Published by the Department of Public Affairs, City of St. Augustine. Florida November 5 2010
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Carriage ordinance on agenda
Franchises, limit on permits included | |
A revised horse carriage ordinance, including franchise requirements and a limit of 25 permits, goes before city commissioners Monday for consideration to advance to public hearing and final action.
Also on the agenda: a public hearing on proposed noise ordinance revisions, a resolution for marketing Capital Improvement Revenue Bonds, and approval of a $450,000 grant for the Riberia Street project.
The commission meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the Alcazar Room at City Hall. |
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New face on Commission St. Augustine's five-member City Commission will have three lawyers, following Bill Leary's election Tuesday to fill the seat being vacated by Don Crichlow.
Leary, a graduate of Florida State University's College of Law, is retired from government offices in Washington and Tallahassee, and has served on the city's Planning and Zoning Board.
Mayor Joe Boles was reelected to a third term in the only other city race Tuesday.
Leary and Boles will be sworn in at the commission's reorganization meeting December 6.
Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline was reelected to a four-year term in the August primary, and the terms of commissioners Errol Jones and Leanna Freeman expire in 2012, as well as the mayor's two-year seat. |
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Carriage plan follows workshops, revisions |
Key elements in the horse carriage ordinance are a requirement for franchise agreements with the city and a limit of 25 permits for horse carriage operation, with no more than ten to a single business.
The franchise agreement is similar to those in place for sightseeing trains and trolleys. It provides for an annual fee of $1,000 or 2 ½ percent of gross annual revenue, whichever is higher. That fee can be increased by a half percent every three years, to a maximum of five percent.
The ordinance would set a limit of 25 non-transferrable permits, with a maximum of ten to any single business.
Of 46 permits currently authorized by the city, Murphy McDaniel's Avalon Carriage Company holds 43 after buying out former owner Stuart Gamsey during legal battles. Two others are held by Country Carriages and one by C.B. Hinson. |
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Commissioners will consider Monday a resolution to market proposed Capital Improvement Revenue Bonds.
The commission during budget hearings in September authorized issuing bonds "for capital expenditures . . . for the purpose of designing, installing, constructing, reconstructing and equipping various capital projects."
If approved Monday, commissioners in December will consider a resolution establishing final details. The current resolution "starts the process" to seek bonds, City Attorney Ron Brown says.
City officials hope the weak economy will provide opportunities to refinance existing bonds as well as provide new ones. |
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Public hearing for noise ordinance |
A public hearing and final action go before commissioners Monday for a noise ordinance providing fines of $499 for repeat offenses, upping fines from the current code limits of $250.
The shift from criminal to civil violation allows the penalty increase under state law. It was prompted by complaints against Local Heroes on Spanish Street.
City Planning and Building Director Mark Knight said the revision sets the fine below the $500 allowed by state statute, letting the alleged violator choose whether to accept the fine or go through a more expensive court process.
It also allows police to cite offenders any number of times in a single night, to discourage restoring the volume after police leave.
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$450,000 grant for Riberia Street project |
A $450,000 grant from the state Environmental Protection Agency will go into the hopper for Riberia Street improvements with City Commission approval Monday.
Public Works Director Martha Graham says the funds will provide improvements including a stormwater collection system, baffle boxes and backflow prevents.
While the grant allows a 48 month project period, Graham says, "It is our intention to complete the project within 12-15 months, thereby reducing the impact on the residents and travelers that use Riberia Street as a main thoroughfare.
Parking relief for West Augustine
Commissioners Monday will consider a lease that can provide 20 to 24 new parking spaces for merchants along the first block of West King Street.
Miriam McDonald Leikert has offered a lot she owns at 220 West King. Under the lease, the city will improve and meter the lot and share parking revenue with the owner.
Police close M&M Market
After an eight month investigation by four different law enforcement agencies, M&M Market at the corner of Bridge Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue has been closed.
Charges include possession and sale of illegal narcotics, racketeering, money laundering, and public assistance fraud. Police Chief Loran Lueders says his department "has responded 608 times to the M & M Market with various citizens complaints over the past 24 months."
