[Call to Order by Chair]
[00:00:12]
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, WELCOME TO OUR JOINT MEETING OF THE ST. JOHNS SCHOOL BOARD AND THE ST. JOHNS COMMISSION. AND, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO FIRST IS ASK THE CLERK TO CALL THE ROLL
FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. >> CLERK: CHAIR COMMISSIONER
[School Board Roll Call by Board Chair]
>> VICE CHAIR CHRISTIAN WHITEHURST.
>> HERE. >> GOOD MORNING, STARTING TO MY
RIGHT, IT TONY COLEMAN >> GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR.
>> AND OF COURSE, OUR SUPERINTENDENT IS SITTING IN THE
AUDIENCE. >> THANK YOU, SIR, I'M NOW GOING TO ASK EVERYONE TO RISE FOR THE INVOCATION.
>> DEAR LORD, FOR WATCHING OVER US AS COMMISSIONERS AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO GIVE US GUIDANCE TO MAKE DECISIONS
(INDISCERNIBLE) >> BLESS THIS DAY AND THANK YOU FOR (INDISCERNIBLE)
>> AMEN. >> AT THIS TIME, I WOULD ASK THAT EVERYBODY JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD,
[1. Approval of Final Redistricting Plan]
INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.">> THANK YOU. >> I'M PREPARED TO TURN IT OVER TO THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON THAN ME. WHOSE IN CHARGE. COLE, ARE YOU READY TO MAKE SOME KIND OF A
PRESENTATION? >> NICOLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR PLANNING AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND TODAY WE HAVE WITH US MS. MATHER WHOSE GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH OUR FINAL PRESENTATION. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT SINCE YOU SAW ME ON TUESDAY, WE NOW HAVE TWO NEW PLANS THAT WE WILL TALK YOU THROUGH TODAY, THOSE WERE BOTH AT THE REQUEST OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. PLAN B 1, WHICH STARTED WITH PLAN B AND EVOLVED OUT OF THAT PLAN AND PLAN B 3.
WE WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THOSE CHANGES AS WELL AS MS. MATHER HAS ALL OF THE PLANS ON A SLIDE FOR YOU TO SEE. AFTER TALKING THROUGH THE TWO NEW PLANS, WE WILL GO IN WHICHEVER DIRECTION THAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT. WHICHEVER PLAN SEEMS TO BE RISING TO THE TOP. SO, I'LL PRESENT MS. MATHER AND SHELL
WALK US THROUGH THE SLIDES. >> THANK YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING.
>> I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU A STATUS UPDATE OF HOW FAR WE HAVE COME ALONG SO, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE STARTED IN AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, WE PROCESSED THE CENSUS 2020 DATA AS SOON AS IT WAS RELEASED. WE CREATED FOUR PLANS WHICH WE CALLED A, B, C, AND D, AND WE STARTED WITH SIMPLE REDISTRICTING REQUIREMENTS, MAKING SURE THAT EACH DISTRICT IS COMPACT, CONTIGUOUS, FOLLOWS THE MAXIMUM DEVIATION RULES AND LOOKS AT THE THE COI AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND THEN WE PROVIDED THE PLANS AND WERE PUT OUT INTEREST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND FOR YOUR REVIEW. THEN, IN OCTOBER-NOVEMBER, WE CREATED
PLANS E, E-1, E-2, AND F. >> AND WE MET WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE BOARDS TO GET FEEDBACK, AND THEN IN DECEMBER, LIKE NOW, TWO, OR THREE DAYS BACK, WE GOT MORE FEEDBACK AND WE CREATED B-2. OR RATHER B-1, AND E-3. SO FAR, THE BOARDS
[00:05:04]
HAVE BEEN PRESENTED WITH 10 MAPS. AND NOW, WE'RE HERE, TODAY'S DECEMBER 9TH, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO AND THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED.OKAY. >> SO, I'LL JUST QUICKLY SAY THAT YOUR CURRENT DISTRICTS ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE VRA.
