Published by former Mayor George Gardner June 29 2016
The Report is an independent publication serving our community
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1st round in 2016 campaign
It was newcomer night Tuesday for five newcomers to city races as the Flagler Model Land Company Neighborhood Association hosted city candidates in the first forum of Election 2016.
At the Floridian on Spanish Street were Kris Phillips, challenging Mayor Nancy Shaver, and Susan Rathbone, opposing Commissioner Leanna Freeman, while Sandra Flowers and Ron Stafford faced off against Commissioner Roxanne Horvath.
Only Horvath challenger Rhea Palmer, president of the St. Augustine Neighborhood Council and Uptown Neighborhood Association, was unable to attend as he is out of town. Flowers is a retired travel agent and Stafford is pastor at New Mount Moriah Christian Ministry.
Phillips owns WFOY Radio and Rathbone is president of the North Davis Shores Neighborhood Association.
Soft-pitch questions were fielded on institutional expansion, Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning, residential rental regulations and the citizen complaint process in the hour-long session.
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Travel Journalist Christine van Blokland is welcomed to St. Augustine by Lizzie during filming of Pets Welcome Here, a program describing pet friendly cities including St Augustine, Winter Park, Key West and the Emerald Coast in Florida's Panhandle.
The program will air on WJAX TV (Action News Jax) Saturday, July 2, at 1 pm.
It's been aired in 48 markets from Fresno CA to New Haven CT, says Tourism Promotion Director Rick Hensler of the St. Johns Visitors and Conventions Bureau.
Image: That's Former Mayor George and Sally Gardner's Rescue Golden Retriever Lizzie during filming in the Flagler College courtyard.
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Noise abatement
meets mobility plan
A plan to convert all Old Town Trolleys to parabolic sound systems to reduce noise from loudspeakers was greeted with caution by the city's mobility coordinator, looking at ways to reduce traffic congestion.
In a letter to city commissioners, Mobility Coordinator Xavier Pellicer suggested, "Before they invest a lot of money, do a pilot and see how well it's working. There are other avenues."
Historic Tours of America (HTA) St. Augustine General Manager Dave Chatterton outlined the conversion plan at last week's noise workshop, noting such a change in Key West - HTA headquarters - "has made a significant improvement to the noise level in Key West."
He said the conversion would run about $5000 per vehicle and take about a week for each vehicle.
City Manager John Regan said he's also recommended a pilot program first, and Mayor Nancy Shaver asked Regan to "check with the city manager in Key West as to whether this was a result of a city ask in some way."
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County to review
bed tax allotments
... Could some of those funds be directed, not so much for encouraging tourism, but offsetting some of the costs to the community hosting that many different tourists?
County Administrator Michael Wanchick
during bed tax discussion
County commissioners plan to review allotments of the county's 6% bed tax, nearly half of which goes to advertising.
Commissioner Rachael Bennett called for the review during closing comments at last Tuesday's County Commission meeting.
The tax raised an estimated $8,782,820 in 2015, and an estimated $9,233,064 in 2016.
Commissioner Jay Morris, the board's representative on the TDC, asked, "You're looking for some input for 2018?" The TDC (Tourist Development Council) has already put together its budget for 2017."
"They can't have done their budget because we approve their budget," Bennett replied. "We didn't get a proposed budget from them. ... If it's in the better interest of the people of St. Johns County to redistribute the TDC allocations, the TDC should redo their budget."
County Administrator Michael Wanchick said his staff will prepare some options for the commission's July 26 meeting, when commissioners set the millage rate for the upcoming fiscal year.
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City advances
increase in fire fees
City commissioners Monday advanced annual fire assessment fee increases to 7 cents a square foot for residential and 12.7 cents a square foot for non-residential properties.
For a 2,000 square foot residential property the annual fee would go from $120 to $140, and a 2,000 square foot non-residential property from $120 to $254.
The vote was 4-1. Commissioner Todd Neville argued the larger increase for non-residential properties is too great.
Commissioners will have time to hear residents' comments on the proposed increase before acting on it in July.
The fee since 2009 has been 6 cents a square foot for all properties, bringing in some $976,000; the increase will bring in some $1.68 million.
The increase recommendation came in an assessment by Government Services Group, Inc. of Tallahassee, and City Manager John Regan says the increases "would move us toward a goal to fund about 50 percent of the fire department budget with the fire assessment fee."
Unlike ad valorem property taxes, non-taxable as well as taxable properties are subject to the fee.
