St Augustine City Commission endorses series of state bills on local projects

St Augustine City Commissioners moved during their Monday evening meeting to approve a series of bills currently in the state legislature.  The City is represented by a professional lobbyist.  They are also members of the Florida League of Cities who regularly lobby the legislature on matters of interest to Florida’s local municipal governments.

Historic City News recorded the following supported issues:

Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center
Legislation for $749,000 for staffing, operations, upgrades and historic preservation of the museum.

West Augustine medical complex
Legislation for $4 million for a West Augustine Care Center, with costs for  land, construction, planning, engineering and consultants.

Resiliency Bills to address five areas:

• Establish a grant program to fund county or municipality projects addressing community resilience.
• Provide for a statewide flood vulnerability and sea- level rise data collection and plan.
• Create a research hub to coordinate efforts between academic and research institutions of the state.
• Provide tax breaks through limits on residential property assessments for residents who voluntarily raise their buildings.
• Amend the State Constitution on ad valorem assessments for improvements made to improve a property’s resistance to flood damage