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06/1993 Atlantic Beach CourierWilliam I. Gulliford, Mayor Commissioners: Lyman T. Fletcher, Glenn A. Edwards, Adelaide R. Tucker, J. Dezmond Waters, Alan C. Jensen, City Attorney, Kim D. Leinbach, City Manager, Maureen King, City Clerk VOLUME 4, NO.2 JUNE 1993 ' City of Atlantic Beach BOARDS ADOPT A -MEDIAN I hope you have seen the newly landscaped median at CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD the intersection of Atlantic Blvd. and Third Street (in front of Famous Amos). The median will be easy to maintain, George Bull, Jr. Heywood Dowling, Jr. and will cut the normal cost of maintenance associated John J. Venn Kathleen Russell with a traditional grassed median. The City Commission, Suzanne Shaughnessy Barbara Bonner with some private funding assistance, committed to do the Edward Martin first median as an example of how the rest of Atlantic (Meets 1st Tuesday every two months) Blvd. could look. I would like to see all of the medians landscaped in like manner but it is going to take private donations to help the City achieve it. We are asking COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD businesses and individuals to get involved in our Adopt -A - Ruth Gregg Mary Walker Median campaign and let's make the dream a reality. If W. Gregg McCaulie Robert Frohwein you are interested in helping, please call Carl Walker at Don Wolfson Mark McGowan 247-5828 or Jim Jarboe at 247-5800. If you want to talk to Patricia Pillmore me about it at night or during the weekend, my home (Meets 3rd Tuesday of each month) number is 246-8389. PENSION BOARD OF TRUSTEES BEACHES HABITAT DINNER Joseph Garvin Don Ford In less than two years, four houses have been built in John C. Fletcher, Jr. Colette Corliss Atlantic Beach by Beaches Habitat. More are planned here Richard White as well as in Jacksonville Beach. These not only represent added affordable housing, but also fulfilled dreams, and not handouts, for those lucky new dwellers. It allows those HOSPITAL BOARD recipients of Habitat houses to pay for their houses Dorothy Kerber, Atlantic Beach Representative initially with sweat equity, and then reasonable mortgage terms. It is a great program! The reasons I am so high on the program are because Habitat encourages a high level TREE CONSERVATION BOARD of citizen participation, and it improves neighborhoods John Weldon, Jr. Thomas Frohne that are in decline and have problems with crime. We have Carolyn Woods Hope VanNortwick already seen a positive impact in the neighborhood where Jim Pelkey these houses have been built. Ultimately that means a (Meets 3rd Monday of each month) positive impact on your neighborhood too. Beaches Habitat is going to have its first recognition dinner on June 10th. Marcia Ladendorff of WTLV 12, an RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD Atlantic Beach resident, will be our guest speaker. Contributors and participants in this worth -while program Donald Fagan Henry Batts will be recognized. The dinner, to be held at the Sea Turtle Jeff Croom Henry Isaacs Inn & Restaurant will start with a reception at 6:00 PM, Richard Riley (Meets 2nd Thursday of each month) (cont. on next page) followed by dinner at 7:00 PM. Tickets are $17.50 per person, and you can guess where any left over money will be spent. I hope you, as a resident of this great community, will make it a point to join us on June 10th, and hear about a wonderful program, and some very special people. If you want tickets, call the Beaches Habitat office, 241-1222, between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM on weekdays, or me or my wife, Harriet, at 246-8389 at night or during the weekend. Seating is limited, so tickets will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Habitat for Humanity is a program that is good for the recipient, good for the participant, and good for the community as a whole; it is alive and very well in Atlantic Beach. I will be leaving office in about five months and I wanted to share several projects with you that I am pushing to see completed, or well underway by the time of my departure from office. In the next several weeks, the first phase of Town Center will start. This is a great project ,,ince? it iq a inint vPntnrtI b_,t}veen p„r1,p and prj+atP enterprise to improve the community. I think all of us will be proud when it is completed. Soon, construction will start on a renovation and expansion of the concession stand in Russell Park. It will include activity rooms, a second floor press box, improved concession area, restrooms and storage. It will be architecturally compatible with the