IT HAS A MAXIMUM DEVIATION OF 39.33 AND THE DISTRICTS IN THE NORTH, DISTRICTS ONE AND FOUR GREW WHILE THE OTHERS NEEDED MORE POPULATION. SO, BACK IN 2010, YOU HAD A 2.99% MAX NUMB DEVIATION AND THE SAME LINES WITH 2020 DATA AND THE GROWTH THAT YOU HAVE HAD, THE MAXIMUM DEVIATION WAS 39.33%. AND, QUICKLY, GIVING YOU HAVE ALREADY SEEN THIS INFORMATION, BUT THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN DEMOGRAPHICS OVER 10 YEARS. SO THE THE NON-HISPANIC WHITE POPULATION HAS DECREASED, A TAD BIT, THE HISPANIC POPULATION HAS GROWN A LITTLE BIT. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THE DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION OF THE COUNTY HAS BEEN CHANGING AS YOU ARE GROWING. SO, TO GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN OPTIONS THAT YOU'VE SEEN SO FAR, HERE ON THIS SLIDE, WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS THE CURRENT MAP AND THEN WE ARE PUTTING A, B, C, TOGETHER. SO, YOU COULD SEE HOW VISUALLY COMPARE THEM. AND YOU KNOW, THE AREA SO, AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE STILL IN YOUR DISTRICT. THEN ON THIS PAGE WE'RE SEEING YOU PLANS D, E, AND E-1. AND THEN WE HAVE PLAN E-1, E-2, AND F
>> AND FINALLY, THE LATEST THAT YOU HAVE ARE B 1 AND E-3. SO, VARIOUS WAYS AND WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL DATA SETS LIKE THE CRA AND THE CDD MAKING SURE THAT WE RESPOND TO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM YOU. AND THIS IS THE LATEST WHICH IS B-1. AND THE REASON WHY WE CALLED IT B-1 IS BECAUSE IT EVOLVED FROM PLAN B, YOU COULD SEE DISTRICT ONE AND FOUR T THERE WAS A DESIRE TO KEEP THEM THE SAME AS IN LATER PLANS AND YOU COULD SEE THE DEVIATION IS 3.6 IT WHICH IS NOT BAD AT ALL BECAUSE THE LAW REQUIRES US TO STAY UNDER 10%. AND THIS ONE KEEPS ALL THE CITYS TOGETHER. IT AND THEN, THE LAST ONE IS E-3. YOU CAN SEE DISTRICTS 1 AND FOUR, PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, BUT THE OTHER DISTRICTS, BASED ON THE REQUIREMENTS AND THE FEEDBACK WE CHANGED THEM. AND, WITH THAT, THAT IS MY PRESENTATION SO, I'M HERE TO ANSWER NE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY
>> I HAVE A QUESTION. >> IT WAS NOT OBSERVE TO ME WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WAS BETWEEN THE LAST TWO PLANS, I CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE, THE STATES HAVE BEEN CHANGED, BUT WHERE ELSE DID IS CHANGE OTHER THAN FLAGLER ESTATES ON E-3.
>> THE FEEDBACK SAID KEEP DISTRICT ONE AND FOUR THE SAME.
AND THEN, AS WE DID THAT, WE MADE SURE THAT THE MAXIMUM DEVIATION IS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. AND IN THIS ONE IT'S LIKE 4.9%.
AND YOU COULD SEE IN THE SOUTHERN PART WE HAVE DIFFERENCES THERE. SO, IF YOU LOOK AT E-3 AND THEN YOU CAN
LOOK AT B-1. >> MR. CHAIR, MAY I JUMP IN?
>> MR. CHAIR, MAY I INTERJECT? >> SO, WE HAVE THROWN QUITE A BIT AT MS. MATHER AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE. CAN YOU GO BACK TO
[00:10:02]
E-3, FOR JUST A MINUTE? >> SO, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE ON E-3 CAME OUT OF OUR DISCUSSION ON TUESDAY, SO IT TOOK PLAN E-1, AND THE ONLY CHANGE IS TO DISTRICT 4. THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT AT THE SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP. SO, ESSENTIALLY, YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS A PLAN E BORN OUT OF YOUR FIRST DISCUSSION OF A, B, C, AND D, AND SO WE CREATED A PLAN E. AND THEN BASED ON SCHOOL BOARD DISCUSSION E-1 EVOLVED OUT OF THAT. BUT THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT DIVIDING THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IN PONTRA VIDRA.
>> E 3 IS ESSENTIALLY E 1 PLUS PONTRA VIDRA BOULBOULEVARD.
