[Call to Order by Chair] [00:00:14] -- THE MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELED -- MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR THIS MEETING UNDER AGENDAS AND MEETINGS AND ONCE YOU FIND IT YOU CAN CLICK ON IT TO FIND ALL OF THE SUPPORTING MATERIALS. PUBLIC WILL BE ALLOWED TO COMMENT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT. PUBLIC COMMENT IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. IF YOU HAVE EXHIBITS OR PHOTOGRAPHS PLEASE PROVIDE THOSE TO THE COURT FOR ADMISSION INTO THE EVIDENCE. WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> >> WE HAVE OUR INVOCATION WITH PASTOR HARLEY FROM THE BRIDGE OF LIFE CHURCH. AND, IF HE IS NOT HERE, HOW ABOUT OUR BEAUTIFUL PVA -- PZA . >> THANK YOU, LORD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE AND LIFT EVERY DECISION MADE AND LORD, LET US SEE WITH YOUR VISION AND BEYOND OUR OWN DESIRES AND OUR OWN PERSPEX IS. YOU ARE SO MUCH SMARTER THAN WE ARE. WE NEED YOUR WISDOM. WE FEEL YOU AND YOUR LOVE FOR OUR FELLOW MAN. BLESS THIS COMMISSION IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME, AMEN. >> I AM HONORED TO INTRODUCE UNITED STATES NAVY PETTY OFFICER FIRST CLASS SHANNA HOLTON. >> ATTENTION TO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. >> I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. >> WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION THIS [Proclamation Recognizing April as Water Conservation Month] MORNING I COMMISSIONER TAYLOR . >> I WOULD LIKE TO CALL DOUG AND NEIL AND OTHERS UP TO THE FRONT. >> A PROCLAMATION BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ST. JOHNS COUNTY FLORIDA. WHERE IS THE STATE OF FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND ST. JOHNS COUNTY ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER CONSERVATION AND WHEREAS APRIL, TYPICALLY A DRY MONTH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS WATER CONSERVATION MONTH TO EDUCATE CITIZENS ON HOW THEY CAN SAVE FLORIDA'S PRECIOUS WATER RESOURCES. WHEREAS FOR THE 27TH YEAR OF RECOGNIZING WATER CONSERVATION MONTH THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO -- CALLING UPON EACH CITIZEN TO HELP PROTECT OUR PRECIOUS RESOURCES BY PRACTICING WATER SAVING MEASURES AND BECOMING MORE AWARE OF THE NEED TO SAVE ONE. -- WATER. WHEREAS MAINTENANCE CAN SAVE WATER ST. JOHNS ENCOURAGES CITIZENS TO EVALUATE THEIR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS FOR EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENTS AND NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY FLORIDA THAT THE MONTH OF APRIL, 2025 BE DESIGNATED AS WATER CONSERVATION MONTH. PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY APRIL 1ST, 2025. >> I WANT TO THANK YOU YOU AND THE COMMISSION. THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE 27TH YEAR AS WE GO INTO SOME DRY PERIODS, TYPICALLY WATER CONSERVATION IS SOMETHING THAT FLIES UNDER THE RADAR BUT PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE AND TODAY I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME THINGS, IT IS EVERY DAY. EVERY DAY IS A DAY THAT WE SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO WATER CONSERVATION BECAUSE YOU USE IT EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE. NORMALLY I WOULD SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT TRIP THIS AND TOOK THAT BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT [00:05:03] THE DOCUMENT THAT LAYS THE GROUNDWORK MUCH LIKE HOW FAST. IT IS THE NORTH FLORIDA REGIONAL PIPELINE. IT IS A DOCUMENT THAT WE DO EVERY FIVE YEARS. THE LAST ONE WAS UPDATED IN DECEMBER 2023 AND IS ACTUALLY A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY. IT IS CALLED THE WATER SUPPLY FACILITIES UPDATE THAT ALL GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO DO EVERY YEAR. I APPRECIATE YOU GETTING YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT IN ON TIME. BUT, BY 2045, WE WILL BE PULLING ABOUT 510 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY OUT OF JUST THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY RIVERS. THERE IS ALSO SEVEN COUNTIES OVER. THE AQUIFER IS NOT JUST A SMALL POND. IT IS BASICALLY A POND THAT COVERS THREE STATES SO IT'S IMPACT CAN BE FELT AND WHATEVER WE DO HERE CAN BE AFFECT THING SUWANEE. THAT HAS A BIG IMPACT BECAUSE THAT IS THE LOW OIL RIGHT THAT THE AQUIFER IS TELLING US THAT YOU HAVE ISSUES AND YOU NEED TO ADDRESS THAT THROUGH WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES. IF WE DO CONSERVATION RIGHT WE SHOW IN OUR PLAN THAT WE CAN REDUCE BY 2045 80 PLUS MILLION GALLONS OF WATER. WE ARE WORKING WITH GOVERNMENTS, AS YOU SEE TODAY AND WITH UTILITIES TO PRODUCE WHAT WATER CONSERVATION AS PART OF THEIR PLANS AND ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE PERMIT, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS CUPS, THOSE ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU RELY ON THOSE TO GET YOUR SHOWER, YOUR DRINKING WATER AND IN SOME CASES -- BUT THAT IS WHERE WE PERMIT THE WELLS AND THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT UTILITIES ARE ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO PULL FROM THE AQUIFER AND THAT APPLIES TO FARMERS AS WELL. THAT DOCUMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ENHANCE WATER CONSERVATION THROUGH ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLY AND OTHER MEASURES. SINCE 2020 THE DISTRICT HAS DONE ITS PART IN SPENDING $2.7 MILLION TO CAP UNUSED ARTESIAN WELLS. THAT HAS PRODUCED OVER 78 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY IN SAVINGS. IF YOU SEE AN ARTESIAN WELL AND IF YOU COME ACROSS ONE AND HAVE QUESTIONS WE WILL GET IT IN THE RECORDS AND CAPPED IT FOR FREE IF NEEDED BY THE LAND OWNER. SO, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT WATER PROCLAMATIONS AND WATER CONSERVATION , IT IS LIKE A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION. FOR A RESOLUTION TO BE EFFECTIVE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE SET THOSE AND WE NEED TO HAVE A PLAN, WE NEED TO HAVE DISCIPLINED IMPLEMENTATION AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE ACHIEVABLE METRICS. THAT IS WHAT WE WANT WITH WATER CONSERVATION IF WE EXPECT TO HAVE MEANINGFUL SUSTAINABILITY. IT IS NOT ONE DAY. IT IS SOMETHING WE DO EVERY DAY AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR WE SAY HOW MUCH WATER DID YOU SAVE AND BY THE WAY, EVERY MONTH YOU GET A REMINDER ABOUT HOW MUCH WATER YOU USE WHEN YOU GET YOUR BILL. I CHECK MY BILL. IT SHOWS ME HOW MUCH I USE COMPARED TO LAST MONTH AND LAST YEAR. IF I SEE SOMETHING IS OUT OF WHACK I MAY HAVE A LEAK. I MAY NEED TO ATTEND TO THAT BECAUSE THOSE ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSION, STAFF, UTILITIES AND THE CITIZENS THAT ARE HELPING US BRING DUE DILIGENCE TO WATER CONSERVATION AND PROTECTING OUR PRECIOUS WATER SOURCES. THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. I AM THE UTILITY DIRECTOR AND I HAVE MY COLLEAGUES HERE REPRESENTING ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE. I ALWAYS THOUGHT WATER CONSERVATION WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO BUT AS A PROFESSIONAL, WE ALTOGETHER THINK IT IS THE MOST CRITICAL THING TO DO. I THINK DOUG TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. WE HAVE A GREAT CONSERVATION STORY TO SHARE WITH YOU. WE ARE BLESSED WITH PROFESSIONALS TO TELL THIS STORY TODAY AND AT THE END I WILL PROVIDE THE METRICS. WE ARE IN GOOD SHAPE BUT I WANT TO SHARE THAT. THE FIRST THING IS, THE TOOLS THAT THE COUNTY HAS BUILT OVER TIME AND THOSE TOOLS WILL GIVE YOU ALL, THE RESIDENCE AND THE CUSTOMERS, A TOOL FOR WATER CONSERVATION THAT GIVE YOU [00:10:01] BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE IT STARTS. LET ME START WITH WHAT THEY SAY. PRACTICE AS YOU PREACH. WE PRACTICE AS WE PREACH AND OUR MISSION STATEMENT ENFORCES WATER CONSERVATION. WE ENSURE CUSTOMERS SAFE WATER AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WATERED -- WATER STEWARDSHIP IS AT THE FOREFRONT. MOST OF THE WORKERS HERE LIVE IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND THEY ARE DRINKING THE SAME WATER SO WE KNOW WHEN WE START WITH THE UTILITY WE ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING WITH FRESHWATER SOURCES. OUR GROWTH MANAGEMENT AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL OVER THE YEARS. THEY INITIATE A LOT OF POLICIES. LOAD WATER BEARING FIXTURES ALL OF THOSE HAVE A TOOL THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOU. BY THE BACK OF THE YOU TELL IT SEE WE ARE RECLAIMING ABOUT 60% OF OUR WASTEWATER. AND EVERY DROP OF WATER WE RECLAIM IS ONE DROP LESS THAT WE DRAW FROM THE AQUIFER AND WE HAVE INVESTED OVER 65 MILLION OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS IN RECLAIMED WATER AND THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE CUSTOMERS TO USE RECLAIMED WATER. THIS PARTNERSHIP HAS HELPED US WITH GRANTS FROM THE DISTRICT AND WE HAVE A TIERED RATE STRUCTURE SO, THE LESS WATER YOU USE THE MORE YOU FEEL IN YOUR POCKET. WE HAVE INVESTE IN AUTOMATED METER READING TECHNOLOGY. THIS WILL DETECT LEAKS AT YOUR HOUSE EVEN WHEN YOU ARE AWAY. OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF IS HERE AND READY TO NAVIGATE THAT AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE ENDORSED IN OUR ORDINANCE THE REQUIREMENT FOR A LOWER QUALITY WATER FOR IRRIGATION. LIKE THEY SAY, IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO. WE HAVE DONE OUR PART AND WATER CONSERVATION IS A COLLECTIVE GOAL SO YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR PART BUT, THE METRICS ARE OUT AND I AM PROUD TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE ARE -- THAT DOUG'S OFFICE PUTS TOGETHER. WE CONSUME ABOUT 100 GALLONS PER DAY AND WE DO HAVE POCKETS THAT ARE UP AND DOWN SO I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THE THOUGHT LIKE MY WIFE ALWAYS REMINDS ME. YOU HAVE DONE GREAT BUT YOU CAN DO BETTER. THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. I JUST WANT TO SHARE A PERSONAL STORY AND I AM SO GRATEFUL TO THE COUNTY FOR LETTING ME. A FEW MONTHS AGO I RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTY THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON REGARDING OUR WATER AND I CALLED IN AND CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS AMAZING. THEY WERE ABLE TO HELP US DETECT A LEAK THAT WAS ON ONE OF OUR TOILETS. I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT. THEY HOPE TO SAVE A LOT OF MONEY AND WATER. I LOVE THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE AND WE REALLY WOULD HAVE HAD NO IDEA. THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU. [Acceptance of Proclamation] >> SHOULD WE VOTE TO ACCEPT THE PROCLAMATION. >> MOTION. >> SECOND. >> ALL IN FAVOR, VOICE? >> AYE. >> GREAT. LET'S GO RIGHT TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. COMMISSIONER WHITEHURST . >> I HAVE NONE . >> COMMISSIONER TAYLOR . >> I HAVE NONE . >> COMMISSIONER MURPHY . >> I HAVE NONE. AND I HAVE NONE. SHOULD BE GOOD TO PUBLIC COMMENT. >> WE WILL OPEN UP A COMMENT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ONLY. PLEASE COME STEP FORWARD. SEEING NONE WE [Approval of Consent Agenda] [00:15:01] WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. >> SO, SHOULD WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA. >> SO MOVED . >> SECOND . >> SO, LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. [Additions/Deletions to Regular Agenda] THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, 5-0. I DO HAVE A RED FOLDER SO THERE IS AN ADDITION TO THE REGULAR AGENDA SO WE WILL PUT THAT BEFORE THE FIRST. >> MAKE THE NEW RED FOLDER AGENDA ITEM 1 AND THE CURRENT AGENDA ITEM ONE WILL BE ITEM 1A . >> ANY CHANGES? [Approval of Regular Agenda] >> COMMISSIONER WHITEHURST . >> NONE . >> COMMISSIONER TAYLOR . >> NONE . >> COMMISSIONER MURPHY . >> NONE . >> COMMISSIONER ARNOLD . >> NONE . [Public Comment] >> LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, 5-0. NOW WE ARE GOING TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND I DO HAVE ONE THING TO SAY. THE BETTY GRIFFIN CENTER IS GOING TO START WITH PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST. AND FIRST WE ARE GOING TO HAVE COMMISSIONER MURPHY GIVE YOU THE BACKGROUND. >> I WILL GIVE YOU THE RULES. AT THIS TIME THE BOARD WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA. COME TO THE PODIUM TO STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. YOU WILL BE PROVIDED WITH THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. PLEASE SPEAK TO THE MICROPHONE. YOU WILL COMPLY WITH RULES OF CIVILITY AND DECORUM AND ANYBODY THAT FAILS TO COMPLY MAY BE REMOVED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT MATERIALS PLEASE USE THE CENTER PODIUM AND ITEMS CAN BE PLACED ON THE LETTER X FOR DISPLAY. >> I AM GOING TO HAVE THE BETTY GRIFFITH CENTER GROVE FIRST. >> MADAM CHAIR, THE RED FOLDER ITEM THAT WE HAVE ADDED TO THE AGENDA IS THE PERMISSIVE USE AGREEMENT SO THAT A CONTRACTOR CAN CLOSE POPE ROAD FOR NO MORE THAN 24 HOURS SO I JUST WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW BECAUSE IT IS AN AGENDA ITEM AND I DON'T WANT THERE TO BE ANY TREPIDATION ABOUT WHAT THE ITEM IS. >> THANK YOU . >> KELLY FRANKLIN REPRESENTING BETTY GRIFFIN CENTER 2450 OLD MOULTRIE ROAD ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA 32086. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS FOR JOINING BETTY GRIFFIN DURING THEIR BREAKFAST LAST MONTH. YOU HEARD A MOM TALK ABOUT HER HEALING JOURNEY FOR HER AND HER CHILDREN AFTER HER DAUGHTER DISCLOSED THAT SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED. TO REPRESENT THAT FAMILY AND ALL OF THE FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS THAT BETTY GRIFFIN SERVES EACH YEAR I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE APRIL AS NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH AND NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH. WE HAVE MANY ACTIVITIES PLANNED THIS MONTH AND THIS SATURDAY WE HAVE A RUN FOR PEACE 5K. ON APRIL 18 WE WILL BE JOINING -- WHICH IS A STATEWIDE WALK THAT WILL BE COMING THROUGH ST. AUGUSTINE. IF YOU ARE SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS BEEN ABUSED AND NEEDS OUR SERVICES PLEASE CALL OUR 24 HOUR HOTLINE AT 904-824-1555 OR WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, BETTY GRIFFIN CENTER.ORG AND IF YOU KNOW OF A CHILD BEING ABUSED PLEASE CALL THE FLORIDA STATE HOTLINE AT 1-800-962-2873 AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE BETTY GRIFFIN CENTER STAFF, VOLUNTEERS AND BOARD MEMBERS AND SURVIVORS HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT THESE TWO AWARENESS EVENTS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, VERY MUCH. >> GOOD MORNING. >> POINT OF ORDER, FIRST. I SHOULD HAVE READ THE AGENDA MORE CLOSELY BUT I SEE THAT DICK D'SOUZA IS UP TO TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION. I WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT AND HAD PUT TOGETHER A TRANSFER -- PRESENTATION BUT I CAN WAIT AND PRESENT THAT AFTER DICK DOES . >> THAT IS AN AGENDA ITEM SO WE WOULD WAIT UNTIL THEN. >> THANK YOU. >> LET ME GO TO THE SECOND ONE THEN. >> GOOD MORNING. JOE MCENERY -- MACARONI ME. -- MCINERNEY. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TREE [00:20:03] ORDINANCES. FIRST THINGS FIRST. I AM SORRY FOR THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHT. IT DOES NOT WORK TOO WELL ON OVERHEAD. THIS IS ALL ST. JOHNS COUNTY OFFICIAL LANGUAGE AND IT SAYS THE STATE OF FLORIDA REQUIRES EACH COUNTY PREPARE AND ADOPT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND AFTERWARD PREPARE AND ADOPT A LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE SO I WANT US TO ALL UNDERSTAND THAT SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, PAGE 1 PARAGRAPH ONE RIGHT OFF THE BAT IT TALKS ABOUT MANAGING GROWTH WHILE MINIMIZING ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES GO FURTHER. ARTICLE 4 TALKS ABOUT NATURAL RESOURCES AND SAYS THAT DECISIONS AS TO WHETHER TO APPROVE MAY DEPEND ON THE IMPACT THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL HAVE ON NATURAL RESOURCES SO, IT IS MY OPINION THAT WITH THE ABOVE EXISTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN POLICIES THERE IS ADEQUATE JUSTIFICATION RIGHT NOW TO MOVE INTO REVISING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AS WE DO NOT NEED TO PASS THAT TO INSPIRE -- THESE ARE LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCES, NOT COMPREHENSIVE PLANT ISSUES AND THEY SAY THAT, OUR COUNTY STAFF TO DO THAT TWO YEARS AGO. THEIR PREPARATION IS VERY THOROUGH AND IT WAS PUT OFF ON THE BASIS THAT IT NEEDED TO BE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CHANGE. IN MY OPINION IT DOES NOT AND THERE IS PLENTY OF LANGUAGE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT GIVES US THE AUTHORIZATION TO MOVE FORWARD. TO LOOK AT THOSE ORDINANCES IN GREATER DETAIL AND I AM GOING TO CONCLUDE BY JUST SAYING THAT AUGUST 29TH IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. IT IS THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTAL OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO THE STATE. WE DO NOT NEED TO HAND OFF BITS AND PIECES TO INSPIRE AND WE DO NOT NEED TO DISTRACT THEM FROM THEIR PRIMARY PURPOSE WHICH IS TO PREPARE COPLAN COMPLETE, AND HAVE ADOPTED A PLAN BY AUGUST 29. WITH RESPECT I SAY LET'S NOT HAND ANYTHING OFF TO INSPIRE PLACE MAKING WITH RESPECT TO THE TREE ORDINANCE AND MAYBE EVEN WITH RESPECT TO THE MEDIUM VERSUS HIGH MEDIUM. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A CHANGE ORDER IN PROCESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION CANNOT ALLOW THIS DEADLINE TO BE MISSED. THEY NEED TO TELL US WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN. >> GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING COM MADAM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ANDREWS. MY NAME IS JANE EVANS AND I LIVE AT 104 -- PONTE VEDRA BEACH. I AM HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE PALM VALLEY COUNTY ASSOCIATION. WE COMMEND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR JOY ANDREWS FOR INITIATING A STRATEGIC PLAN AND HER TEAM LED BY ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SARAH TAYLOR FOR THEIR REMARKABLE WORK DEVELOPING AND DELIVERING OUR COUNTIES FIRST STRATEGIC PLAN. THE TEAM DID AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB ENGAGING THE PUBLIC, THE COMMUNITY WITH AMPLE OPPORTUITIES TO PARTICIPATE AND PROVIDE INPUT. THIS PROCESS IS ANOTHER FINE EXAMPLE OF HOW OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR PROVIDES RESIDENTS WITH EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN AND UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR COUNTY OPERATES. THE PALM VALLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION IS PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED A SMALL ROLE BY HELPING ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS. MANY OF YOU HAVE CREATED STRATEGIC PLANS THROUGHOUT CAREERS AND WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN IN FOSTERING A MORE -- AND APPEALING VITALITY WHETHER IT IS A PROJECT OR AS A COUNTY. WE DO NOT DOUBT THAT THIS PLAN WILL SERVE EVERY COMMUNITY MEMBER WELL. THE PALM VALLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION IS EAGER TO LEARN MORE AND SUPPORT THE COUNTY EFFORTS IN EVERY DISTRICT TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OUTLINED IN OUR COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN. OUR WARMEST CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ESPECIALLY TO COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ANDREWS AND HER [00:25:05] TEAM. THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD DAY. >> THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS RICHARD -- AND I LIVE AT 321 ST. GEORGE STREET ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. I WANT TO TAKE ONE MINUTE OF YOUR TIME TO THANK ALL FIVE OF YOU AND YOUR EFFORTS OF MENTAL HEALTH. I HAVE AN ARTICLE THAT WILL BE PRINTED FRIDAY. TWO LINES, "ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF MENTAL ILLNESS WE ARE THE STATE WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SUCH INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNITED STATES. OF THOSE 68,000 SUFFER A SERIOUS MENTAL DISORDER AND TO DEAL WITH THIS CRISIS WE NEED ELECTED OFFICIALS WILLING TO BE PROACTIVE IN THE PROBLEM. YOU FOLKS DID JUST THAT. THANK YOU, SO MUCH. GOD BLESS YOU. >> THANK YOU, SIR. >> MY NAME IS JOHN DOONEY -- NOONDAY. I AM IN DISTRICT FOR AN PLANNING DISTRICT 3 AND SCHOOL DISTRICT THREE. I WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY HERE THAT TWO YEARS AGO THE NORTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL COUNCIL, I ATTENDED THEIR MEETING AND PUT ON HERE THE CENTER FOR RESILIENCY. THE REASON IS, OUR PLACE IS CATEGORY 1 WETLANDS AND IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE PUBLIC ACCESS. BUT IT IS ABOUT PUBLIC WILL. JUST RECENTLY YOU CAN SEE JOINT FEDERAL STATE, LOCAL, PUBLIC NOTICE FEBRUARY 12, 2025 AND THIS IS A THEME. THE AFFECTED PROPERTY CONSISTS OF A STRUCTURE ON BASKIN ROAD NEXT TO OUR HOUSE SO, BACK THEN, THERE WAS SOMETHING AND IT CAME BACK UP. THE NEXT PIECE OF EVIDENCE, THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU, THE FLORIDA INLAND NAVIGATION DISTRICT. LET ME GET BACK TO THE HISTORY. WHEN I WENT TO THE FLORIDA NORTHEAST REGIONAL COUNCIL FIVE MONTHS AGO IN JACKSONVILLE, OUR WATERWAYS, DIRETED OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT. AND THEY PUT US ON THE POTENTIAL ACQUISITION LIST. IT DOES NOT MEAN IT WILL HAPPEN BUT IT IS A RECOGNITION BY THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE OF THE SIGNIFICANCE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE WATERWAYS. RIGHT HERE, I AM NOT GOING TO SUBMIT THIS BUT HERE IS A LIST OF POTENTIAL PARTNERS. PUBLICAN PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, POTENTIAL PARTNERS. GEA, JPA, NORTHEAST REGIONAL COUNCIL, FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION, COUNCIL ON -- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BOARD, RESILIENCY, -- REHABILITATION. KIDS HOPE ALLIANCE. I AM DOWN TO JUST 30 SECONDS BUT WE HAVE OUR OWN STUFF GOING ON AND I WILL TELL YOU WHAT. WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF TREES. THEY ALWAYS SAY BUT, NEW KNEE. OUR -- NOONEY, WE DON'T SAVE TREES. WE PLANT THEM. THIS WILL JUST BE EVIDENCE HERE AND WE ARE WORKING ON A MOVIE DEAL AND WE WILL DONATE OUR PLACE AND THIS -- THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL. >> THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING . >> I AM DORIS TAYLOR AND I LIVE IT 208 -- ROAD. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS A BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IS IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING A CONTRACT WITH THE BE JK LAW FIRM OF BRADLEY GARRISON --. IT IS [00:30:02] IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT A PARTNER OF RICHARD COMMANDO IS STATE REPRESENTATIVE AT GARRISON, SOON TO BE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF FLORIDA REPRESENTATIVES. NO LOCAL GOVERNMENT ATTORNEY SHALL ACCEPT ANY COMPENSATION WHEN SUCH ATTORNEY KNOWS OR SHOULD KNOW THAT IT WAS GIVEN TO INFLUENCE A VOTE OR OTHER ACTION IN WHICH THE ATTORNEY WAS EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN HIS OR HER OFFICIAL CAPACITY. ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS STATED ON PUBLIC RECORD THAT HE WAS VOTING FOR BGK BECAUSE HE EXPECTED TO GAIN INFLUENCE AND IT WOULD BRING HOME THE BACON. I BELIEVE THESE ARE REASONS NOT TO HIRE. THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE GARRISON LAW FIRM AS OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY. I THINK WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT A QUID PRO QUO. I AM WORRIED WE WOULD BE GIVING UP THE LOCAL CONTROL THAT WE FOUGHT FOR. I REFER YOU TO PARAGRAPH SEVEN OF THE FLORIDA STATUTE ENTITLED CONFLICTING EMPLOYMENT OR CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP. I WILL NOT READ THE WHOLE THING HERE BUT THIS CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY BUT I THINK ANY REASONABLE PERSON SHOULD STEER CLEAR OF A RELATIONSHIP THAT LOOKS SO OBVIOUSLY CONFLICTED. REGARDING THE CONTRACT ITSELF I UNDERSTAND THAT BGK OF WHICH REPRESENTATIVE GARRISON IS A PARTNER IS USING THE THINK CONTRACT WITH MULTIPLE COUNTIES AND I AM SURE THAT CONTRACT IS VERY GOOD FOR BGK BUT NOT DESIGNED FOR ST. JOHNS COUNTY. I IMPLORE YOU TO NOT USE THAT CONTRACT. WE NEED AN INDEPENDENT LAWYER THAT WILL FOCUS ON WHAT IS BEST FOR THE PEOPLE OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY FIRST AND FOREMOST AND THE FACT THAT OTHER COUNTIES HAVE HIRED BGK DOES NOT MEAN IT IS RIGHT OR LEGAL. THIS PROVES THE POINT THAT POLITICAL CONNECTIONS RULE THE DAY BUT WHAT WE NEED HERE IS RULE OF LAW. NOT RULED BY LAWYERS. >> THANK YOU. >> MY NAME IS TRAVIS -- AND I LIVE IT 1230 NECK ROAD. PICTURE THIS. A ST. JOHNS COUNTY LANDOWNER, PRIVATE LAND ZONED TO OPEN RURAL WHERE THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DO SO. IN JANUARY THEY SPREAD SOME DIRT TO FIX AN ACCESS ROAD AND LEVEL OUT A SMALL DEPRESSION WHERE THERE WAS A PREVIOUSLY REMOVED TRAILER. SIMPLE MAINTENANCE, LEGAL. HERE IS WHERE IT GETS MESSY. THEIR LAND IS SURROUNDED BY LUXURY PUD'S. SURROUNDED BY BIG LOTS AND A NOSY NEIGHBOR. SHE HAS A SECOND-STORY HOME LOOKING OVER ONTO THE PROPERTY. SHE LOVES THE TREES OF THE NEIGHBORING FIVE ACRES. WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR TREES, SHE THINKS. SHE DOES NOT WANT THE NEIGHBOR TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY NOW OR EVER SO WHEN SHE SPOTS SOMEONE DOING SOME WORK PERFORMED ON THE PROPERTY SHE DOES NOT JUST TO GRUMBLE. SHE CALLS HER FRIEND THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER AND SUDDENLY IT IS ALL HANDS ON DECK. ON PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT AND EMAILS FLY. ALL OF THE EMAILS ARE MARKED A HIGH PRIORITY. THE ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION TOP GUY RACES OUT. NO CLEARING, NO WORK, JUST A QUIET FIVE ACRES BUT THE NEXT DAY HE DRIVES OUT AGAIN AND GOES ONTO THE PRIVATE PROPERTY TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. ON THE NEXT VISIT HE FINDS THE WORK COMPLETED BY THE OWNER AND BRINGS THE MATTER BACK TO STAFF THAT DECIDES THAT THE OWNER NEEDS TO BE GIVEN A WARNING. THEY TACK ON A RANDOM ÚFEE TO THE EXISTING DEVELOPING PERMIT APPLICATION, WHICH IS ILLEGAL, BY THE WAY, AND INFORM THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT THE STAFF WILL BE MONITORING THE PROPERTY GOING FORWARD THAT THIS IS ROUTINE COMPLIANCE WORK. THE LAND OWNER ASKED WHAT PROMPTED THE VISIT TO THE PROPERTY AND MR. LAGASSE HE SAYS IT IS A PERMITTING CHECK. I ASKED MR. LAGASSE HE MYSELF AND HE REPEATS THE SAME LIE. I PERFORM A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST AND I CHECK ALL OF THE DIVISION EMAIL AND [00:35:02] UNCOVER THE TRUTH. IT WAS NOT A ROUTINE PERMITTING CHECK. IT WAS GENERATED BY A COMPLAINT. I SET UP A FACE-TO-FACE MEETING AND ASKED MR. LAGASSE HE, ROUTINE PERMITTING CHECK. SO I CONFRONT MR. LAGASSE AND HE SQUIRMS. HE WALKS AWAY FROM THE MEETING AND SAYS I GUESS HE WILL HAVE TO FILE MORE PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST TO FIND OUT HE SAYS. OKAY. SO, WHY THE LIES? WHY THE GOVERNMENT -- COVER-UP? SO I SUBMITTED A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST. I NOW KNOW WHO IS BEHIND IT. >> SHIRLEY LASSITER 4555 KELVIN STREET IN THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA AND I AM THE SECRETARY FOR THE -- AND I AM HERE TODAY, WE HAVE SO MANY WHALES TURNING AND IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR THE FIRE STATION. EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING ONE THING THAT IS NOT SO EXCITING THAT I AM HERE ABOUT TODAY IS THAT WE HAD AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO OUR FLAGLER STATE WATER CONTROL DISTRICT AND THERE WAS A CONCERN AND THAT WAS BETWEEN ATTORNEYS. THE CONCERN WAS THAT WE HAVE EXISTING STREETLIGHTS, SODIUM BICARBONATE LIGHTS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE ÚCONVERTED TO L.E.D. AND BECAUS OF THE CONCERN OF OUR KIDS AND THE DARK IN THE MORNING, HOUSE BILL 733 WILL PUSH START TIMES LATER FOR THE SCHOOL BUT THAT WILL NOT BE ENOUGH BECAUSE WE LIVE SO REMOTELY. AT THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR THE FIRE STATION I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK BRIEFLY WITH SHERIFF HARDWICK WHO MENTIONED A PROJECT ABOUT PUTTING -- WORKING ON GETTING SOLAR AND CLOSURES ALONG THE SUNSHINE ROUTE. THE SUNSHINE BUS ROUTE AND I THOUGHT, THAT IS INTERESTING. MAYBE THAT COULD HELP SINCE ROAD AND WATER TURNED DOWN WANTING TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE 40 L.E.D.S TO LIGHT THE BUS STOPS. YOU CAN SEE THE ROUTE THAT THE SUNSHINE BUS TAKES THEN I WENT AND I ADDED THE 40 LIGHTS THAT WE WERE LOOKING TO ADD TO. I LIVE RIGHT ABOUT IN HERE. BY NOT HAVING LIGHTS MY WORRY IS ALL OF THESE KIDS RIGHT HERE THAT WILL SOMEDAY GO TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I AM SURE EVERYONE HEARD THAT WE HAD A CHILD THAT WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND HIS BUS STOP IS RIGHT HERE. SO, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW WE NEED THE HELP OF THE COUNTY TO INTERVENE AND ADD. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I SUPPORT THE LIGHTS. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT GOING AHEAD AND ADDING THESE LIGHTS TO THE SAME ACCOUNT THAT WE HAVE OUR EXISTING LIGHTS. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> I JUST NEED ONE SECOND TO SET MY STUFF DOWN. NICOLE CROSBY. EVERY PIECE OF PAPER THAT I AM HOLDING IN MY HAND REPRESENTS COSTS ABOUT $10,000. THESE ARE THE ATTACK ADS THAT LANDED IN YOUR MAILBOX WITH THE INTENT OF DESTROYING THE REPRESENTATIONS -- REPUTATONS WITH LIE AFTERLIFE. SUCH AS THE TAX RAISING TEAM. ABOUT THE -- THAT THEY WOULD NEVER RAISE TAXES AND WANTED TO KEEP TAXES LOW BUT THE DEVELOPER FUNDED PACS WERE DESPERATE. ONE OF THEIR CANDIDATES DID WHEN AND PRETENDED TO BE A SLOW THE GROWTH CANDIDATE. WHY AM I BRINGING ALL OF THESE UP NOW? LAST WEEK THE VERY COMMISSIONER WHO WON WITH THESE ATTACK ADS VILLAIN EYES AND DEMONIZED ME FOR POSTING IN THE TIMES. WHAT IS WORSE COUNTY ATTORNEY COMMANDO SAYS THAT MY POSTS ARE [00:40:02] MAJORITY UNTRUE EVEN THOUGH EVERY FACT IS VERIFIABLE SUCH AS HIS DONATIONS TO FUND COMMISSIONERS DISPLAYING POLITICAL BIAS ASSERTING HIS POSITION. HE CLAIMED I CALLED HIM A DEVELOPER ATTORNEY WHICH I NEVER DID. I CALLED HIM TO DEVELOPER FRIENDLY AND PRO-DEVELOPER. PLEASE READ MY POSTS FOR PROOF. HE CONVINCED ANOTHER COMMISSIONER THAT MY POSTS ARE LIES AND AND WE WILL HE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING THIS TO THE COUNTY LIKE SEXUAL HARASSMENT, RETALIATION, ALLEGATIONS IN WHICH HIS INVESTIGATION WAS -- HOW DO YOU ENSURE THESE POLITICAL ACTIVISTS DO NOT INFLUENCE YOUR GUIDANCE , BOTH OF THEM NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT WE ARE THE TAXPAYERS AND THEY ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS AND WORK FOR US. THEY ARE NOT LISTENING TO THE OPINIONS OF PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO SLOW THE GROWTH WHICH IS THE MAJORITY AND LISTENING TO DEVELOPERS. ONE OF MY COMPLAINTS, MR. KOMANDO DID NOT RESPOND TO -- THAT WOULD ALLOW CRITICISM OF COMMISSIONERS BY NAME. HE IGNORED MY EMAIL AND CALLS MY FACEBOOK POST IGNORING MY EMAIL LIES. ARE YEAR AGO I PRAISED KOMANDO'S AND HE HAS REPRESENTED -- WE ARE UP AGAINST LIES, DIRTY TRICKS, HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION SUCH AS THIS SICK MESSAGE THAT WAS EMAILED OUT FRIDAY. WE KNOW WHO DID THIS AND WE KNOW WHO THEY SUPPORT FOR COUNTY ATTORNEY. THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. MARGO GEER, 249 BERGEN NOT ROAD ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. MADAM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS I AM HERE REGARDING SAFETY ISSUES CREATED BY THE MIX OF VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS ON SHORE DRIVE IN THE AREA ADJACENT. I AM HERE ONCE AGAIN BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THIS BOARD VOTED NOT TO EXTEND THE GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE SHORE DRIVE TRAIL THERE IS NO LESS OF A NEED TO PROVIDE RESIDENCE WITH PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO SHORE DRIVE PARK IN A SAFE WAY TO ENJOY THE AREA WITHOUT HAVING TO DODGE TRAFFIC ON SHORE DRIVE. THE NEED REMAINS AND IT REMAINS CONSTANT. THESE PHOTOS ARE OF THE AREA DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM MY HOUSE. IF I SAID I WITNESSED CLOSE CALLS HOURLY IT WOULD NOT BE AN EXAGGERATION. I CANNOT COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT I LOOK OUT MY FRONT DOOR AND GASP. SOMETIMES I EVEN HAVE TO SHUT MY EYES FOR A SECOND. THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN A FEW EVENINGS AGO ON SHORE DRIVE JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CURB ACROSS FROM MY HOUSE. I AND THIS YOUNG MOTHER ARE WALKING NORTH. I HAVE MY DOG AND I AM WALKING ON THE WEST SIDE OF SHORE DRIVE FACING TRAFFIC. IS SHE WITH HER STROLLER, DOG, AND INFANT STRAPPED TO HER CHEST IS WALKING WITH THE TRAFFIC TO HER BACK. AS SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO AND HERE IS WHAT COMES AROUND THE CURVE. WHILE THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS DIVIDED WITH SOME RESIDENCE IN FAVOR OF THE SHORE DRIVE TRAIL AND SOME OPPOSED THERE IS NEAR UNIVERSAL AGREEMENT THAT THE MIX OF PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICLE TRAFFIC IS A CONSTANT AND CLEAR DANGER. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THERE IS AN ACCIDENT. THIS BOARD, THE FIVE OF YOU, YOU HAVE THE POWER TO ADDRESS THIS. THANK YOU. >> NEXT. >> MY NAME IS DAVE -- AND I RESIDE AT 3702 SHORE DRIVE IN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. THANK [00:45:04] YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. IN ST. AUGUSTINE SOUTH IS THE LARGEST DEVELOPMENT IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY WITHOUT A NETWORK OF SIDEWALKS AND ACCESS TO WALKING TRAILS. THE DYNAMIC LAND OF AGE GROUPS LIVING IN ST. AUGUSTINE SOUTH ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNG FAMILIES CONTINUES TO INCREASE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC. SENIORS, DOG WALKERS, JOGGERS, PARENTS PUSHING STROLLERS ARE ALWAYS SOMEWHERE ON THE ROAD. IT STARTS WITH WALKERS AND RUNNERS GETTING EXERCISE IN THE MORNING HOURS AND ENDS WITH PEOPLE WALKING DOGS AT DUSK. IN THE END THERE WERE JUST TOO MANY CONCERNS THAT AN EIGHT FOOT WIDE TRAIL WOULD BE TOO INTRUSIVE ON SHORE FRONT PART BUT NEVERTHELESS, AS YOU JUST SAW, SAFETY ISSUES REMAIN. TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS A SMALL AD HOC GROUP OF RESIDENTS INCLUDING SUPPORTERS AND OPPONENTS OF THE PREVIOUS TRAIL PROPOSAL HAVE CONTINUED TO STUDY THE OLD PLANS. WE BELIEVE THAT A NARROWER SCALED-BACK WALKWAY CLOSER TO THE ROAD AND RIGHT-OF-WAY CAN BE CONSTRUCTED FOR NO MORE THAN THE COUNTY SHARE OF THE PREVIOUS PROJECT. IT WOULD FUNCTION AS A SIDEWALK WITH AN EXCEPTIONAL VIEW OF THE WATERWAY IN THE PARK PROVIDING A SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE SOLUTION FOR PEDESTRIANS. AND THEREFORE I REQUEST THAT IS WE REQUEST THAT THE BOARD PROVIDE WHATEVER AUTHORIZATION OR DIRECTION PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF WOULD NEED IN ORDER TO WORK WITH RESIDENCE ON A PLAN TEST PLANNED WALKWAY THAT WOULD RESOLVE THE CHRONIC ISSUE ON SHORE DRIVE WHILE PRESERVING THE AESTHETIC OF THE PARK. IF THE ENGINEERING AND NUMBERS WORK A NEW PLAN CAN BE BROUGHT BACK TO ENJOY PUBLIC SUPPORT AND HOPEFULLY RECEIVE YOUR APPROVAL. THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING. IS SAMUEL PAUL GARRISON IN THE HOUSE? I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR SPEAKER GARRISON AND I AGREE WITH -- ASKED FOR A LIST OF HIS CURRENT CLIENTS AND HE WOULD NOT SHARE THAT INFORMATION AND I AGREE WITH DORIS TAYLOR WHO SPOKE ABOUT CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN FLORIDA STATUTE 112. BACK IN 1978 AND 1979 I WAS INVESTIGATING THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY AND HOWARD HENRY BAKER SENIOR, LATER THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF AND I COULD LOOK UP IN MARTINDALE HUBBELL AND GET A COMPLETE LIST OF MOST OF THE REPRESENTED CLIENTS OF THE HOWARD BAKER LAW FIRM. WON'T EVEN TELL COMMISSIONER TAYLOR WHO THEIR CURRENT CORPORATE CLIENTS ARE BUT WE KNOW ALL ABOUT THE SLAUGHTER BROTHERS. YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT THEM. THEY WERE TWO ROOFERS WHO ACTUALLY WERE CONVICTED WITH HIM AS A CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER, CONVICTED IN FEDERAL COURT OF WHITE COLLAR FRAUD AND CRIMES. TAX FRAUD. WORKERS COMPENSATION FRAUD. WHILE HE WOULD NOT TELL COMMISSIONER TAYLOR WHO HIS CLIENTS ARE WE FOUND OUT FROM THE NEWSPAPER BECAUSE THEY HAD A REPORTER COVERING THE FEDERAL COURT SPEAK BUT I THINK IT IS A CRIME FOR ST. JOHNS COUNTY TO ALLOW ITSELF TO BE -- APPEALS TO INFLUENCE UNTIRING THE SAME LAWYER LAW FIRM AS FOUR OTHER COUNTIES. I HOPE THAT WHEN COMMISSIONER MURPHY HOLDS THE MEETING WITH MR. KOMANDO TO NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT HE WILL FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF MY GRANDMOTHER. THIS IS WRONG. THIS IS NOT ST. JOHNS COUNTY. I AM ASHAMED OF THE FACT THAT THREE COMMISSIONERS VOTED TO HIRE THE LAW FIRM OF THE CURRENT FLORIDA SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE TO BE. WHO JUST HAPPENS TO ALSO BE THE CHAIR OF THE FLORIDA HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE. RULES AND ETHICS COMMITTEE. THAT DOG WON'T HUNT. WE SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN THE INFLUENCE. BY THE NAME, I AM ED SLAVIN AND I AM A CANDIDATE FOR -- AND ELECTION DATE IS NOVEMBER 3RD. I PRESENTED ON MARCH 15, 2022 A [00:50:02] LIST OF PROPOSED -- FOR ST. JOHNS COUNTY WHICH ONLY ONE WAS ADOPTED. NOW THE SHERIFF HAS POLICE BODY WORN CAMERAS. LET'S DO THIS RIGHT. OUR TIME, OUR COUNTY, OUR COUNTRY. >> GOOD MORNING. I AM JUDY SPIEGEL AND I LIVE AT 101 -- LANE AND I WANTED TO MAKE A REMINDER OF THE WONDERFUL RIGHT TO EXPRESS OURSELVES IN ELECTIONS BY VOTING. IF YOU LIVE IN DISTRICT SIX IT IS THE SOUTHERN PART OF DISTRICT 3. THERE IS A SPECIAL ELECTION TODAY TO REPLACE A CONGRESSMAN SO I AM NOT HERE TO SUPPORT ANYONE CANDIDATE. I DO HAVE MY OPINION BUT I DO WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION AND THE POLLS CLOSE AT 7:00 P.M. THE SOUTHWEST BRANCH OF THE LIBRARY IS THE POLLING PLACE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. NEXT. >> GOOD MORNING. I AM SORRY I MISSED THE LAST MEETING. MY CHIEF OF STAFF HAD A MEETING AT WAS DOWN AND OUT. HERE WE ARE AGAIN ABOUT THE BOAT RAMP. I HAVE A CLIP FROM THE NEWSPAPER. YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO WORK ON COMMUNITY TRUST AND WELL-BEING. AND YOU NEED TO GET ON THAT PRETTY QUICK . >> YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE . >> WHAT THE DEAL IS WE HAVE SOME OLIGARCHS. >> NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD . >> L HENNESSY 5461 -- STREET ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. THE PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE ROAD NO I AM TRYING TO BURST THEIR BUBBLE. ON FOOT WITH THE DOG AND GOT -- COMMISSIONER MCCORMICK HAS ALL OF THIS. AND TALKING ABOUT THE WATER SITUATION, THIS IS THE END OF PALMETTO ROAD RIGHT HERE AND YOU CAN SEE IT STARTS AT THE SUNSET LANDING WHERE IT BEGINS AS THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND THEY BUILT THEIR LANDSCAPE UP SO MUCH THAT THE WATER WILL NOT DRAIN. YOU GO TO PUT YOUR BOAT IN AND YOU ALMOST GET A LUNCH BEFORE YOU GET THERE BUT THE MAIN THING I WANT TO DISCUSS WITH YOU IS THIS DOCUMENT I SHOWED YOU A FEW MEETINGS AGO THAT WILL SMITH AND ERIC HEART MET WITH THE HOMEOWNERS OF THE -- AND THEY WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND EMAILS THAT DID NOT INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY. THEY JUST INCLUDED THE WILL SMITH, THE DURANTS AND WILL CLARK WHO GAVE THEM PERMISSION , IT IS OKAY IF YOU PUT YOUR DRIVEWAY AND YOUR MAILBOX ON THE COUNTY RIGHT-OF-WAY, WHICH THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO DO BECAUSE IT IS A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION. SO, THE MAILBOX HAVE TO BE ON THE MAIN STREET SIDE AND NOT THE DRIVEWAY SIDE. IT WILL INTERFERE WITH PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE BOAT RAMP. NO PLANTINGS ALONG THE DRIVEWAY SIDE WITHIN THE COUNTY OWNED RIGHT AWAY TO INTERFERE WITH TURNAROUND FOR USERS OF THE BOAT RAMP. THE MAILBOX IS STILL IN THE WAY AND IRRIGATION IS ALL OVER THE PLACE. THE BIRDS OF PARADISE ARE OUT THERE AND HE YELLS AT THEM THAT THEY ARE TRESPASSING THEN THEY CALL THE COPS ENDED ENDS UP THAT I GET THROWN IN JAIL AND I GET MORE -- AND I COME HERE AND NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. THEY DO NOT REALIZE I AM A LION IN A DURABLE OUTFIT. THEY ARE GOING TO MESS WITH ME ONE MORE TIME AND I'LL PUT UP WITH IT. >> I NOTICE THAT LETTER IS 2015 . >> YES, IT HAS BEEN 10 YEARS. AND I HAVE ABOUT 20 POUNDS WORTH OF OTHER STUFF. >> SHERRY BADGER 2772 SOUTH COLLINS AVENUE. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THIS STUFF IS STILL GOING ON WITH THE NEW [00:55:01] COMMISSIONERS AND EVERYTHING. IT SEEMS LIKE WE REALLY NEED THE FBI. WE GOT DOGE AT THE AIRPORT. MAYBE WE NEED THE FBI IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY OR SOMEBODY THAT WILL TRULY INVESTIGATE YOUR STAFF. DEVELOPERS COME IN, THEY GO IN THE CORNER AND HAVE AN OFF THE RECORD POWWOW WITH GUYS BACK THERE TALKING FOR FOUR OR FIVE MINUTES, GO BACK TO ANOTHER ONE. I'VE GOT PICTURES AND SO DO YOU WELL. WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS COUNTY IS NOT COOL. YOU SAY YOU ARE AGAINST DEVELOP AND BUT 200 HOUSES EVERY WEEK AND YOU ALL HAVE YET TO FIX THE INFRASTRUCTURE. WAITS UNTIL THEY GET NEW APARTMENTS FOR LEASE OR RENT OPENED. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE. CULVERS IS FINALLY GOING TO GET THERE RED LIGHT LEFT TURN ONLY BUT THIS IS A STATE ROAD. YOU ALL DO NOT GOVERN IT. YOUR RED LIGHTS DON'T WORK. WE USED TO HAVE PADS THEN THEY TOOK THE PADS OUT AND THEY PUT UP THE LITTLE LASER THINGS THAT COULD TELL WHEN YOU PULL UP NOW ON 16, TO GET OUT OF COLLINS AVENUE YOU GET THREE OR FOUR CARS OUT BEFORE THE LIGHT TURNS. AT THE HIGH SCHOOL BEACH -- LET OUT TIMES, THE TRAFFIC IS LETTING TWO OR THREE CARS. THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE OF THE TRAFFIC F1 DEPARTMENT IS DROPPING THE BALL BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT RUNNING THE RED LIGHTS ON 16 RIGHT. YOU ALL NEED TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONES THAT KEEP APPROVING EVERYTHING GOING UP OUT THERE SO AT LEAST TRY TO FIX THE RED LIGHTS AND WHAT ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. WITH THE CITY, THE CITY, I KNOW YOU ALL FEEL FOR THEM BUT IF THE CITY WOULD STOP GIVING THEIR TAX BASE AWAY TO -- COLLEGE MAYBE THEY COULD PAY THEIR OWN BILLS. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS. HAVE A GREAT DAY. >> THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. BJ -- CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK. WHO DECIDED TO CREATE THE TRANSPARENCY DEPARTMENT? NO NEED IF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF ARE TRANSPARENT. WHAT FINANCIAL BENEFIT WAS THE PGA GOLF TOURNAMENT? THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY SHERIFF INMATE SEARCH WEBSITE THAT INFORMS AND PROTECTS THE WEBSITE IS STILL NOT FUNCTIONING AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS A SEE RAE PROGRAM TO SAFEGUARD THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THOSE IN OUR SOCIETY. STILL WAITING FOR THE PLAQUE AT 32 MENENDEZ TO BE MOVED TO THE RIGHT PLACE. THE MAIN BRAIN AGREE IS NOW OPEN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR MOVING PUBLIC COMMENT. TAXPAYERS ALSO KNOWN AS RESIDENTS, SOME COMMISSIONERS DID NOT WANT THIS CHANGE AND DON'T WANT TO HEAR FROM OF US. PLEASE LISTEN TO 90.5 FM. THERE IS HOPE. AND, SO EVERYONE CAN FIX THIS PROBLEM. EVERY ONE OF US IN THE ROOM CAN FIX THIS. IT IS EASY. WHEN USING THE BATHROOMS IN THIS BUILDING PLEASE CHECK BECAUSE ALL OUR NOT SO FLUSHING SO, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE IF THERE IS A LITTLE HANDLE BUT HAS BEEN PUT UP ON ONE OF THE BATHROOMS TO SHOW YOU HOW TO DO IT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE NOTICED THAT. BUT, YOU ALL DON'T GO TO OUR BATHROOM. I AM INVITING ALL FIVE OF YOU AND THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE LAWYERS TO COME TO OUR BATHROOM. NOT YOUR SPECIAL BATHROOMS BUT FOR EVERYBODY AND SEE HOW IT WORKS. YOU EITHER FLUSH IT OR IF IT IS NOT DOING IT ON ITS OWN, LOOK FOR THE HANDLE. IT IS RIGHT BEHIND WHERE YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR BUSINESS. WE, THE PUBLIC, THE [01:00:06] TAXPAYERS OF DON'T GIVE SPECIAL BUT THAT IS NOT RIGHT. THAT IS , I'M GOING TO USE A BIG WORD, DISCRIMINATION. DISCRIMINATION ABOUT HOW YOU USE A BATHROOM? NOT IN OUR COUNTY. ALL FIVE AND ALL STAFF, CHECK OUT OUR BATHROOMS. THEY ARE RIGHT BACK THERE. YOU CANNOT MISS THEM. >> BATHROOM DISCRIMINATION. