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June 2012.pdfJ U N E 2 0 1 2 V O L . 8 N O . 6 C I T Y O F A T L A N T I C B E A C H N E W S L E T T E R June 2012 June 11 City Commission Meeting 6:30 pm June 19 Community Development Board 6 pm June 25 City Commission Meeting 6:30 pm June 26 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory Committee 6 pm July 2012 July 4 CITY OFFICES CLOSED July 9 City Commission Meeting 6:30 pm July 10 Code Enforcement Board 6 pm July 17 Community Development Board 6 pm July 23 City Commission Meeting 6: 30 pm July 24 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory Committee 6 pm www.coab.us • (904) 247-5800 CITY OFFICIALS Mike Borno, Mayor Jonathan Daugherty, Commissioner Maria Mark, Mayor Pro-Tem Mark Beckenbach, Commissioner Carolyn Woods, Commissioner Jim Hanson, City Manager Alan Jensen, City Attorney Donna Bartle, City Clerk Meetings are held in the Commission Chamber unless otherwise indicated. * These events will be held at Adele Grage Cultural Center, 716 Ocean Blvd. June 2012 Jun 2 Wild Wonders – Dutton Island Preserve 11 am Jun 6 Wednesday Market – Bull Park 4-7 pm Jun 10 Songwriters’ Concert – Adele Grage 6-8 pm Jun 13 Wednesday Market – Bull Park 4-7 pm Jun 16 Wild Wonders – Dutton Island Preserve 11 am Jun 21 North Beaches Art Walk – Town Center & Adele Grage 5-9 pm Reception for the Artist – Adele Grage 6-8 pm Jun 24 Acoustic Nights – Bull Park 6-8 pm Jun 27 Wednesday Market – Bull Park 4-7 pm July 2012 July 4 Wednesday Market – Bull Park 4-7 pm July 8 Songwriters’ Concert – Adele Grage 6-8 pm July 11 Wednesday Market – Bull Park 4-7 pm July 18 Wednesday Market – Bull Park 4-7 pm July 19 North Beaches Art Walk – Town Center & Adele Grage 5-9 pm Reception for the Artist – Adele Grage 6-8 pm July 25 Wednesday Market – Bull Park 4-7 pm July 29 Acoustic Nights – Bull Park 6-8 pm November 2011 Nov 2 Mid-Week Market – Bull Park 4-7 pm Nov 9 Mid-Week Market – Bull Park 3-6 pm Nov 16 Mid-Week Market – Bull Park 3-6 pm Nov 17 Holiday Artisans’ Faire – Adele Grage 5-9 pm Nov 19 MarshFest – Dutton Island Preserve 10am – 3pm Nov 20 Songwriters’ Concert – Adele Grage 6-8 pm Nov 23 Mid-Week Market – Bull Park 3-6 pm Nov 30 Mid-Week Market – Bull Park 3-6 pm December 2011 Dec 3 Holiday Celebration – Town Center Dec 18 Songwriters’ Concert – Adele Grage 6-8 pm Dec 15 North Beaches Art Walk – Town Center & Adele Grage 5-9 pm Reception for the Artist – Adele Grage 6-8 pm For the latest information, visit www.coab.us/events or www.coab.us/recreation “Like” us on facebook! For the latest information, visit www.coab.us/events or www.coab.us/recreation Visit us on facebook! www.coab.us/facebook Make Independence Day Safe and Enjoyable for Everyone The City of Atlantic Beach would like to remind you of the City ordinance adopted in 2004 that makes it illegal to sell, possess, or shoot off any fireworks other than the “sparkler-types” at any of the beach cities. Considering the recent drought conditions and the wildfires in our region, the possession and/or use of personal fireworks is strongly discouraged. Cat Complaints Atlantic Beach Animal Control receives an influx of cat-related complaints this time of year. It seems that cats are everywhere: males are looking for love, females are having litters every other month, and kittens are running amok. There are complaints of cats fighting at night, killing birds during the day, and using gardens as public toilets – and everybody wants to know what can be done about it. Cats can be divided into three groups, and how to fix the problems varies from group to group. Group one: Pets. If these cats are out creating mischief, it’s because their owners are allowing them to wander outside and off their property. This is against City ordinance. Owners should never allow cats outside unsupervised. Pet cats should also wear collars with phone numbers in case they get lost. Microchipping is recommended, as cats are notorious for losing collars. Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services will microchip animals for $10 each. Go to www.coj.net/pets for details. Group two: Stray cats. These cats had owners at one time, but are now forced to live on the streets. They were lost, thrown out or abandoned. Often neighbors will feel sorry for these cats and feed them, but no one is willing to claim ownership and provide veterinarian care for them. Unfortunately these animals also become nuisances and create most of the cat-related calls to Animal Control. They should be trapped, vaccinated, sterilized and re-homed. There are several cat rescues in the Jacksonville area that can assist. If no one in the neighborhood is willing to step forward to help the cat, Animal Control should be contacted. Group three: Feral cats. These are usually the