>> THAT PART HAS STAYED THE SAME. E-1, AND E-3, THE ONLY
CHANGES IS PONTRA VIDRA. >> COMMISSIONER BLOCKER, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THAT SINCE IT'S YOUR DISTRICT?
>> OKAY. >> AND THIS COULD JUST BE A TYPEGRAPHICAL ERROR, BUT THE POPULATION IN B 1 ON DISTRICT FOUR IS DIFFERENT THAN THE POPULATION ON PLAN E-3 IN DISTRICT FOUR. IT COULD HAVE JUST BEEN A TYPEGRAPHICAL ERROR.
>> SO, E-1 SHOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM E-3.
>> SO, I'M SORRY, B-1, DISTRICT FOUR, THE POPULATION SUMMARY FOR DISTRICT FOUR SHOWS 54910, I BELIEVE, I CAN'T SEE THAT TINY NUMBER. AND THEN 54910. YOU SEE 55491.
>> I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S NOT A TYPEGRAPHICAL ERROR, IT'S MAY BE A BLOCK OR TWO AND THAT CHANGES THE NUMBERS.
>> OKAY. >> I'M COMFORTABLE WITH EITHER PLAN FOR DISTRICT FOUR, I JUST WANTED TO CHECK ON THAT.
>> ANYTHING ELSE? >> YEAH, TONY?
>> YES, IF I MAY. AND I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME COMMUNICATION RELEVANCE HERE OF THAT, SO, I'LL HOLD THAT UNTIL I GET TO THAT. BUT THE RELEVANCESY, THAT I HAVE FOR THIS E-3 IS AT FROM THE BEGINNING THERE WAS TO MY UNDERSTANDING, MY PERCEPTION AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO SEPARATE FLAGLER ESTATE.
>> E-3 WAS BORN OUT OF E 1, AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC MIXTURE OF THE WAY ALL FIVE DISTRICTS WERE MADE, MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE UNDER THAT SPECIFIC SCENARIO TO INCLUDE BOTH WEST AUGUSTINE AND FLAGGER ESTATES, TO KEEP. THE QUESTION WAS ONLY TO CHANGE DISTRICT 4 IN E-1, WHICH GOT US TO E-3. IF YOU COULD FLIP BACK TO B 1. IN B-ONE, YOU COULD SEE THE OTHER DISTRICT ARE DIFFERENT THAN THEY WERE IN E-1. AND SO, WITH THAT COMBINATION OF POPULATIONS, IT IS POSSIBLE TO STAY UNDER 10 AND INCLUDE BOTH WEST AUGUSTINE AND FLAGGER ESTATES, SO, IT'S THE COMBINATION OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU SEE ON THIS PLAN THAT ALLOWS US TO STAY WITHIN THE STANDARD DEVIATION. AND THE ONLY OTHER PLAN THAT REALLY ACHIEVED THAT -- ALL 10 PLANS COULD NOT ACHIEVE THAT BECAUSE OF MANY DIFFERENT CHANGES. BUT, SO, THE POINT OF E-3 WAS ONLY TO CHANGE DISTRICT FOUR, BUT THE POINT OF
[00:15:01]
B-1 WAS TO CREATE ANOTHER PLAN THAT INCLUDED FLAFLAGGER ESTATE AND WEST AUGUSTINE, WITHIN DISTRICT TWO.>> ANYTHING ELSE? >> OKAY. NICOLE, WHERE DID WE GO. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THERE. ANYTHING ELSE
ON RECOMMENDATIONS? >> NOT UNLESS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO ASSIST YOU AS YOU HAVE YOUR DISCUSSION OR AFTER YOU HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> LET ME FIRST, THANK YOU. IF THERE AREN'T ANY IMMEDIATE QUESTIONS. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE AND TELL ME IF ANYONE ELSE HAS SUGGESTIONS. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND THE ATTORNEYS AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS THAT EACH ENTITY NEEDS TO ADOPT IT'S OWN DISTRICT, WE HOPE THEY'RE THE SAME, I DO. BUT I THINK WE NEED A VOTE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD ON YOUR DISTRICT AND WE NEED A VOTE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, A SEPARATE VOTE ON WHAT THE COMMISSIONERS WANT.
