St. Augustine Report

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Published by former Mayor George Gardner February 6 2013

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George Gardner 57 Fullerwood Drive St. Augustine FL 32084

City mobility report

$14 million investment, $76 million return

King Street traffic

A mobility study by the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (NFTPO) concludes that $14.6 million in long and short term adjustments to St. Augustine traffic patterns over a 20 year span can "result in a total economic benefit of $76 million and an increase of $1.5 million in property taxes resulting in a benefit cost ratio of 5.2 to 1."

The $125,000 St. Augustine Mobility Institute, funded by NFTPO at the request of Vice Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline, the city's representative on the regional board, addressed "a number of different alternatives to address mobility and support economic development throughout the city."

The study focused on the city's three entry corridors: King Street, San Marco Avenue and Anastasia Boulevard, and the needs of residents, businesses and tourism. The complete report here.

City's worst crash sites

Locations identified where the crash rate (number of crashes per million vehicle miles traveled each year) exceeds the statewide average:

King Street from Ponce de Leon Boulevard to the Bridge of Lions
Avenida Menendez from Cathedral Place to East Castillo Drive
San Marco Avenue at May Street
San Marco Avenue at Picolata Road
San Marco Avenue at Ponce de Leon Boulevard (north)
Ponce de Leon Boulevard from King Street to Cincinnati Avenue
Ponce de Leon Boulevard at Picolata Road

Image: St. Augustine Record

Long term alternatives

The report estimated costs for long and short term ideas.

Long term alternatives with total life cycle costs include:

Roundabout at the Bridge of Lions ($1.6 million)
Roundabout at Davenport Park ($1.8 million)
Bridge of Lions roundabout
Roundabout Gateway and intersection at San Marco and Ponce de Leon Boulevard ($1.2 million)
Uptown Town Center ($3.8 million)
Davis Shores Town Center and linear park/greenway ($1.6 million)
King Street Gateway ($0.3 million)
Remote Parking and Transit Circulator ($0.4 million)

The total cost for long term improvements is $11.5 million

Short Term Alternatives

Reconfigure the signal at May Street and San Marco Avenue ($1 million)
Extend median on Anastasia Boulevard ($500,000)
Coordinate with US Coast Guard on bridge closures ($0)
Consider adding new bike racks ($17,500)

Angled parking on San Marco
Coordinate the traffic signals on King Street ($200,000)
Implement Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) for parking and traffic infor- mation during bridge closures ($650,000)
On street parking information system ($150,000)
Implement a "Universal" tram route to minimize use of entry corridors ($7,500)
Implement enhanced parallel parking project at San Marco Town Center ($0.5 million)
Develop bicycle riding tours ($25,000)
Develop walking tours ($25,000)
The total cost of short term improvements and strategies is $3.1 million.

High rating backs $22 million refinance

Commissioners last week approved without discussion plans to refinance capital improvement bonds in a $22 million package promising to save the city $1.3 million in debt service through lowered interest and provide $2 million additional monies for capital projects.

Additional funds could help Lightner Museum repairs

With the approval, St. Augustine will have a total bond debt of $48.5 million, payable through 2041, and Moody's Investors Service supports it with a healthy Aa3 rating for the city.

Says Moody in its current rating: "The adequate level of available pledged revenues provide healthy protection of debt service. Other factors include sound financial performance with healthy reserve levels, and a manageable debt burden with no future borrowing plans over the next several years.

"Legally available non-ad valorem (property tax) revenues provide a favorable cushion for debt repayment," it continues.

Aa ratings, just below Aaa highest quality, are high quality with very low credit risk. The modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of a rating category which is measured from 1-3.

"Officials target maintaining at least three months of operating expenditures in reserves, but have consistently maintained balances well in excess of that amount. Moody's believes that the city's moderate debt burden will continue to be manageable given the lack of additional borrowing plans over the next several years."

Studying the city's recent economic history, Moody's notes, "The city had experienced double-digit assessed value growth in the prior decade but has since experienced five consecutive years of declines totaling 53.5% from 2008 through 2013.

"Despite recent declines in General Fund balance, the city maintains a very solid fund balance and liquidity position, achieved largely through officials' demonstrated commitment to conservative budgeting."

News and notes

Leary resigns commission seat

Commissioner Leary

With a surprise announcement, City Commissioner Bill Leary will resign his commission seat February 18 as he and wife Karen make plans to join their daughter and family in San Francisco. Leary is halfway through his 4-year term. Commissioners will have ten days from his resignation date to name a replacement.

16th century in fashion

Dianne Jacoby and John Powell show off the latest in earliest fashion at last Saturday's annual School of the 16th Century at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. Reenactors and visitors stepped back in time with displays, demonstrations, training drills and interpretations - even a filming for the state's 500th commemoration of Ponce de Leon's discovery of Florida.

Fort Mose featured in Black history Month

James Bullock and friends at 2012 reenactment

James Bullock and friends at 2012 Flight to Freedom reenactment

The flight of slaves from British colonies to freedom at St. Augustine's Fort Mose will be reenacted Saturday, February 9, 10 am - 3 pm in Flight to Freedom, while lectures tonight and February 13 in Flagler College's Flagler Room will describe the African/Spanish experience of the 1700s. Tonight Drs. Jane Landers and Kathy Deagan will explore Fort Mose: Thirty Years of Discovery and February 13 Uncertain Freedom - Africans in Spanish Florida with Dr. Susan R. Parker and The Odyssey of an African Slave with Dr. Patricia C. Griffin. The free lectures begin at 7 pm.

History's Highlight

The other Menendez

2 years, 7 months, 3 days to St. Augustine's 450th anniversary

Pedro Menendez founded the first European settlement in today's America - St. Augustine.

Two centuries later, it could be said that Francisco Menendez founded the first free African settlement in today's America - Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose - Fort Mose (Mo-SAY).

While Pedro Menendez commanded a fleet in his settlement expedition, Francisco endured the Middle Passage to North America from Africa's west coast as a British slave.

Francisco Menendez In 1724 he and some ten other runaways avoided British patrols in the Carolinas and Georgia and safely reached Spanish Florida, where freedom was promised by the Spanish crown. Francisco joined the presidio's black militia, rising to the rank of captain.

In 1738, responding to a surge of slaves from British colonies, Spanish Florida's Governor Manuel Montiano established Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose two miles north of the city.

Francisco was named to command this new settlement, home to more than a hundred freed or fugitive slaves from the British colonies, forming more than 20 households. Echoing its host city, it became both a northern defense outpost and civilian settlement.

The night of June 26, 1740, this outpost proved its worth. In May, British General James Oglethorpe had begun an attack on St. Augustine with the capture of Fort Mose, which had been abandoned to the security of St. Augustine's Castillo. The Spanish militiamen regrouped with Spanish regulars to overwhelm the outpost in what came to be known by the British as "Bloody Mose."

That battle destroyed the fortification, and while other blacks blended into St. Augustine's community, Menendez went to sea, raiding English vessels. He was eventually captured by the English and sold back into slavery, but was ransomed and returned to Florida.

Now he was asked to rebuild Fort Mose. The community survived until the British took control of Florida in 1763 and Menendez evacuated with the Fort Mose community to Cuba. There he established a similar community called St. Augustine of the New Florida.

Image: Artist's rendering of Francisco Menéndez, captain of the Fort Mose militia. Courtesy of the Florida Museum of Natural History.

St. Augustine Bedtime Stories - Dramatic accounts of famous people and events in St. Augustine's history - in booklets designed for quick reads before bed. Information here

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