February 2005.pdfcity of atlantic beach newsletter
VOL.4 NO.2FEBRUARY 2005
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904-247-5800
www.coab.us
WHO OWNS OUR WETLANDS AND WATERWAYS
Yes, it’s that time again. Every political season,
questions arise as to the City of Atlantic Beach
Codes regulating election signs. For this rea-
son, the Code Enforcement Division is provid-
ing answers to frequently asked questions:
Q. HOW MANY SIGNS CAN I HAVE?
A.City Code Chapter 17, Section 17-1.1
does not limit the number of election signs
placed on private property to announce or
advertise a candidate.
Q. HOW LONG CAN I POST AN
ELECTION SIGN?
A.Election signs are permitted once a can-
didate is qualified to run for election, and
must be removed 72 hours after the election.
Q. WHERE CAN I PLACE MY SIGN?
A.It must be placed wholly on your property.
When referring to your property, this
excludes city right-of-ways, medians, trees
and utility poles
Q. HOW BIG A SIGN CAN I HAVE?
A.Your election sign can be no larger than
4 square feet in size.
Q. WHAT ABOUT POLLING PLACES?
A.Florida Statute 102.031 specifies that no
signs or solicitors are permitted within fifty
(50) feet of the entrance to a polling place
on the day of election, unless solicitation is
conducted in a separate marked area so as
not to disturb, impede, obstruct, or
interfere with voter
access.
Within our City limits, which extend westward to the center of the Intracoastal Waterway,
there are some 400 acres of marsh, wetland, tidal estuaries and waterways. There is often
a misperception that the government owns these lands, but in fact, most of these areas
have been in private ownership since original land grants dating back to Florida’s early
history. Use and development of such lands, however, is highly regulated by numerous
Federal and State agencies, including the Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard,
the Environmental Protection Agency, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
and the Water Management Districts. While several of these agencies have exclusive
permitting authorities over wetlands and waterways, local governments have considerable
responsibility and authority to appropriately protect such lands through the Comprehensive
Plan and the Land Development Regulations.
The principle of protecting free navigation for commerce purposes dates back to the Magna
Carta and English Colonization of this country. Since as long ago as 1888, the Federal
government has enacted laws to regulate navigable waterways throughout the United
States by prohibiting any type of obstruction to navigation within jurisdictional waters. This
“navigational servitude” has been repeatedly affirmed and expanded by the Supreme Court
over many years.
Within Florida, the State owns or “holds sovereign” all submerged lands that are below
navigable waters; however, owners of lands (both upland and submerged) that are adjacent
to navigable waters have certain “riparian rights,” which means such owners have rights to
the placement of docks and the protection of view and access to the navigable waters.
While free navigation is assured, and the first significant Federal efforts to protect water
quality began in 1948, the regulatory protection of wetlands and marsh fringe areas did not
begin in any meaningful way until the late 1970s when the first definitions for wetlands were
established. Since that time, State and Federal courts have been swamped with cases related
to the protection of wetlands and private property and development rights. The case law, the
regulations, and the permitting requirements are extensive and complicated.
Various government programs have been established to protect and purchase lands
for water quality and resource protection. Founded in 1972, the Trust for Public Land
is the main national organization working to conserve land. The Trust for Public Land
has been very active in northeast Florida, with notable projects including the purchase
of over $54 million in lands as part of the City of Jacksonville’s Preservation Project.
(The TPL’s website at http://www.tpl.org provides a wealth of information.)
Annual Camp Out
Under the Stars
The Parks and Recreation
Department is taking reser-
vations for the Annual Camp
Out Under the Stars, which
will be held February 26 and
27 in Russell Park. Sites are
$10 each and reservations
can be made by stopping by
the Adele Grage Cultural
Center between 8 a.m. and
4 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Please call 247-5828 for
additional information.
Resolve to Save Water
in the New Year
Make this the year to
conserve our precious
resources. Here are some
ways to conserve water
during those cold (for
Florida) winter days:
• Help prevent frozen water
pipes. We don’t get freezing
weather often, but when we
do it can cause exposed
pipes to break, wasting
many gallons of water as
well as causing property
damage and costs for
repairs.
• Insulate any exposed water
pipes or pipes in unheated
areas with blankets or
commercial wraps.
• Disconnect and drain
outdoor hoses. Detaching
the hose allows water to
drain from the pipe.
Otherwise, a single hard,
overnight freeze can burst
either the faucet or the pipe
it's connected to.
• Turn off and drain automatic
and manual sprinkler
systems before a freeze.