IS THAT RIGHT, PATRICK? >> LEGALLY, THAT IS CORRECT, HOW I THINK IT HAD BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, 10 YEARS AGO, COUNSEL AND I WERE BOTH THERE. FORTUNATELY, MR. MINION AND MS. SLOU WERE THERE. IT WASN'T LIKE THE SCHOOL BOARD VOTED AND THEN OVER TO YOU COUNTY, NOW WHAT DO YOU WANT DO. THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE BOARD MEMBERS, AND THE MEMBERS OF THE DIFFERENT BOARDS TO SEE IF THERE WAS A CONSENSUS AND THEN THEY VOTED. IT WASN'T LIKE SCHOOL BOARD, MAKE YOUR DECISION AND COUNTY MAKE YOUR'S SEPARATELY. SO, LEGALLY YOU ARE RIGHT, THEY HAVE TO BE VOTED ON SEPARATELY.
>> I WASN'T GOING TO SEPARATE THE DISCUSSIONS. I WANT TO HAVE ONE GENERAL COMMENT AND ONE GENERAL DISCUSSION AMONG US, AND TWO SEPARATE VOTES ONE THE SCHOOL BOARD AND ONE THE
COMMISSION. >> ONE VOTE WHERE I WOULD ASK ALL NINE OF US TO WEIGH IN. SO, WITH THAT SAID, ALSO, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE I KNOW THE AGENDA SAYS THAT WE WOULD TAKE ACTION AND THEN AFTER THAT ACTION, WE WOULD HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE SHOULD TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE VOTE. I MEAN, TO BE HONEST, THAT ONLY MAKES SENSE TO ME. SO, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS HAVE A DISCUSSION AMONG OURSELVES, SO THE PUBLIC CAN HEAR WHAT WE THINK, HOPEFULLY, AND HOPEFULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE SAY.
SOMETIMES, I DON'T GET MY POINT ACROSS AS WELL AS I WOULD LIKE, BUT, WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION AND WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE SCHOOL BOARD VOTE AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE COMMISSION VOTE. EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT?
>> YES, SIR. >> WITH THAT SAID, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, I'LL START WITH YOU, TONY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO WEIGH IN?
>> YES, SIR. LOOKING AT PLAN B 1. AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I LIKE THIS PLAN MORE SO, AND HERE'S FOUR REASONS WHY. HAVING PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT IN IT, I WANT TO MAKE THE CLARITY AS TO WHY B-1 SEEMS TO SUFFICE. ONE, ONE, THE STANDARD DEVIATION IS NOT ABOVE 10, TWO, DISTRICT TWO IS MADE UP OF TWO OF THE OLDERS COMMUNITIES THAT HELPED BUILD THIS COUNTY, THREE, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IS MAKING SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS BECAUSE OF THE UNWAVERING OF THE PEOPLE IN THESE COMMUNITIES. FOUR, AND THIS IS KIND OF LIKE THE CAVEAT ON THE CAKE FOR ME, HISTORICALLY, DISTRICT 2 HAS PRODUCED TEACHERS, FARMERS, NURSES, DOCTORS, DENTISTS, MARRIES, COUNCILMEN, SENATOR, AND MILITARY VETS. FOR ME AS A REPRESENTATIVE, ALL OF THESE ARE THE ORACLES THAT I HOLD DEARLY IN REPRESENTING THAT COMMUNITY
AND THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT B-1. >> THANK YOU.
