 Visit us at SJCRoundtable.org September Monthly Meeting – Bill Lazar Executive Director, St. Johns County Housing Partnership  Join our next meeting, Monday, September 12th at noon to discuss: Should St. Johns County create a Housing Agency? as well as a discussion on Affordable Housing. Mr. Bill Lazar, Executive Director of the St. Johns County Housing Partnership will be our guest speaker. This is a not to be missed session! County Commission 8/16 Meeting Overview Safety Reports Sheriff Department — With schools starting 5 days ago, everyone needs to watch for school zones and buses. There have been no major issues and deputies have received extra training dealing with security. The new Beachside High School opened one week late and there are some new traffic issues to work out. Fire Chief — The class of 16 new recruits are close to the end of their training. They will participate on a run along San Sebastian on August 26 and the public is welcome to join in. The Class graduation will be held later in the day at an evening ceremony. Agenda #1 The Clerk of the Court presented the St. Johns County’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report along with the MSL auditing firm and the report was unanimously adopted. The auditors issued a clean report and found no major issues and finds the County to be in a healthy financial condition. The lengthy report contains a wealth of information about all aspects of county government and is located at https://stjohnsclerk.com/comprehensive_annual_financial_report/ Agenda #2 The Board approved the appointment of Shane Lockwood as the new Administrator of the Florida Department of Health for St. Johns County. Mr. Lockwood has had over 30 years of experience in public health and emergency management and last served in similar positions in Highland County Florida. Agenda #3 The Village Garden Food Truck Park at Old A1A and Cortez Street in the Menendez Park neighborhood (across from the McDonald’s at SR 312 and A1A) appeared for their 6-month review following the granting of being able to serve beer and wine. As a Conditional Order for approval to consume beer and wine at the eatery, the Board required conditions for parking signage and fencing, along with this 6-month public review. Having found that the conditions have been met and the staff finding no problems at the site, the Board approved (5-0) final approval and case closed. Agenda #4 & #5 An application for Southwood IV to designate 6 acres from Open Rural to Planned Unit Development (PUD) to allow tor 10 independent senior living units and incorporate a 32-bed memory care facility was approved. The site will later be connected to the Westminster retirement community. Agenda #6 A petition to vacate an open and paved portion of Chapin Street right-of-way located between N. Orange Street and N. Brevard Street within the Webster Elementary School campus was granted. This vacation will increase safety and security for the younger students attending school. Agenda #7 Approval was granted to designate .53 acres of undeveloped land for a single-family home at 1180 CR 13 S. Agenda #8 & #9 The St. Johns County Utility Department requested and received approval for a Special Use Permit for a new Wastewater Treatment and Water Reclamation Facility on the north side of SR 207 and just west of I-95. The new facility will greatly reduce the wastewater being conveyed under the Matanzas River and will reduce the respective flow and nutrients now discharged from the Anastasia Island facility to the Matanzas River. It will cost $130 million and take 2.5 years to complete and will have the highest level of treatments of all county sites. The new facility will be able to pump 1.6 million gallons of reclaimed water per day. It is being built to provide for future growth and system expansion to accommodate the capacity needs for SR 207 and Anastasia Island for years to come. Agenda #10 #11 The Board voted to repeal an outdated ordinance for Historic Preservation Property Tax Exemption and replace it with an updated Ad Valorem Tax Exemptions ordinance. Agenda #12 Language was approved to clarify and simplify text regarding outdoor lighting during turtle season and it now reads: “Replace traditional light bulbs (25 watts or less), low pressure sodium bulbs, amber, orange or red LED bulbs or true red neon lighting.” Agenda #13 A vacancy on the Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals as an alternate member was approved for Scott Lilly, District 4. Commissioners Reports Mr. Blocker: His family has just welcomed a new child and everyone doing well. Mr. Waldron: Congratulated the Blockers. He made a motion which was adopted to have the Board write a letter of support for two non-profits who are raising money to move a beach house that was once frequented by Martin Luther King and because of his visit, the house fell victim to a drive by shooting. The current owners of the structure would like to demolish it and rebuild, thus the campaign to try and save it for historical significance. Mr. Dean: He reports that the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach District will contribute $1.5 million toward the purchase of the Genovar property. The County will also try to obtain grant support from the state DEP for boat ramps. Mr. Whitehurst: Thanked all the volunteers on the Turtle Patrol and the record number of turtle nests found on St. Johns beaches. As the Board representative on the NE Florida TPO, he reports that the cost of building new roads has increased to $20 million per mile and thus the state is now shifting focus on moving people rather than cars. Also, the First Coast Expressway is 26% ahead of schedule to date. Ms. Arnold: Asks everyone to use patience with back to school traffic until the kinks can be worked out. ______________________________________________________________ Roundtable Draft Legislative Priorities for 2023 During the last Roundtable meeting, there was discussion about the Roundtable’s legislative priorities for 2023. The County staff has asked for the Roundtable’s submission by August 18th. Florida Forever and Florida