exteriors of the City Hall and Public Safety buildings. Once completed, the YMCA trailer will be removed from the park. In several weeks we will begin paving Church Road between Mayport Road and Francis Avenue. During the summer we hope to make major improvements to Church Road leading back to Donner Park on the west side of Mayport Road. This project, in joint action with the City of Jacksonville, will include sidewalks, better lighting and landscaping. We will continue to make improvements to Donner Park with the goal of making it a truly regional park. We desperately need the additional recreational area, and we want to make it attractive and safe for all who use it. I will be pushing for sidewalk construction on East Coast Drive between 10th and 12th Streets. With completion of that strip, we will have sidewalks on all the major roadways in Atlantic Beach except for several west of Mayport Road. In the next quarterly issue of this newsletter, and at the end of my term as mayor, I will share some closing observations, comments and thank some truly outstanding people. Bill Gulliford Mayor WHAT IF ANDREW HAD HIT ATLANTIC BEACH? • Once the evacuation had been completed there would not have been police, fire, medical or rescue to help for three or more days for those who decided to stay. • Anyone who did not evacuate would probably be dead or injured. • More than 90% of the buildings would have been destroyed. • There would have been no power for weeks. • City water and sewer would not have been available for up to two months. • Phones would have been out for weeks. • Streets would have been blocked for weeks, so cars would be useless. 1;K A, 10I MYTH: Because of the shape of our coastline we are protected from hurricanes. TRUTH: Our coastline would see much worse damage than was experienced in Andrew. The surge and waves from an Andrew type storm would cause complete flooding of the entire beaches area. Atlantic Boulevard would be under six feet or more of water. MYTH: Weather patterns protect our area from hurricanes. TRUTH: No scientific _reason exists to support that old tale. We have experienced four hurricanes in the last one hundred years. We have been LUCKY there have not been more. MYTH: "My house has been here for years; it can ride out the storm." TRUTH: Very few, if any, homes or buildings will be left if an Andrew type storm hits our beach. Much smaller storms would also cause great destruction of property and loss of life. MYTH: "I was here when Dora hit. I know all about hurricanes." TRUTH: Hurricane Dora was a small storm as hurricanes go. It actually came ashore just north of St. Augustine. Winds in Atlantic Beach were BELOW 90 miles per hour. Winds in storms like Andrew can be more than 200 miles per hour. DrJ�rJ�r�Lplj-rPrJM�rIrJ0-:1 �cfurJ�rJJ�J�rJ�rJ�rJ�cPrJ�rJ�r�J�rJ�rJ� � 5 5 In its preparations for the hurricane is 5 season, the city list 5 5 compiling a of volunteers who be help 5 5 would willing to with S 5 preparations for evacuation or with 5 5 any of the many tasks which would be in 5 5 5 involved the recovery process hurricane. 5 5 5 following a 5 5 If you would like to volunteer to help the city in this manner, please 5 5 call Diane St. Laurent at 247-5800. 5 O rJ�rJ�r�rJ�rJrJ�rJ�rJ�rJ7rJ�rJ�rJJi?PcPrJ�ctrJ�rJ��PrJ�rJ�rJ�rJ�r.PrJ� � 11 CITY CLERK The city will hold its municipal election on Tuesday, October 5, 1993 to elect a mayor and two city commissioners. Registration books will close thirty days prior to the election. Register now to vote, or make any changes in your registration such as name, address, or political party. Don't procrastinate. Do it now. We would like to request all our Atlantic Beach businesses to make sure they are properly licensed. Florida law requires that all businesses have at least two licenses, one from the city in which they are located, and one from the county. In some instances where a business is involved in several different operations, several city or county licenses may be required. Florida Statutes exempt certain individuals and groups such as disabled veterans or charitable organizations from the license fee; however, those businesses are required to display their city and county licenses to indicate to their patrons that they comply with city zoning and other applicable regulations. If you have any questions regarding your occupational license(s), please call Maureen King at 247-5809. .11NI 13 13 51419$"'1W Two of our spring time activities which are now behind us are our annual Easter Egg Hunt and Spring Festival and we are happy to report that both events were successful and lots of fun, Torrential rains were predicted for the