Visit us at SJCRoundtable.org  Next Meeting: Monday, July 11 12 Noon Speaker: Kyle Dorsey, Baptist Medical Center South Hear about one of the new medical facilities expanding in the County Click to join the zoom meeting : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5593999943 ____________________________________________________________________ Voter Registration and Party Change Deadline July 25, 2022 www.votesjc.gov Florida Legislative Wrap Up Florida lawmakers sent 280 bills to Governor DeSantis this year and the following list is by no means inclusive but highlights some of the new laws which may be of interest to the St. Johns County Civic Roundtable. BILLS VETOED BY GOV. DESANTIS The governor vetoed over $3 billion in the signed $110 billion budget and St. Johns County fared much better than most with only $500 million for the St. Augustine Fire Station 2 for its design and Kids, Inc. receiving the budget axe which is a credit to our state legislative delegation. A Controversial bill (SB 620) opposed by the Civic Roundtable giving businesses the power to sue cities and counties to recoup lost profits of 15% or more was vetoed on 6/24/22 because it was “broad and ambiguous” and could have “unintended and unforeseen consequences and costly litigation.” However DeSantis suggested legislators pursue “targeted preemption legislation when local governments act in a way that frustrates state policy and/or undermines the rights of Floridians.” A bill (SB17960) which would have done away with permanent alimony and set up maximum payments based on the duration of marriage was also vetoed on 6/24/22. This veto marks the third time that supporters of changing the alimony system have passed legislation only to have them vetoed. Another controversial bill (SB 2508) dealing with Everglades restoration which critics claimed would be detrimental to conservation and the environment and thus catered too much to agricultural interests was vetoed by DeSantis. The Everglades ecosystem supplies drinking water to 8 million Floridians or one in every three people living in the state. Earlier in the session, the governor vetoed a rooftop solar bill (SB 1024) that would have authorized public utilities to impose additional charges on customers to recover lost revenue from residential solar generation. In his rejection, DeSantis states “the state of Florida should not contribute to the financial crunch that our citizens are experiencing.” BILLS SIGNED by GOV. DESANTIS BUDGET & TAXES: Beginning on July 1 is the record $109.9 billion budget (HB 5001) which is bolstered by federal stimulus money and higher-than-expected state tax revenues. It includes over $1 billion in tax cuts including tax holidays for hurricane preparedness, back to school supplies and a one-month suspension of the state gas tax revenues. LOCAL GOVERNMENTS & PUBLIC NOTICES: The governor quietly signed into law (HB 7049) which will allow local governments to publish legal notices on publicly available county websites if it would be cheaper than publishing them in newspapers. A bill (HB 7055) makes a series of changes to cybersecurity, including prohibiting local governments from making ransom payments when hit with “ransomware” attacks. The legislature passed (SB 105) that will allow cities and counties to restrict smoking at beaches and parks that they own but can not ban smoking unfiltered cigars. CONSERVATION: Florida Forever has had more ups and down than a rollercoaster since it began in 2001, and will again receive $100 million in the new budget for protecting vulnerable lands for conservation. The Rural and Family Lands Protection Program received an investment of $300 million to be able to buy land outright from farmers for conservation, the program received no funding last year. At the last minute before days to qualify, a bill (SB 1078) was signed effectively immediately to require candidates to the volunteer Soil & Water Conservation District boards to be either an agriculture producer working or retired after 15 years of work or be employed by an agriculture producer. WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE: With the state experiencing rising sea levels, legislators passed (HB 7053) that creates a new resiliency office directly under the governor and expands the Resilient Florida Grant Program for counties and municipalities. The Governor is continuing his commitment to combat red tide with nearly $14 million for this fiscal year for research and cleanup. A measure (SB 105) gives Putnam County until July 1, 2024 to have a feasibility study to determine if a port could be created on the St. Johns River in Palatka. PROPERTY INSURANCE & CONDO SAFETY: During a late May special session, legislation was enacted to deal with the property insurance crisis in the state with reforms on roofs coverage, limits on attorney fees and creates a $2 billion reinsurance fund. In response to the Surfside condo collapse, a new law requires milestone structural inspections for buildings higher than three stories or more when turning 30 years ago and must be conducted every 10 years thereafter, and for condos within three miles of the coast the structural inspections must be done at 25 years. Associations must have a reserve study done every 10 years and reserves may not be waived or underfunded or used for other purposes. HEALTH: Initiative establishes the Florida Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence to enhance infrastructure available to impacted seniors and caregivers and provides $52.3 million in funding which is $12 million more than the previous year. EDUCATION: A bill (HB 1467) places 12-year term limits on county school board members and increases public scrutiny of school library books and instructional materials. A measure (SB 1048) replaces the Florida Standards Assessments testing program in public schools with a “process monitoring system” which will test students three times a year. LAW ENFORCEMENT: Lawmakers passed a wide-ranging bill (HB 3) that includes a $5000 bonus to help recruit law enforcement officers from other states and it provides a $1000 bonus for Florida law enforcement officers and first responders. ____________________________________________ Who is on August 23rd Ballot and for What Position? Hint: These are not all primary races! Click here to see all the