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT . [Additional Item] >> WE ARE BACK TO THE BOARD TO START THE MEETING. THE RED FOLDER ITEM. JOE . >> GOOD MORNING CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS I AND JOE FROM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. THIS IS FOR AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN -- AND ST. JOHNS COUNTY. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO I CAME AND TALKED ABOUT WE HAVE TO DO MONITORING ON THE BEACH SO WHERE ST. AUGUSTINE. IS, WE HAVE TO GO TO THE -- WE ARE LOOKING TO CLOSE POPE ROAD, THE PARKING LOT FROM 8:00 TOMORROW NIGHT FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS UNTIL THURSDAY TO FACILITATE BRINGING HEAVY EQUIPMENT TO KNOCKDOWN THE SCAR UP AND GET OUT OF THE WAY. WE ARE NOT CLOSING ACCESS FOR PEOPLE TO WALK TO THE BEACH. WE NEED TO USE THE PARKING LOT FOR THAT 24 HOUR PERIOD AND I HAVE A MOTION IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ IT. >> AFTER THE MOTION OR BEFORE. DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? >> PUBLIC COMMENT, AFTER THE MOTION OR BEFORE? >> I HAVE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO SIGN THE PERMISSIVE AGREEMENT CLOSING THE PARKING LOT AT POPE ROAD BEGINNING AT 8:00 P.M. ON APRIL 2ND . >> SECOND . >> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. PUBLIC COMMENT . >> PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE RED FOLDER. SEEING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. THE MOTION IS ON THE TABLE. PLEASE VOTE. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, 5-0. THANK [1. Transportation Planning Subcommittee Presentation. Staff will present an overview of transportation planning and, including an overview of roadway capacity planning, Capital Improvement Projects, and a review of the existing traffic.] YOU. NEXT, DICK D'SOUZA, ITEM 1A. >> GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. DICK D'SOUZA, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION. I AM PRESENTING THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SUBCOMMITTEE PRESENTATION SO THIS IS JUST AN UPDATE. I WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF TRANSPORTATION IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND GET INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT MAKES OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK FUNCTION AND WHY IT FUNCTIONS THE WAY THAT IT DOES. I WILL TURN IT OVER TO PUBLIC WORKS AND WE WILL LOOK AT PROJECTS THAT WERE RECENTLY COMPLETED OR ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND WE WILL LOOK AT THE CURRENT ROAD CAPACITY AND COMPARE IT TO SOME RECENT PROJECTS GOING ON AND HOW WE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. STARTING OFF WITH A TRANSPORTATION OVERVIEW I WILL GO OVER KEY TOPICS. WHAT ARE THE ROADS IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY USED FOR. LEVEL OF SERVICE IS A TERM WE THROW AROUND FREQUENTLY IN THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING WORLD SO IT IS A LITTLE IN THE WEEDS AND TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND HOW ALL OF THESE ASPECTS WORK TOGETHER IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION. IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY HAS THREE TYPES OF ROADWAYS. LOCAL ROADS, THINK THE ROAD THAT YOUR HOUSE IS ON. KIDS ARE PLAYING ON THE SIDEWALKS. MINOR COLLECTORS. LOOT PARKWAY. IF YOU LIVE IN NOT COULD SEE IT WOULD BE A 20 MILE ROADWAY OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT. IT IS THE ROAD THAT FUNNELS ALL OF THE TRAFFIC FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUT TO THE MAJOR COLLECTORS. THAT IS A MAJOR ROADWAY NETWORK. IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR TRANSPORTATION. IT IS HOW YOU GET TO WORK, TO SCHOOL, AND A DESTINATION. LEVEL OF SERVICE. I HAVE TO GET REALLY TECHNICAL HERE. LEVEL OF SURFACE IS A QUANTITATIVE STRATIFICATION OF THE PERCEIVED COMFORT OF THE [01:05:01] ROAD WHICH IS A LOT OF WORDS TO SAY. WE DIVIDE THE ROAD UP INTO THE LATTER CATEGORY AND EVERY LETTER CORRESPONDS TO THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC ON THAT ROAD DURING THE PEAK HOURS YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE. WE USE LETTER A THROUGH F AND THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR GRADE IN SCHOOL BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH HOW MANY CARS ARE ON THE ROAD. WHEN YOU DRIVE DURING THE PEAK HOUR YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO SEE VERY MANY CARS. LEVEL OF SERVICE A, -- THIS JUST MEANS THERE ARE A LOT MORE VEHICLES. CHANGE LANES AND THERE WILL BE MORE CARS. YOU WILL FEEL MORE CONSTRAINED. IT DOES NOT MEAN IT IS FAILING. THE COST IS LOWER AT SERVICE LEVEL F. TRAFFIC IS, BY DESIGN, HIRED DURING PEAK HOURS TO BALANCE OUT THINGS. A LOT OF DIFFERENT VARIABLES MAKE UP WHAT GOES INTO THE LEVEL OF SERVICE CALCULATION. WHAT TYPE OF ROAD IS IT? WHAT IS THE LAND-USE. IS IT AN WIRRAL AREA. ARE WE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE? ARE THERE SIGNALS? HOW FAR APART ARE THEY? WHAT IS THE LENGTH OF THE SEGMENT AND A LOT OF FACTORS COME INTO PLAY TO DETERMINE PEAK HOUR CAPACITY. WE TALK ABOUT HOW LEVEL OF SERVICES BASED OFF OF DRIVER PERCEPTION SO HOW COMFORTABLE IS THAT PERSON DRIVING THEIR CAR. IF THERE IS NO ONE ELSE ON THE ROAD YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOMEONE PULLING OUT IN FRONT OF YOU. LEVEL OF SERVICE F YOU WILL BE MORE CONSCIOUS OF SOMEBODY NEXT TO YOU. THERE ARE FACTORS THAT COME INTO PLAY WITH THAT INCLUDING HOW FAST YOU WERE GOING, WHAT ARE THE DELAYS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING. SIGNAL ASSERTION. SO, WHY DO WE PICK ON LEVEL OF SERVICE D. THAT WAS SET BY D.O.T. POLICY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MORE RURAL COMMUNITIES SO ST. JOHNS COUNTY HAS ADOPTED A SIMILAR STANCE WITHIN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SO THE LEVEL OF SERVICE D DOES ANTICIPATE THAT DURING PEAK HOURS THERE WILL BE OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD AND IT STRIKES A BALANCE BETWEEN COST, SAFETY, AND HAVING AN EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION NETWORK SO UNDER LEVEL OF SERVICE D, TRAFFIC WILL BE MOVING SLOWER. THIS KEEPS CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS AT A LOWER COST BY ENSURING AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF VEHICLES THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THIS GOES BACK TO THE DAYS IN PASSING, IT JUST MEANS THERE IS NOBODY ON THE ROAD. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS. WE ARE BEING FISCALLY SOUND WITH OUR FUNDS. ROADS DON'T JUST CAUSE THE ASPHALT THAT GOES DOWN AND THE CONCRETE THAT GOES DOWN. OFTEN TIMES WE ARE TALKING LAND ACQUISITION TO EXPAND THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION COST AND THE UNDERGROUND COST. THAT RESULT IN RELOCATION OF UTILITIES WHICH CAN BE COSTLY AND TIME-CONSUMING. HOW WE MAINTAIN ROADS SO IT IS STILL FUNCTIONING WHILE WE ARE WORKING ON IT. SERVICES OUTSIDE ENGINEERING INSPECTIONS MAKE SURE ROADS ARE BUILT TO OUR STANDARDS. OFTEN TIMES ST. JOHNS COUNTY IS A WET COUNTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS LIKE WETLAND MITIGATION PERMITTING, THAT IN GENERAL HAS A DIRECT COST BUT THERE ARE ALSO BULLIES NONDIRECT COSTS. ANYTIME WE DO A PROJECT LIKE THIS IT WILL INCONVENIENCE THE TRAVELING PUBLIC AND IT WILL MAKE THINGS TAKE LONGER. THESE ARE NOT QUANTIFIABLE BUT THEY ARE FELT SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ADDED TOGETHER BASED OFF OF OUR CURRENT COST , IF WE WANTED TO TAKE AN EXISTING TWO LANE ROAD AND MAKE IT A FOUR LANE ROAD WE ARE LOOKING AT $11.2 MILLION PER MILE. SO, I WAS PRETTY IN THE WEEDS. THAT IS JUST FOR MOVING CARS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND THE LEVEL OF SERVICE DICTATES THE ACCEPTABLE -- LEVEL OF SERVICE DRIVEN BY PERCEPTION AND THE PERCEPTION IS CHANGING AS THE VOLUME OF VEHICLES CHANGE. MORE CARS ON THE ROAD YOU WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF SERVICE. IT IS ALL PERCEPTION BASED AND BRINGING IT FULL [01:10:01] CIRCLE, ROADBUILDING IS COSTLY SO A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THAT. THIS IS JUST A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE DASHBOARD AND I ONLY HIGHLIGHTED PROJECTS WE ARE WORKING ON. WE HAVE 45 PROJECTS AND OVER $200 MILLION INVESTED DOING THIS WORK FOR THE COUNTY. >> GOOD MORNING. GREG CALDWELL, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. THAT IS SOME GOOD STUFF AND I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT LEVEL OF SERVICE. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PROJECTS ONGOING. THESE ARE A LIST OF ACTIVE PROJECTS. WE HAVE COUNTY ROAD 2209. COUNTY ROAD 210 WEST AND EAST. WE HAVE RACETRACK ROAD WIDENING. PINE ISLAND AND US-1, THE ST. FRANCIS AND 16 INTERSECTION AND 207 AND BRINKERHOFF IS ANOTHER SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION AS WELL AS IMPROVEMENTS TO HOLMES BOULEVARD AND FOUR MILE ROAD. THESE ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR IN THE LOOP FOR CONSTRUCTION. CONTRACTS ARE BEING SIGNED FOR ST. FRANCIS OUT FOR BID RIGHT NOW SO THESE ARE DOLLARS ON THE GROUND AND DOLLARS IN CONSTRUCTION THAT WILL SEE IMPROVEMENTS. SOME OF THESE ARE VERY LARGE PROJECTS. WE ARE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE. THERE ARE PROJECTS IN DESIGN. WE HAVE A SEGMENT OF GREENBRIER ROAD THAT IS THE COUNTY RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE ARE GETTING A CONTRACT UNDERWAY TO DESIGN THAT. WE ARE LOOKING AT THE 210 US-1 INTERCHANGE. -- IS ANOTHER MAJOR INTERSECTION THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE UNDER DESIGN RIGHT NOW. 16 A IS SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD SAW LAST YEAR AND PROVIDED DIRECTION. AS WELL AS SOME OF THESE LONGER-TERM PROJECTS LIKE KINGS ESTATE AND TO OLD MOULTRIE. GOING BACK TO WHAT WE SAID ABOUT LAND ACQUISITION AND UTILITY IMPACTS, THOSE WILL BE COSTLY BECAUSE THOSE ARE OLDER CORRIDORS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE AREA FOR A LONG TIME. THEY TAKE QUITE A BIT OF TIME FOR US TO GET THEM UP AND RUNNING BUT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT IMPROVEMENTS LIKE STRATTON BOULEVARD AND STATE ROUTE 16. WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO CULVERS. WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT BID OUT IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS. THAT WILL IMPROVE -- ALSO, PALENCIA. IT IS A DIRT ROAD RIGHT NOW THAT WILL BE PAVED. THE INTENT IS TO CONTINUE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE. OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY TO THE ACCEPTABLE LEVEL. FOR EXAMPLE, COUNTY ROAD 2209 UNDER CONSTRUCTION TO BUILD A FOUR-LANE ROADWAY FROM ST. JOHNS PARKWAY ALL THE WAY TO I P AND ULTIMATELY TO STATE ROAD 16. THIS IS A PARALLEL COURT OR TO 95 WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS WIN95 GETS IMPACTED ALL OF THE OTHER ROADS GET FLOODED WITH VEHICLES AND THIS WILL ADD A MAJOR COMPONENT TO OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK THAT WILL DO A NICE CONNECTION. IT WILL HELP WITH SCHOOL TRAFFIC. THIS IS GOING TO BE A GAME CHANGER FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THAT AREA BUT UNDER CONSTRUCTION, $40 MILLION WORTH OF WORK THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT. THE STATE HAS PROVIDED EXCESS OF $25 MILLION FOR THESE IMPROVEMENTS AND WE ARE LOOKING AT STATE ROUTE 16 AND GDP. GOING BACK TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND LAND ACQUISITION AND GETTING THIS PUT TOGETHER, THIS IS FINALLY ALL COME TOGETHER. WE RECEIVED DIRECTION FROM THE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WHERE THEY INITIATED THE CONTRACT TO START THE DRAINAGE WORK ALONG IDP WHICH SHOULD BEGIN I THE NEXT 30 DAYS AND THAT WILL GET THIS PROJECT EXPEDITED. RIGHT NOW, JUST SO EVERYBODY IS CLEAR, WE WILL HAVE A FOUR LANE SECTION OF STATE ROUTE 16 FROM 2209 CONNECTION ALL THE WAY THROUGH I P. THIS IS A MAJOR PINCH POINT. WE HAVE THE OUTLET MALL ON THE EAST SIDE AND ON THE WEST SIDE WE HAVE IGP. THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE I-95 INTERCHANGE AND ST. JOHNS COUNTY HAS BEEN MOVED FORWARD ON THIS SO I THINK THIS WILL MEAN MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO STATE ROUTE 16 AND THIS WILL GET US THROUGH WHILE THE D.O.T. IS COMMENCING DESIGN. THIS WILL BE FOUR LANES ON STATE ROUTE 16, 22009 AND IGP IN THIS [01:15:02] INTERSECTION. THEN THIS IS A PROJECT THAT IS NEARING COMPLETION. IT IS OPEN AND FUNCTIONING BUT WE ARE DOING SOME CLEANUP. THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A PROJECT THAT WAS IN AN AREA THAT THE LEVEL OF SERVICE WAS A F. WE LOOKED AT IT AND WE DID A STUDY AND WE WORKED FOR THE STATE AND WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT RINGS THIS TO A LEVEL OF SERVICE D. MOVING FROM A F TO A LEVEL OF SERVICE D. HOPI YOU HAVE -- HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS. THE INTERSECTION IS WORKING. IT WORKED VERY WELL OVER TTC WEEKEND. THESE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT PINCH POINTS AND INTERSECTIONS AND WE ARE ABLE TO INITIATE THEM SO THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT. AS WELL AS LONELY PINES PARKWAY. THIS IS A SECTION THAT PUBLIC WORKS WAS LOOKING AT DOING AS THREE DIFFERENT PHASES BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING AVAILABILITY. THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAS CHANGED THE NARRATIVE AND COMMUNICATED WITH THE DEVELOPER THAT PROVIDED FUNDING UPFRONT PROVIDING 19 -- PROVIDED $19.2 BILLION TO COMPLETE THIS IN ONE PHASE. THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE AND NOT ONLY IS IT NOW FULLY COMPLETE BUT WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO SEE, TO HAVE A SURPLUS IN THE PROJECT SO WE BUILT THIS PROJECT FOR $15.1 MILLION AND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE COUNTY ROAD PROJECT AND LOOK AT THAT INTERSECTION. WE GOT MULTIPLE PROJECTS FUNDED FROM THIS ONE DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THROUGH THE DIALOGUE GOING ON SO THESE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT IF YOU ARE ON LONGLEAF PINE PARKWAY NOW, THIS IS COMPLETE. THIS IS PROBABLY ACTING AS A LEVEL OF SERVICE C AND WHEN IT IS DONE IT WILL SERVE AS A LEVEL OF SERVICE D. >> THANK YOU, GREG, FOR GOING OVER THE PROJECTS GOING ON HERE IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY NOW WE WILL BRING IT FULL CIRCLE AND TALK ABOUT CURRENT ROAD CAPACITY. COMMISSIONERS WERE PROVIDED WITH THIS MAP EARLIER. APOLOGIES TO EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE. WE WILL WORK TO GET THIS POSTED ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE. THIS IS AN OVERLAY OF CURRENT ROAD CAPACITY BASED OFF OF EXISTING TRIPS. THE ACTUAL TRIPS ON THE ROAD SHOWS WHAT THE CAPACITY IS ON COUNTY ROADS SPECIFICALLY. IT IS COLOR-CODED. YELLOW WE ARE AT THE 90% THRESHOLD AND IF WE ARE READ WE ARE AT THE 100% CAPACITY BUT OVERLAID, WE HAVE 25 CIP PROJECTS POINTED OUT SO, IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED AND LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT WHERE WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE COLORED ROAD SEGMENTS YOU CAN SEE THAT THE COUNTY CIP PROCESS IS KEEPING UP WITH THE EXISTING NEEDS OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND THE REASON I WANT TO BRING THIS UP IS BECAUSE AS WE GO THROUGH GROWTH MANAGEMENT PROJECTS WE TALK ABOUT ROADWAY AND CONCURRENCY IN THE CONCURRENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THAT ARE BROUGHT UP, THAT WOULD TRULY BE A WORSE CASE SCENARIO. THOSE ARE WORTH -- WITH VESTED TRIPS. STUFF -- TO MATCH UP WITH ACTUAL TRIPS BUT, THOSE BEST TRIP TOTALS WOULD BE THE WORST CASE SCENARIO IF EVERY SINGLE HOME IS BUILT ALL AT ONCE TONIGHT THEN WE WILL SEE 107%. BUT WE DON'T SEE THAT. IT TAKES YEARS TO DEVELOP A PROJECT, BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE THEN BUILD THE HOUSES AND GET PEOPLE TO MOVE INTO THEM. WITH THE CIP PROCESS WE ARE MEETING THOSE NEEDS. THIS IS OUTSIDE OF DEVELOPER COMMITMENTS. WE WILL LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IN A SECOND BUT THIS IS TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY, THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE ARE MEETING THE NEEDS TODAY AND WE ARE WORKING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF TOMORROW IN A FASTER FASHION. IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THE PRESENTATION, WE TAKE ANNUAL COUNTS AND THESE ARE USED FOR CONCURRENCY MANAGEMENT. WE UNDERSTAND THAT STATE ROAD 16 IS APPROACHING THAT CAPACITY. I [01:20:03] BELIEVE D.O.T. HAS CHANGED THAT VALUE BUT OF THE EXISTING TRAFFIC ON ROADS 42 OUT OF 211 ARE AT 90% UTILIZATION AT LEAST BUT IF YOU TAKE OUT I-95, 207, STATE ROAD 16, WE HAVE 14 LINKS. NOT 14 ROADS. 14 LINKS SO IT MIGHT BE A SMALL SEGMENT OF IGP WHERE WE ARE NOT MEETING -- NOT THE ENTIRE ROAD. 14 INDIVIDUAL LINKS. AS AN EXAMPLE, WE REALLY TOUCHED ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS BUT HERE IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE WE ARE GETTING AHEAD OF THE GAME AND WE WILL GO THROUGH HOW THE LEVEL OF SERVICE CHANGES. USING GREENBRIER ROAD, 2024, GREENBRIER ROAD AT ABOUT 1000 PEAK HOUR TRIPS. THE CAPACITY IS ABOUT 1400 TRIPS FOR THAT PEAK HOUR. IN 2024 GREENBRIER WAS COMING IN AND THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR FUNDING AND IMPROVEMENT 24 LANE THAT ROAD AND THAT BRINGS THE CAPACITY TO UP OVER 3200 TRIPS AND THAT IS IMPORTANT. HERE IS A COMPARISON. AT GREENBRIER ROAD, TULANE AND ON THE BOTTOM, THE FOUR LANE THAT IS UNDER DESIGN. WE ARE TALKING EXISTING TRIPS. THE EXISTING 1000 TRIPS, OUR UTILIZATION RIGHT THERE ON GREENBRIER ROAD IS JUST UNDER 70% UTILIZATION. YOU AT THE COMMITTING STRIPS AND WE JUMP OVER 136% BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE SPACE ON THAT EXISTING ROAD. WORSE CASE SCENARIO ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY BUILT ALL OF THOSE TRIPS. WHICH THE BOARD HAS MADE SURE THEY CANNOT DO THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BUT IF THEY WERE ABLE TO GET ALL OF THOSE TRIPS ON THE ROAD TODAY WE WOULD BE OVERCAPACITY. INSTEAD WHAT WE HAVE DONE THROUGH THE ACTIONS OF THE BOARD, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING THAT ROAD BEFORE IT GETS TO THAT PRECIPICE SO WE ARE NOT GOING OVER THAT. SOMEONE THAT COMES ON IT IS LIKELY THEY WILL NOT HAVE MANY UNITS. WE HAVE GONE FROM 68% TO 38% UTILIZATION. EVEN WHEN ALL OF THOSE ARE THERE WE ARE STILL ONLY AT 57% UTILIZATION. WE ARE GETTING AHEAD OF THAT ON GREENBRIER ROAD BECAUSE WE ARE MAKING THESE IMPROVEMENTS UP FRONT. THIS IMPROVEMENTS DO HAVE THIS CAPACITY AND WE BASE THINGS OFF OF LEVEL OF SERVICE D AND WE HAVE ROOM TO HAVE MORE TRIPS ON THERE. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE DEVELOPER WILL NOT PAY THEIR SHARE. WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE CAPACITY ON THE ROAD FOR THE NEEDS OF TODAY AND TOMORROW. WE ARE WORKING TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE AND I'M SURE AND ENSURE THESE PROBLEMS ARE MITIGATED. WITH THAT WE HAVE STAFF READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS . >> DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS? >> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WORK IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE, A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE WALKED INTO MY SHOP WEARING A CERTAIN WATCH THEY ARE AN EXPERT SO I I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULT POSITION YOU ARE IN WITH ALL OF THE DATA YOU HAVE TO CONCERN AND WITH ALL OF THE VARIABLE CHANGE THAT YOU WERE DEALING WITH, TRYING TO DISTILL IT DOWN. IT IS DIFFICULT WHEN TRAFFIC IMPACTS ALL OF US. IT IS A SERIOUS CONSIDERATION BUT YOU, AS THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT, I AM SURE THE LENS THROUGH WHICH TO VIEW OUR TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES IS -- SO I APPRECIATE YOU SIMPLIFYING IT AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN SO THAT THOSE OF US THAT ARE LAY PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND IT. I NOTICED IN THE PRESENTATION SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED FOR THE FIRST COAST EXPRESSWAY. AND THE I-95 WIDENING PROJECT BUT ALSO THE VETERANS PARKWAY, THAT EXTENSION WILL EVENTUALLY CONNECT TO GREENBRIER AND THAT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW SO I WANTED TO MENTION THOSE PROJECTS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE OVER $1 [01:25:05] BILLION OF TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN FUNDED. MONEY HAS BEEN APPROPRIATED. THEY ARE IN SOME PHASE OF DESIGN, ENGINEER, OR CONSTRUCTION. MR. CALDWELL IT IS ALWAYS A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT WE GET IT FUNDED. PEOPLE DON'T ACTUALLY CARE. PEOPLE DON'T CARE HOW MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE FUNDED. JUST WANT IT FIXED. THEY WANTED BUILT. THEY WANTED DONE YESTERDAY. WE TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES. THE PLANNING AND DESIGN AND THE WATER DISTRICT HAS REGULATIONS. UTILITY ISSUES. CAN YOU GO THROUGH SOME OF THE CHALLENGES IT TAKES TO GET IT OUT. >> I HAVE BEEN WITH ST. JOHNS COUNTY 27 YEARS AND THEY STARTED IN 1998. ONE OF MY FIRST PROJECTS WAS GREENBRIER ROAD. PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO WORK WITH US AT THAT TIME AND UTILITIES WERE NOT IN PLACE. IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS MORE COLLABORATIVE AT THAT TIME AND IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME TO PURCHASE LAND. RIGHT NOW ACQUIRING PROPERTY FROM ADJACENT LANDOWNERS HAS BEEN DIFFICULT. WE HAVE A TEAM THAT DO AN AMAZING JOB BUT IT IS TIME-CONSUMING SO WE LOOK AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ENGINEER WHERE WE DO NOT NEED ADDITIONAL RIGHT-OF-WAY BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE TIME FRAMES IT TAKES TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. IT IS A DIFFERENT TIME THAN THE LATE 90S TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW BUT THE COST OF PROPERTY IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY, THAT IS ONE OF THE MAJOR COMPONENTS. THERE ARE TWO ISSUES WITH DELAYING THE PROJECT. LAND ACQUISITION AND PERMITTING. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH WHERE THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS USED TO SUPPORT THE WOODLAND PERMITTING PROCESS AND THAT IS NOW BACK WITH THE CORE. IT IS A CHALLENGE FOR US TO MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS AS WE GO THROUGH THE FLIP-FLOPPING WITH THE ARMY CORPS. THAT IS HIT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS DRASTICALLY AND CAUSING DELAYS. WE ARE FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL AND CONTACTING REPRESENTATIVES BUT THERE -- THOSE ARE TWO AREAS IMPACTED. 210 EAST IS A GREAT EXAMPLE. THERE ARE BORDERLINES AND FPL LINES, COMCAST, EVERYBODY YOU CAN THINK OF HAS A LINE IN THAT CORRIDOR AND WE HAD TO HAVE THEM RELOCATE BEFORE WE STARTED CONSTRUCTION AND THAT WAS START OF -- SOME OF THE DELAYS THAT WE HAVE SEEN. SOME OF THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN IN THE GROUND FOR 20 OR SO THERE IS NO INFORMATION ON WHERE THOSE UTILITIES ARE SO WE LOCATE UTILITIES UPFRONT AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE LOOKING TO DO BUT WE HAVE TO GET THE PROPERTY, THE PERMITS, AND GIVE THEM 6-9 MONTHS TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. WE ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE TO GET PROJECTS COMPLETED AS CONSTRUCTION, PUTTING DOWN - ASPHALT, LIME ROCK IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO EVERY DAY. GETTING IT PREPARED, PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING IN CONSTRUCTION. >> THANK YOU, MR. CALDWELL. I JUST WANT TO REITERATE SO MUCH THE ADMINISTRATION. ALL OF THE EDUCATION THAT YOU HAVE DONE WITH ME HAS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE A PART OF NEGOTIATING THOSE DEALS THAT HAVE HAD A POSITIVE RESULT SO THAT WE CAN GET ROADS BUILT BEFORE THE HOUSES ARE BUILT SO THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK YOU ARE DOING AND OUR COUNTY IS BETTER OFF FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING. >> COMMISSIONER MURPHY . >> A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU. YOU WORK REALLY HARD AND I THINK THAT IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT BUT I HAVE A QUESTION. NUMBER THREE ON OUR MAP SAYS KING STATE ROAD IMPROVEMENT. I KNOW YOU JUST DID RESURFACING. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING OVER THAT ROAD FOR 30 YEARS AND I APPRECIATE THE RESURFACING. IS THAT WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT? >> WE HAD TO BAND-AID BECAUSE THE ROAD WAS IN DISREPAIR. THE MAJOR COLLECTOR OF KINGS ESTATE AND THESE 12 FOOT LANES, PAVED SHOULDERS, PEDESTRIAN FEATURES ON BOTH SIDES. THE RIGHT-OF-WAY IS LIMITED SO WE ARE WORKING WITH ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS TO PURCHASE PROPERTY FOR THE WIDENING THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE AND THAT WILL BE A PHASED APPROACH. WE ARE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT THE FIRST PHASE WHICH WILL BE -- AND THAT WILL INCLUDE 12 FOOT LANES AND WALKWAYS AS WELL AS THE DRAINAGE OF THE KINGS ESTATE CORRIDOR FROM THE EAST AND WEST IS A MAJOR [01:30:05] COLLECTOR AND WE ARE LOOKING TO DELIVER THAT PROJECT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY. >> HAVE YOU STARTED LAND ACQUISITION? >> YES, SIR. WE HAVE BEEN PURCHASING POND LOCATIONS BECAUSE THAT IS A KEY COMPONENT AND LAND MANAGEMENT HAS DONE A GREAT JOB WITH THAT. PRICES ARE MORE EXPENSIVE IN KINGS LANDING THAN EXPECTED SO WE ARE WORKING WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS TO ACQUIRE THAT AS WELL AS CONTINUING WITH THE PERMITTING ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT. >> IS FOUR LANES ENOUGH? >> IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW THIS WILL DELIVER THE PROJECT FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND WE ALSO HAVE THE FIRST COAST EXPRESSWAY AS COMMISSIONER WHITEHURST SAID. WE HAVE A LOT OF EAST-WEST THAT WILL ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE TRAFFIC IN THE FUTURE BUT WHEN WE HAVE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS OUT THERE, I TRAVEL THAT MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY, ONCE WE GET THE PINCH POINTS OPENED UP I FEEL LIKE WE WILL BE IN GOOD STANDING FOR A LONG TIME AND MEET OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE. >> 207 WHERE -- COMES OUT. I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONFLICT THERE. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO TRY TO HELP -- LET ME WORD THIS RIGHT -- HOW CAN WE HELP THE STATE MOVE FORWARD WITH PERMITTING? >> THAT IS SOMETHING MY STUFF HAS BEEN WORKING MOSTLY WITH K HE DEVELOPERS IN THE STATE TO EXPEDITE SOMETHING OUT THERE. WE CANNOT CONTROL HOW QUICKLY THEY PERMIT THROUGH D.O.T. WE ARE APPLYING PRESSURE AS BEST WE CAN WITH D.O.T. AND THE DEVELOPER AND WE ARE GOING TO PROBABLY TRY TO GET TEMPORARY FLASHING BEACONS LIKE THEY HAVE THERE. THEY ARE FAIRLY EFFECTIVE ON PINE ISLAND AND I CAN SEE THEY ARE HAVING A POSITIVE EFFECT WITH PEOPLE SLOWING DOWN AND THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING THERE. THAT SHOULD HELP US GET THROUGH UNTIL THE SIGNAL IS INSTALLED AND IT SHOULD BE CLOSE TO PERMITTING. WE HAVE ORDERED THE BULK OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED FOR THAT TIMELINE. >> LET ME ASK THE QUESTION IN A DIFFERENT WAY. WHAT A LETTER OR CONSENSUS FROM THE BOARD BE HELPFUL IN THIS SITUATION? >> AT THIS POINT STUFF HAS WORKED PRETTY WELL WITH THE D.O.T. IN TERMS OF GETTING THIS PUSHED THROUGH. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE COMMISSION I THINK WE ARE GETTING THIS ONE ACCOMPLISHED. >> I AM GETTING A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT GETTING STUFF DONE SO THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK. >> I WANTED TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR GETTING ON THAT BECAUSE I HAD TALKED TO THE DEVELOPER AND THE MSD GUY. WHAT I WANT TO POINT OUT, THE INTERSECTION, YOU WERE ON IT AND PEOPLE HAD QUESTIONS AND YOU GET BACK TO THEM. I KNOW THAT IS SO MUCH EFFORT BESIDES GETTING IT DONE TO BE ON THE PHONE WITH PEOPLE ALL THE TIME AND I SERIOUSLY APPRECIATE IT. I WANTED TO ASK YOU, EVERYONE HATES SITTING IN TRAFFIC. YOU EXPLAIN WHY THEY ARE SITTING IN TRAFFIC BUT HOW LONG UNTIL WE SEE SOME OF THESE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FINISHED? A YEAR FROM NOW? TWO YEARS FROM NOW? >> I AM GOING TO TURN THAT OVER TO GREG. I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WAITING IN TRAFFIC. IT IS CERTAINLY FRUSTRATING FOR ALL OF US. >> THE PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, PROBABLY THE LONGEST ONE IS 210 WEST. WE DID AND PUT VETERANS, WE ARE LOOKING TO TIE INTO ITP AND POSSIBLY -- BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEARS SO THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE REALIZED THIS YEAR. 210 EAST, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A MAJOR TRAFFIC SHIFT AND YOU MAY HAVE BEEN DOWN THERE TO SEE IT WHERE YOU SEE A LOT OF THE CURVE. YOU SEE LIME ROCK IN PLACE ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE PROJECT AND WE ARE GOING TO SHOOT FOR A JUNE TRANSFER TO THE NEW SECTION AND THAT MEANS A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS OUT OF OUR WAY AND THE MAJOR DRAINAGE EFFORT IS OUT-OF-THE-WAY AND THAT IS A PATH FORWARD TO THE PROJECT BUT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR WE EXPECT MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS. IT WILL BLEED OVER TO NEXT YEAR BUT PINE ISLAND AND U.S. ONE IS [01:35:07] EXPECTED BY THE END OF THE SUMMER. SOUTH FRANCIS AND STATE ROAD 16, WHEN WE HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLACE IT WILL BE A TEMPORARY SIGNAL. WE ARE ACTUALLY, RIGALI ROAD IS ONE THAT WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND THAT HAS A SEVEN MONTH TIMELINE FOR CONSTRUCTION AND A LOT OF THESE WILL BE REALIZED IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYONE IN THE ROOM AND IT IS GOING TO BE EXCITING. YOU SAW 45 PROJECTS UP THERE AND A LOT OF THEM ARE CAPACITY PROJECTS BUT WE ALSO HAVE PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT. THE BOARD SUPPORTS THAT EFFORT OF ABOUT $12 MILLION FOR ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS AND I DO FEEL LIKE OUR COUNTY HAS SOME GOOD ROADS. OUR PAVEMENT INDEX IS PRETTY GOOD WE ARE AT A HIGH LEVEL COMPARED TO THEM BUT THAT IS OUR EXPECTATION AND OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE. >> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU, BOTH, VERY MUCH AND I JUST WANT CLARIFICATION. WHEN YOU SAY THE END OF THE YEAR, YOU THINK THAT WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THE YEAR? >> 2209, RIGHT NOW DOWN FROM ST. JOHNS PARKWAY THROUGH EIJI P AND DOWNSTATE ROAD 16, THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE DELIVERED BY THE END OF THE YEAR. WE ARE LOOKING TO BID OUT THAT PROJECT HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS AND WORKING WITH THE STATE BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE FUNDS FOR THOSE PROJECTS AS WELL AS THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT SO WE EXPECT TO HAVE THE BID OUT AND START CONSTRUCTION THIS SUMMER AND IT WILL PROBABLY BE THE SUMMER THAT YOU SEE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS BUT WE WILL ALSO HAVE 2209 THAT WILL PROVIDE RELIEF FOR THAT AREA WHILE WE HAVE STATE ROUTE 16 UNDER CONSTRUCTION BUT THE BOARD HAS ALSO ALLOWED US TO EXPEDITE SOME OF THE PROJECT BY AWARDING DRAINAGE AND THAT WORK SHOULD START IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS. THE DRAINAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT STATE ROUTE PROJECT WE START IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS AND THE ROADWORK WE ARE LOOKING TO BID OUT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. >> ONE MORE THING. WILL THEY BE ABLE TO TURN RIGHT? WILL THERE BE A SEPARATE LANE TO TURN RIGHT AND LEFT AND TWO LANES TO GO THROUGH? >> EVERYTHING THAT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY SEE. THIS IS A TYPICAL ONE. PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THE INNOVATION THAT THE D.O.T. IS BRINGING TWO ROADS IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY. THIS IS A STANDARD TYPICAL DUAL LEFT TURN LANE, RIGHT TURN LANE AND THROUGH LANE . >> I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU COME TO YOUR TEAM CUT TO MS. SANDERS FOR STANDING UP INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY TEAM. YOU ARE ROCKING. YOU ARE ALWAYS OUT THERE WORKING AND REALLY DOING EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO CATCH US UP SO MUCH APPRECIATED. >> CAN I ASK ONE MORE THING. I 95 AND WORLD GOLF VILLAGE, WE DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF CONTROL THERE BUT IS THERE ANY WAY TO PUT CAUTION, CONGESTED AREA SO PEOPLE KNOW THEY ARE GOING INTO AN AREA THAT IS CONSTANTLY CONGESTED BECAUSE OF BUC-EE'S AND WALMART? >> WE CAN REACH OUT TO THE D.O.T. TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS WE CAN PUT OUT TO HELP WITH TRAFFIC. -- MANAGEMENT HAS A PROJECT GOING ON WITH A NEW SIGNAL JUST DOWN THE ROAD AT THE NEW HOME DEPOT SO, THAT WILL BE A SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION AND THERE IS A LOOP ROAD THAT GOES AROUND INTERNATIONAL PARKWAY SO MAYBE SOME LOCAL TRAFFIC WILL START TO USE THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION AS WELL AS ST. FRANCIS SO WE WILL HAVE MORE SIGNALS FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE AREAS. >> I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ONE THING ABOUT THAT AREA. ANOTHER BIG CHALLENGE AND I KNOW THIS IS D.O.T. BUT WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE WELL BECAUSE IT HAPPENED THE OTHER DAY. PEOPLE GET OFTEN THINK THEY ARE TURNING TO BUC-EE'S AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THEY ARE GOING SOUTH AND GETTING ONTO 95 WHICH IS THE [01:40:01] ENTRANCE RAMP. THEY REALIZE THEY ARE GOING THE WRONG WAY AND THEY WILL BACKUP. VERY, VERY DANGEROUS AND I SEE IT ALL THE TIME. IT IS IN OUR NOT MARKED WELL. THERE IS A VERY LITTLE SIGN. I REALIZE IT IS D.O.T. BUT WE NEED TO MARK THAT BETTER. IF THEY DO REALIZE IT BEFORE THEY MAKE THE TURN THEY WILL JUST CUT OVER. >> I KNOW THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CONVERSATION WITH THE D.O.T. TO BETTER UTILIZE STRIPING AND STRIPING BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYBODY HAS SEEN THAT, COMMISSIONER . >> IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. THANK YOU. >> SHOULD WE OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR ANYONE TO SAY WHAT THEY NEED TO SAY. >> THANK YOU. IT IS A BUSINESS ITEM AND WE GET TO COMMENT ON EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS ITEM. THE PASTOR USED TO SAY WE DON'T GET TO TALK. ANOTHER RULE THAT IS BROKEN HERE TODAY IS THE 13 DAY RULE. IF YOU LOOK AT ITEM NUMBER ONE IN THE BCC BACKUP MATERIAL IT IS ONLY 15 WORDS. STAFF WILL PRESENT AN OVERVIEW OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANS. NONE OF YOU NONE OF THE GRAPHS THAT YOU HAVE SEEN WERE IN THE PACKET . THEY BROKE THE ROLL. UNDER THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISION IN 1957 IN SERVICE VERSUS DALLAS THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO FOLLOW ITS OWN RULES. NEVER AGAIN SHOULD BE LET ADMINISTRATION PUT 15 WORDS IN THE AGENDA PACKET AND NOT HAVE THE VIEW GRAPHS THERE. IF THE GRAPHS ARE NOT THERE IT IS NOT READY TO BE PRESENTED AND IT IS DISRESPECTFUL TO THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC THAT THEY DO NOT DO THAT. THEY WANTED TO SNEAK THIS BY WITH FAST TALKING SALESMANSHIP BY GROWTH MANAGEMENT. IS DIRECTOR FIRE'S PEOPLE FOR PROTECTED FIRST AMENDMENT . WE NEED A NEW PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND WE NEED PEOPLE IN THOSE OFFICES THAT ACTUALLY CARE AND COMPLY WITH THE RULE AND WHEN IT SAYS THERE IS A 13 DAY RULE AND PRESENTATIONS TO THE BCC THAT NEEDS TO BE OBSERVED. THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SHOULD NEVER ALLOW A STAFF PERSON TO SIT UP THERE, FAST TALKING, BABY TALKING US, AND NOT PUTTING THE THING IN THE AGENDA PACKET. HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY ASK INTELLIGENT QUESTIONS OF THE STAFF WHEN THEY DON'T GIVE YOU THE PRESENTATION IN THE FIRST PLACE? THEY LACK SELF RESPECT AND THEY LACK RESPECT FOR US. BASICALLY, THIS COUNTY IS STILL BEING RUN BY THE DEVELOPERS. THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NEEDS TO RETIRE. THE COUNTY GROWTH MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO RETIRE. AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT IS THE BIGGEST OXYMORON HERE. IT THEY ARE NOT MANAGING GROWTH. AND THEY ARE NOT DOING A VERY GOOD JOB OF IT AND THEY ARE NOT GIVING YOU THE INFORMATION THAT WE AS A PEOPLE NEED TO DECIDE THESE ISSUES. I DON'T THINK MR. D'SOUZA AND MR. CALDWELL NEED TO TALK THAT FAST. IF YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION PUT IT IN THE PACKET. IT IS OUR COUNTY AND OUR COUNTRY AND SERVICE VERSUS DALLAS, 1957. GOVERNMENT HAS TO ADVANCE ON RULES. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK? THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO FOLLOW ITS OWN RULES. THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. >> GOOD MORNING. I LIVE IN WORLD GOLF VILLAGE. I SPENT 32 YEARS WORKING FOR THE U.S. D.O.T., FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION SO I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY SHARE. I JUST WANT TO SUGGEST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS THE APPROACH TO DESIGN HERE BUT I WANT TO SUGGEST IF YOU ARE NOT USING CONTEXT SENSITIVE DESIGN VERSUS CHASING CAPACITY THAT YOU LOOK AT THAT. WHAT IT DOES IS IT LOOKS AT A BIGGER PICTURE. NOT JUST VEHICLE ORIENTED TRANSPORTATION. VEHICLES, PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLES. THE WAY THE COMMUNITY HAS DEVELOPED AND LOOKS FOR THE LONG-TERM, TO CREATE A PLACE THAT IS [01:45:04] ATTRACTIVE AND ENJOYABLE. I THINK OFTEN WE DO TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND I HAVE SEEN THIS IN MY CAREER OVER AND OVER WHERE WE ARE DOING AD HOC FIXES. WE FIX A PINCH POINT AND IT PUSHES ANOTHER POINT. WE HAVE A BROADER SET OF RULES FOR ACCESS LIKE HOW MANY DRIVEWAYS CAN ACCESS A PARTICULAR TYPE OF FACILITY AND WILL PREVENT THE FIXES THAT YOU HAVE MADE FROM DEGRADING OVER THE LONG HAUL. IT IS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENS WITH THE INTERSTATE. THE MORE WE ADD INTERCHANGES, THE MORE IT BECAME AN INTERSTATE. SAME THING WILL HAPPEN. INTERNATIONAL GOLF PARKWAY BETWEEN WORLD COMMERCE DRIVE JUST DID A SURVEY LAST NIGHT TO WEAN WORLD COMMERCE PARKWAY AND STATE ROUTE 16 AND IT FUNCTIONS DECENTLY AS A PARKWAY. RIGHT NOW THERE ARE LIMITED ACCESSES JAMMING IT UP BUT THE MORE WE ADD ACCESSES THAT ARE NOT WELL DESIGNED, THE MORE YOU WILL DESTROY THE PARKWAY. JUST LIKE ST. JOHNS PARKWAY AND THE OTHER ONES YOU HAVE CREATED. YOU KEEP IT A PARKWAY. BY CONTROLLING THE ACCESS AND THEN DOING THAT IN A WAY THAT IS AESTHETICALLY PLEASING TO THE COMMUNITY AND IT PROVIDES FOR OTHER TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION. I GUESS I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO PROVIDE SOME CONSENSUS DRIVEN LEADERSHIP, PROACTIVE LEADERSHIP FOR THE KIND OF COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT AND LET TRANSPORTATION FOLLOW THAT. IT IS THE THING THAT WILL HELP THE COMMUNITY FUNCTION THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT. >> SIR, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? >> DAVID. >> I ALSO WANTED TO OFFER, I MET WITH COMMISSIONER WHITEHURST AND COMMISSIONER ARNOLD AND A CITY, CARMEL, INDIANA, I OFFERED TO COORDINATE A PIER EXCHANG WITH THE CITIES THAT CAN SHOW YOU -- >> YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR INFORMATION. IF YOU WOULD LEAVE YOUR INFORMATION. I WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU AFTER THE MEETING. >> OKAY. >> JOHN MCENERY, BLACKBERRY LANE. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A CITIZENS COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION THAT IS YOUR GUY. FIRST OF ALL, I LIKE GREG AND I LIKE DICK. I JUST WANT TO BE STRAIGHTFORWARD AND FACTUAL BUT, TODAY, THAT PRESENTATION, THAT IS A FIVE HOUR GROWTH MANAGEMENT CONTEXT IF YOU WILL. 25 SOUNDBITES THAT SOUND GOOD BUT NEED A LOT OF EXPLANATION. YOU HAVE TO AS TO WHAT EXTENT THAT WILL BRING ROAD CAPACITY INTO COMPLIANCE. WE CAN FILL THIS ROOM WITH CITIZENS. ONLY 42 OUT OF 211 OF OUR ROADS ARE AT 90%. I DON'T KNOW WHAT DICK IS COUNTING BUT I COUNT 93. 7% EXCEED 90%. SO, WHILE I AM A. OF THIS IS WHAT I HAD PLANNED AND PREPARED. I HAD TALKED TO DICK. FAX REGARDING A TWO LANE VERSUS A FOUR LANE STATE ROUTE. YOU CAN TAKE ALL OF THIS OFF OF THE TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET. TWO LANE CAN ONLY CARRY 1330 SO 2034% OVERCAPACITY AND YOU CAN FIND THAT DATA ON THE COUNTY LINE. IF WE GO TO FOUR LANES WE HAVE INCREASE THE CAPACITY SO THOSE 3104 ARE DOWN TO 90% AND THAT IS GREAT. SO, [01:50:04] WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL HOMES. A TRIP EQUALS A HOME SO WE HAVE INCREASE THE CAPACITY AND THAT MEANS THAT WE CAN BRING ON 186 MORE HOMES. LET THAT NUMBER SINK IN JUST A MOMENT. 186 MORE HOMES AND WE WILL BE BACK UP TO 100% CAPACITY. NO ROAD SHOULD EVER EXCEED 100%. MY FINAL SLIDE HERE, MAYBE 100 MILLION IS WRONG. I THOUGHT I HEARD THAT ONCE A POINT -- ONCE UPON A TIME FROM ST. FRANCIS DOWN TO I-95 SO WE ARE SPENDING $100 MILLION AND GETTING 186 ADDITIONAL UNITS TO BRING THAT ROAD BACK TO 100%. THERE IS A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED TODAY. MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS. >> THANK YOU, SIR. ANYONE ELSE? >> CHUCK LEVANDOWSKI. I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT BRING OUT -- UP ROUTE 216. MY BIGGEST CONCERN , THEY ARE HAVING STORMWATER CAPACITY PROBLEMS ON 216. I AM GLAD TO HEAR FROM DICK, 11.9 MILLION PER MILE? I HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS OF WHAT 2209 IS GOING TO DO TO 16. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF TRAFFIC USING 2209 AND IT DEAD ENDS AT 16. WE CANNOT WAIT ON 16 ANY LONGER. I KNOW THE D.O.T. IS STILL TRYING TO WORK OUT STORMWATER CAPACITY RIGHT NOW WITH A NEW INNOVATION SO HOPEFULLY THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN BUT, AGAIN, 16 CAN'T HANDLE THE TRAFFIC THAT WE PLAN ON DUMPING ON THEIR. I UNDERSTAND ON IG P AND 95, THAT IS IN PROCESS. THEY ARE STILL LOOKING AT THAT BUT, THAT MAY ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM THAT WE ARE FACING RIGHT NOW WITH THE TRAFFIC THERE. A LETTER WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE COME FROM THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE GONE OUT TO SUPPORT THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THAT AREA SO, WE CANNOT DO ENOUGH IN THOSE AREAS. IT HAS REALLY BECOME A NIGHTMARE. >> THANK YOU. SPECTACLE CROSBY 1169 NECK ROAD. I JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON ONE OF THE PROJECT AFTER ABOUT A YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION IT HAS CONCLUDED AND EVERYBODY IS THRILLED. IT IS WONDERFUL TO HEAR EVERYBODY RAVING ABOUT IT. I HAVE A FRIEND IN SAWGRASS WHO SAYS HE LOOKS FORWARD TO DRIVING TO WORK EVERY DAY BUT THE OTHER THING, IT STARTED OFF IN A REALLY GOOD WAY AND THAT WAS AFTER WE SAW THE BIG RED X ON TREES, WE GET TOGETHER WITH -- AND THEY SAVED ABOUT 20 TREES AND IN ADDITION TO SCALING BACK THE PROJECT AFTER RECEIVING INPUT FROM NEIGHBORS SO, SOME TREES THAT WERE NOT MARKED TO BE TAKEN DOWN WERE PROBABLY SAVED BY NOT HAVING ROOTS DESTROYED. FROM BEGINNING TO END IT WAS A REALLY GREAT PROJECT WITH A WONDERFUL OUTCOME AND WE ARE THRILLED. IT WILL BE GREAT WHEN OTHER PEOPLE SEE THEIR PROJECTS COMPLETED AND EXPERIENCE THE POSITIVE RESULTS. >> THANK YOU. >> HELLO AGAIN. DORIS TAYLOR. 