day of our Easter egg hunts so we had an Easter party instead and everyone went away happy. We were blessed with beautiful weather for our Spring Festival. We enjoyed the St. Johns River City Band, Polly B Dance Academy dancers, Body Arts ballet and karate demonstrations, Jack Ellmore's adult karate demonstrations, Pizzaz and the Musical Magic Show and, the hit of the day, the Donner Park Community Center Chorus. If you need the services of any of our exhibitors, please call Rose at 247-5828. If you need a place for a meeting, a wedding or anniversary, or if you would like to teach a class or if you need a place for your group to get together to play cards, the Adele Grage Community Center is available. Please call Rose Blanchard at 247-5828 for information regarding the use of the center. Also if you would like to schedule an activity at any city park, call Rose to get your free permit for use of the facilities. You are invited to attend the dedication of another Habitat house in Atlantic Beach at the corner of Francis Avenue and Simmons Avenue on June 5. Habitat hours are from 10:00 AM to Noon, Monday through Friday. If you would like to volunteer to help in their work or have other enquiries, you may call them at 241-1222. SUMMER ACTIVITIES The following activities are planned for Summer in the Parks & Recreation Department. DONNER PARK COMMUNITY CENTER 280 Church Road June 21- August 20: - • Free lunch program for children up to age eighteen. • Summer Camp will be held Monday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM for children aged six through twelve. This will not be a day care program and children must be in school to attend. These rules must be enforced and no exceptions will be allowed. ADELE GRAGE COMMUNITY CENTER 716 Ocean Boulevard This facility will be open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and citizens are encouraged to use this facility. Activities at this center will include: • Atlantic Beach Experimental Theater (ABET) Summer Drama Camp will be held from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Monday through Thursday from June 28 through August 7. For information, call Beth Robertson at 246-0480. • A free lunch program will be offered at the Adele Grage Community Center and will be subject to the same rules as the Donner Park program. JACK RUSSELL PARK • The YMCA summer camp will again take place in Jack Russell Park from June 14 through August 10. Call 744-2233 for information. Newsletter Staff Maureen King Trudy Lopanik Donna Bussey City of Atlantic Beach Courier 800 Seminole Road Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233 r--------------------- r Fun at the Beaches Aquatic r 1 Purchase a one-year membership 1 at the Beaches Aquatic Center 1 I for the family ONLY 123500 1 Individuals ONLY $15000 _9 Includes: I Swim Lessons, Swim 1 Team, 24 -hour -use ---- 1 1 exercise room, -: 1 volleyball, paddle �A 1 tennis, 24 -hour -use I lap swimming, aqua 1 1 exercise and a monthly 1 1 covered dish dinner. 1 Call 246-3822 or 246-3006 L---------------------1 Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID Jacksonville, FL Permit No. 1645 IMPORTANT Telephone Numbers Police & Fire Emergencies............ 911 Police & Fire Non -Emergencies....... 249-5606 Police Records ................ 249-4629 City Hall (Information) ........... 247-5800 Animal Control ............... 246-1648 Garbage & Trash .............. 247-5834 Parks & Recreation Department....... 247-5828 Recycle Hotline ............... 247-5834 Building Department ............ 247-5826 City Clerk .................. 247-5810 City Manager ................ 247-5800 Finance Director ............... 247-5800 Public Works ................ 247-5834 Purchasing .................. 247-5818 Utility Billing ................ 247-5816 Newsletter Staff Maureen King Trudy Lopanik Donna Bussey City of Atlantic Beach Courier 800 Seminole Road Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233 r--------------------- r Fun at the Beaches Aquatic r 1 Purchase a one-year membership 1 at the Beaches Aquatic Center 1 I for the family ONLY 123500 1 Individuals ONLY $15000 _9 Includes: I Swim Lessons, Swim 1 Team, 24 -hour -use ---- 1 1 exercise room, -: 1 volleyball, paddle �A 1 tennis, 24 -hour -use I lap swimming, aqua 1 1 exercise and a monthly 1 1 covered dish dinner. 