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CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD MINUTES
7:00 P.M., MAY 6, 2003
Call to Order: PRESENT: Curtis Sanders, Jr., Chairman
Ray Breault
Christopher Shea
Carl Russell
AND: Alex Sherrer, Code Enforcement Officer
Athena Shearer, Secretary
ABSENT: Richard Mann
Peter Wynkoop
Mamie Hurd
Chairman Sanders called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance
to the Flag by all present.
1. Approval of the Minutes of the Regular Meeting held on January 14, 2003.
The approval of the Minutes was postponed since three of the Board Members were absent.
2. Recognition of Visitors and Guest regarding any matters not listed on the agenda.
There were no other visitors or guests present.
3. Unfinished Business from previous meeting:
Code Enforcement Officer Alex Sherrer gave follow-up reports on the following cases:
A. COMPLIANCE:
(1). Case No.: 651-O1, Kelly & Ruth Wilson, 615 Atlantic Blvd., the City
Commission granted the Wilsons an extension until September 2003 to present
engineering plans for a new sign.
(2). Case No.: 1045-02, Michael & Victoria Smith, 31 17th Street, they were in
compliance with the Order by the Board and have paid the administrative fees.
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Code Enforcement Board
May 6, 2003
B. NON-COMPLIANCE:
There were no cases for non-compliance.
4. Public Hearings:
There were no public hearings.
5. New Business:
A. Introduce new board member Christopher Shea.
Chairman Sanders introduced the new board member and welcomed him to the
Code Enforcement Board. Board Member Shea spoke about his background and
why he volunteered for this board.
B. Discussion and related action on Term Limits.
Mr. Sherrer went over the memorandum from City Manager Jim Hanson
regarding the proposal for term limits for board members. The Chairman opened
for discussions. Mr. Sherrer spoke about the difficulty of finding volunteers if
there are term limits. Board Member Russel also expressed concern and gave an
example of a similar problem Neptune Beach had. Board Member Shea did not
agree with term limits. Board Member Breault pointed out that the maximum
time was four two-year terms and he thought that was sufficient. Discussion
ensued.
Motion b y B oard Member B reault t o a dopt a m aximum o f four t wo-year
terms for board members to serve on the Code Enforcement Board, seconded
by Board Member Russell, carried unanimously.
C. Discussion on rental property issues.
Mr. Sherrer gave a PowerPoint presentation and discussed the pros and cons of
the City of Atlantic Beach regulating and inspecting rental properties. Discussion
ensued. Board Member Russell did not agree with having a rental property
inspection program, being a rental property owner himself. He felt it would be
another cost that he would not be able to collect from his tenants. Board Member
Breault stated that he owned rental properties outside of Atlantic Beach and did
not like the idea of inspecting rental properties from a rental owner viewpoint, but
he did agree that some rental properties in Atlantic Beach were not maintained
properly. The Chairman gave some examples of problems with some rental
properties and substandard living conditions and he wanted to keep the Board
informed regarding his proposal to the City Commission on this issue.
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Code Enforcement Board
May 6, 2003
D. Discussion on code enforcement fines.
Mr. Sherrer suggested that the Board take into consideration the violation and
financial situation of the violator(s) before making their decision on the amount to
be fined in each case they hear.
E. Code Enforcement caseload update.
Mr. Sherrer discussed his caseload report for April 2003. Illegally placed signs
were the most frequent violations.
F. Update Code Enforcement Board Members information list.
Board members updated their information on the form provided to them prior to
the meeting.
6. Board Member Comments:
The Chairman recommended that the Board draft a Letter of Appreciation for Mr. Sherrer for
the great work he has done as the Code Enforcement Officer.
Motion by Board Member Shea, seconded by Board Member Breault, carried
unanimously.
7. Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m.
Curtis anders, Jr., Chai EB
Attest:
Athena Shearer, Secretary