208 -- ROAD. IT IS WONDERFUL TO BE TALKING ABOUT ACTION PROJECTS AND THE PROCESS AND GETTING THINGS DONE TO ADDRESS TRAFFIC [01:55:01] ISSUES. WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO BUT THANK YOU. AT LEAST STUFF IS HAPPENING. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS HAPPENED WITH MIXED RESULTS IS THE TIMING OF THE LIGHTS ON ROUTE ONE. SOUTH OF KING STREET. IT USED TO BE DID NOT MATTER WHAT THE SPEED LIMIT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS A STOP AND GO BUT NOW I AM SEEING LIGHTS TIMED GREEN AFTER GREEN BUT THE SPEED LIMIT IS 50 MILES PER HOUR AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKING LEFT HAND TURNS AND IT IS DANGEROUS. COMING SOUTH FROM 312, THERE ARE THREE ENTRANCES TO ST. AUGUSTINE SELF NEIGHBORHOOD. FOR A WHILE THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE PROTECTED LEFT-HAND TURN AND NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC WAS WHIZZING BY. I TURNED LEFT ON AN UNPROTECTED TURN AND WHAT I AM SUGGESTING IS THAT WE NEED ACCESS TO CRASH REPORTS. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET THEM BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET CRASH REPORTS PER INTERSECTION PER MONTH OVER A PERIOD OF TIME SO WE CAN SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING. WORD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT INTERSECTION BECAUSE IT IS DANGEROUS. PEOPLE KEEP SEEING ACCIDENTS THERE. IS THIS LIKE THE COVER UP WITH THE SHARK BITES IN THE BAHAMAS? NOBODY REPORTS THEM BECAUSE IT IS BAD FOR TOURISM. I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BIT BUT YOU CANNOT FIND A REPORT. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS REAL INFORMATION AND LOOK AT THAT AND SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. WE NEED PROTECTED LEFT-HAND TURNS INTO MY NEIGHBORHOOD. IT IS DANGEROUS. AND, THE LIGHTS ARE BEING PLAYED WITH. AT ONE POINT I PULLED UP TO ONE BECAUSE I KNEW I HAD SEEN A LEFT TURN LIGHT THERE. WHEN I PULLED UP IT FLASHED YELLOW IMMEDIATELY. ANOTHER TIME I PULLED UP AND IT JUST WENT YELLOW. NO GREEN. WE DON'T -- AND THE OTHER THING IS YOU COULD REDUCE THE SPEED. I HAVE DRIVEN CROSS-COUNTRY AND USUALLY WHEN YOU HAVE THAT MUCH POPULATION THE SPEED LIMIT IS LOWER. 35 MILES PER HOUR WOULD BE SMART. >> SHERRY BADGER 2772 SOUTH COLLINS AVENUE. THAT IS SOMETHING. THE SPEED LIMITS IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY, MAINLY IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS ARE 25 AND NOW THEY ARE GOING UP TO 30. THERE IS SOMETHING GOING WRONG WITH TRAFFIC IN THIS TOWN AND YOU ALL NEED TO FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE YOU CAN BE SUED FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES THAT GETTING UP HERE AND NOT TELLING THE WHOLE TRUTH. LIKE ONE PERSON SAID IT TAKES TWO OR THREE YEARS TO BUILD OUT THESE THINGS. GO OUT TO 16 AND IT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN TWO YEARS AND BOTH SIDES UP FOR RENT OR LEASE AND DOWN BY PUBLIX, ANOTHER ONE COMING IN. ANOTHER 180 HOMES. GUESS WHAT IN THE REPORT FROM MR. MCINERNEY, YOU ARE ALREADY OVER. THEY DID NOT GET APPROVED TWO YEARS AGO. YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON AS A GROUP THAT YOU ALL CAN'T COMMUNICATE TOGETHER AND I KNOW YOU ALL DON'T LIKE TO WORK TOGETHER. THAT IS APPARENT TO THE COUNTY BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT LOOKING OUT FOR THE COUNTY. YOU ARE LOOKING OUT FOR DEVELOPERS AND WEALTHY PEOPLE WHO CAN GET WHAT THEY WANT FROM THE COUNTY. HAVE A GOOD DAY. GOD BLESS. >> 11:00 A.M. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING DURING THIS DISCUSSION IS TO I HOPE THAT OTHER PEOPLE WILL DO THIS, I WANT TO THANK THE CHAIR FOR ALLOWING PUBLIC COMMENT. THE PREVIOUS MADAM CHAIR DID NOT WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC ON A LOT OF MATTERS. [02:00:05] A LOT OF POWER WHEN YOU SIT IN THE CHAIR. IS IT FOR US OR YOURSELVES? THE OTHER THING IS, IT IS ENLIGHTENING. YOU WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT NOW. BESIDES MR. WHITEHURST AND MISS ARNOLD, WHO ELSE HAS HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THIS MR. DAVE FROM WORLD GOLF VILLAGE. THERE IS A LOT OF TALKING COMING BEHIND THESE MEETINGS BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR THE TRANSPARENCY DEPARTMENT TO LET US KNOW WHO YOU HAVE TALKED WITH AND THANKING EVERYONE FOR THE PRESENTATION WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE FACTS. THANK YOU, VERY MUCH FOR OPENING THIS UP AND IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE ROOM, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LEFT HERE ARE DEVELOPERS AND LAWYERS. LET ME REPEAT THAT. ANYONE THAT MIGHT BE STREAMING THIS, YOU CAN'T SEE THAT BECAUSE YOU ARE FOCUSING ON OUR BOARD, WHICH IS FINE BUT I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT -- ARE CONCERNED AND GRATEFUL THAT YOU OPEN THIS UP BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR FROM ALL OF US. >> ANYONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. >> SEEING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT . >> MISS ANDREWS, WILL YOU POST THE INFORMATION THAT DICK SHARED ON THE WEBSITE? I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT TOO. I KNOW I CAN WATCH IT ON TV AGAIN BUT I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT ON PAPER. >> THANK YOU FOR RINGING THAT UP BECAUSE THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY SUGGESTION AS WELL. AS LONG AS WE HAVE IT AVAILABLE. AND I APPRECIATE PUBLIC COMMENT AND JUST HEARING FROM EVERYBODY. >> COMMISSIONER MURPHY . YOUR LIGHT IS ON. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? [2. Public Hearing * MAJMOD 2024-09 St. Johns Marketplace PUD. Request for a Major Modification to the St. Johns Marketplace PUD (Ord. 2014-4, as amended) to (i) allow the community to be gated; (ii) eliminate the option of constructing an assisted living facility; (iii) provide a change in interconnectivity; and (iv) revise project phasing dates based on recent emergency declaration extensions pursuant to Section 252.363 of the Florida Statutes. A revised Master Development Plan (MDP) Text and Map is provided to reflect the proposed changes. Site is specifically located at 320, 350, 375, 400 and 425 Bay Laurel Drive. The Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) heard this request at their regularly scheduled public hearing on February 20, 2025, and recommended approval with a vote of 6-0. There were no comments or discussions offered by either the Agency members or the public.] OKAY. WE WILL GO TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO. I AM TRYING TO GET THROUGH ITEM NUMBER THREE THEN WE HAVE YAMO FOOD TRUCK OUTSIDE. >> GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. ROGERS TOWERS -- IN ST. AUGUSTINE AND I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO DJ MAHONEY, THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER HERE AND CHRISTINA EVANS, THE PROJECT PLANNER FOR MATTHEWS DESIGN. >> SHOULD WE GET QUASI-JUDICIAL REALLY QUICK? >> YES . >> I MET WITH -- AND I HAVE NO RECORD OF EMAILS. >> COMMISSIONER ARNOLD . >> I HAD A PHONE CALL WITH ALAN RECENTLY. >> COMMISSIONER TAYLOR . >> NO EMAILS AND I HAD A MEETING WITH ALAN AVERY SMITH. >> I ALSO HAD NO EMAILS. AND A MEETING WITH ALAN AVERY SMITH. >> THIS IS STATE ROAD 207 AND I-95 AND THE PROPERTY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS IN THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT AND IT HAS A FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION OF MIXED AND A ZONING OF PUD. THIS PROPERTY WAS OWNED BY A MAN NAMED JOHN ELECTS ON AND HE HAD ABOUT 280 ACRES. IN 2012 I REPRESENTED JOHN WHEN HE DID LAND USE CHANGES BECAUSE HE WANTED IT TO BE PRIMARILY A COMMERCIAL NODE AT THAT QUADRANT. AT THAT TIME HE CHANGED THIS WHOLE PORTION THAT [02:05:05] IS NOW CALLED ST. AUGUSTINE MARKETPLACE INTO A BUSINESS AND COMMERCE PARK SO YOU KNOW THE USES OUT THERE. THERE IS BEAVER TOYOTA, THE BEST BET, THE MAZDA DEALERSHIP, HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. THE PIECE OF PROPERTY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WAS LEFT AS PUD BECAUSE PRIMARILY IT WAS SEPARATED BY THIS WETLANDS THAT RUNS NORTH-SOUTH AND IT SEPARATED THE BUSINESS PARK FROM THIS SITE SO THAT PUD THEN, THIS PROPERTY WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE PUD, REZONED IN THE ONLY REMAINING PROPERTY IN THIS PUD IS 67 ACRES AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS PERMITTED FOR 250 UNITS THAT COULD BE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL OR ASSISTED-LIVING. IT PROVIDED INTERCONNECTIVITY. BACK IN THE DAY THERE WAS A ROAD THAT PROPOSED INTERCONNECT BETWEEN THIS RESIDENTIAL AND THIS PRIMARILY AS A SPARK. WE WILL TALK ABOUT THAT INTERCONNECTIVIT Y IN JUST A MINUTE. HERE IS THE PUD BOUNDARIES. 67 ACRES. THE PROJECT IS ALMOST COMPLETED WITH CONSTRUCTION. THERE ARE 250 UNITS CONSTRUCTED WITH AMENITIES AND THERE ARE PEOPLE LIVING THERE. THE ROAD IS CONNECTED FROM 207 AND YOU CAN SEE THE ACCESS ROAD AND SIGNED OUT. THE ROAD IS CONSTRUCTED THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE PROJECT AND THEN IT GOES TO THE PROPERTY LINE HERE. SO, THIS IS PICTURES OF THE COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION. AND THE PUD MODIFICATION PROVIDES, WHEN THE ENTIRE ST. AUGUSTINE MARKET PLACE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE INTERCONNECTED THIS PUD WAS PART OF THE OVERALL. IN THE PUD WAS MODIFIED THE INTERCONNECTION BACK HERE FOR THESE FOLKS WHO LIVE IN ENTRADA, THERE WAS A ROAD THAT WAS TO INTERCONNECT BETWEEN THEM. MR. ELECTS ON PROPERTY IS SUBJECT TO THEY WANT TO PROVIDE THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN BE GATED AND MYTH EVANS WILL SHOW YOU WHERE IT WILL BE GATED AND THEN A GATE HERE AND A GATE HERE FOR DIVERSEY AND SECURITY. THE APARTMENT IS ALREADY CONSTRUCT DID SO WE DON'T NEED TO REFERENCE ASSISTED-LIVING FACILITIES. WE ARE ASKING TO CHANGE THE INTERCONNECTIVITY BY NOT REQUIRING IT UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND AS A MATTER OF LAW -- BECAUSE THAT IS ALLOWED UNDER 252.623 OF THE STATUTE. HERE AGAIN, HERE IS THE GATE THAT IS PROPOSED ON THIS SIDE AND IT ACTUALLY EXISTS TODAY AND IS JUST OPEN AND THERE IS ANOTHER GATE UP HERE FOR THAT SECURITY AND PRIVACY. GOING TO THE ST. AUGUSTINE MARKETPLACE, THIS IS A PRIMARILY NONRESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY. DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE RV PARK IS THAT MR. ELEXON HAS. WE HAVE THE MAZDA, TOYOTA , THESE PARCELS WILL BE DEVELOPED SOON AND ARE OWNED BY OTHER PROPERTIES. ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT OWN PROPERTY, PAY ASSESSMENTS TO THE ASSOCIATION. THEY OWN AND MAINTAIN THE ROADS, THE RESORT WAY AND THE STORM WATER SYSTEM SO MR. ELEXON BASICALLY SAYS, THIS PROPERTY THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FOR SO, HIS POINT IS SIMPLY, HE WOULD LIKE HIS ROADS TO BE AND NOT HAVE INTERCONNECTIVITY. THAT LETTER IS IN YOUR PACKET SO WITH THIS I WILL LET CHRISTINA COME UP AND WALK YOU THROUGH THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN. >> CHRISTINA EVANS SO HERE IS -- IT SHOWS THE GATE TO THE NORTH BEING LIMITED TO ACCESS AND THE GATE TO THE SOUTH FOR RESIDENTS. [02:10:02] THE PREVIOUS PUD DOCUMENT SHOWED POTENTIAL INTERCONNECTIVITY TO THE NORTH AND THE WEST AND AS YOU CAN SEE THE SURROUNDING AREA HAS BEEN DEVELOPED DIFFERENTLY THAN PLANNED SO THE NORTH CONNECTION POINT HAS A LANDSCAPE OFFER AND SINGLE-FAMILY LOTS FOR ANOTHER SUBDIVISION AND THEN AS ELLEN SAID, THERE WILL BE ANOTHER PRIVATE MULTI FAMILY COMMUNITY WITH A PRIVATELY MAINTAINED ROADWAY. THESE ARE THE MDP MAPS AND CONSTRUCTION THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED IN 2020 TWO AND THEY WERE USED TO COMMENCE AND COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION AND THESE IDENTIFY THE PROPOSED GATE TO THE SOUTH AND THE GATE TO THE NORTH IS LIMITED TO EMERGENCY ACCESS. SO HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS JUST TO SHOW THAT THE DEVELOPMENT HAS COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION BASED ON THOSE APPROVED MDP MAPS AND THE CONSTRUCTION PLANS THAT SHOW THE GATES SO THEY ARE IN EXISTENCE NOW TO THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH. THEY JUST HAVE NOT BEEN CLOSED. THE LAST MODIFICATION REQUEST IS THE PHASING CYCLES SO IT WOULD NEED TO BE COMPLETED BY 2034 EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY BASICALLY COMPLETE WITH CONSTRUCTION. THOSE ARE THE FOUR MODIFICATION REQUESTS. THE PLANNING AND ZONING AGENCY, RECOMMENDED APPROVAL AND WE ARE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. >> SHOULD WE OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? >> WE WILL NOW HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO. >> GOOD MORNING. JOE MCENERY. -- MCINERNEY. I DID NOT DRIVE TO THE SITE BUT I FLEW OVER IT ON THE PROPERTY ASSESSOR SITE. BUT I DO HAVE FOUR QUESTIONS. I ASK THIS ONLY BECAUSE WE SEE THIS SAME REQUEST FOR A TIME EXTENSION AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. MY HISTORY AS AN ARCHITECT WORKING WITH CONTRACTORS MAKING CLAIMS IS YOU BETTER SUBSTANTIATE YOUR CLAIM. IN THIS CASE IT IS NOT EXTRA MONEY. THE COUNTY IS NOT OUT EXTRA MONEY BUT IT BOTHERS ME THAT PERHAPS THERE IS A LACK OF DETAIL. I DID NOT FIND THE SUBSTANTIATION FOR THIS REQUEST OTHER THAN IT IS THE LAW. THE REQUEST IS BASED ON A FLORIDA STATUTE AND IF YOU READ THAT, THE MAJOR POINTS THAT JUMP OUT AT YOU ARE THAT THE GOVERNOR DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY. NO PERMIT EXTENSION IS ALLOWED IF THE DEVELOPMENT IS OUTSIDE OF THE DECLARED AREA OF EMERGENCY. THE PERMIT HOLDER HAS 90 DAYS FROM THE TERMINATION OF THE DECLARATION TO NOTIFY THE PERMITTING AUTHORITY AND, SO, MY QUESTIONS ARE THESE. GOVERNOR'S DECLARATION. WHAT WAS THE DATE OF THE DECLARED EMERGENCY? WITH ST. JOHNS COUNTY WITHIN THE DECLARED AREA? AND THE PERMIT HOLDER HAS 90 DAYS FROM TERMINATION. WHEN WAS THE DECLARATION TERMINATED AND DID THE PERMIT HOLDER NOTIFY ST. JOHNS COUNTY WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE TERMINATION. I HOPE THE ANSWERS ARE YES, YES, AND YES. IT IS JUST A POINT I FEEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED IN THIS CASE AND THE COUNTY WILL REQUEST AND REQUIRED THIS KIND OF DOCUMENTATION IN THE FUTURE. IT JUST BOTHERS ME TO READ THAT WE ARE JUST DOING THIS BECAUSE WE CAN. THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE SUBSTANTIATED AND THIS IS EASY. I HOPE THE ANSWER TO EACH IS YES AND YES. THANK YOU. >> BJ CLAY, CITY OF WEST AUGUSTINE. SIMPLE QUESTION, YES OR NO. IS THERE AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY IN THIS [02:15:05] DEVELOPMENT? OR IS THAT GONE AND IT IS JUST RESIDENTIAL? AND I AM SURE THE LAWYER WILL HAVE AN ANSWER TO THIS. WHEN YOU HAVE A DEVELOPMENT AND THE GOVERNOR OR LOCAL PEOPLE, BECAUSE OF ALL OF OUR HURRICANES, REPEAT REPEAT AND OTHER EMERGENCIES THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, WHEN THESE DEVELOPMENTS START YOU ARE ALMOST HOPING FOR THAT BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN EXTEND WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO GET THINGS DONE AND THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON AND ON AND LEGALLY, IT MAY BE OKAY BUT I THINK A LOT OF THESE DEVELOPERS AND THEIR LAWYER AND KNOW THAT IF THERE IS THIS KIND OF EMERGENCY YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET THE JOB DONE. SOME PEOPLE STILL DON'T HAVE A HOME YET. NOT JUST HERE BUT ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. LEGALLY YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO IT BUT SPECIFICALLY, WHICH EMERGENCY IS THIS DEVELOPMENT GOING FOR RIGHT NOW? OR, EMERGENCIES. AND THE WASN'T BY THE GOVERNOR? WAS IT LOCAL? AND WHAT WERE THE DATES FOR THAT EMERGENCIES SO THEY CAN MAKE THIS EXTENSION AND NOT GET EVERYTHING DONE WHEN THEY SHOULD GET IT DONE. THANK YOU. >> I AGREE. ADD SLAVIN , EDSLAVIN.COM. THOSE ARE VERY GOOD QUESTIONS AND THEY NEED TO BE ANSWERED AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE LAW FIRM OF -- POWERS TO ANSWER THE SAME QUESTION. CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A LIST OF YOUR CLIENTS? THE THING THAT I FIND INTERESTING ABOUT ROGERS TOWERS, WHEN THE ECONOMY WAS IN A DOWNTURN, THEY APPLIED TO BE COUNCIL -- AND THE COMMISSIONERS AT THE TIME IN THE CONTROL DISTRICT FOLLOWED SOME OF MY SUGGESTIONS AND DO THEIR JOBS AND DUE DILIGENCE AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS TO THE APPLICANTS WAS, CAN WE PLEASE SEE A COPY OF THE PROPOSED RETAINER AGREEMENT. SO THE ROGERS TOWERS ENGAGEMENT LETTER ASKS EACH OF THE CLIENTS, CORPORATE AND GOVERNMENT, TO AGREE TO WAIVE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WITH ANY OTHER ROGERS TOWERS CLIENT. THAT DOG WON'T HUNT. ARE THEY STILL DOING THAT? DO THEY KNOW ABOUT THE FOREIGN FUNDED DEVELOPERS THAT ARE KILLING OUR TREES AND KILLING OUR WILDLIFE? I THINK THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION AND IF A LAW FIRM IS GOING TO BE HER MEETING AFTER MEETING CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A LIST OF THEIR CLIENTS? IN THE OLD DAYS WHEN I WAS INVESTIGATING HOWARD HENRY BAKER JUNIOR, I HAD A LIST OF ALL OF THEIR CLIENTS. APPARENTLY THE LEGAL PROFESSION NO LONGER HAS THAT LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY. BECAUSE MR. KOMANDO WOULD NOT TELL ANN TAYLOR WHO HER CLIENTS WERE. -- WHICH IS OWNED BY THE CURRENT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE DESIGNATE. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FLORIDA HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ETHICS AND RULES. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LIST PLEASE AND IF YOU CAN ASK FOR A LIST OF ALL OF THE ROGERS TOWERS CLIENTS AND ARE WE ENDORSING THAT? WHERE WE ARE -- AND HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY WAIVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH ANOTHER CLIENT IF YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THEY ARE. HOW DOES THAT WORK, EXACTLY? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. IT IS OUR MONEY, OUR COUNTY, OUR TIME. >> ANYONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT . >> ANYTHING MORE TO SAY? >> JUST TO CLARIFY THERE ARE NO ASSISTED LIVING UNITS AND THAT [02:20:04] IS WHY WE ARE REMOVING THAT FROM THE TEXT. I AM AN ATTORNEY AND I OWE THE CLIENT FILING EXTENSIONS. IT IS OUR PRODUCT THIS TO ASK FOR EXTENSIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT ORDERS WHENEVER THEY ARE AVAILABLE AND I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE THAT FOR EVERY PROJECT THAT WE HAVE HAD BECAUSE IT IS LEGALLY PERMISSIBLE SO THIS IS DOCUMENTING THE FACT THAT WE ARE UPDATING THE PUD AS A MATTER OF JUST MAKING SURE THE DOCUMENT IS CORRECT. AND I AM NOT GOING TO DIGNIFY MATERIAL MISREPRESENTATIONS OF FACT ABOUT ME OR MY LAW FIRM. >> DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? MOTION? >> I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ENACT ORDINANCE 2025-7 APPROVING MAJMOD 2024-09 ST. JOHNS MARKETPLACE PUD BASED UPON SIX FINDINGS OF FACT AS PROVIDED IN THE STAFF REPORT. [3. ZVAR 2024-21 430 Lakeshore Drive (Dwelling Height). Request for a Zoning Variance to Table 6.01 of the Land Development Code to allow for a maximum height of 37 feet 8 inches in lieu of the required 35 feet in Residential, Manufactured/Mobile Home (RMH) zoning for a newly built single-family home; specifically located at 430 Lakeshore Drive on Lot 22. The Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) heard this request at their regularly scheduled public hearing on February 6, 2025, and recommended approval with a vote of 7-0. Agency members discussed the Finished Floor Elevation, Site Elevations, and FEMA requirement. Public discussion was limited and included topics such as the home’s visibility from the road, the timeline for constructing the home and completing final grading, as well as an inquiry regarding any habitual offenses.] >> SECOND . >> LET'S ABOUT. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET'S GO ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE. QUASI-JUDICIAL. COMMISSIONER WHITEHURST . >> I HAD A MEETING WITH MR. WHITEHOUSE WHERE WE DISCUSSED THE PROJECT AND THE NEED FOR THE VARIANCE . >> COMMISSIONER ARNOLD . >> I HAD A MEETING WITH JAMES WHITEHOUSE TO DISCUSS THE NEED FOR THE ITEM . >> COMMISSIONER TAYLOR . >> I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY EMAILS. >> COMMISSIONER MURPHY . >> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND I HAD NO EMAILS AND MET WITH JAMES WHITEHOUSE IN THE OFFICE FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING. >> I HAVE NO EMAILS AND MET WITH JAMES WHITEHOUSE. GO FOR IT . >> JAMES WHITEHOUSE ST. JOHNS LAW GROUP IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA. I APPRECIATE YOU MEETING WITH ME. I AM HAPPY TO BE HERE ON BEHALF OF THE ZIMMER FAMILY FOR ZVAR 2024-21 AND THIS IS A ZONING VARIANCE. THE LOCATION OF THE PROPERTY, YOU WILL RECOGNIZE FROM THE SCREEN IN YOUR PACKET IS NEAR WHERE 312 COMES INTO US-1 OFF OF LAKESHORE DRIVE BUT BACK WHERE THE ENGLISH PUB WAS. IT IS TUCKED BACK HERE ACROSS FROM THE STOKES LANDING CONSERVATION AREA. THIS IS A VIEW OF LAKESHORE DRIVE. IT IS WOODED AND EVERYTHING HERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE IS THE STOKES LANDING CONSERVATION AREA. YOU CAN SEE IT BACKS UP TO A TRIBUTARY COMING OFF OF THE INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY AND THIS IS THE PROPERTY HERE. IT IS RESIDENTIAL BE ACROSS FROM PARKS AND REC DURATION. -- RECREATION. HERE IS A CLOSER AREA. IT IS TUCKED IN AND BACKS OUT DIRECTLY TO THE MARSHLANDS HERE AND THIS IS THE BUILDING WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. AS YOU SEE FROM YOUR STAFF REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION, THIS IS TO ALLOW AN INADVERTENTLY DEVELOPED HEIGHT AT THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY WITHOUT OBJECTION. THIS IS A VIEW FROM THE ROAD AND IT IS TUCKED BACK IN BEHIND THE WOODLANDS AND TO TALK ABOUT IT QUICKLY IT COMES WITH APPROVAL FROM YOUR PZA. THEY WENT THROUGH A ALL OF THE PROPER PERMITTING AND WHEN THEY CAME TO DO THE FINAL SITE APPROVAL, BECAUSE ON MOST OF THESE YOU DO SOME OF THE BACKFILLING, AT THE END THEY WENT TO FILL AND IT WAS NOTICED THAT THERE IS A FLOODWAY AT THE BACK THAT IS REGULATED SO THERE IS NO FILLING THAT CAN HAPPEN. NORMALLY THEY WOULD HAVE PUT A RETAINING WALL HERE SO YOU PROTECT THE MARSH FROM YOUR PROPERTY BUT THEY COULD NOT DO SO SO UNDER THE CODE YOU MEASURE FROM THE LOWEST PART OF THE PROPERTY EVEN THOUGH EVERYTHING HERE IS FILLED AND EVERYTHING IS BELOW 35 FEET BECAUSE OF THE TECHNICAL MEASUREMENT. IT RAISES IT OVER THE 37 FEET. AS YOU SEE FROM THE DEPICTIONS IN THE STAFF REPORT, CLEARLY, EVERYTHING MEASURED AROUND HERE WHERE IT WAS ALREADY FILLED AND IT IS SHOWING IT IS MEASURED AT 33 BUT WHEN YOU MEASURE FROM THE LOWEST POINT THEY WERE GOING TO PUT THIS HERE AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE UNDER 35 FEET YOU HAVE TO MEASURE FROM HERE AND THAT IS WHAT RAISES THE BACK AND THAT FACES OF THE MARSH AND THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE SUPPORT FROM [02:25:04] NEIGHBORS BECAUSE THEY SAY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THE SIDE AND THE ROAD YOU CANNOT DECIPHER WHAT IS GOING ON. IT IS JUST A TECHNICALITY OF THE CODE AND THAT IS A PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PROPERTY AND THAT IS WHY YOU GET A UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION FROM YOUR BZA. -- PZA. WE WENT THROUGH ALL OF THE VARIANCE WITH THE PZA AND IT MEETS THE CODE. YOU HAVE RECOMMENDATION FROM TECHNICAL STAFF THAT SAYS THEY HAVE NO OBJECTION BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THE PHYSICAL HARDSHIP OF THE PROPERTY AND IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE WAY THE HOUSE LOOKS ON THE PROPERTY. THE CORRESPONDENCE IS WITHIN YOUR PACKET AND IT TALKS ABOUT HOW A NUMBER OF THE NEIGHBORS ON THE ROAD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHY HE NEEDS THE VARIANCE. THEY SUPPORT IT. AGAIN, WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS RECOMMENDATION FROM WORLD GOLF VILLAGE THE STAFF TO APPROVE WITH SIX FINDINGS AND SIX CONDITIONS AND BASED ON ALL OF THAT , WE ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL. >> WE ALL RECEIVED A LETTER OF APPROVAL FOR THIS AND WE DID NOT KNOW . >> IT WAS AN ADDITIONAL ONE. >> IT LOOKS LIKE PUBLIC COMMENT. >> WE WILL NOW ACCEPT PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE. >> I SHOULD NOT BE A.. PLEASE APPROVE THIS REQUEST. BUT, I AM% CONFUSED. AS AN ARCHITECT ON A SITE, IF YOU WENT AHEAD AND BUILT SOMETHING IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS IS THE HEIGHT FROM YOUR BUILDING, A PLATFORM. I AM CONFUSED BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE IT IS TO BE MEASURED FROM THE LOWEST POINT ON THE SITE THAT IS NOT MAKING SENSE TO ME. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE. A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION. IT IS A NO-BRAINER, REALLY. I AM JUST CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT MR. WHITEHOUSE SAID ABOUT WHERE THE MEASUREMENT IS TAKEN FROM. WITH APOLOGIES. >> THANK YOU . >> YES, MA'AM . >> BJ. WEST ST. AUGUSTINE. I DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR COMING APPEAR. JUST A FOLLOW-UP, THAT IS THE QUESTION. WITH THE FLOODING THEY ARE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THAT SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE REMEMBERED BY STAFF SO THAT WHEN THE NEXT PERSON COMES IN IT WILL BE COMPLETED AND DONE RIGHT THE WAY YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO AND YOU WON'T HAVE TO COME HERE FOR A VARIANCE. WE NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC WHEN DEALING WITH THESE INDIVIDUAL HOMES. LOVELY BUT, FOLLOWING EXPLANATIONS OF THE FLOODING AND THE RAISING YOU HAVE TO DO FOR FEMA, BUT THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON FOR A VARIANCE. WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RULES ARE BUT WE JUST DID NOT UNDERSTAND ENOUGH OF THE ROLES. WE NEED TO CHECK ON THAT SO WE CAN BE MORE TRANSPARENT AND I KNOW I DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR MR. JOE. I WISH HE WOULD HELP US ALL LEARN BECAUSE STAFF IS EXPERT. WE THE PUBLIC ARE EXPERTS. YOU DON'T NEED A DEGREE. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU LIVE AROUND AND YOU KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE. ONE PLUS ONE IS TO. THANK YOU, SO MUCH. IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL DAY. I HAVE TO LEAVE AND GO TO ANOTHER MEETING. YOU HAVE TO PARTICIPATE FOLKS. THERE IS NOBODY LEFT HERE EXCEPT DEVELOPERS BECAUSE, DON'T CLAP. THERE IS NO CLAPPING ALLOWED. BUT, I AM LEAVING NOW . >> DON'T FORGET TO GO BY THE FOOD TRUCK. >> THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE FOR [02:30:03] PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE WE CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. DO YOU WANT TO FOLLOW UP? >> I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK MR. WHITEHOUSE IF YOU COULD JUST ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS. >> THERE IS NOTHING UNTOWARD. THERE IS A TECHNICAL REQUIREMENT THAT DID NOT SHOW UP ON THE SURVEY. THE LOT ITSELF WAS ALREADY AT THIS HEIGHT. IT WAS THEY BACK. IF IT HAD COME UP BEFORE, IT IS A PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE PROPERTY THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE THE RECOMMENDATION FROM YOUR STAFF AND PZA. THERE IS NOTHING UNTOWARD. WE APPRECIATE YOUR REASONABLE REVIEW. >> IS IT KIND OF LIKE WHEN THE GOLF BALL LANDS IN THE THING THAT WATERS THE LOST? THE SPRINKLER HEAD? >> YES . >> ANYTHING ELSE? >> MOTION? >> I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ZVAR 2024-21 430 LAKESHORE DRIVE (DWELLING HEIGHT) BASED UPON SIX FINDINGS OF FACT AND SIX CONDITIONS AS PROVIDED IN THE STAFF REPORT. >> SECOND . >> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A [4. Public Hearing * VACROA 2024-01 Roberts Road ROW Vacation - Public Hearing to vacate a portion of Roberts Road right-of-way. Due to the realignment of Roberts Road and Longleaf Pine Pkwy, this portion of Roberts Road right-of-way no longer contains any asphalt or sidewalk and is no longer used for traffic circulation. Therefore, the applicant is requesting to vacate this portion of right-of-way. Based on staff's review thus far, no party will be unreasonably affected by the requested vacation.] SECOND. PLEASE VOTE. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, 5-0. ONTO THE LAST ONE. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE. OR I'M SORRY, FOUR. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS AND THANK YOU FOR HEARING THIS ITEM. I AM FILLING IN FOR BILL KNIGHTING -- BLAIR KNIGHTING. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE JOE WHO IS HERE ON BEHALF OF HILO PROPERTIES. OUR SPECIFIC REQUEST IS FOR A RIGHT-OF-WAY VACATION FOR ROBERTS ROAD. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF SLIDES. AND THIS IS IN OUR VIEW THIS IS A CLEANUP ISSUE AT THE ROBERTS ROAD. THIS IS THE ROBERTS ROAD LONGLEAF PINE PARKWAY INTERSECTION NORTH OF GREENBRIER ROAD. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF AERIALS THAT SHOW THE HISTORY OF THIS SITE. THE LEFT SIDE BEING AN AERIAL FROM 1995 THAT SHOWS THE INTERSECTION. IT WAS NOT AN INTERSECTION AT THAT TIME. LONGLEAF PINE PARKWAY HAD NOT BEEN CONSTRUCTED YET AND TODAY IS A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT IS OUT THERE WITH ROBERTS ROAD, THIS BEING A THREE-LEGGED INTERSECTION INTO ROBERTS ROAD RIGHT-OFWAY. THIS SHOWS THE OWNERSHIP OF WHAT HILO PROPERTIES LIMITED OWNED IN 1995 VERSUS TODAY. IT HIGHLIGHTS THE TWO PARCELS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY BEING REQUESTED FOR VACATION SO THE TWO PARCELS, ONE IS THE YELLOW PARCEL AND THE SECOND IS THIS TINY LITTLE WEDGE. EFFECTIVELY WHAT HAPPENED IS IN THE MID-2000S WHEN LONGLEAF PINE PARKWAY WAS CONSTRUCTED , THE PROPERTY HERE, THE HILO LIMITED PROPERTY WAS DEDICATED TO THE COUNTY TO ALLOW FOR THIS THREE-LEGGED INTERSECTION TO BE CONSTRUCTED AND THE INTENT AT THE TIME WAS ONCE THIS INTERSECTION WAS CONSTRUCTED AND OPEN TO TRAFFIC THAT THIS PROPERTY THAT WOULD NO LONGER BE NEEDED WOULD BE VACANT AND HONESTLY, IT HAS TAKEN US A WHILE TO GET BACK TO THIS POINT TO MAKE THIS REQUEST AND SINCE THAT TIME I KNOW THE HELOW FAMILY HAS DONATED THIS PARCEL TO THE COUNTY AND IT JUST FURTHERS THE DISCUSSION THAT THIS PARCEL IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE USED FOR ROADWAY. THE SPECIFIC REQUEST IS TO RELEASE THESE TWO YELLOW PARCELS. THIS ONE HERE AND THIS LITTLE TRIANGULAR PARCEL AS A PART OF THIS VACATION. ONE OF THE KEY [02:35:01] ITEMS OF THE VACATION IS CONFIRMING THERE ARE NO UTILITIES IMPACTED SO WE WORKED WITH STAFF. ALL OF THE ONES ON THE LEFT, AT&T, -- AND COMCAST, WE COMMUNICATED WITH THEM AND NONE OF THEM HAVE UTILITIES THAT ARE IMPACTED. FPNL. MR. HELOW HAS ENTERED INTO AN EASEMENT AGREEMENT WITH FPNL AND THAT IS HELD IN ESCROW RIGHT NOW AND THAT WILL BE RELEASED UPON APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM. I KNOW ALL OF THE COMMUNICATION WITH THOSE UTILITY PROVIDERS ARE IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET FOR REVIEW. WITH THAT I DO WANT TO TO SAY THANK YOU TO STAFF. YOU HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUSLY HELPFUL WORKING THROUGH THIS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. MR. HELOW AND I ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> ON THE COUNTY PROPERTY, THAT IS THE FIRE STATION? >> YES, MA'AM . >> PUBLIC COMMENT? >> ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR? SEEING NONE WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT. >> BACK TO THE BIRD . >> I AM PREPARED TO MAKE A MOTION. >> GREAT. >> MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2025- , APPROVING VACROA 2024-01 ROBERTS ROAD ROW [5. Funding for and Approval to Purchase SJC Fire Rescue Apparatus. On September 17, 2024, the Board approved the assembling of a County financing team to present a finance package toward the acquisition of fire rescue apparatus related to the three new approved stations that were funded as part of the Series 2024A Bond. In meeting with the County's financial advisors, PFM, it was recommended that the financing occur closer to the time of the delivery of the apparatus to be financed. However, due to the long lead time for the production and delivery of apparatus, there is a need to have a budget appropriation in place to secure the purchase order. The first apparatus for FS 21: Flagler Estates has an estimated delivery date of October 2025 with the next apparatus for FS 22: Silverleaf not until July 2026, per the estimated delivery schedule (attached). This item is requesting a transfer from Fire/EMS Impact Fee Reserves in the amount of $642,970 for the purchase of a commercial tanker and related equipment for FS 21: Flagler Estates. Additionally, the recognition and appropriation of debt proceeds up to the amount of $5,705,445 is needed to secure the purchase orders of future apparatus. It is anticipated that any future equipment related to the apparatus will be appropriated from Fire/EMS Impact Fees in the respective fiscal year. Additionally, if Fire/EMS Impact Fees or other funds are available, it is recommended to utilize such funds in lieu of financing. The determination to utilize Fire/EMS Impact Fees or other funds in lieu of financing will be incorporated into the budgets of future fiscal years. The BOCC standardized Pierce Manufacturing via Resolution #2022-52 for the purchase of Fire Apparatus. Staff recommends Board approval to purchase the specified equipment from Ten-8 Fire & Safety, LLC, the authorized dealer of Pierce Manufacturing and Braun. The specified apparatus is priced using the Sourcewell Cooperative Contract #113021-OKC, and the Braun ambulance is priced using the Florida Sheriff's Association Contract #FSA23-VEF17.0. Due to the size of the comprehensive proposals for the apparatus and equipment, only the pricing portion has been provided. More detail on specific options and information is available upon request from Jaime Locklear at jlocklear@sjcfl.us.] VACATION - A PETITION TO VACATE A PORTION OF ROBERTS ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY. . >> SECOND . >> ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE VOTE. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ARE YOU ALREADY FOR LUNCH OR DO YOU WANT TO DO ONE MORE? >> LET'S DO ONE MORE. >> AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS APPROVAL FOR FUNDING AND PURCHASE OF FIRE RESCUE APPARATUS. THIS REALLY IS A FOLLOW-UP OF PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION ON SEPTEMBER 17 2024. THE BOARD APPROVED A COUPLE OF THINGS. THE BOARD APPROVED THE FINANCING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THREE FIRE STATIONS. FLAGLER ESTATES AS WELL AS BEACH WALK AND SILVERLEAF AREAS. THE BOARD APPROVED THE FINANCING TEAM ASSEMBLING THE FINANCING TEAM FOR THE ACQUISITION OF THE APPARATUS RELATED TO THE STATION. AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FINANCIAL ADVISER, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A MASTER LEASE FINANCING PROGRAM BUT NOT TO EXECUTE THE FINANCING UNTIL CLOSER TO WHEN THE FUNDS WERE NEEDED. TODAY WE DO NEED FUNDING OR APPROPRIATION IN THE BUDGET IN ORDER TO SECURE PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THE APPARATUS. WE ARE TENTATIVELY IN LINE IF WE DON'T SECURE THAT SPOT IN LINE WITH THE PURCHASE ORDER AND WE COULD GO TO THE END OF THE LINE WHICH COULD LEAD TO A 48 MONTH DELAY ON THE APPARATUS. THE PRICING ON THE APPARATUS IS BASED OFF OF COMPETITIVELY PROCURED CONTRACTS. THIS TABLE IS A LIST OF THE APPARATUS TO BE PROCURED AND IDENTIFIES THE FIRE STATION AS WELL AS THE TYPE OF APPARATUS. WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR TODAY WITH THE REQUEST IS AN APPROVAL FROM RESERVES FOR THE FIRST PIECE OF EQUIPMENT FOR FLAGLER ESTATES. THAT MIGHT COME IN THIS YEAR SO WE WANT TO BE APPROPRIATION THIS YEAR AND WE HAVE RESERVED FUNDING FOR THAT. THE REMAINDER OF THE EQUIPMENT IS THE REQUEST FOR POTENTIAL FINANCING. IF WE HAVE AVAILABLE IMPACT FEES IN FUTURE YEARS TO PAY FOR THE EQUIPMENT VERSUS FINANCING AND SAVE FINANCING COST WE WOULD MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION AND SWITCH OUT THE APPROPRIATION IN FINANCING TO IMPACT FEES. AND JUST TO [02:40:07] NOTE, WHETHER WE PAY CASH OR FINANCING ALL OF THE ANTICIPATED PAYMENT IS ANTICIPATED TO COME FROM FIRE RESCUE IMPACT FEES. HERE IS JUST A VISUAL DEPICTION OF THE APPARATUS. THE TOP LEFT IS THE COMMERCIAL TANKER AND THE TOP RIGHT IS THE AERIAL UNITS AND ACROSS THE BOTTOM ARE THE STANDARD FIRE AND RESCUE APPARATUS. WITH THAT I AM AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. >> DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? >> I DO WANT TO ASK A QUESTION ONLY BECAUSE I GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT IT. WHEN ONE OF THESE THINGS GETS DAMAGED, HOW DO WE PAY FOR THAT? IS IT OUT OF GENERAL FUND? LIKE IF IT IS IN AN ACCIDENT OR IT ROLES? >> IF IT IS MATERIAL DAMAGE AND CAN BE REPAIRED IT IS PAID FOR OUT OF THE RESPECTIVE FUND. >> AND THEN, WHEN WE GO OUT , FOR BONDING PARKS AND ALL OF THESE THINGS HOW DO WE HAVE ENOUGH ROOM AND SPACE TO DO ALL OF THAT BONDING? JUST FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PUBLIC. DO WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF BONDS? OR CAN WE BOND EVERYTHING? JUST FOR THE PUBLIC. >> IN FLORIDA THERE IS NO LEGAL DEBT CAPACITY LIMIT HOWEVER, THERE ARE MORE PRACTICAL LIMITS SO, YOU DON'T WANT TO OVEREXTEND YOUR FINANCING. YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY WHAT FUNDS HE MAY HAVE AVAILABLE TO PAY AN ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE AND BACK INTO IT. SO IF YOU CAN PAY 2 MILLION PER YEAR YOU CAN BACK INTO HOW MUCH YOU CAN BORROW FOR $2 MILLION PER YEAR. SO, THAT IS HOW THE PARKS AND FIRE STATIONS WERE PROGRAMMED. WE HAD A SURPLUS OF FUNDS ANNUALLY AND THOSE FUNDS THEN KIND OF BACKED INTO AN AMOUNT THAT WE COULD BOND. >> ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER TAYLOR. >> YES. I DID HAVE A QUESTION. ARE THESE INSURED? WHERE DOES INSURANCE COME INTO THE SO LIKE IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN. >> THEY ARE ALL INSURED SO IF THERE IS DAMAGE TO IT WE COULD SEEK REIMBURSEMENT THROUGH INSURANCE. >> OKAY. THANK YOU . >> IS THIS A PRESENTATION OR DO WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT? ANYONE? LET'S GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT . >> WE WILL NOW HERE PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. PLEASE, I JUST WANTED TO COME UP AND SHOW SUPPORT ESPECIALLY SINCE WE JUST HAD A FIRE . >> NAME AND ADDRESS. >> SHORTLY -- IN FLAGLER ESTATES. YES, PLEASE. THANK YOU. >> ANYONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? SEEING NONE WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. >> IS THERE A MOTION ON THIS? COMMISSIONER ARNOLD. >> MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2025- 116 AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF $642,970 FROM FIRE/EMS IMPACT FEE RESERVES, AND AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 FIRE/EMS IMPACT FEE FUND TO RECEIVE UNANTICIPATED REVENUE IN THE AMOUNT OF $5,705,445 AND AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, OR DESIGNEE, TO EXECUTE PURCHASE ORDERS FOR THE SPECIFIED APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT FROM TEN-8 FIRE & SAFETY, LLC. >> I WILL SECOND . >> WE HAVE A MOTION. PLEASE VOTE. THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, 5-0. SO, IS IT NEIL DOING THE NEXT ONE? AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX. FRANK, IF HE IS HERE. HE'S PROBABLY OUT AT THE FOOD TRUCK. SO, LET'S BREAK FOR LUNCH AND RETURN [6. Public Hearing * Amending the SJC Utilities Ordinance for Pretreatment – First Reading. During a recent Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) inspection of the Utilities Pretreatment Program, it was discovered that the current Utility Ordinance did not give delegation authorization from the Utility Director to the Pretreatment Coordinator. It was also noted that the Ordinance did not define a timeline for reviewing data and issuing or denying Pretreatment permits. These minor amendments (pages 42 and 52) to the Utility Ordinance will address the changes FDEP requested during the Pretreatment inspection.] >> OKAY, WE ARE BACK. AGENDA ITEM SIX. HI , SIR . [02:45:06] >> HELLO MADAM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. I MANAGE THE UTILITY DIVISION OF THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT AND I'M HERE TO KICK OFF UTILITY PORTION OF THE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON . WE WILL START WITH THE FIRST READING OF THE AGENDA ITEM TO AMEND THE UTILITY ORDINANCE. WITH ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES FOLLOWING THE RECENT FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INSPECTION OF OUR PRETREATMENT PROGRAM. I HAVE A FEW QUICK SLIDES AND DESCRIBE THE PRETREATMENT AND OUTLINE THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGES. PRETREATMENT IS A DE REQUIRED PROGRAM AND IT IS BASICALLY A PREVENTION POLLUTION PROGRAM. HE KEEPS POLLUTANTS OUT OF UTILITY SYSTEM , OUR WATERWAYS AND ULTIMATELY OUR ENVIRONMENT . WE MAKE SURE GREASE TRAPS ARE INSTALLED AND PUNCTURING -- FUNCTIONING HOT CORRECTLY. WITH ALUMINUM MY ROOF CLEANING MANUFACTURERS LOCATED OFF OF INMAN ROAD AND WHAT WAS CARLISLE CONNECT HOUSING. THEY MANUFACTURE AIRCRAFT WIRE AND DO COATINGS ON THOSE ALONG WITH AGRICULTURAL. FOLLOWING THE INSPECTION THEY ASKED TO ADD LANGUAGE ALLOWING UTILITY DIRECTOR TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO THE PRETREATMENT COORDINATOR . WITHOUT THAT, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO THE INSPECTIONS AND SIGN THE PERMITS AND EVERYTHING. THEY ALSO ASSESS THE TIMELINE FOR DATA AND PERMITS. THIS DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AND TIMELINE WAS LEFT OUT OF THE ORIGINAL UTILITY ORDINANCE. I'VE BEEN WITH THE APARTMENT ABOUT 12 YEARS NOW AND IT HAS NEVER COME UP IN PREVIOUS INSPECTIONS AND SO SOMEONE HOW TO FIND TOOTH COMB OUT AND THIS IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE CLEANUP . THIS IS UNDER 17 A THAT ALLOWS THE DIRECTOR TO DELEGATE THAT AUTHORITY TO OTHER EMPLOYEES. UNDER ATB , THIS PUTS THE TIMELINE AND FOR REVIEWING THOSE PERMITS . REALLY, JUST LEGAL ADMINISTRATIVE CLEANUP BUT WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THIS ROUTE TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE. THERE IS NO ACTION FOR YOU TODAY . WE WILL SEE YOU BACK VERY SOON ON MAY 6TH, TO BE PRECISE FOR THE SECOND READING. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS . >> ANY QUESTIONS? >> THAT WAS A READING AND SO I'M NOT GOING TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT AND WE MOVE ON TO NUMBER SEVEN. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE . >> THANK YOU. >> GOOD AFTERNOON . >> GOOD AFTERNOON MADAM CHAIR, COMMISSIONERS . >> COMMISSIONER , I APOLOGIZE IT IS STILL A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE SHOULD HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE DO NEED IT FOR THE RECORD . >> ALL RIGHT, EXCUSE ME . >> WE WILL NOW HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER [7. Public Hearing * Transmittal Hearing for COMPAMD 2024-06 a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to amend the Comprehensive Plan Goals, Objectives and Policies to comply with Section 163.3177, Florida Statutes, with the issuance on the 2023 North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan. This is the transmittal hearing for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to amend Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the St. Johns County 2025 Comprehensive Plan in order to comply with Section 163.3177, Florida Statutes, with the issuance of the 2023 North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan. The statute requires local governments to amend their Comprehensive Plans to include selected projects from the updated regional water supply plan and to update its Water Supply Facilities Work Plan, adopted by reference in the Comprehensive Plan. The County’s Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) heard this item on March 6, 2025. Agency members had general questions and comments. The Agency voted 5-0 to recommend transmittal.] SIX. SEEING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT . >> ALL RIGHT , NOW YOU ARE UP. >> GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN MADAM CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING ME HERE TODAY. TODAY I WANT TO DISCUSS WITH YOU A PROPOSED FAINTING LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF. I AM KEVIN LEDBETTER, SENIOR ENGINEER WITH THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT. I'M HERE TO DISCUSS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NORTH REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PLAN . BEFORE I GET GOING TODAY, I WANT TO MAKE MENTION -- I KNOW THERE ARE OTHER ORDINANCES WITH PLAN TO CHANGES GOING ON NOW. THIS IS SEPARATE FROM THOSE AND IT IS REQUIRED BY STATUTE TO COMPLETE. WITH THAT, I WILL GET GOING. SO, I AM HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR A MOTION TO TRANSFER FOR STATE AGENCY REVIEW THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT. SPECIFIC AMENDMENT POLICIES D 417 AND D 462 FOR THE REQUIREMENTS AT THE 2023 NORTH FLORIDA REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY. A LITTLE BACKGROUND BEFORE I MOVE ON. THE REASON WE ARE DOING THIS TODAY IS THE NORTH FLORIDA REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PARTNERSHIP AND WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS AND DP WITH LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS . THE REGION INCLUDES 14 COUNTIES AROUND US INCLUDING US THAT YOU SEE ON THE GRAPH OVER HERE. WHAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR IS COORDINATING THE WATER SUPPLY PLAN . FOR THE NORTH FLORIDA REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PLAN . WHAT THIS DOES IS IT LOOKS AT IDENTIFYING PROJECTS TO PROTECT WATER RESOURCES AND NATURAL SYSTEMS FOR USE. SO, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ARE [02:50:05] REQUIRED BY FLORIDA STATUTE TO COMPLETE THIS BY FLORIDA STATUTE WITHIN 18 MONTHS OF THE WATER SUPPLY PLAN. WE MUST ADOPT THE PRODUCTS INTO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FROM THIS WATER SUPPLY PLAN . ALSO, WE HAVE TO UPDATE OUR FACILITIES TO COMPLY . >> SO, THE DISTRICTS ISSUED AN UPDATED WATER SUPPLY PLAN IN DECEMBER 2023 THAT GIVES US A DEADLINE OF JUNE 12TH OF THIS YEAR TO COMPLETE. WHAT IT IS GOING TO REQUIRE IS A COUPLE OF MINOR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENTS AND ALSO AN UPDATED WATER SUPPLY FACILITIES FRAMEWORK . IN 2020, WE HAD A PUSHBACK WITH A NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS AND WE DRAFTED THE ORIGINAL WATER FACILITY SUPPLY PLAN. LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF MINOR AMENDMENTS WE HAVE TO DO. THE FIRST IS TO INCORPORATE BY REFERENCE THE UPDATED WATER SUPPLY PLAN. ADDITIONALLY WE HAD AN 18 MONTH PLAN THAT IS IN 2025. IT IS NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRED BY THE REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PLAN BUT SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO TO COMPLEMENT. ORIGINALLY THIS PLAN HAD A WATER RESOURCE PLAN WE WANT TO REFERENCE ALL OF THE WATER SUPPLY PLANTS. JUST TO NOTE, BEFORE I FINISH THIS UP, WE HAVE SENT THESE OUT TO THE WATER SUPPLY DISTRICT WHERE THEY HAVE REVIEWED THE COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE PLAN. THEY HAVE PROVIDED COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE INCORPORATED AND WE ARE NOT EXPECTING MORE COMMENTS FROM THEM. ALSO, PCA APPROVED TO US TO MOVE FORWARD . ONCE AGAIN , I AM ASKING FOR A MOTION FOR YOU TO TRANSMIT SPECIFICALLY AMENDING D.4.1.17 AND D.4.6.2. I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS . >> ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? >> I HAVE A QUESTION. ON PAGE 8 , THERE IS AN READ -- RED SIX AROUND NUMBER FOUR. IT IS 163.377 . >> IT WILL TAKE ME A MINUTE TO FIND THAT . >> IT IS THE TOP QUESTION. IT MUST THINK INCORPORATE THE WATER SUPPLY PLAN SELECTED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT . ARE WE READY TO DO THAT OR ARE WE DOING THAT? >> THE WAY THIS WORKS IS WE TOOK PROJECTS? >> THE WAY IT ORIGINALLY WORKED IS THAT WHEN WE HAD A PROJECT WE WOULD DO ANOTHER AMENDMENT AND WE INCORPORATED INTO THE WATER SUPPLY WORKPLAN. NOW THAT WE HAVE UPDATED THAT, WE JUST HAVE TO UPDATE THE REFERENCE . >> IS THERE ACTUAL THINGS WE ARE READY TO GO DO OR ARE DOING ? >> THEY ARE PUT INTO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN . >> OKAY . >> WE DO PROVIDE UPDATES ON ONGOING PROJECTS IN THERE AS WELL . >> OKAY, IS THAT THE WATER WE ARE TREATING? >> THERE IS ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS. BASICALLY IT SHOWS HOW OUR PLAN WILL MEET THE NEED FOR THE NEXT 10 YEAR HORIZON . THERE ARE ALSO PROJECTS TO WORK OUT WITH THE DISTRICT AND REGIONAL PLANNING. THERE ARE OTHER UTILITIES IN THE AREA THAT ARE INCLUDED . >> OKAY . >> IF THERE IS NO OTHER QUESTIONS, PUBLIC COMMENT . >> WE WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN. >> GOOD AFTERNOON . >> I AM AT 1500 BLACKBERRY LINE. I COULD HAVE CLICKED ON THIS AND PERHAPS OF GOT THE DETAILS I'M GOING TO ASK ABOUT HERE . I KNOW FROM SOIL AND WATER DAYS THAT THERE WAS A WATER TREATMENT FOLKS THAT WERE CONCERNED ABOUT AND WANTED TO SEE MOR GRAY WATER INSTALLATIONS FOR YARDS BECAUSE AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR, LIKE NOW, WHEN THINGS ARE STARTING TO GROW AGAIN , OUR WATER SUPPLY -- OUR WATER SUPPLY GOES DOWN . WE ARE NOT SUCKING IT DRY, THE PEOPLE ARE USING A LOT OF FRESH WATER AND DOMESTIC WATER FOR THEIR LAWNS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE GRAY WATER . I KNOW OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING ENCOURAGES DEVELOPMENTS TO INCLUDE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS TO BE USED . I'M SORRY IF YOU CAN'T [02:55:05] HEAR ME. SO, I AM INTERESTED TO KNOW IF THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THIS PLAN THAT SPEAKS TO THAT. ADDITIONALLY, FOR A 10 YEAR PLAN , WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATED POPULATION THAT OUR WATER IS SEEN TO SERVE AND VERY LIKELY THAT LANGUAGE IS ALSO IN THERE IF I HAD READ IT AT HOME BUT I HAVE QUESTIONS TODAY ON THAT. I DON'T KNOW THE PROPER TERMINOLOGY BUT I HAD GOOGLED AND I BELIEVE I READ ONCE THAT THE NORTHEAST FLORIDA IS CONSIDERED IN DANGER IN TERMS OF WATER. IF OUR PRESENTER COULD SPEAK TO THAT. THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF WATER AND THAT YOU KNOW THERE ARE NO CONCERNS, I WOULD SURE LIKE TO HEAR THAT BUT I BELIEVE I GOOGLED AND READ JUST THE OPPOSITE . A FEW QUESTIONS, THANK YOU. >> ANY OTHER? >> ANYONE ELSE ? >> WE ARE BACK TO THE BOARD . YOU CAN ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS. >> UTILITY DIRECTOR AND THERE ARE THREE QUESTIONS. QUESTION ONE WAS ABOUT GRAYWATER. WE HAVE A REALLY ELABORATE SYSTEM AND I TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE MORNING . WE RECLAIM ABOUT 60% OF THE TREATED WASTEWATER TO OUR COMMUNITIES . AS I SAID ALSO THIS MORNING, WHICH I'M PROUD OF , THIS COUNTY BOARD AND PREVIOUS BOARDS HAVE APPROVED AN ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRES EVERY NEW DEVELOPMENT TO CONNECT TO RECLAIMED WATER WHEN AVAILABLE OR ANOTHER SOURCE AND THE QUESTION WAS RELATIVE TO THAT . THE OTHER TWO QUESTIONS, IF YOU DON'T MIND , THOSE ARE VERY BROAD QUESTIONS AND I DON'T INC. I CAN SERVE WELL TALKING ABOUT THEM HERE. THE GENERAL ANSWER IS YOU ARE IN GOOD STANDING AS A COUNTY FOR WATER SUPPLY IN THE FUTURE. IT IS A MUCH BROADER SUBJECT MATTER TO TALK ABOUT WITH THE DISTRICTS WITH WHAT IS GOING ON AND WITH WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE AREA, WE ARE HAPPY TO TALK TO THE GENTLEMAN AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, I CAN DO THAT. BUT TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, WE DO NOT EXTEND RECLAIMED WATER TO EVERY HOUSEHOLD . IT'S NOT COST-EFFECTIVE . WE TAKE IT TO AREAS WHERE THE RECLAIMED WATER PIPE IS AVAILABLE AND IT'S MORE FEASIBLE TO DO THAT IN NEWER DEVELOPMENTS. SO, THAT IS KIND OF THE ANSWER. I WOULD LOVE TO TALK SEPARATELY TO ANSWER SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS . >> THAT'S FINE, ANY OTHER ? >> I THINK YOU ARE DOING A PRESENTATION NEXT AND MAYBE HE WILL COVER SOME OF THAT. >> THE CLOSING OF THE PUBLIC -- >> HAPPY TO MOVE . >> OKAY, ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON, THEN , A MOTION, PLEASE . >> MOTION TO APPROVE TWO OF POLICIES D.4.1.17 AND D.4.6.2 TO ADDRESS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE 2023 NORTH FLORIDA REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PLAN . AS PROVIDED IN THE STAFF REPORT . >> I WILL SECOND . >> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, PLEASE VOTE. THAT PASSES [8. Public Hearing * Amendment to the Irrigation Ordinance – First Reading. The St. Johns River Water Management District has been endorsing changes to landscape irrigation ordinances for use of reclaimed water to allow restrictions based on a utility provider's operational needs. This change will put St. Johns County Utilities in conformity with the best practices suggested by the St. Johns River Water Management District's goals for water conservation.] UNANIMOUSLY 5- 0. THANK YOU . >> AND NOW YOU ARE BACK, RIGHT? >> GOOD AFTERNOON MADAME CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS . >> VERY GOOD, SO WHAT YOU HAVE IS THE COUNTY IRRIGATION ORDINANCE . SPECIFICALLY IT IS 2010-10 -- 2010-20. IT LOOKS INTO THE PRESUMPTIVE USE OF WATER FOR IRRIGATION AND LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION . JUST TO GO WITH WHAT WE HAVE IS A GOOD OR OPPORTUNITY FOR THE BOARD TO KNOW WHAT THIS IS. THIS COMES FROM THE FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE COURT. AS YOU SEE, IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS LIKE OURS TO ADOPT THIS IRRIGATION ORDINANCE . IT HAS SPECIFICS AND PROVISIONS OF THE RULE . BASICALLY, WHAT THEY COVER IS THE SCHEDULE IN SECTION FOUR WHEN RESIDENTS CAN USE IT IN DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME WHICH IS TWO TIMES A WEEK AND WHEN THEY CAN USE IT IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME WHICH IS ONCE A WEEK. WHEN THEY CANNOT USE IT IS THE HOURS FROM 10:00 TO 4:00 EVERY DAY, NONRESIDENTIAL . SECTION 5 TALKS [03:00:03] ABOUT EXCEPTIONS TO THE LANDSCAPE . WHERE IF LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED OR IF NEW SOD IS PUT IN SO THEY ACCOMMODATE THAT THEY DON'T NEED TO BE FOLLOWED AT THIS TIME WITH TIMINGS FOR THOSE . IT ALSO COVERS RESTRICTIONS ON RECLAIMED WATER . YOU CAN SEE THIS ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED BY THE COUNTY IN 2010 . THAT IS THE PRIMARY REASON WE ARE HERE TODAY AS UTILITIES. IT COVERS ALL THE UTILITIES IN SAINT JOHNS COUNTY. THEY BRING THAT SAME REQUEST AND THAT IS REALLY ON THE RESTRICTIONS OF RECLAIMED WATER . THE WAY THE ORDINANCE READS TODAY WHICH WAS DONE 15 YEARS BACK , IT TALKS ABOUT HOW RECLAIMED WATER IS EXEMPT FROM THESE REQUIREMENTS . IF YOU'VE USED RECLAIMED, YOU CAN USE IT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, TECH WEEKLY. CERTAINLY, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST 15 YEARS , A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE WATERWORLD AND WATER IS AN IMPORTANT COMMODITY . WEATHER THE STORM WATER AND THE USE OF THIS LOW-QUALITY SOURCES ESSENTIAL FOR MEETING OUR WATER SUPPLY NEEDS FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTY AND REALLY THE REGION. SO, WHAT WE ARE REQUESTING HERE AS A CHANGE IS OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY SO WE CAN MANAGE THIS RECLAIMED WATER TO BETTER PURPOSES . WE ARE NOT INTENDING TO NOT PROVIDE WATER OR RESTRICT WATER TO THE RESIDENCE. WE WILL MAKE IT AVAILABLE AS IT IS AVAILABLE BUT IT CANNOT BE AVAILABLE -- I CANNOT SPEAK FOR ALL UTILITIES, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK . IF ANY USE THAT WAY, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE NEXT PERSON . SO, THERE WILL BE A LOT OF OUTREACH AND EDUCATION BECAUSE WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND. I KNOW THAT J EA IS LAUNCHING A HUGE OUTREACH THAT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD AND SO ARE WE. WE ARE ABOUT A HALF A YEAR AWAY FROM WHERE WE STAND AND WHERE JE -- JA E STANDS . WE ARE NOT DELETING ANYTHING. WE ARE KEEPING THE STATEMENT THAT IT CAN BE USED AT ANY TIME BUT WE ARE ADDING THAT IT BE RESTRICTED TO WATER FOR OPERATIONAL NEEDS AS PERMITTED BY BYLAW. THAT FINISHES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR COMMENTS. AGAIN, THAT IS A FIRST READ. >> ANY QUESTIONS ? COMMISSIONER MURPHY . >> NEIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE FOR THIS . IS IT JUST THE BLUE LINE RECLAIMED WATER OR PEOPLE WITH SPECIFIC IRRIGATION WELLS? >> THE RULE IN GENERAL ACTUALLY APPLIES TO ANYBODY . THE ORDINANCE THAT IS IN PLACE. THE SPECIFIC CHANGES WE ARE MAKING IS FOR THE OPERATIONAL IMPACTS OF RECLAIMED WATER . >> OKAY, THANK YOU. >> ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SHOULD WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT? >> FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM 8 . >> SEEING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT . [9. Appointments to the Tourist Development Council. Currently, there are (3) vacancies on the Tourist Development Council due to the expired terms of Troy Blevins, Charles Cox and Michael Wicks. A vacancy ad was placed and ran for (5) months followed by another (30) days. Please see a recommendation letter from the TDC and (15) applications: Dirk Lobenbruck Dist. 1, James Loggins Dist. 1, Michael Wicks Dist. 1, JoAnna Engel Dist. 3, Charles Cox Dist. 3, Tony Mazullo Dist. 4, Kim Devlin Dist. 5, Samuel (Troy) Blevins Dist.5, Hannah Rullo Dist. 5, Eric Fundora Dist. 5, Raj Vavilala Dist. 5, Anna Straughan Dist. 5, Albert Syeles Dist. 5, Gloreatha Scurry Smith Dist. 5, Janeen Sara Dist. 5.] >> ALL RIGHT , THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IS THERE ANYTHING MORE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY? OKAY, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, JOANNE . >> GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS, JOANN SPENCER SENIOR ASSISTANT TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS HERE WITH AGENDA ITEM NINE. CURRENTLY THERE ARE THREE VACANCIES ON THE COUNCIL WITH THE VACANCIES OF TROY BLEVINS, CHARLES COX, AND MICHAEL WICKS. WE DID RECEIVE 15 APPLICATIONS . THE TDC DID MEET AND ARE RECOMMENDING TO REAPPOINT ALL THREE MEMBERS WITH EXPIRING TERMS FOR SECOND FOUR-YEAR TERMS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS . >> THANK YOU JOANN . I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION AND HAVE A DISCUSSION BECAUSE I CANNOT TALK TO FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AND THERE ARE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP. I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT OR REAPPOINT , TROY BLEVINS, CHARLES COX, AND MICHAEL WICKS. >> THE ONLY REASON I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS SARAH'S BECAUSE SHE IS A MERCHANT . >> I WILL SECOND . >> SO WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION . >> ABSOLUTELY . >> I'VE BEEN SERVING AS ADVISOR TO THE BOARD AND I NOTICED WHEN I WENT BACK AFTER THE VOTE AND STARTED TO CALL SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THERE . I TALKED TO FIREMEN AND I TALKED TO A SOCIAL WORKER AND I ACTUALLY TALKED TO MS. SARAH WHO IS IN THE BACK IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO HER OR HAVE HER COME UP AND SAY SOMETHING . SHE IS INTERESTING BECAUSE SHE OWES -- OWNS THE SUCCESSFUL CUPCAKE STORE IN SAINT AUGUSTINE AND DID SO WELL THAT SHE SOLD IT AND NOW [03:05:02] OWNS A GALLERY . I FEEL WE DON'T HAVE THE PERSPECTIVE OF MERCHANTS AND/OR STORE OWNERS ON THE BOARD . I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE TRIP ADVISOR THAT SAYS WE HAVE 160 GALLERIES AND STORES. I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THAT KIND OF PERSON ON THE BOARD TO -- YOU KNOW, THIS IS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, FOLKS AND I ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A FRESH OUTLOOK AND IDEA AS WELL AS COVERING THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIVING IN SAINT AUGUSTINE AND HAVING BUSINESSES THERE . THAT WAS MY INTENT AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THE REST OF THE BOARD FEELS ABOUT THAT. >> I MEAN, WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS ARE COOL, RIGHT ? ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS? >> ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER MURPHY ? >> YES, I HAPPEN TO THINK WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS ARE PRETTY COOL TOO AND I ACTUALLY HAPPENS TO BE MARRIED TO ONE. LET ME GET THIS RIGHT. YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT TROY BLEVINS . >> HE OWNS A HOTEL . >> YEAH, BUT OF THE THREE THAT WERE UNANIMOUSLY AGREED UPON BY THE TDC , YOU WANT TO REAPPOINT TROY AND WAS A CHARLES OR MICHAEL? >> MICHAEL WICKS AND CHARLES COX WOULD THEN BE REPLACED BY -- >> MS. SARAH. >> SHE IS BACK HERE IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO HER. DID YOU WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS COMMISSIONER TAYLOR ? >> YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HEAR FROM HER. >> >> HI GUYS, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. I WANT TO SAY MY NAME IS JANEEN SARA AND I DID OWN LOUISE CUPCAKES AND I SOLD THAT AND NOW I HAVE KNOWN A GALLERY FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. I THINK I'M UNIQUE IN THAT I HAVE SEEN THE LOCAL ASPECT AND I JUST TOLD YOU MY AGE AND PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT. BUT, BEING A LOCAL LIVING IN NORTH SAINT JOHNS COUNTY AND RUNNING BUSINESSES, I HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THE TOURISM. I CARE A LOT AND KIND OF HAVE MY FINGER ON THE PULSE OF THE MERCHANTS IN TOWN AS WELL. WE LIKE TO COLLABORATE AND SHARE IDEAS AND I THINK I OFFER A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE . >> ANYBODY ELSE? COMMISSIONER WHITEHURST . >> MS. SARAH , I UNDERSTAND THAT AND I OWN A SMALL BUSINESS AS WELL. I APPRECIATE THE DAY IN AND DAY OUT GRIND OF RUNNING A SHOP IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT . HOW MUCH OF YOU BEEN ABLE TO LEARN ABOUT THE TOURISM PICTURE AS A WHOLE AND HOW IT PARTNERS WITH GOVERNMENT? >> I THINK WITH DIFFERENT PLACES FOR BUSINESS IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. YOU HAVE DOWNTOWN AND UP DOWN IN SAINT AUGUSTINE PROPER IS WHAT I LIKE TO CALL IT . I THINK EACH PLACE HAS DIFFERENT FEELINGS DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR. NIGHT LIGHT , THERE ARE A LOT OF POSITIVES TO NIGHTLIGHTS AND WHOEVER HAS BEEN PUSHING IT HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT SERVICE TO THE CITY IN MANY WAYS. THERE ARE NEGATIVES FOR MERCHANTS TOO, ESPECIALLY IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. BEING A BUSINESS OWNER , YOU CAN SPEAK TO THIS AS WELL . YOU HEAR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES FROM DIFFERENT PLACES IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. SO, I LIKE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. MICHAEL LUGO HAS A LOT OF INTERESTING PERSPECTIVES BECAUSE HE HAS BUSINESS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND NOW OUTSIDE THE AREA . THERE ARE LOTS OF PERSPECTIVES AND I LIKE TO LISTEN AND HEAR WHAT IS WORKING AND WHAT ISN'T FOR THOSE PARTS OF TOWN. >> HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT THE VC B IS DOING MARKETING THE DESTINATION? >> MARKETING IS DOING A GREAT JOB IN MARKETING IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR SAYING AUGUSTINE . WE ARE SHOWING UP EVERYWHERE AND FOR THE MOST PART, THAT'S A GOOD THING AND FOR THE MOST PART , IT IS HEALTHY TO KEEP OUR CITY GOING AND OUR ECONOMY GOING . THERE ARE LITTLE TWEAKS, I THINK, BUT THAT IS TRUE OF ANYTHING, ANYTHING SOMEONE IS WORKING ON, THERE ARE LITTLE TWEAKS. FOR THE MOST PART , FOR MARKETING, I THINK THEY ARE [03:10:03] DOING A GREAT JOB . >> IT'S MY PLEASURE TO MEET ANOTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, THANK YOU. >> COMMISSIONER MURPHY . >> THANK YOU. JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. YOU MENTIONED THAT MARKETING IS NOT A PROBLEM . WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ASSESSMENT OF OUR PROBLEM ? >> THAT IS PART OF THE TWEAKING . WHO ARE YOU MARKETING TO AND WHAT KIND OF DOLLARS ARE THEY SPENDING? I THINK FOR FOOD AND DRINK, THEY ARE KILLING IT . THEY ARE KILLING IT ALL YEAR ROUND . FOR MERCHANTS, NOT AS MUCH, ESPECIALLY HIGH-END MERCHANTS WHICH SAYING AUGUSTINE THINKING I'M HERE 52 YEARS AND I'VE TOLD YOU THAT AND YOU KNOW IT AGAIN . WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, IT WAS A DIFFERENT MARKET AND THERE WERE DIFFERENT TOURISTS AND IT WAS A DIFFERENT CLIMATE. NOW, WE HAVE ELEVATED OUR GAME IN A LOT OF WAYS. I THINK THAT