Item 3B
September 8, 2004
MEMORANDUM
TO: The Honorable Mayor
and Members of the City Commission
"~" FROM: Jim Hans
SUBJECT: Follow p Report
AGENDA ITEM #3B
SEPTEMBER 13, 2004
Policy on Enforcement of Safety Zone Requirements; Some questions were asked at the last
commission meeting about the ordinance amending Chapter 19 about how the city's Public
Safety Department would enforce the newly revised provisions of Section 19-5 for safety zones.
The Public Safety Department does not intend to apply the new standards retroactively and
require removal of existing items in the newly created safety zones unless they create a clear and
present public safety hazard. Such a hazard may be defined as "a set of conditions that
endanger/imperil citizens who are engaged in lawful, reasonable, and normal activities in a
public place." Because it is not possible to identify and articulate every possible public safety
hazard that may arise, the Department may be required to exercise judgment in applying this
definition.
If and when the new ordinance becomes effective, the Department will video-record the streets
and roadways throughout the city, to provide a record of the existing conditions in the safety
zones. No prohibited items will be allowed to be placed in the safety zones after the effective
date of the ordinance.
In most cases when violations arise, the Department will contact the property owners to request
voluntary compliance and correction. If voluntary compliance is not achieved then the city may
correct the problem and charge the property owners consistent with this section of the code. In
rare cases, when the hazard to public safety is very high, the Department may have the
corrections made immediately to protect lives and property, and charge the property owners for
the expense consistent with the code.
~* Signs at BP Station; The Commission asked on a couple of occasions about the signs for the
service station at the intersection of Plaza Drive and Mayport Road. The Amoco station had
been converted to a BP station, but the freestanding signs had not been replaced in accordance
** with city codes. It is reported at the last meeting that letters had been sent to the owners of the
station requesting that they comply with the new city sign regulations. Alex Sherrer spoke with
their representatives recently and was assured that they planned to remove the old sign and
!~" replace it with a new one that meets our regulations within the next couple of weeks.