees must wear masks. As they are being considered a Personal Services Business, they should refer to the cosmetology guidelines as issued by DBPR.
    For questions, additional information, or to report a violation contact DBPR directly at 850.487.1395 or online at www.MyFloridaLicense.com.

• Solomon Calhoun Pool has reopened for lap swim. The pool will be available for lap swim only from 6 to 10 a.m. and 12 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 to 4 p.m. Swimmers can reserve a lap swim time twice a week, for up to 45 minutes. Lanes will be reserved for one swimmer at a time, with ten lanes available for reservations. Swimmers are asked to arrive at the main gate ten minutes prior to their reserved swim time to allow for cleaning and sanitizing between swim groups. Lockers will be available for use, but showers will not be accessible. There is no family swim or team practices at this time. For more information or to reserve your swim time, please call 904.824.6770.