MARKETING WISE WE COULD ENCOMPASS THAT ELEVATED TOURIST A LITTLE MORE AND BRING THEM IN . >> JUST ONE MORE QUESTION . A WEEK OR TWO AGO, THE CITY VOTED TO REDUCE THE NIGHTLIGHTS -- THE TIME SPENT . WOULD YOU HAVE AGREED WITH THEM OR DISAGREED? >> I WOULD SAY NO , I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE YOU ARE COMPRESSING THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT PEOPLE CAN GO . YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET LESS PEOPLE . NOW, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO STREAMLINE THAT BETTER WITH WHERE THEY PARK AND HOW THEY INTERACT AND ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF AND YOU NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY . I THINK IT'S A CONCERTED EFFORT TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING AND I LIKE THAT . BUT, I DON'T KNOW THAT MAKING IT A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME WILL DO ANYTHING MORE THAN JUST HAVING MORE PEOPLE COME DURING THAT TIME . YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY, THOUGH . MAYBE IT WILL EASE CONGESTION BUT NOW PEOPLE SAY, I ONLY HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF TIME TO GO INSTEAD OF THIS AMOUNT OF TIME. >> COMMISSIONER TAYLOR . >> YES, FIRST OFF, CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER . MY HUSBAND HAS A SMALL BUSINESS AS WELL AND I HAVE SUCH RESPECT AND IT'S DEFINITELY NOT EASY. AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING AS WELL. ARE THERE CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR THAT ARE BUSIER DOES NIGHT OF LIGHTS HELP THE MERCHANTS? WHAT KIND OF THINGS CAN GET MORE PEOPLE INTO YOUR GALLERY OR INTO SOME OF THE SMALLER BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN, OR ALL OF THEM ? >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION . I THINK OUR BUSIEST TIMES ARE SUMMER, OF COURSE , AND NIGHT OF LIGHTS. FOR EVERYBODY KNOWING THAT . AT NIGHT OF LIGHTS, YOU LOSE ALL LOCAL CUSTOMERS, EVERYBODY AND YOU ARE ONLY SEEING TOURISTS FOR NIGHT OF LIGHTS. AND MY BUSINESSES 50-50 TOURISTS AND AND THE NIGHT OF LIGHTS I LOSE ALL OF MY LOCALS AND THAT IS TOUGH . NOW YOU CAN ONLY SURVIVE ON TOURIST BUSINESS. SOMETIMES THAT IS NOT ELEVATED AND THEY'RE NOT LOOKING FOR THAT AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR FOOD AND DRINK. IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, YOU DO THAT ALL YEAR ROUND. SUMMER IS GOOD BUT SUMMER PEOPLE SPEND LESS DOLLARS THAN YOU WOULD THINK. THAT IS MORE BEACH AND QUICK BITES AND THAT KIND OF STUFF . BUT WE ARE DOING GOOD ALL YEAR ROUND, MOSTLY. I JUST THINK THAT NIGHT OF LIGHTS, YOU LOSE YOUR LOCAL TRAFFIC , AND THAT IS TOUGH. WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, IT WAS JUST SUMMER AND THAT WAS THE ONLY TIME. NOW, IT IS MOSTLY ALL YEAR-ROUND. SNOWBIRDS MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE . SNOWBIRDS ARE NICE BUSINESSWISE AND THEY ARE SPENDING DOLLARS. SO, THAT IS A LITTLE BIT , YOU KNOW, THE FLOW OF THE YEAR. SUMMER IS GREAT WITH LESS MONEY. SNOWBIRDS ARE GREAT AND NIGHT OF LIGHTS IS GREAT IF YOU ARE A TOURIST . >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IS THERE PUBLIC COMMENT? >> PUBLIC COMMENT . >> YES, WE WILL OPEN THIS UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA NUMBER NINE . >> THANKS, GUYS . >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS JUDY SPIEGEL AND WOW, 52, THAT'S LOVELY AND I WISH I LOOKED THAT GOOD WHEN I WAS 52. I LIKE HER . I LIKE HER AND I'M SO THANKFUL SOMEONE GAVE ME A [03:15:04] CHANCE TO BE ON THE BOARD. SHE SEEMS LIKE A REALLY GOOD FIT AND LIKABLE BUT IT IS DIFFICULT WHEN YOU HAVE A BOARD WHOSE CONSENSUS IS TO KEEP THE SAME PEOPLE . TO CHANGE THAT UP IS A TOUGH THING . BUT, GETTING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND HAVING FRESHNESS , I THINK THERE COULD BE A BENEFIT EVEN IF THERE IS PAIN AT THE START . I'M VERY THANKFUL I GOT A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COUNTY. I'D LIKE HER AND I THINK SHE WOULD BE REALLY GOOD . I GET A NICE FEELING ABOUT HER'S PERSPECTIVE BEING A LITTLE DIFFERENT. I THINK SHE HAS GOOD IDEAS . AND SHE SEEMS TO HAVE HER FINGER ON THE PULSE OF THAT ENTITY THAT IS OUR ESSENTIAL MONEYMAKING FOR THIS COUNTY AND THIS CITY . SO, CHOOSE WISELY , BUT I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION , THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> GOOD AFTERNOON . MY NAME IS TRAVIS MELCHER AT 1230 MAC ROAD. I WANT TO ECHO WHAT SHE SAYS . I WASN'T PLANNING ON COMMENTING ON THIS. MY OPINION IS THE BEST BOARDS ARE MADE UP OF DIVERSE INTERESTS. YOU KNOW, IT PREVENTS SORT OF GROUP THINKING IF YOU HAVE GOT PEOPLE WHO COME FROM DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY. I CAN ATTEST TO THAT JUST BASED ON MY SHORT EXPERIENCE ON THE COUNTY'S LAMP BOARD . I THINK I WAS PROBABLY THE 126 VOTE QUITE OFTEN . WHILE I APPRECIATE THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT ALL THOUGHT THE SAME , THERE WERE MANY TIMES I RAISED ISSUES THAT PROBABLY COULD HAVE PREVENTED SOME MISSTEPS . I THINK THERE WAS A BOTCHED PURCHASE OF THE FIRST LAMP PROPERTY. I THINK WE VOTED ONE TO SIX AND OF COURSE GOT VOTED DOWN THAT WE SHOULD LOOK CLOSER AT THAT BEFORE MOVING FORWARD . SO, JUST IN THE SPIRIT OF TRYING TO HAVE BETTER BOARDS AND MORE DIVERSE INTERESTS , I WOULD SAY THAT MAYBE A CHANGE COULD BE THAT THE BOARDS THEMSELVES DON'T RECOMMEND WHO IS ON THE BOARDS BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE , YOU KNOW IF MY OPINION WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE FIVE OR SIX OTHER MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY ALL RAISE THEIR HAND AND NOT WANT ME ON THE BOARD ANYMORE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK LIKE THEY DO . JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND OBVIOUSLY YOU MAKE THE FINAL DECISION , BUT IF THE SUGGESTION OF THE BOARD AS TO WHO STAYS ON THE BOARD CARRIES ANY WEIGHT , IT SEEMS TO ME A LITTLE BACKWARDS. FOR EXAMPLE , ON THE LAMP BOARD, I WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT DID NOT VOTE TO RECOMMEND WHETHER OR NOT I SHOULD STAY ON THE BOARD OR WHO ELSE SHOULD BE ON THE BOARD. I JUST ABSTAINED AND I DID NOT VOTE BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS BACKWARDS, THAT'S ALL, THANKS. >> THANK YOU. >> CHUCK LEVA NOW SKI . DIVERSITY IS GREAT AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE FRESH THINKING ON ANY COMMITTEE . AND, IT IS VERY, VERY HEALTHY AND SO I WOULD STRONGLY WELCOME AND RECOMMEND MS. SARA . THANK YOU . >> THANK YOU. >> I AGREE , ED SLAVIN, EDSLAVIN.COM . AS SAID AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN 1963 , WE MUST MAKE THE WORLD SAFE FOR DIVERSITY. IN THE PAST, TDC AND JCP HAVE DONE SOME RATHER ODD THINGS. THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIRE RICHARD GOLDMAN AND IT GOT REVERSED. I THOUGHT THAT WAS BASED ON SELF-INTEREST AND THAT WAS YEARS AGO BUT I THINK THIS WOULD BE A VERY GOOD APPOINTMENT. THANK YOU . >> ANYONE ELSE FOR PUBLIC LOSE PUBLIC COMMENT . WILL >> ANY MORE COMMENTS ? >> COMMISSIONER DICK D'SOUZA -- WHITEHURST . >> THIS IS ALWAYS A PROBLEM WE HAVE TOO MANY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES. WE RUN INTO DIFFICULT AND WE HAVE MS. SARA WHO HAS BEEN A 51 YEAR MET RESIDENT IT WOULDN'T CLEARLY MAKE A GOOD MEMBER OF THIS BOARD . I AM RELUCTANT TO VOTE AGAINST THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD WHICH IS RECOMMENDING THE CURRENT THREE MEMBERS. CHARLES COX HAS BEEN ON THE BOARD WITH A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE. IT'S NOTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT MS. SARA BUT I THINK SHE WOULD BE AN ASSET TO THE BOARD BUT I AM IN FAVOR OF [03:20:04] RETAINING THE THREE MEMBERS. I'M NOT NECESSARILY VOTING TO DENY YOUR MOTION, COMMISSIONER JOSEPH . I'M VOTING IN FAVOR OF CHARLES COX AND THAT'S WHERE I WILL LAND ON THIS ONE . >> ALL RIGHT, THERE IS A MOTION ON THE TABLE, LET'S VOTE. >> THAT FAILS 1-4 AND SO WE NEED A NEW MOTION, THEN. >> THANK YOU. I MAKE A MOTION TO REAPPOINT CHARLES COX . >> DO ALL THREE, THEN. >> THERE IS NO ISSUE DOING ALL THREE AT THE SAME TIME. >> A MOTION TO APPOINT CHARLES COX AND MICHAEL WICKS AND CHARLES BLEVINS FOR THE SEATS . >> SECOND . >> I WANT TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT . I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST CHARLES COX AND I EVEN TOLD MS. SARA THAT. PLEASE VOTE. >> THAT PASSES FIVE- ZERO . [10. Consider appointments to the Recreation Advisory Board. Currently there are two (2) vacancies on the Recreation Advisory Board (RAB) for a Dist. 3 and an At Large member. These vacancies are due to expired terms. A vacancy ad was placed and ran for (30) days. Please see for your review and consideration a letter of recommendation from the RAB and (24) applications; Anthony Harp Dist. 1, Kevin Kennedy Dist. 1, Melinda Hobson Dist. 1, Dirk Lobenbruck Dist. 1, Kyle Jacobs Dist. 1, Roger Kaman Dist. 2, Kim Harrison Dist. 2, Laura Taylor Dist. 2, Sara Self Dist. 2, Tom McGarry Dist. 3, Kenneth Rainer Dist. 3, William Hennesy Dist. 3, Nicole Walford Dist. 3, Bill Bowen Dist. 3, Whitney Graves Dist. 3, Jeff Lacher Dist. 4, Bunyamin Cankirli Dist. 5, Hannah Rullo Dist. 5, Nicole Patalano-Bice Dist. 5, Raj Vavilala Dist. 5, Andy Stevenson Dist. 5, Susan Ankudavich Dist. 5, Anna Straughan Dist. 5, Lauren Watkins Dist. 5.] >> AS THE BOARD KNOWS, I WILL BE LEAVING MY POSITION AT THE END OF THIS MONTH AND THEREFORE I WILL PASS OFF ITEM 10 TO SHELBY ROMERO WHO WILL BE DOING THIS ITEM. I WILL SEND IT TO HER FIRST AND SHE IS GOING TO ROCK IT. HERE IS SHELBY FOR ITEM 10 . >> GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS, SHELBY ROMERO AND CURRENTLY THERE ARE TWO VACANCIES ON THE RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD . ONE FOR DISTRICT 3 AND AN AT-LARGE MEMBER . THESE VACANCIES ARE DUE TO EXPIRED TERMS . THE VACANCY AD WAS PLACED AND RAN FOR 30 DAYS. PLEASE SEE AND REVIEW THE RECOMMENDATION LETTER AND THE APPLICATION . I'M HERE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS . >> MOTION TO APPOINT BILL BOWEN AND WALK-INS . >> SECOND . >> DO WE WANT PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEM 10? SEE NONE, WE WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT . >> BACK TO THE BOARD, LET'S VOTE. ONE MORE. IT IS ME. FIVE TO ZERO AND IT IS UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. NOW WE WILL DO [Commissioners’ Reports] COMMISSIONER COMMENTS AND REPORTS. COMMISSIONER WHITEHURS >> THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR . THE FIRST THING I HAVE IS FOR THE STAFF. TRAVIS CAME UP TO MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT AN ITEM I KNOW THIS BOARD OF PROVED , I WILL SAY ROUGHLY A YEAR AGO . I AM A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED THAT WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF STAFF REVIEW OR WHATEVER STAFF IS DOING TO IT . ALL I AM ASKING FOR IS A BRIEF FROM STAFF BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IS I'M LEARNING ABOUT WHAT ROLE, IF ANY ENVIRONMENTAL IS HAVING ON A BOARD DECISION THAT WAS MADE HERE ROUGHLY A YEAR AGO. BEFORE I FORGET, I WANT TO ASK FOR A STAFF BRIEFING SOMETIME IN THE COMING WEEKS, I APPRECIATE THAT . THE SECOND THING I HAVE IS REALLY A COMMENT MADE HERE ON THE 18TH. MY DESIRE HERE IS JUST TO CORRECT THE RECORD. A COMMENT WAS MADE ABOUT HOW JEREMIAH BLOCHER DID NOT SHOW UP FOR WORK BECAUSE HE LOST AN ELECTION. IN ALL FAIRNESS TO COMMISSIONER BLOCHER, I FEEL THAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH OF THE STATEMENT . COMMISSIONER BLOCHER DID SHOW UP FOR WORK AFTER HE LOST HIS ELECTION. HE CONGRATULATED COMMISSIONER JOSEPH FROM THIS DAY A SENATES ON THE RECORD. HE SHOWED UP FOR THE SUBSEQUENT MEETING BEFORE WE WERE HIT WITH HURRICANE IAN AND NICOLE . SOME FOLKS LISTENING IN THE AUDITORIUM KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER BLOCHER SERVED A LONG TIME IN THE U.S. ARMY AND DEPLOYED A FEW TIMES TO IRAQ AND HE ALSO SERVES AS A MEMBER OF THE FLORIDA NATIONAL GUARD AND WHEN WE HAVE A STATE OF EMERGENCY, THE FLORIDA NATIONAL GUARD IS DEPLOYED TO DEAL WITH THOSE STATES OF EMERGENCY . HE WAS CALLED IN TO SERVE THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN THEIR TIME OF NEED AFTER BEING DEVASTATED AND SOME PARTS OF THE STATE BY HURRICANES IAN AND NICOLE . THAT'S WHERE THE COMMISSIONER WAS AND WHAT HE WAS DOING AND HE WAS NOT FAILING TO SHOW UP FOR WORK BECAUSE OF AN ELECTION OR THE RESULTS OF AN [03:25:06] ELECTION. HE WAS HERE AFTER THE ELECTION. I WOULD ENCOURAGE COMMISSIONER JOSEPH AND THE OTHER COMMISSIONES TO MAKE -- BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT WE SAY . THAT IS FOR EVERYONE OF US INCLUDING MYSELF. THE LAST THING AND GOOD NEWS AROUND ST. JOHNS COUNTY IN ADDITION TO THE GOOD NES ABOUT ALL OF THE CAPACITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTY. I READ AN ARTICLE THAT CITED DATA FROM THE U.S. SENSES AND IT TURNS OUT ACCORDING TO THE U.S. SENSES THAT THE GROWTH IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY HAS BEEN SLOWED . YEAH, I KNOW THAT'S EXCITING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE . IN 2021, ABOUT 17,000 PEOPLE MOVED TO ST. JOHNS COUNTY. POST COVID WE HAD A POPULATION SPIKE AND THE CENSUS DATA SHOWS WE HAD ABOUT 13,000 PEOPLE MOVED TO ST. JOHNS COUNTY. 13,000 PEOPLE IN TWO YEARS IS A LOT FOR COUNTY OUR SIZE AND ACCOMMODATING THAT HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION FOR MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF . IN 2023 WE HAD 11,800 PEOPLE AND IN 2024 11,600 PEOPLE . SO, WE ARE STILL GROWING AT A RAPID RATE AND THERE IS NO DENYING THAT BUT THE GROWTH HAS BEEN SLOWED. CONGRATULATIONS AND I HOPE THAT COMES AS A COMFORT TO SOME WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT . >> COMMISSIONER ARNOLD . >> THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND I WANT TO SAY A PUBLIC THANK YOU TO KELLY FRANKLIN AND JANE EDMONDS FOR THEIR PRESENCE HERE TODAY. IT IS SEXUAL ASSAULT THE HONOR OF SHARING THIS PROCLAMATION IN THE PAST AND IT HAS ALLOWED ME TO SHARE MY STORY. SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH CALLS ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS WIDESPREAD AND IMPACTS OUR COMMUNITY. I WOULD BE REMISS NOT BRINGING UP THIS TODAY WITH MY COMMENTS IN HOPES IT COULD HELP ONE PERSON TODAY. THE SECOND THING IS A PUBLIC THANK YOU . THANK YOU TO THE AMAZING STAFF AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIR. THANK YOU TO OUR VERY OWN SENATOR LEAK WITH SENATE BILL 466 THAT PASSED COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY TODAY . IT IS THROUGH COMMITTEE AND WE SAILED THROUGH . THANK YOU . >> COMMISSIONER TAYLOR . >> YES, GREAT , THANK YOU SO MUCH . YOU KNOW WHAT, I LOVE HEARING THAT COMMENT ABOUT THE GROWTH . I CAN HONESTLY SAY I HAVE TO ADMIT I'M NOT THAT SURPRISED AS SOMEONE WHO DURING MY ELECTION , I QUALIFIED BY CANDIDATE PETITION . I CAN'T EVEN COUNT HOW MANY PEOPLE I MET DURING THAT TIME THAT TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD MOVED HERE TO FLORIDA AND TO ST. JOHNS COUNTY BECAUSE THEY WERE ESCAPING FROM WHERE THEY WERE LIVING . SO, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF REASONS WE SAW THE INFLUX LIKE WE DID DURING AND AFTER COVID. BUT, LIKE I SAID , I HEARD IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN . WE HAD TO ESCAPE FROM WHERE WE WERE LIVING SO WE COULD FINALLY LIVE OUR LIVES . NOW THAT THINGS ARE BETTER, LET'S HOPE THAT THINGS WILL BE BETTER ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE WILL NOT FEEL THE NEED TO ESCAPE AND COME HERE. WE LIVE IN A BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING, AMAZING PLACE BUT WE CANNOT FIT AMERICA IN FLORIDA . WE CAN MAKE AMERICA MORE LIKE IT BUT CANNOT FIT ALL OF AMERICA HERE . GOOD NEWS AND I'M NOT REALLY THAT SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT . IN FACT, I DID SHARE THAT AT A MEETING IN TAMPA. WE HAD JUST GOT DONE LOOKING AT A PRESENTATION AND LITERALLY THEY SHOWED THE GROWTH CONTINUING RIGHT AFTER COVID . I WENT UP TO THE PRESENT ARE A LITTLE BIT AFTER AND I SAID, REALLY? I SHARED -- SHARED WHAT I HEARD ABOUT PEOPLE ESCAPING. IT WAS AN ANOMALY . PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS WANT TO RETIRE AND COME TO FLORIDA BUT WE CANNOT CONTINUE ON THAT PATH AND HE ACTUALLY SAID, YEAH, YOU ARE NOT WRONG. I ACTUALLY WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE AND THAT KIND OF AMENDED WHY HE HAD THE PRESENTATION LIKE HE DID . NOW, WE HOPE THINGS WILL NORMALIZE AND , I TRULY DO SEE THAT HAPPENING . I DO WANT TO MENTION AS WELL THAT I WAS AT THE CITY COMMISSIONER MEETING IN SAN AUGUSTINE LAST MONDAY NIGHT . WHAT A TURNOUT. ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTED WAS I LOVE EVENING MEETINGS AND THE ROOM WAS PACKED WHERE PEOPLE IF IT WAS DURING THE DAY WOULD NOT OF BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND. IT WAS A FANTASTIC MEETING AND I WAS RECOGNIZED AND ABLE TO SPEAK OUT AS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF NIGHT OF LIGHTS . I DO NOT SUGGEST OR GO WITH -- I DID NOT RECOMMEND [03:30:01] SHORTENING IT . I SAID THAT PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, LOCALS THAT LIVE HERE LOVE THE OPTION OF JANUARY BEING AVAILABLE TO US SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO COME EITHER DURING THE HOLIDAYS OR BEFORE WHEN SO MANY TOURISTS ARE IN TOWN . IT WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE SPOKE OUT ON IT AND SAID THAT JANUARY WASN'T THE ISSUE. IN JANUARY AFTER THE HOLIDAYS, THINGS ARE MORE MANAGEABLE . I THINK THERE ARE NUMBER OF THINGS WE COULD LOOK AT BUT WE HAVE TO SUPPORT OUR COUNTY'S NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY AND THAT IS TOURISM. THE FACT THAT THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE IS IN DISTRICT 5 AND I SAID YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE MY CONSTITUENTS AS FAR AS DISTRICT FIVE CONSTITUENTS . JUST GOING FORWARD AND THAT . I THINK THAT IS ABOUT IT . IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THIS IS ELECTION DAY , SO DON'T FORGET WE HAVE A SPECIAL ELECTION GOING ON TONIGHT IF YOU DO HAPPEN TO BE IN DISTRICT 6 IN THAT AREA. I KNOW A SMALL PORTION OF OUR COUNTY WILL BE WAITING ANXIOUSLY UNTIL THOSE RESULTS COME IN . THIS IS A SPECIALELECTION AND UNFORTUNATELY DURING SPECIAL ELECTIONS, THE TURNOUT IS NEVER VERY GOOD . IF YOU ARE IN THAT DISTRICT, PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE IN THAT. THANK YOU. >> COMMISSIONER MURPHY . >> THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR . >> JUST ONE THING . I'M LOOKING FOR CONSISTENCE FROM THE BOARD TO HAVE THE STAFF WORK ON THE SHORE TRAIL DRAFT PROJECT. TO WORK WITH THE CITIZENS ADVISORY GROUP TO INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO ERIC CIRCE AND DAVE AND LEFT FOR THE APPROPRIATE TRAIL WITH AN SURFACE OF THE TRAIL . REGARDING THE FUNDING, I RECOMMEND UTILIZING THE 1.75 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE PARK IMPACT FEE DOLLARS IF POSSIBLE TO WORK WITHIN THE EXISTING CONTRACT, IF POSSIBLE . THANK YOU, THAT'S ALL I HAVE MADAM CHAIR. >> OKAY, SO I DO WANT TO CLARIFY WHAT COMMISSIONER WHITEHURST SAID BECAUSE EVERY STATEMENT HE SAID WAS WRONG . I DON'T LIKE TO BRING UP JEREMIAH BLOCKER BECAUSE WE HAD A TOUGH FIGHT AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS BUT HE DID NOT SHOW UP AT THE LAST MEETING AND DID NOT GET HIS AWARD AND EVERYBODY WONDERED WHERE HE WAS. IT ALSO HAD TO DO WITH DAVID WHO HAD THE WRONG DATE FOR THE MEETING. REGARDING MISTER MENSCH, I HAD A CALL FROM A NEIGHBOR WHO SAID HE WAS DUMPING DIRT ILLEGALLY ON THE PROPERTY UNDER THE EAGLE'S NEST WITHOUT PERMITS TO DO THAT, YET . THAT'S WHERE THE CALL CAME FROM AND NOW THERE IS A FOR SALE SIGN ON THE PROPERTY SO WHY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE. ON THE SLOW THE GROWTH, NOTICE THE TIMING OF IT. I GOT ON THE BOARD AND WE STARTED SAYING NO TO A LOT OF THE GROWTH. IT WAS A JOINT EFFORT OF I THINK EVERYBODY WORRIED ABOUT APPROVING MORE THINGS AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS BEHIND AND NEEDS TO CATCH UP. I THINK EVERYBODY WHO SITS IN TRAFFIC KNOWS THAT IS THE CASE . I AM GLAD WE HAVE THE NEW COMMISSIONERS HERE TO SUPPORT ME . >> LASTLY, SOMEONE BROUGHT ME AN IDEA AND JUST BASED ON DAVID HUNGERFORD BEING HERE TODAY, A QUALITY-OF-LIFE ADVISORY BOARD . I KNOW THIS PERSON SPOKE TO A FEW PEOPLE ON THE BOARD . I THINK HE MENTIONED YOU TWO COMMISSIONERS ABOUT A BOARD THAT TALKS ABOUT WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE GOOD FOR QUALITY-OF-LIFE. I THINK DAVID HUNGERFORD TALKED ABOUT THE TRAFFIC SITUATION. MAYBE YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT PARKS OR HAVE A DIVERSE ADVISORY BOARD. I DON'T KNOW . JUST IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN HAVING A CONSISTENCE TO LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WHAT DO YOU THINK? >> WHAT WOULD BE BEHIND THIS, SPECIFICALLY ? >> ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH QUALITY OF LIFE . IT COULD JUST BE A GROUP OF PEOPLE SAYING LOOK, THE TRAFFIC -- WHAT HE BROUGHT UP TODAY WAS INTERESTING AND IT IS A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF THE PEOPLE LIVING HERE. YOU COULD HAVE AN EGG PERSON ON IT AND A BOATING GUY ON IT AND MAYBE A PARKS PERSON . I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE EXPLORE SOMETHING LIKE THAT . >> I WILL VOTE YES AND GIVE CONSENSUS ON BRINGING AN OUTLINE FOR THAT AND WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. IF WE ARE NOT DOING SOMETHING THAT ALREADY -- DIFFERENT THAN ALREADY EXISTS, I DON'T WANT A NEW COMMITTEE . >> IT COULD BE WHAT WE SAY IS QUALITY-OF-LIFE WHICH YOU COULD BE PART OF DEFINING . SOMEONE BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION AND IT WAS KIND OF A GOOD IDEA. IS THERE CONSENSUS ON AT LEAST EXPLORING IT ? >> YES . >> OKAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, CAN'T -- COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ? [03:35:01] >> I HAVE NO REPORT, THANK YOU . >> COUNTY ATTORNEY? >> * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.