>> KELLY? >> I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE
[00:20:03]
PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED THAT SHOW DISTRICT FOUR, THE WAY IT'S DEPICTED IN B-1, AND E-3 FROM THE STANDPOINT THAT YOU'RE NOT BREAKING UP THE PONTE VIDRA COMMUNITY. .>> I THINK THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT THE BOUNDARIES OF DISTRICT FOUR AND DISTRICT TWO. THERE WAS CONCERN THAT KIND OF THE VERY SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE PONTE VEDRA COMMUNITY WAS CUT OUT IN SOME OF THE DIFFERENT PLANS, AND ENDED UP IN DISTRICT FIVE. AND THEN IN DISTRICT TWO, THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT RESTORING BOTH WEST AUGUSTINE AND FLAFLAGGER ESTATES, THOSE ARE VERY POPULATED AREAS SO, DOING THAT IN A WAY THAT THE STANDARD DEVIATION WOULD WORK. SO IN OUR ORIGINAL PLANS, THERE WAS ONLY ONE PLAN THAT DID THAT. THERE WAS ONLY ONE PLAN THAT HAD BOTH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES WITHIN DISTRICT TWO, BUT THAT PLAN HAD OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, SO, THEY PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER TUESDAY TO ASK WHAT ELSE WAS DONE, CAN WE REREQUEST THIS OR THAT. LET'S FIND A PLAN THAT WE CAN GO BACK TO, SO, THEY WENT BACK TO B AND ASKED FOR CHANGES TO CREATE B 1. BUT THOSE WERE THE TWO MAP CONCERNS. AND THEN ALSO THE CONCERN OF KEEPING THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE BOTH IN IT'S ENTIRETY, EACH SEPARATELY BUT BOTH IN A DISTRICT AND SO, B, ORIGINALLY DID NOT DO THAT. IT CUT OFF THE EDGE, THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF BOTH THE BEACH AND THE CITY AND SO THOSE ARE THE THREE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO B TO CREATE B HON ONE TO ADDRESS CONCERNS EXPRESSED AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>> SO, DISTRICT FOUR IN PLANS B 1, E 3, E 2, AND F, IT ALL LOOKS THE SAME TO ME, IS THAT CORRECT IN
>> YES, SIR. >> IT'S NOT ABOUT DISTRICT 1, MY ONLY CONCERN AND I GUESS MY BIGGEST POINT IS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MAP WITH CLEANER LINES THAN HAVE BEEN PRESENTED IN THESE LAST FEW PLANS, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE DESIRE TO KEEP WEST AUGUSTINE IN DISTRICT TWO. WE'RE CROSSING STATE ROAD 16 IN SOME OF THESE MAPS AND THAT'S MY CONCERN AND OBJECTIONS IS WHAT I HEAR FROM RESIDENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTY AND DISTRICTS IS THAT THE WAY THE MAPS ARE CURRENTLY DRAWN, TODAY, IS THAT THE MAPS DON'T MAKE SENSE IN SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES AROUND ST. JOHNS COUNTY, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CLEAN LINES SO THE RESIDENTS CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT DISTRICT THEY'RE
IN. >> ONE POINT THAT I WOULD JUST PUT OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC AND UNTIL YOU REALLY LIVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS, YOU MAY BE DON'T REALIZE THAT WE'RE ALSO BOUND TO THE CENSUS TRACKS AND TO THE CENSUS BLOCKS. AND SO, SOMETIMES WHEN I WOULD SAY TO MS. MATHER, CAN WE JUST MOVE THIS, AND SHE WOULD SAY, THIS IS ALL OF THIS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO MOVE THE ENTIRE CENSUS BLOCKS. SO, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO DRAW A NICE STRAIGHT LINE, THAT YOU ARE REQUIRED TO USE THE ENTIRE BLOCK. YOU'RE RIGHT RICTUS WE TRIED TO MAKE AS CLEAN OF LINES AS POSSIBLE, YOU COULD SEE SHE'S FOLLOWED AS MANY MAJOR ROADWAYS THAT SHE COULD, BUT WE HAVE TO
GO BY THE CENSUS BLOCKS. >> I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE
SAYING. >> IF I MAY ADD ONE MORE THING, THE SHAPE OF THE BLOCKS IS A CONCERN AND ALSO THE WAY THE
[00:25:02]
POPULATION IS. SO, WHILE WE MAY LIKE TO DRAW CLEAN LINES, YOU KNOW, AND DO SOMETHING ELSE AS WELL, THE MAXIMUM DEVIATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF, AND THAT SOMETIMES>> YES, SIR? >> I FAVOR B-1, AND E-3.
PROBABLY LEAN MORE TOWARD E-3, THAN I DO B-1, AND THE REASON FOR THAT SIMPLY IS BASED ON MY EDUCATIONAL CONCERNS. THE STUDENTS IN FLAGGER ESTATES, WILL EVENTUALLY FEED INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, GAMBLE RODGERS, WHICH IS IN E-3 AND MENENDE-Z HIGH SCHOOL IN E 3. AND I WANT TO BE SURE THE FOLK IN E 3 ARE ADDRESSED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL. SO, BASED ON THAT, I WOULD PREFER E-3. IT'S THE FLAGLER ESTATES AREA.
