St. Augustine Report

Published by former Mayor George Gardner March 28 2012

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George Gardner 57 Fullerwood Drive St. Augustine FL 32084

No fed funds for 450 this year

"The budget's not there this year" for an appropriation of $500,000 to the federal St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission, City Commissioner Bill Leary said Monday as the City Commission was updated on commemoration progress.

Leary, a former Washington staffer, said he met last week with federal insiders to get the negative news. The Congressional act creating the federal commission carried an authorization for $500,000 a year, but still needs an appropriation.

Moving to Plan B, the federal commission, meeting here last week, focused on potentially doable goals through commission connections:

Ø A Pan-American summit here in 2015

Ø Commemorative stamp and coin redesigned from the 400th anniversary designs

Ø Visits by royal families of Spain and England in 2013 - Spain's king and queen expected to be in the U.S. for other events, and England's royals to be attracted by the 200th anniversary of the British occupation of Florida.

Ø A Ken Burns PBS documentary

Ø Resurrection of the Cross and Sword State Play

Monument

to be lasered

The city's 19th century Constitution Monument will get a dose of 21st century technology Saturday morning as it's bathed in lasers to create a computerized model for molding replicas.

A 3D scan technician with Activision in Los Angeles will perform the scan from 8am to noon in what's considered a $50,000 contribution in kind to the 450th commemoration.

The city promised replicas of what's believed to be the only remaining original monument to the Spanish Constitution of 1812 to Aviles, its sister city, and Cadiz, birthplace of that constitution, in Spain.

The city is working with potential sponsors to complete the project.

Meeting streamline 'didn't go so well'

City Manager John Regan says efforts are being made to better serve the public and move City Commission meetings along, but admits, "It didn't go so well" Monday.

It could have been the 6 ½ hour meeting's agenda: three hours went into proclamations and public comment, two hours in public hearings and debate on street performer and vending ordinances, and another 1½ hours on parking along Water Street and mandatory sewer hookups in West Augustine.

Regan says he wants to move a traditional recess during the meeting to a later time, "to accommodate as much as possible folks who are waiting on agenda items." Monday night a recess came after the performer/vendor debate.

City Clerk Ali Ratkovic told commissioners the entire 130-plus page agenda commissioners receive before each meeting has been posted on the city website for the first time.

That can be found here, at staugustinegovernment.com under "Your Government/Commission Meetings.

Street ban ordinances

in, but yard sales out

Following two hours of public hearing and debate, commissioners passed ordinances banning street performers on Hypolita Street from St. George to Cordova, and vendors along four streets crossing St. George.

"If we don't have a place that we encourage performers to be, they're going to keep popping up where they don't really belong," Vice Mayor Leanna Freeman argued.

City Attorney Ron Brown countered, "Cases where an area has been designated and the rest of the city banned have not fared well" in court.

In a workshop before Monday's meeting, commissioners called for further study on the city's approach to performer/vendor regulation - designated locations or incremental regulation as problems arise.

An ordinance to require permits for yard sales took little time to be defeated.

Hookup enforcement 'not our job'

City commissioners Monday moved to public hearing and final action at a later meeting an ordinance calling for notice to West Augustine residents that they must hook up to available sewer lines, but made it clear the notices are required by state law and enforcement is the county's responsibility.

Public Works Director Martha Graham said the provision is necessary for a feasibility study loan agreement signed recently, and City Manager John Regan said, "If we don't move this (ordinance) forward, it pretty much kills everything we've been doing in West Augustine."

Mandatory hookups as the city's utilities are extended along West King Street in the county is necessary to support the investment in those lines, but whether the city as utility owner or county outside the city does the enforcing is a continuing debate between the two jurisdictions.

Resident parking plan tabled

A proposal to set aside three parking spaces along Water Street for residents resulted in heated debate and tabling to review the entire resident permit parking system.

"This affects a half block, and only the residents of that half block are surveyed," Commissioner Bill Leary said. "The only people who get notice are people who benefit from it. This is wrong."

To arguments that "public streets are being used for residents' private parking spaces" as resident B.J. Kolady put it, Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline responded, "I'm in that neighborhood regularly, and they do have incoming commuter traffic."

The resident permit parking program is been put into effect in several areas, including the bayfront south of the plaza and Saragossa Street.

Blessing of the Fleet Sunday

The annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony follows Palm Sunday Cathedral services with a procession to the Municipal Marina at about 12:30.

The blessing is hosted by the St. Augustine Yacht Club.

Mariotti's moving

Mariotti's Laundry and Dry Cleaning is moving April 1 from its landmark location on US 1 around the corner to the former Foodway Market property on West King Street. No word on whether its street sign with its catchy comments will be part of the move.

History's Highlight

Government squabbles nothing new

3 years, 5 months, 12 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary

Pedro Menendez was no stranger to difficulties between jurisdictions, as described in letters to King Phillip. Early in 1566, his colony in desperate need of supplies, he must seek Havana Governor Garcia Osorio's support.

Menendez' timing in sailing to Havana was unfortunate, for the governor had just committed a very arbitrary and high-handed offence against Juan de la Parra, a captain of the fleet of New Spain and subject to the orders of Menendez.

La Parra, while on his way to Havana, had captured a Portuguese prize. Within an hour of his arrival the governor had forcibly seized it, mutilating the pilot in charge, to which La Parra had quietly submitted; but as he was unable to withhold some expressions of anger at the unwarranted proceeding, Osorio had him confined in prison.

Menendez learned of this and of the governor's unwillingness to discuss the matter.

The day following his arrival, Menendez met the Governor and exhibited two royal cedulas, which ordered Osorio to furnish him with a vessel, five hundred soldiers, and twenty horses for the conquest of the country.

He modestly stated he did not require the ship and soldiers and would be content with one-fifth of the amount the armament would cost. As an alternative, he asked for the proceeds of the sale of the Portuguese prize. He added that even four thousand ducats would be sufficient, and ended by asking Osorio to surrender La Parra to his jurisdiction.

At this the governor became enraged, and flatly refused to give up the man or loan the money.

It was a serious situation for the anxious Adelantado, for Cuba was the center to which his ships were constantly plying in search of supplies for his Florida colony; and he feared for the treatment to which his captains and officials would be exposed at the hands of one who could be so arbitrary with their commander.

But his tact was equal to his courage. Clearly appreciating the importance of retaining at least the semblance of good terms with the Governor, and the necessity of committing no act of violence which could expose him to contempt of Osorio's legitimate authority, he controlled his temper, courteously doffed his hat and left his presence.

"I assure Your Majesty," wrote Menendez to King Phillip, "that I secured a greater victory in submitting patiently and quietly to his bad treatment than that which I gained over the French in Florida."

Determined not to return empty-handed to his famishing colony, he pawned his jewels and the badge of his order for five hundred ducats, purchased the necessary provisions, and hastened back to Florida.

Upon his return he was rejoiced to find that the distress of his colony had already been relieved. Admiral Juan de Avila had arrived from Spain with fifteen vessels and a thousand men, a large quantity of supplies, and what was most gratifying to Menendez, a letter of commendation from his sovereign.

Image: Spanish postage stamp honoring Pedro Menendez

The St. Augustine Report is published weekly, with additional Reports previewing City Commission meetings as well as Special Reports. The Report is written and distributed by George Gardner, St. Augustine Mayor (2002-2006) and Commissioner (2006-2008) and a former newspaper reporter and editor. Contact the Report at gardner@aug.com