• Know the location of your
shutoff valve and make sure
it works. It’s usually located
just outside the house
where the water service
comes in.
For more water saving
measures, check the St.
Johns River Water
Management District’s
website at www.sjrwmd.com
or www.floridaswater.com.
Remember – No watering
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m!
ELECTION SIGNS
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Presort Standard
US Postage Paid
Jacksonville FL
Permit No. 1645
City of Atlantic Beach
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
February Calendar
SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT
34
6
5
78 109
2
11
13
12
1716
20
19
21 24
18
25
Pension Board
Meeting
6:00 p.m.
*Tree Conservation
Board Meeting
7:00 p.m.
*Teen Council
Meeting
7:00 p.m.
*Cult. Arts and
Recreation Advisory
Committee Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Community Dev. Board
Meeting 7:00 p.m.
City Commission
Community
Character Workshop
3:00 p.m.
City Commission
Meeting.
7:15 p.m.
14
City Commission
Meeting
7:15 p.m.
27
CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
John S. Meserve
MAYOR
Richard M. Beaver
MAYOR PRO TEM
J. Dezmond
Waters, III
COMMISSIONER
Sylvia Simmons
COMMISSIONER
Paul B. Parsons
COMMISSIONER
James Hanson
CITY MANAGER
Alan Jensen
CITY ATTORNEY
Donna Bussey
CITY CLERK
LETTER
FROM THE MAYOR
1
*Songwriter’s Concert
6:00 p.m. - 8:00p.m.
Meetings are held in the Commission
Chambers unless otherwise indicated
*These events will be held at Adele Grage
Cultural Center, 716 Ocean Blvd.
** These events will be held in the Conference
Room at City Hall, 800 Seminole Road.
262322
15
*Atlantic Beach Public
Arts Committee Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Special Election
for Duval County
7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
*Teen Council Meeting
7:00 p.m.
28
*Tree Conservation
Board Meeting
7:00 p.m.
The completion of the first section of
bicycle/pedestrian paths along Plaza Blvd. will
set the tone for the future in Atlantic Beach.
The wide and slightly meandering path (to
avoid cutting down trees in most cases) is
already in use and is part of our master plan
for bike paths throughout the city. Some may
remember that a few years ago we held a series of public
meetings to develop a master plan for a system of bike paths
throughout the beaches area, and the Plaza Path is the first
part of construction towards our part of that plan. We just had
our groundbreaking of the Rotary Skateboard Park in Russell
Park. It will be another amenity, offering activities for our
youth. I would again thank the Oceanside Rotary Club for
their assistance in fundraising for this project. Finally, we are
on track for major beach renourishment efforts. We expect
that about a million cubic yards of sand will
be required to bring the beach profile back
to normal. Our Congressman Ander
Crenshaw was a key in obtaining Federal
Funding for the project, and we thank him
for his interest and continued support.
PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM BURGLARS
John S. Meserve
Mayor
• Make your home look (and sound) occupied. Leave
drapes and shades in their normal position––the way
you have them when you are home. At night, leave
on some inner lights (ex: bathrooms and hallways).
Consider buying automatic timers that turn lamps and
radios on and off.
• Never leave your garage door open. If there is no car
in sight, it is a WELCOME sign to burglars. Even when
you are home, this gives a burglar the opportunity to see
what you have in your garage that they may like
to come back and steal once you leave.
• Do not leave lawnmowers, garden tools, bicycles or
other property unattended in your yard.
• Install good locks and doors (and be sure to always lock
your doors). Every door that opens to the outside should
be equipped with a deadbolt lock, and should be a
solid core door. The longer screws and the longer the
lock bolt, the safer your home will be. It is a good idea
to have a one-way peephole in your front door so you
know who is outside without having to open the door.
Sliding glass doors should have auxiliary locks
installed on them.
• Don’t advertise your vacation plans. Try to keep your
home looking “lived in” while you are away. Ask
a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on the place and to
pick up your newspaper and mail. The neighbor, or an
inexpensive electric timer, can turn your lights off and on.
• Mark your valuables so that they are identifiable. Any
valuables (ex: electronics, lawn mowers, bicycles) in
your home should be engraved with your Florida
Driver’s License number so that if they are stolen,
they can be identified as belonging to you. Keep
valuables in a safe deposit box rather than in your
home. You should also keep a list of the serial
numbers that are on your valuables.
If you are interested in starting a Neighborhood Crime
Watch in your neighborhood, or having a home security
survey done on your home, please contact Officer Tiffany
Layson at the Atlantic Beach Police Department 247-5859.
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