>> BETWEEN B-1 AND E-3, I'M MORE WITH B-1, I THINK FLAGLE ESTATES SHOULD STAY IN B-2. AS A COMMISSIONER, WE'RE COUNTYWIDE, TO ME, WHERE THE LINES ARE EXACTLY, YOU'RE TAKING A BIG NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S GROWING AND HAVE HAD A THOUSAND PERMITS DRAWN LAST YEAR, SO, TO ME, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HASTINGS, THE KIDS HAVE HASTINGS ADDRESSES, THEY LIVE THAT WAY, AND I HAVE A LOT OF FRIEND IN FLAGLER ESTATES, I DON'T MIND REPRESENTING THEM, BUT LOOKING AT THESE TWO PLANS,
I WOULD LEAN MORE TOWARDS B-1. >> NOW YOU'RE GETTING A LOT MORE CALLS, ESPECIALLY NOW, RIGHT?
>> I UNDERSTAND. >> LET ME, IF I MAY GO TO COMMISSIONER BLOCKER AND WE'LL CONTINUE WITH LIVE ACTION.
COMMISSIONER BLOCKER, COMMENTS? >> YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M LEANING TOWARDS B 1 AND E 3. I THINK THEY MAINTAIN THE COMMUNITY COHESIVENESS THAT WE LIKE IN DISTRICT FOUR. AND I THINK IT STAYS TO THE BOUNDARY LINE THAT IS RESIDENTS ARE USED TO. IT'S DIFFICULT WITH ALL THE MAPS TO GET THE PERFECT SOLUTION
BUT IN MY MIND, B-1, AND E-3. >> LET'S GET TO OUR LONGER
SERVING MEMBER. BETH? >> I REALLY FAVOR B 1 ONE FOR A LOT OF THE REASONS SAID. I UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS SAID ABOUT THE FEEDER PATTERN, HOWEVER, WITH THE GROWTH IN THIS COUNTY, FEEDER PATTERNS CHANGE WEEKLY. AND THIS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS AND I BELIEVE THAT THINGS HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL IN SHIFT IN THAT REGARD. I AGREE THAT FLAGLER ESTATES AND WEST AUGUSTINE HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN DISTRICT TWO.
AND THE FEEDBACK THAT I GOT FROM RESIDENTS AROUND DISTRICT TWO, THEY WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN THAT WAY. I APPRECIATE THE INCLUSION OF NECK ROAD, AND GUANA IN PONTE VEDRA FOR THE REASONS SHE STATED AND AS MR. WHITEHURST SAID. THANK YOU, MY PREFERENCE IS B 1.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, BECAUSE YOU'VE COME UP WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS AND ACCOMMODATED OUR REQUESTS TO MOVE THE LINES AROUND. AND ULTIMATELY NOW WITH ALL THE PLANS, I'M VERY HAPPY WITH B-1 AND E-3. BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION AND HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT. I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ADOPT B-1 AS THE PLAN GOING FORWARD.
[00:30:01]
>> I'LL SECOND IT. >> CHAIRMAN: OKAY, FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT B-1.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT RIGHT NOW. AS WE DO, PUBLIC COMMENT, THE WAY WE HANDLE IT AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL IS WE PROVIDE THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER, WE HAVE A CLOCK AND WE ASK THEM TO GIVE THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS. THIS MORNING, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WE'RE TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE REDISTRICTING PLAN. AGENDA ITEM ONE. WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING PLAN NOW THAT WE HAVE FULLY DISCUSSED AND HAVE A MOTION AND SECONDED. EVERYONE IS WELCOMED TO SPEAK BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO LIMIT IT TO THE REDISTRICTING PLAN B 1, THAT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. PATRICK?
>> I THINK GOING BACK TO YOUR EARLIER COMMENT THAT THE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT YOU WILL HEAR WILL PERTAIN ULTIMATELY TO WHATEVER DECISION EACH OF THE BOARDS MAKES. IT'S LAWFUL TO DO A MOTION AND A SECOND BEFORE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN MAKE A DECISION LATER, IT'S ALSO LAWFUL TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN MAKE A MOTION AND THEN MAKE A DECISION. THE PUBLIC COMMENT HAS TO BE BEFORE THE DECISION. SO, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, THIS PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE THE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE REDISTRICTING, AFTER THAT, PRESUMABLY, THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL VOTE, AND AFTER THE SCHOOL BOARD VOTES AND AFTER THAT THE
COMMISSION WILL VOTE. >> MY PLAN IS TO HAVE ONE
PUBLIC COMMENT. ANYTHING ELSE? >> NO.