Wildlife Corridor Florida has a long history and tradition of land conservation dating back to the mid-1800’s. Over seven years ago, 75% of Floridians voted to Constitutionally mandate one-third of the real estate stamp revenue to be allocated for land conservation. We urge the legislature to fully fund Florida Forever and the Florida Wildlife Corridor at its mandated levels to protect our fragile natural resources which will ultimately save taxpayers money. Rural and Family Lands Protection Program St. Johns County has a long and storied history in agricultural production but has been rapidly losing farming and ranching land to residential and commercial developments. The economic contributions of all agricultural related sectors in the county has been considerable. In 2018 the economic output was $118 million and created an estimate 30,511 jobs. We urge the legislature to fund this program to protect the family farm and protect the state’s second-largest industry. Reduce Septic Tank, Sewer and Nutrients Pollution to Protect Florida Waterways St. Johns County is blessed with access to the Atlantic Ocean, St. Johns River, Intracoastal Waterway and numerous rivers and streams. Yet, leaking septic tanks, nutrient runoffs and aging sewer systems are polluting our waters and causing unnecessary harm. We urge the legislative delegation to support increased funding for septic-to-sewer conversions and updating other systems which are the source of nutrient water pollution. There are under-utilized technologies like vacuum sewer systems, among others, which transport sewage in partial vacuum piping to a vacuum collection station, thus reducing the potential for leaks. Sea Level Rise and Infrastructure Funding Rising sea levels are being experienced in St. Johns County. We commend the legislature and governor for funding a broad range of mitigation and resiliency projects. We strongly encourage state leaders to build upon these measures and to keep the focus on this critical need. Florida can either be a leader in state resiliency efforts or it can be the country’s number one victim to sea level rise. Funds for Expansion of St. Johns County Public Transit System Support legislation that will increase funds to the Transportation Fund and oppose efforts to divert funds from the trust fund. The county’s growing population dictates expanding public transportation to employment areas and collaborate on more regional routes. A1A Vilano Multi-use Trail Supports funding for the completion the A1A Vilano Multi-use Trail along the Scenic Highway from the City of St. Augustine to the Vilano Town Center to Ponte Vedra Beach. Protection of Local Government Revenues and Statutes Oppose any legislation which would further erode local governments from capturing revenue in the form of ad valorem values, impact fees, concurrency compensation and user fees. This revenue is critical to provide necessary programs and services for residents and to meet unfunded mandates. Short-term and Vacation Rentals and Plastics Regulations Oppose any legislation which preempts local governments from regulating short-term and vacation rentals because local governing bodies know what is best for their communities. Local control is best when it comes to the ability to enact local zoning provisions to ensure quality of life for its citizens, including the use of plastics. State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) Funding Supports the county’s request for the full amount of funds collected from the St. Johns County Document Stamp Taxes that are paid into the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund which are allocated back to the county’s SHIP fund. These funds are critical to meet the need for more affordable housing and should not be redirected to other programs. Open Meeting Exemption for Economic Development Purposes Opposes efforts to broadly amend the Florida Government in the Sunshine statute to allow local governments to meet and deliberate in private on economic development issues. These amendments as currently proposed could allow almost any non-residential development proposals to be negotiated in private without public disclosure and input. This exemption should be more narrowly cast to apply only to those rare instances where confidentiality is adequately justified by findings and these findings are publicly disclosed prior to any official action on the subject matter being taken. ______________________________________________________________ Roundtable August Minutes The minutes of the Roundtable’s August meeting with guest speaker Reuben Franklin can be viewed here: August Minutes  _______________________________________________________ Affordable Housing in Florida Report Click here to see the newest report The table of contents presents a really great overview and looks to be a comprehensive overview of issues surrounding affordable housing. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE What is Affordable Housing? CHAPTER TWO Who Lives in Affordable Housing? CHAPTER THREE Why Include Affordable Housing in Your Community? CHAPTER FOUR How is Affordable Housing Developed? CHAPTER FIVE How Should Neighbors be Included in the Process? CHAPTER SIX What Role Does Design Play? CHAPTER SEVEN What is the Connection Between Affordable Housing and Fair Housing? APPENDIX ONE William E. Sadowski Affordable Housing Act APPENDIX TWO Catalyst Program APPENDIX THREE Glossary of Terms and Acronyms ______________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________  _________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Are you Ready to Vote? Tuesday, August 23rd Click here to see all the races and the candidates. Upcoming Election Dates Primary Election: August 23, 2022 Deadline to Register: October 11, 2022 General Election: November 8, 2022 __________________________________________________________ Upcoming Meetings September 12 Mr. Bill Lazar, Executive Director, St. Johns County Housing Partnership. He will discuss affordable housing and the idea of creating a housing authority in St. Johns County 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