1 Call 246-3822 or 246-3006 L---------------------1 Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID Jacksonville, FL Permit No. 1645 but could not afford to pay the registration fees. The Police Department accepted donations from the two Rotary clubs in Atlantic Beach and from private citizens who wanted to support the children. As a result, all of the children were registered and able to participate in Little League for the spring season. The Police Department supports the use of mobile video recorders in all patrol cars for the protection of the officers and to assist in court proceedings. However, there was no funding available to purchase this equipment for the Police Department and after reading about this problem in the local newspaper, a citizen offered to purchase and donate one unit. The unit has now been installed in a police car for use on the street. Additionally, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) has contacted the Police Department and offered to provide several mobile video systems at no cost to the Police Department. These units will be installed as soon as they are received. In March a citizen contacted the Police Department and offered to donate a car. This vehicle has now been received and has been assigned to a detective in criminal investigations. An intern joined the Police Department in May and will remain with us for several months. During this time she will be learning about law enforcement while performing services within the department. Such a system benefits the education of the intern while providing valuable manpower to the department. These contributions have assisted the Police Department in its efforts to provide the highest quality of service in a cost effective manner. The Police Department appreciates these donations and commends the individuals and organizations who have helped to make the Police Department a positive force in the community. POLICE UPDATE: The Police Department has demonstrated a significant increase in the number of arrests for drunk driving during the first quarter of the year. With the addition of the new video recording system to some of our patrol cars, we strongly recommend that you do not operate a vehicle after consuming alcoholic beverages. Atlantic Beach officers and detectives broke a burglary case that led to charges of multiple burglaries and the recovery of jewelry, electronic equipment, cameras, and a stolen automobile. The Atlantic Beach burglaries totalled well over $100,000.00. Our officers also seized about seventy-five pounds of marijuana. The marijuana was growing in a house in Jacksonville but the transactions were taking place in Atlantic Beach. Several suspects were arrested in Jacksonville and Atlantic Beach as a result of this investigation. CODE ENFORCEMENT Since we are in the growing season and grass and weeds seem to appear overnight, we would like to make everyone aware of our vegetation and nuisance ordinances: Section 23-36 provides that grass, weeds, etc. should not be allowed to exceed a height of twelve inches, and section 12-1(3) prohibits any lot or premises from becoming neglected so as to become a detriment to public health due to weeds or trash. Under both sections, after proper notification, the city may correct the problem at the expense of the property owner. SOLID WASTE COMMITTEE Mark your calendars now for the Fourth Annual Fourth of July RECYCLO-RAMA (formerly called the Trash Bash) on Sunday, July 4, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Jack Russell Park. Members of the Atlantic Beach Solid Waste Committee invite you to join us for food, drinks, music, prizes and games to celebrate four years of recycling in Atlantic Beach. See Ricky Raccoon, backyard composting demonstrations, photo displays of recycling facilities, and much more! If you would like to volunteer to help at this event or if you would like to join the Solid Waste Committee, please call City Hall or committee chairman Theresa Todd at 249-1864. BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE The planning done by the Committee over the winter months has resulted in several major enhancement projects becoming reality! Our Mayor, elsewhere in this issue, has written about our "Adopt -A -Median" program based on the recently landscaped Atlantic Boulevard median. We are proud of its appearance and enthusiastic about similar plantings in the remaining medians. We appreciate the fine cooperation shown us by local merchants who contributed to the landscaping of Ahern Street, east of Sherry Drive. This was the Committee's first joint partnership undertaking and the response was overwhelming. To those hardy souls who withstood the heat on Saturday, May 15, our heartfelt thanks for your help with the planting. Those efforts were rewarded with a new, improved "look" that will serve as a prototype for other such projects. A total of 52 trees have been planted on the property surrounding City Hall. This was made