>> I'M SORRY. >> I DO HAVE A QUESTION. ON THE COUNTY COMMISSION SIDE, DOES THERE NEED TO BE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO BE CONGREWIENT WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD SIDE?
[Public Comment on Redistricting]
>> ONCE THE SCHOOL BOARD THE COUNTY ITSELF WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, AND THEY WILL HAVE A MOTION AND IS SECOND. IT COULD BE FOR THE SAME DISTRICT OR A DIFFERENT DISTRICT.
>> BUT WE CAN TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT NOW, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE COMMISSION, WE COULD TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND MAKE A
MOTION, SECOND, AND VOTE? >> YES, SIR.
>> CHAIRMAN: OKAY, ARE WE GOOD. PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOW OPEN, AGAIN, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM, NAME, ADDRESS, AND THREE MINUTES. GOOD MORNING, IN SLAVEN.
>> ED SLAVEN. I SUPPORT B -1 AND I APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS AND ACCURACY OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HEARD AND THE SCHOOL BOARD. 10 YEARS AGO, SCHOOL BOARD WANTED TO REDUCE DISTRICT TWO IT FROM 14.8% AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO 9.8% AFRICAN-AMERICAN, AND I SAID NO, Y'ALL CAN'T DO THAT. PATRICK MCCORMICK WAS LIKE A RATIO, HE AGREED, THE DCC AGREED AND THE SCHOOL BOARD RECEDED. WE WERE EYE BALL TO EYE BALL AND THE OTHER FELLOW JUST BLINKED. AND I'M SO PROUD THAT WE NOW HAVE A DESEGREGATED SCHOOL BOARD. IDEAS HAS CONSEQUENCES. AND THE IDEA IN THE SCHOOL BOARD WOULD VIOLATE AT THE BEHEST OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THE VRA AND THE 15TH, AMENDMENT, THAT WAS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. JUST LOOKING AT THE HISTORY OF THE DISTRICTING IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY, WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE SITUATION THAT WE HAVE PRIOR TO 1998. WE ONCE HAD FIVE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ELECTED FROM DISTRICTS AS THE DISTRICT REP AND THEN TWO AT LARGE, WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THAT, FOLKS, RIGHT NOW, WHAT HAPPENED IN 1998, THE LATE DAVID BRIAN WALLACE AND I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND I GOT A CALL FROM THE CAREER DEPUTY IN CHARGE OF THE VOTING RIGHTS OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND HE CALLED ME FROM HIS HOME AND WE TALKED FOR AN HOUR AND HE TOLD ME WHAT TO DO AND I'VE DONE IT.
BUT, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS, FOLKS, WE REALLY HAVE.
IF YOU DO LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE DISTRICTING, FIRST OF ALL, WE ONCE HAD A COUNT-WIDE ELECTED SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, THEY WE WANT TO AN APPOINTED SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, TO DISEMPOWER BLACK PEOPLE. AND THEN IN 1998, BECAUSE A MAN NAMED MOSES FLOYD WAS ON COUNTY COMMISSION AND THEY DIDN'T LIKE HIM. THEY WENT
[00:35:02]
FROM 7, TWO AT LARGE, TO FIVE, THINKING WE WOULD NEVER HAVE A BLACK PERSON ON THE COMMISSION AGAIN. WE NEED TO GET WITH THE STATUS QUO OF 1998 BEFORE, THE COUNTY WIDE TWO AT LARGE AND FIVE FROM DISTRICTS AND IT WOULD REDUCE THE INFLUENCE OF CORRUPTING MONEY AND POLITICS. EVERY SINCE 1998, COUNTY COMMISSION RAISES BECAUSE THE COUNTY WIDE COSTS A FORTUNE.IT'S DISEMPOWERED MINORITIES AND RESULTED IN A RUINOUS DEVELOPMENT WE SEE HERE. I SUPPORT B-1, AND I APPRECIATE THE GOOD WORK AND THE PROGRESS AND I ABSOLUTE PATRICK MCCORMACK
FOR WHAT HE DID 10 YEARS AGO. >> NEXT. PUBLIC COMMENT ON
B-1? >> YES, SIR, NAME AND ADDRESS
PLEASE. >> YES, SIR. I'M GARY HOWELL, I LIVE AT 1730 HARVEST LANE. I THINK THAT'S GOD'S COUNTRY. I'M GLAD YOU'RE SELECTING B 1 ONE, IT KEEPS WEST AUGUSTINE IN TACT AND WHERE I BELIEVE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE. I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED, MR. CHAIRMAN, DID YOU SAY THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE COMMENT BASED ON WHAT THE COUNTY COMMISSION IS GOING TO SAY ABOUT THE DISTRICTING, IF YOU DON'T DO B-1, I'M NOT GOING
TO HAVE A VOICE? >> WELL, I MAY NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO ME AS.
>> DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE? WHY DON'T YOU STATE YOUR
PREFERENCE AND WE'LL LISTEN. >> WELL, I WANT TO HEAR WHAT
YOU HAVE TO SAY FIRST. >> WELL, I PRACTICE IN THE COMMISSION, AND YOU'VE ATTENDED MANY IS THAT WE TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE GET A MOTION, SECOND, AND VOTE. THAT'S HOW WE'RE DOING HERE AS A COMMISSION. SO GO AHEAD YOU
HAVE TWO MINUTES LEFT. >> I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF I DON'T HAVE A SAY SO ON WHAT YOU PROPOSE, I'M NOT REALLY HAPPY AND I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE EITHER. YOU SHOW THAT WAY, THURSDAY SAYING THAT YOU BELIEVED IN EVERYBODY
HAVING THEIR SAY. >> YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
>> SO, I'M HAVING THE SAY ABOUT THE SCHOOL BOARD NOT THE COUNTY COMMISSION. BUT, ANYHOW, I'M HAPPY, ONCE AGAIN TO SAY THAT B-1 IS A FINE SELECTION AND I APPRECIATE WHAT THE SCHOOL BOARD
HAS DONE. >> CHAIRMAN: ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD ACTION AND THE COUNTY COMMISSION ACTION Y'ALL ARE PRETTY COMMENT THIS MORNING.
>> I GUESS THAT'S IT. >> WELL, I'M PREPARED, MR. CHAIRMAN TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR HANDLING THE VOTE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AS YOU NORMALLY WOULD HANDLE IT. AND HERE'S THE
SPEAKER. >> ALL RIGHT, WE'VE HEARD THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE COMMISSION AND TO THE BOARD, AT THIS TIME, TO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE BOARD FAVORS B-1 AM I CORRECT IN THAT ASSUMPTION IN
>> ALL RIGHT AND WE HAVE THE SECOND TO THAT, THOSE IN FAVOR
(CHORUS OF AYES) >> THOSE OPPOSED?
>> THE MOTION CARRIES, B-1 IS OUR SELECTION.
>> CHAIRMAN: THANK YOU, SIR, ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU TO THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR THAT. AND NOW WE WILL TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION COLLECTION AND I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR EITHER FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, OR A MOTION AND THEN, A SECOND.
IS THERE ARE THERE COMMENTS FROM MY FOUR MEMBERS?
>> COMMISSIONER BLOCKER? >> NO, SIR.
>> MR. CHAIRMAN I'M READY TO MAKE A MOTION.
>> YES, SIR. >> I MAKE A MOTION THAT THE COUNTY COMMISSION ADOPT PLAN B-1 FOR REDISTRICTING.
>> SECOND. >> OKAY, WE HAVAL MOTION AND A SECOND. WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER CALLING IN, OBVIOUSLY RATHER THAN HERE, SO WE'LL HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE. SO, PATRICK, DID YOU
>> CHAIRMAN: OKAY, I'LL HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE. COMMISSIONER
WITH WHITEHURST >> YES. COMMISSIONER BLOCKER?
>> YES. >> COMMISSIONER WALDRON?
>> YES. >> AND I VOTE YES. WE HAVE A VOTE AND AGREE ON B-1. I THINK THAT COMPLETES OUR ASSIGNMENT.
DO THE ADMINISTRATORS HAVE ANY COMMENTS?
>> I'M GLAD WE'RE DONE BECAUSE IF I SAW ONE MORE MAP ON DISTRICT FIVE, I THOUGHT IT WOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO NAUSSUE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.