races and the candidates. New voter cards are expected in mailboxes in the next week. _____________________________________________________  Congratulations to Terry Bottom for winning the Matanzas Riverkeeper Photo Contest for the Plants & Wildlife Category. This photo is a “Tolomato Spoonbill”. Minutes from June 13 Roundtable Meeting Read Sheriff Hardwick’s Comments and other items discussed at the meeting. ______________________________________________________________ Three New St. Johns County Schools The tremendous growth of population in St. Johns County has impacted our educational system and the school buildings in which learning takes place. The St. Johns County School District’s student population has doubled since 2004; since 2008, the district’s student enrollment has grown by 19,493 students, a 67% growth rate. The current student population is about 48,847 students; during the past decade, the district has grown by 13,516 students. Much of this growth is attributed to the furious pace of housing construction in the northwest part of the county, with no slowing down in sight. Without a doubt, new schools are needed to be constructed to meet the growing demand of increased student populations. At a special SJCSD School Board meeting on June 28, Executive Director for Planning and Government Relations Nicole Cubbedge presented the plans for construction of three new schools over the next five years. Executive Director Cubbedge also outlined the financing for the projects. The buildings at this point are referred to as schools NN, OO and PP. School NN will be a K-8 school with a capacity of 1,500 students in the Shearwater development, which is off County Road 210 and Shearwater Parkway. School OO, to be built in the Beacon Lake community off County Road 210, will also be a K-8 school with a capacity of 1,500 students. School PP is to be built in the RiverSide development just off I-95. This school will have a capacity of 1,000 K-8 students and will transition to a middle school when another school is built in the development. All three schools are expected to be open for the 2024-2025 school year. Executive Director Cubbedge explained that, of the approximately $192,580,000 needed to build these three schools, $90,000,000 will need to be borrowed. The district’s excellent “AA minus With a Stable Outlook” Moody’s rating has enabled a traditional fixed rate debt of 4.27% with the term from 2023-2047. The Board unanimously approved the issuing of certificates of participation required to move forward with the construction of the three schools and their financing. ______________________________________________________________ Mobility Fees — A Tutorial A presentation on mobility fees will be made to the Board of County Commissioners at their next meeting on Tuesday, July 21st. If you want to learn more about mobility fees and why other counties have adopted this system, check out this link https://www.fdot.gov/docs/default-source/transit/Pages/FinalMobilityFeeGuidebook111816.pdf ______________________________________________________________ Volunteer Opportunities with St. Johns County Boards and Committees The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners provides residents interested in serving their community and participating in local government with a variety of board and committee opportunities. The volunteer positions consider and make recommendations regarding various topics, including planning and zoning issues, development projects, libraries, parks and recreation facilities and programs, arts, culture and tourism. The following boards and committees are currently accepting applications: Contractors Review Board (application deadline Aug. 8, 2022) Library Advisory Board (application deadline Aug. 1, 2022) Northwest Communication Tower Advisory Board (application deadline Aug. 5, 2022) South Anastasia Design Review Board (application deadline until filled) Please visit the Boards and Committees webpage at www.sjcfl.us/Boards to view the requirements and duties of each board and committee, download an application, or contact the Board of County Commissioners office at 904.209.0300 or jspencer@sjcfl.us for more information. _____________________________________________________________ Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library Temporarily Closed The Ponte Vedra Beach Branch of the St. Johns County Public Library System (SJCPLS), 101 Library Blvd., is temporarily closed for emergency repairs due to damage caused by a lightning strike on the afternoon of Friday, July 1. Staff and patrons were safely evacuated from the building and the collection received no damage during this event. A portion of the roof and the electrical system are currently being repaired and we anticipate reopening the week of July 18. During this closure, no items will be due, all holds will be extended, and impacted patrons will not accrue late fees. In addition, no item returns or book donations are being accepted at this location as the book drop is inaccessible. Patrons may take advantage of multiple online resources, including e-Books and databases, or find information about other SJCPLS branches at www.sjcpls.org. For updates regarding this temporary closure, please visit the SJCPLS website, on Facebook @SJCPLS and Instagram @st.johnscountypubliclibrary, or email sjcpls@tblc.libanswers.com. ________________________________________________________ Upcoming Election Dates Yes, this is an election year! Primary Election: August 23, 2022 Registration and Party Change Deadline: July 25, 2022 Deadline to Register: October 11, 2022 General Election: November 8, 2022 __________________________________________________________ Upcoming Meetings July 11 – President, Baptist Medical Center South, Kyle Dorsey August 8 – Mr. Reuben Franklin, Public Works Director, City of St, Augustine Officers: Jim McLane, Chairman Lisa McGlynn, Vice Chairman and Treasurer Maureen Long, Recording Secretary Elizabeth Tate, Member At Large Committee Chairs: Janet Patten, Government Affairs John Pilecki, Education Barbara Olson, Health Care Working Together For Our County St. Johns County Civic Roundtable Policy Positions · About Us · Links to Elected Officials · Roundtable Resolutions and Letters · Minutes Contact Us : info@sjcroundtable.org |
St. Johns County Civic Roundtable