second and third genera- tion offspring of unsterilized strays and free roaming pets. These cats are unsocialized and wary of people. They seldom make good pets. There are organizations that trap, neuter, and release (TNR) feral cats to live out the rest of their lives in the wild. A TNR cat will generally have the tip of its ear clipped off to indicate that it has been sterilized and vaccinated. If you would like to learn more about TNR, please visit www.FCNMHP.org. Atlantic Beach Animal Control desires for all residents – two-legged and four- legged – to live peacefully within the City. Please call (904) 247-5866 if we can be of assistance. Enjoy Your Pool while Conserving Water Now that temperatures are heating up, the pool is inviting. Here are a few ways to save water while enjoying your swimming pool: • Use a pool cover. Covering your pool regularly can reduce evaporation by up to 95%. • Use shrubs and fences to reduce wind evaporation. • If the water level drops more than an inch per day, check for leaks. Look for loose tiles, cracks, or saturated soil near the pool. If you suspect a leak you can check by doing an evaporation test or contacting a professional. • Lower the water level in your pool to avoid water loss from splash-over. • Backwash pool filters only as needed, or clean by hand-washing them. • Check your water bills. Any changes might indicate a leak or other problem needing investigation. Remember, only irrigate on your assigned days before 10:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. Odd numbered addresses – Wednesday and Saturday Even numbered addresses – Thursday and Sunday Non-Residential – Tuesday and Friday HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS – ARE YOU READY? Special Needs Shelters The Duval County Emergency Preparedness Division maintains a registry of clients who have been identified as persons with either special medical needs or special transportation needs during an emergency. These individuals require as- sistance during evacuations and sheltering or need special transportation to a shelter. Individuals with special medical needs who plan on using a public shelter during an evacuation should register well in advance by contacting the Emergency Preparedness Office by phone at (904) 630-2472 or visiting www.coj.net to complete a registration form. A new registry is created each year in January, so individuals must re-register every year to remain in the system. Once the registration form is completed it is reviewed by a health care professional and categorized by the assistance required. Individuals are then assigned to a shelter or hospital and to the appropriate transportation agency, if applicable. Police Services Our Police Department has been in the news recently by making arrests in some major crimes quickly. One was a bank robbery where they apprehended the suspect and recovered the money in less than 20 minutes after receiving the call. In another case, officers responded to a burglary call but arrived after the suspect had fled. However, they got a second call from a nearby house and apprehended the subject in both cases in about 30 minutes after they received the first call. The suspect was a registered sexual predator who had been released from prison within the last month. One of the detectives involved modestly referred to the two arrests as “getting lucky”. While congratulations are in order for these two fine efforts by our officers, it is best to look at the bigger picture of crime in our City and police responses before forming any conclusions about the effectiveness of our Police Department. Two statistics about police departments are good tools to use; average response times and overall crime rates. The average response time to emergency calls in Atlantic Beach last year was approximately two minutes. That is to say that, on average, a police officer can be at your door in two minutes in Atlantic Beach after the call comes in to our dispatch center for a major crime. Many other cities report their response times in the 5-10 minute range. A second comparable factor is the crime rate. For Part One Crimes, which include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft, Atlantic Beach’s rate in 2010 was just over 35 per 1,000 population. Other police departments in Duval County had rates for similar crimes at 45 per 1,000 or above during that year and the rate statewide was 41 per 1,000. The bottom line is that there are fewer crimes per capita in Atlantic Beach and, when there is one, officers respond very quickly. While the recent incidences add another reason to thank the dedicated men and women in our police department, they deserve our greatest praise for the work they do day in and day out to help make Atlantic Beach a great place to live and work.