possible by our being awarded a matching grant from the Florida Forestry Department. These trees will be enjoyed for years to come. NOW is the time to join your neighbors in being a part of a progressive group dedicated in enhancing our community. Meetings are the second Wednesday of each month, beginning at 7:30 PM in the City Hall Conference Room. SANITATION We would like to remind our residents that garbage needs to be placed in closed 30 -gallon containers or sealed plastic bags. Also, to avoid back injuries to our sanitation workers, please do not exceed the weight limit of fifty pounds. The Jacksonville household hazardous waste facility at 2675 Commonwealth Avenue, is open every Tuesday from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM and from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM, and the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This facility collects household chemicals such as paint thinner, paint stripper, gasoline, pesticides, pool chemicals, acids, drain cleaners, lead -acid batteries, and rechargeable batteries. If you need additional information you may call the hazardous waste facility at 630-0973. WATER TREATMENT PLANTS The Atlantic Beach water plant improvement project is nearing completion. A tour will be planned when the ptujeci is complete and residents interested in participating in this tour should contact the Public Works department at 247-5834 in early June for information regarding scheduling of this tour. The Buccaneer water plants are currently being rehabilitated to provide continued reliable service. We have noticed many residents watering their yards between the hours of 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM and would like to remind them that this is in violation of the St. Johns River Water Management District regulations and may result in a $50.00 fine. This regulation also pertains to private wells. Water is wasted through evaporation when it is applied during the hottest hours of the day, and if you are on city water it is also very expensive to water at this time. For more information regarding water restrictions, please call the St. Johns River Water Management District at 1-800-232-0904. PUBLIC WORKS We have excavated and reshaped ditches throughout the city, most notably, the ditches at City Hall and the ditch through the Donner subdivision. These ditches required many man-hours to clean and we hope our citizens will assist in keeping our city clean by reporting to the Police Department anyone seen dumping shopping carts or other debris in the ditches. KEY PROJECTS We are beginning sewer line rehabilitation on 9th and Ahern Streets and the construction of a new sewer line along Seminole Road from 17th to 18th Street. In the Oak Harbor Subdivision, we have begun televising and cleaning lines to reassess their current condition. Preliminary permitting work is underway for the expansion of the Atlantic Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant at 1100 Sandpiper Lane. PUBLIC WORKS WEEK May 16 to May 22, 1993 was proclaimed by the Mayor and City Commission as Public Works Week in Atlantic Beach. We will announce the employee voted Employee of the Year by his or her peers in the next newsletter. The Fire Department is asking for your help in raising funds for the purchase of an automatic defibrillator. This is a vital piece of life saving equipment which would give our Fire Department personnel the ability to assess a heart attack victim's heart beat and possibly convert it to a normal rhythm. With this equipment the survival rate can be increased from 8% to 30%. The equipment costs approximately $7,000.00 and donations may be mailed to Kirk Wendland, Finance Director, City Hall, 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233. Checks should be made out to the City of Atlantic Beach and should be clearly marked "Defibrillator." If you would like additional information about this equipment please call the Fire Department at 249-5606. Beginning Memorial Day weekend, lifeguards will be on the beach seven days a week. Please follow their directions so you may enjoy the beach safely. The Fire Department is continuing to offer CPR courses on Saturdays at the fire station. We also offer fire safety home inspections and fire extinguisher classes. REMEMBER TO THINK FIRE SAFETY, AND CALL US; WE ARE HERE TO HELP. DONATIONS HELP POLICE DEPARTMENT Over the past several months, contributions from citizens have helped fund several police projects that were otherwise unfunded. City employees identified children who wanted to participate in the Atlantic Beach Little League Association (cont. on next page)