The consultant report was discussed in special session before Monday's City Commission meeting.
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An ordinance to incorporate pedicabs and low speed vehicles into the code and set limits on taxi vehicles was advanced to public hearing and final action by city commissioners Monday.
Assistant City Attorney Denise May included limits of ten years old and 250,000 miles for taxicabs after earlier commission discussions, giving older and higher mileage taxis more time to comply.
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Grant for 6 additional firefighters
St. Augustine's Fire Department hopes to seek a federal grant to hire six additional firefighters, the grant covering their salaries for two years.
 Fire Chief J.C. Costeira will seek City Commission approval during budget hearings where he'll describe his department's call volume increase "due to the expansion of The City of St. Augustine over the last several decades." The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants were created to provide funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter interest organizations in order to help them increase the number of trained, "front line" firefighters available in their communities.
The city's department currently has 30 full time firefighters. The additional firefighters "would increase our staffing to 12 firefighters per shift," Costeira says.
"With the recently changed ISO provisions, these positions would allow us to acquire the manpower needed to ensure that all ISO requirements are being met. Most importantly, it will make us 100% compliant with National Fire Protection Association standards."
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"I don't want to sound like a broken record on this," said Commissioner Todd Neville, opening commissioner comments at the end of Monday's meeting with criticism of Mayor Nancy Shaver's comments in a TV interview about her concerns with the city's mobility project.
Shaver had said a detailed work schedule had not been delivered to the city as specified in the contract with Littlejohn Engineering Associates.
Neville said, "I know that there are First Amendment rights here, but I also ask you to remember that the perception is you're speaking on behalf of all of us. And it's detrimental to our projects and to our city when you go off of that will and ..."
"I believe that is a completely incorrect characterization of how I hold this office, and how I speak to the public," Shaver replied.
"I said nothing in that interview that was not already in the public record at this commission meeting. In no way do I represent myself in any other way.
"I am always quite frankly operating at an extremely high level of professionalism and respect for this office, for the people I serve with, and I believe that it is beginning to sound like a broken record. I appreciate your concern. We do this every meeting. But I'm not sure it's really helpful."
"I just disagree with your interpretation. ..." Neville said.
"I realize you do, and I think I've heard that before. OK? Thank you." Shaver said.
In the uncomfortable pause that followed, Vice Mayor Roxanne Horvath drew laughs saying, "Uh, on a, ahem, positive note ..."
"Thank you, Vice Mayor Horvath," said the mayor.
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History's Highlight
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Architectural historian Elsbeth 'Buff" Gordon, author of Walking St. Augustine Illustrated Guide and Pocket History to America's Oldest City, describes the city's earliest buildings on the waterfront.
 The site of the first parish church, Nuestra Senora de los Remedios, was about where AlA Ale Works is today. Burials in its floor lie under the current Florida State Center/Heritage House and were recently found by City Archaeologist Carl Halbirt under Charlotte Street. Boazio and Hernando de Mestas depict it conforming to the 1573 ordinance. It was a large wood plank building in which the citizens could find shelter in the event of enemy attack, and it stood at the waterfront where it could be "seen on leaving the sea."
The ordinance explains why the site by the harbor was chosen, and why the church was repeatedly rebuilt at the same site for 129 years, from 1573 until 1702, despite it suffering hurricanes, storm surges, ransacking, fire and destruction by pirates and enemies. It was not moved until 1702, when the entire town was set on fire by the English and their Indian allies.
What a symbolic effect this church had for 129 years! Picture it, standing by the shore, its Christian cross on the gable roof higher than any structure in town. The church was the shepherd in front of the flock, the spiritual leader, the protective retreat and sanctuary, and the welcoming landmark to the safety of the harbor's calm water for those who survived the terrors of sea voyage, and the treacherous inlet. Perhaps it had been made more visible with lime whitewash. What a monument to faith and endurance on a 16th century frontier!
After the church, the ordinance specified that the royal houses for the municipal corporation, customs and guards, were to be built near the church and the port, in order that one could aid the other. And it specified that all the settlers were to help build a defensive palisade. In the Hernando de Mestas drawing of 1595 there is a wood palisade protecting the church and the royal houses. And the royal houses were indeed built near the church, which had a 4-bell companario to toll the approach of floods and enemies on incoming tides.
Image: Buff Gordon sketches of the Remedios in Walking St. Augustine.
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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
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