| 11/15 County Commission Overview Special Session At a special session of the St. Johns County Commission, Sarah Arnold (District 2) was sworn in to another term on the Board. Krista Joseph (District 4) was ceremonially sworn in since the law stipulates a newly elected members can not be sworn in until the second Tuesday after Election Day. Regular Commission Meeting Proclamations The Board recognized November as National American Indian Heritage Month; November 14-20 as National Apprenticeship Week; and November 16-18 as Entrepreneurship Week at the Link. Public Safety Update The Sheriff’s Office, during the three days of Hurricane Nicole, responded to 4800 calls and during Ian there were 4200 calls. The Fire Chief indicated that during the height of Nicole they answered 234 service calls and performed 21 water rescues. The Clerk of the Court announced the office is waiving passport fees for veterans and military personnel through the end of the month. The county is home to approximately 20,000 veterans. Regular Agenda Two items are being postponed until Krista Joseph can officially vote on the Board: 1) Mickler’s Wharf Structural Analysis Update and 2) 2023 St. Johns County Legislative Action Plan and Priorities. Porter Property: A request to waive the one-year time frame for an applicant whose project was denied, to reapply to the Board for reconsideration was approved, 3-0, for the Porter Property. This project has been denied twice by both the Planning and Zoning Agency and the County Commission but is now under new ownership. The Villages of West Augustine affordable housing project, a 92-unit apartment complex, is experiencing increased construction costs and interest rates to cover current development costs. The request to defer the estimated total impact fee of $1.2 million as a means to address cost shortages was adopted by a 3-0 vote. The Cracker Swamp Properties of 88.06 acres south of CR 13 S and Cracker Swamp Road was rezoned to Open Rural by a unanimous vote. Also approved was an 8.02 acres request designation to Rural Commercial which allows neighborhood businesses. Several agenda items for changes to allow single family homes were unanimously approved for 8465 CR208, 2890 Hilltop Road and Howard Family property at CR 208 and CR 13 N. Requests to vacate roadways were granted for Columbus and Woodlawn Streets, Rosewood Street right-of-way and Lightsey Road Extension east of Plantation Lake Drive. The Katepally Family Community Commercial won approval to rezone 7.1 acres for 59 RV/boat storage spaces and 16,000 square feet of building space in two separate structures. Eleven years ago, the County purchased a secure land mobile radio communications system and network for public safety from Motorola Solution’s. The decade old radios will no longer be supported after December 31, 2022 and need replacing for the Sheriff and Fire Rescue Departments. The Board unanimously approved a contract and financing agreement for $13 million to purchase replacement radios and other ancillary components for the system. Reappointed to the one vacancy on the Recreation Advisory Board is Harold Dockins. Commissioners’ Reports Commissioner Arnold thanked staff for their hard work during Hurricane Nicole. Commissioner Whitehurst indicated that staff has identified three properties for KeHe to expand in the County, including their current location. He hopes KeHe will stay in the County. Whitehurst emphasized that his decisions are based on facts and not on misinformation in the public sphere. This being Commissioner Dean’s last meeting as Chair, he was proud of the staff’s work and commitment and proud to work with them. Administrator & Hurricane Nicole Update Hunter Conrad stated that his office will be back with a reprioritized infrastructure plan in light of the rejection of the one-cent sales tax. The County is awaiting approval for FEMA Individual Assistance Program for Hurricane Nicole. Currently 516 individual homes were impacted — 319 mostly cosmetic; 177 minor flooding < 18 inches; 20 major flooding > 18 inches; and 0 destroyed homes. Estimated damage is $34.1 million. The County had major flooding along the Coast, specifically Porpoise Point, North Beach, Crescent Beach and North Beach road collapse. Twenty-six public beach walkways are closed for repairs. More cubic yards of sands were lost in Nicole than Hurricane Matthew. The Beach Pier is currently closed pending a structural evaluation and the pavilion and walkway at South Ponte Vedra was damaged beyond repair. The Summer Haven breach appears to have surpassed conventional approaches to repair. Residents can submit a request for Hurricane Nicole debris removal to solidwaste@sjcfl.us. The County will continue to work with State and Federal partners to develop short- and long-term recovery plans and identify all available funding programs. ______________________________________________________________ |
 |
