Published by former Mayor George Gardner July 15 2015

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Revenue drop in 2016 - really?

Figures for current and projected budgets

"I appreciate being conservative, but I also think we need to be realistic," Mayor Nancy Shaver responded as City Manager John Regan presented a visitor center budget showing $100,000 less next year than currently.

The discussion came during a special budget meeting Monday before the regular commission meeting. At that later meeting commissioners approved a 7.5 millage rate to go to public hearing September 10.

"I don't think there's any reason whatsoever not to have a more realistic projection," said Shaver. "We're 27 percent up in tourism in St Johns County year to date and we haven't hit the 450th yet."

Regan said the $100,000 could be placed either way as it's only a projection. He said, "Because tourism is up over what we had forecasted, our income is projected to be $449,000 favorable, and if we assume the numbers that we have, we'll see a favorable next year by $653,000."

Noting the two commission priorities of historic preservation and mobility, Regan said this year's budget has $88,000 for historic preservation. The city-owned Casa del Hidalgo roof needs to be replaced at an estimated $60,000, and there's a plan to restore the original Flagler era lighting system around city hall.

He recommended that the $449,000 surplus be used for paving. Of the $653,000 surplus projected next year, Regan recommended $200,000 for professional services to develop a mobility plan.

Claret Jug at

Hall of Fame

Perhaps the next best thing to being at the British Open is to see its prestigious Claret Jug.

Golf fans will be able to do almost both tomorrow through Sunday Open Championship Week at the World Golf Hall of Fame.

There will be special photo opportunities with the Hall's Claret Jug and broadcast of the British Open will be shown throughout the museum during the tournament.

There's also a chance to win a Hall of Fame prize pack in a special scavenger hunt.

The Claret Jug was given to the hall in 2013 by Sandy Lyle before receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award.

For information call 904-940-4123 or visit the website

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Plans for

Celebrate 450

Maps prepared by the city show street closures and stage areas for its Celebrate 450 weekend over Labor Day.

Streets within green outline will be closed Friday and Saturday nights between 5:30 and 11 pm for entertainment.

Main stage and spectator areas (yellow and green) for Fri-day and Saturday evening entertainment.

Noise ordinance on hold; noise not

Noise continues to plague the city, but the ordinance that provides monitoring for violations is on hold.

"We're currently in litigation on noise on a particular location," City Attorney Isabelle Lopez explained to commissioners Monday, "and the individual's attorney has raised questions on the constitutionality of our ordinance. We didn't want to be modifying our ordinance until we found whether there are underlying problems with it."

Williams Street resident Courtney Williams brought the latest complaint to commissioners. The street is adjacent to the Old Jail, and tour trolley broadcasting continues through the day and for ghost tours.

Seeking funds for smaller events

Mayor Nancy Shaver plans to bring a "neighborhood development program" to the Tourist Development Council (TDC) to support funding for "events that don't have great funding mechanisms," such as the annual Ancient City Kids Day at Francis Field that draws only about 1,000.

The comment came during City Commission discussion Monday of an events matrix designed by Public Affairs Director Paul Williamson.

"The TDC funding mechanism is really for more articulated organizations that can fill out all the paperwork," said the mayor, who represents the city on both the TDC and Visitor and conventions Bureau. She was referring to extensive paperwork in the annual grant process.

Smaller events are "what we want to do and there are certainly funds available in the TDC to do that," said Shaver.

Commissioners will send lists of such events to Williamson.

Parking facility paying city's way

Since its opening on July 1, 2006, the city's visitor center parking facility has housed 2,895,439 vehicles, a daily average of over 850.

And 2015 is on track to be the busiest year yet with already over 10,000 more vehicles parking there than during the same period in 2014.

The busiest months consistently remain March/April and November/December, and the slowest are August/September and January, according to city figures.

Parking is a flat $12 a day, but $3 with a city ParkNow card. Parking revenues and fines are a major source of city revenue.

The 1,240-space four level $20 million facility was authorized by a new City Commission majority in 2003, overturning the previous commission's plan to build a 400-space facility in the parking lot behind the Lightner/City Hall building.

History's highlight

But for hurricanes, St. Augustine would have been an also-ran for the title of nation's oldest city - if it were established at all.

DeLuna lands at Pansacola Tristan de Luna was totally prepared to succeed in 1559 where Spain's previous settlement expeditions had failed. His thirteen ships carried fifteen hundred soldiers and settlers, building and farming implements, and food enough for a year.

He anchored in Pensacola Bay August 14, 1559, forty six years after countryman Ponce de Leon discovered La Florida.

Supplies were left aboard his ships in the bay while land was cleared and shelter built. One month later, on September 19, a hurricane struck. After 24 hours of pounding, most of the fleet and its stores, and many of the Spaniards, were lost - one caravel being hurled into a grove some distance on land. The remnants of the expedition struggled through the following winter, then abandoned this effort to establish Spain's first settlement in the new world.

Six years later, Pedro Menendez de Aviles had his test in a hurricane as well. He too was fully prepared to "explore and colonize Florida, but also on instruction from his king, "if there be settlers or corsairs of other nations not subject to Spain, to drive them out."

France's Jean Ribault was laden with supplies and reinforcements for the French settlement of Fort Caroline, near present-day Jacksonville, and both fleets arrived within days of each other in early September, 1565.

Again, a week after Menendez planted the Burgundy cross on our shore, a hurricane struck. Ribault decided the storm would cover a surprise attack by sea on St. Augustine. Menendez thought better. Creating this land's first militia to guard the newly founded settlement, he led his troops over land in the driving storm to a defenseless Fort Caroline, while Ribault's ships were scattered by the hurricane's fury along the coast south of St. Augustine.

Image: De Luna Landing, watercolor by Herbert Rudeen, Pensacola Historical Society

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 a former newspaper reporter and editor. Contact the Report at gardner@aug.com or gardnerstaug@yahoo.com