Agencies joining the St Augustine Police Department in the investigation included the St Johns Sheriff's Office, States Attorneys Office, and The Department of Revenue. |
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The UF Strategic Plan
St. Augustine 'historic theme' elusive | |
One in a series of summaries from the University of Florida's St. Augustine Historic Area Strategic Plan for management of 34 state-owned properties here. The plan was developed in cooperation with federal, state, and local officials.
The University of Florida plan calls for an "educational and visitor experience around a unifying theme," but admits, "This is perhaps the most difficult and most important task of the Strategic Plan.
"The breadth and depth of history in St. Augustine is both a strength and a complicating factor to concisely identifying the 'Story of St. Augustine.' 
"When asked about the historical education experience, attendees at the St. Augustine public meetings and UF Technical Work Group meetings could not identify a strong focus area preference. Important periods were cited as the First Spanish Period, the British Colonial Period, the Flagler Era and the Civil Rights Era. In fact, the 'layers of history' was a common response when asked about St. Augustine's story.
"Surveys conducted at the June Public Workshop and UF Technical Work Group meeting revealed that 89% of the general public and 69% of the UF stakeholders agreed or strongly agreed that the 'historic educational experience should balance the various periods of history.'
"This statement elicited more support than statements suggesting an emphasis on specific periods. Still, some participants observed that the 16th and 17th century periods are the components of St. Augustine that are most unique and cannot be reproduced elsewhere. These are also the periods to which the state-owned properties and collections most relate.
"Other specific theme concepts that were mentioned during the Visioning discussions included St. Augustine's Town Plan, the Military and Civilian Experience, Multiculturalism, and the First Permanent European settlement in North America.
"Ultimately, the Visitor Theme will be the cornerstone of branding and marketing to make St. Augustine a National and International history destination with a consistent message and story." |
History's Highlight
Matanzas massacre - an analysis
One in a series of historic features for our 450th, researched by George Gardner
4 years, 10 months, 4 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
An account by Sister M. Adele Francis Gorman, O.S.F., historian for the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, considers arguments for St. Augustine Founder Pedro Menendez' massacre of French soldiers at Matanzas after his capture of the French Fort Caroline in September, 1565.
Spanish Ambassador Francisco de Alava listed five reasons why Menendez was justified in putting the French to death: there was not enough food for both French and Spanish in Florida; the French were not regular soldiers, therefore they met pirates' deaths; they were preaching evil doctrines to the natives; they outnumbered the Spanish, therefore, it was a matter of survival, and, there were not enough ships to send them home.
There are facts which nullify what Ambassador Alava called the necessity of Menendez's brutality.
For the Spanish there was food sufficient to last, with rationing, until January 1566, and Menendez had already sent to Spain for more supplies. In addition, the rich supplies brought by (Jean) Ribault to Fort Caroline were still in the fort until after the first massacre when Menendez ordered the burning of the fort. That Menendez thought the French to be pirates cannot be denied and, of course, pirates could claim no protection under any flag. The presence of ministers also seemed to verify Menendez's belief that the intruders were preaching evil doctrines.
The minimum number of French saved from Fort Caroline and from shipwrecks south of St. Augustine was 500, including about 440 men. Menendez gave the number for those who traveled with him from Spain to St. Augustine as 800. Of these, 500 were soldiers, 300 of whom were at San Mateo (the new name for Fort Caroline), and 200 were sailors who had remained with the fleet. Therefore, he had approximately 200 men to care for twice as many French captives.
Finally, Menendez claimed that he had not enough ships to send all the French prisoners back to their country. Two of the Spanish ships had already returned to Europe for more supplies, and two had gone to San Mateo to take the French women and children to Santo Domingo.
None of the French ships had been captured. Reducing the number of captives by the number at San Mateo, and placing a full load of French on the one French ship, would have diminished the unevenness in ratio of French to Spanish.
It is almost impossible to find an unbiased recounting by eyewitnesses; one can only try to adhere to a middle course. A study of the state papers from the various embassies and other sources uncovers a number of discrepancies which might easily alter what appear to be valid conclusions. |
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The St. Augustine Report is published by the Department of Public Affairs of the City of St. Augustine each Tuesday and on Fridays previewing City Commission meetings. The Report is written and distributed by George Gardner, former St. Augustine Mayor (2002-2006) and Commissioner (2006-2008) and a longtime newspaper reporter and editor. Contact The Report at gardner@aug.com |
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