| County Legislative Agenda The County Legislative Agenda will be considered at the next Commission meeting. While, it was scheduled to be considered at the 11/15 meeting, Chairman Dean moved to have it deferred until Commissioner-elect Joseph will be on the dais. The text of the Legislative Agenda can be found here The top priorities are: Transportation Infrastructure Prioritize and fund transportation projects in St. Johns County to ensure adequate capacity, increase safety, and enhance mobility. Coastal Protection Support authorization for two feasibility studies through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assess critically eroded beaches in southern St. Johns County and the Summer Haven and River study area. Emergency Resilience Appropriate $51 million for a hardened high-ground facility to house the command center for the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. Economic Development Reform provisions in current law that limit participation and the effective negotiation of economic development projects. Water Quality Support implementation of Senate Bill 64, including additional resources for local governments to remove or reduce the surface water discharge from existing water reclamation facilities. The Action Plan also includes provisions on removal of state preemption on regulation of short-term rentals as well as several other items on the Roundtable policy priority list. |
 |
| The SEA Community Gullah Geechee Heritage Festival will celebrate 450 years of West African influences on the St. Johns County communities of Spuds, Elkton and Armstrong through music and dance performances, cooking and craft demonstrations and presentations from a variety of cultural organizations. “We’re delighted to partner with SEA Community to present this event to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of some of our county’s first inhabitants,” says Christina Parrish Stone, executive director of St. Johns Cultural Council. “St. Augustine’s Black history has changed our nation and inspired the world, and we hope this festival, in addition to our year-round programming, will continue to shed a light on the important contributions of residents of West African descent.” Festival performers include the Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters, a group of direct descendants from slavery who perform a traditional ring shout that consists of counterclockwise dance-like movements, singing and rhythmic beating; Doug Carn, an American jazz musician from St. Augustine; and Amy Alysia & the Soul Operation, a group performing blues, jazz and soft rock. The Nan Nkama Pan African Drum and Dance Ensemble will perform and provide instruction to visitors. Cooking demonstrations will be held by Chef Matthew Raiford, a descendant of the Freshwater Gullah Geechee of Coastal Georgia and author of the cookbook “Bress ‘n’ Nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth Generation Farmer,” which he will also be signing for guests. Andrea Cayetano-Jefferson of Gullah Sweetgrass Baskets will demonstrate basket weaving techniques, and organizations including the National Park Service, the St. Johns County Libraries and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor will be on hand to provide additional information and activities for all ages. The event will be held from December 3, from 12 – 5 p.m. at Armstrong Park and is free to attend. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. As part of the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor, St. Johns County preserves and interprets the history of the Gullah Geechee people at attractions like Fort Mose, the first legally sanctioned, free African settlement in what is now the United States; the Lincolnville neighborhood, a historic neighborhood established by freedmen after the Civil War, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center, a museum exhibiting the community’s rich Black history. This event benefits the SEA Community Resource Center and is supported by the St. Johns Cultural Council and the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council. For more information, visit www.historiccoastculture.com. _____________________________________________________ |
| Thank You Jim McLane! A very special and grateful thank you to Jim McLane who has served the Roundtable in various capacities, most recently as Chairman, for over 20 years. Jim has been a thoughtful, calm and guiding voice during his time as Chairman. He has overseen the growth of the Roundtable and during his tenure the Roundtable was recognized by the Board of County Commissioners for the efforts to work towards the betterment of the County. Stepping down after his long tenure and participation, Jim said he has honored and proud to serve and knew that now was a great time to turn over the reins. We thank you Jim! ______________________________________________________________ New Roundtable Officers Elected At the November meeting, a new slate of officers were elected for the coming year. The new officers are: Lisa McGlynn, Chair Elizabeth Tate, Vice Chair and Treasurer Karen Foy, Recording Secretary _____________________________________________________ Roundtable Monthly Meetings are Open to All! We want you! Please join us on Monday, December 12 in person at Waterworks, 184 San Marco Avenue. We want your input on issues of importance in our County. Come and find out what is going on around the County, discuss issues of importance and join with us as we work to preserve and improve the quality of life in St. Johns County. For more information, contact us at info@sjcroundtable.org _____________________________________________________ |
| Officers: | Jim McLane, Chairman Lisa McGlynn, Vice Chairman and Treasurer Elizabeth Tate, Member At Large |
| Committee Chairs: | Janet Patten, Government Affairs John Pilecki, Education Barbara Olson, Health Care |
