July 2005.pdfcity of atlantic beach newsletter
VOL.4 NO.7JULY 2005
904-247-5800
www.coab.us
H URRICANE P REPAREDNESS
We are approaching the peak of hurricane sea-
son (August), and it is important for citizens to
educate themselves and prepare for the possi-
bility of a hurricane impacting the First Coast.
There is a great deal of information available
on the Internet including explanations, maps,
evacuation routes, and local shelter informa-
tion. Local information can be found under
Police & Safety on the Atlantic Beach website
at www.coab.us, or on the City of
Jacksonville website at www.coj.net/
Departments/ Fire+and+Rescue/ Emergency+
Preparedness/Evacuation.htm.
If a hurricane is approaching and it appears
that an evacuation order may be issued, citi-
zens are encouraged to start making prepa-
rations and leave early. When people wait
until the last minute to evacuate, the road-
ways are congested, hotels are full, gas sta-
tions have long lines, and the experience is
emotionally painful. The people that are pre-
pared and leave early, tend to have better
experiences when they evacuate.
If an evacuation is ordered and the Beaches
receive significant damage from a storm, the
access to the Beaches may be restricted to
residents and critical businesses. For this
purpose, Hurricane Re-entry Passes are
available to all Atlantic Beach residents. In
the past, Hurricane Re-entry passes have
been mailed out to citizens and have been
available at City Hall and the Police
Department. Those passes remain valid, and
they do not need to be replaced. In the event
that someone has not been given a pass or
has misplaced his or her pass, Hurricane Re-
entry passes may be obtained at the Atlantic
Beach City Hall or Public Safety Department
(proof of residency required).
If community groups are interested in having
someone speak to their organizations about
hurricane preparation, they are encouraged to
contact the police department to provide
speakers, videos, and informational materials.
The City has scheduled a wrap-up public participation workshop for Wednesday, August
17th, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. A meeting location has not yet been determined. Winter and
Company will return to present recommendations to the community related to strategies that
will help preserve the unique character of Atlantic Beach. Please check the City's website
at www.coab.us for additional information as the workshop date approaches. The City
encourages your participation in this important process.
AUGUST COMMUNITY CHARACTER WORKSHOP SCHEDULED
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CITY ELECTION
Primary Election - Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005
General Election (if required) - Tuesday, Oct.
18, 2005
Two City Commission seats and the Mayor/
Commissioner seat will be up for election on
October 4th. Additional information can be
obtained on our website at www.coab.us.
If you are interested in becoming a candidate,
please call Donna Bussey at 247-5809.
VOTER REGISTRATION
Now is the time to make sure your voter regis-
tration is up to date and correct. You may
check the status of your voter registration or
request a duplicate voter registration card by
calling the Duval County Supervisor of
Elections Office at 630-1410. The registration
books will close on September 5, 2005 at 5:00
p.m. (30 days before the election). When the
registration books are closed, no one can
apply or make any changes. Voter registration
application forms are available at several
public locations including City Hall. For more
information, visit the Supervisor of Elections'
website at http://duvalelections.coj.net or call
630-1410.
BOARD/COMMITTEE
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The City of Atlantic Beach would like to hear
from citizens interested in serving on citizen
boards or committees. The City has a Code
Enforcement Board, Community Develop-
ment Board, Cultural Arts and Recreation
Advisory Committee, two Pension Boards (one
for police employees and the other for general
employees), and a Tree Conservation Board.
For information about the responsibilities of
these boards or to obtain an application form,
please contact the City Clerk at 247-5809 or
visit our website at www.coab.us.
SAVE WATER
WHILE CELEBRATING
INDEPENDENCE DAY
Enjoy the pool or spa on the
holiday weekend, but remem-
ber ways to conserve water
too. Check your swimming
pool for leaks and have them
fixed promptly. How do you
know if your pool is leaking?
Here are some possible
indicators:
•Losing more than 1-inch of
water from your pool weekly
•Having trouble balancing
your chemicals because you
have to keep adding water
•Constant damp soil around
the pool
•Loose or falling tiles
•Obvious cracks, gaps
or settling
Use a pool or spa cover to
reduce evaporation, and save
up to 7,000 gallons of water
per year. (Increases safety
factor and helps keep debris
out of the pool too!)
Use the newer cartridge
filters. Backwashing sand
and diatomaceous filters use
about 500 gallons for each
cycle.
For more information on how
to conserve water, check out
the St. Johns River Water
Management's website at
www.floridaswater.com.
Remember - No watering
between 10:00 a.m. and
4:00 p.m.
Presort Standard
US Postage Paid
Jacksonville FL
Permit No. 1645
City of Atlantic Beach
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
July Calendar
SUN MON TUES WED THURS FRI SAT
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3
2
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9
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17
16
18 21
15
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26 27 30
Community
Development Board
Meeting 7:00 p.m.
City Commission
Meeting
7:15 p.m.
City Holiday
City Offices Closed
11
*Acoustic Night
6:00 - 8:00 p.m
City Commission
Meeting
7:15 p.m.
*Cultural Arts &
Recreation Advisory
Committee Meeting
7:00 p.m.
Board Member Review
Committee Meeting
5:00 p.m.
FUN RUN
call 247-5828 for
location & details
2824
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
*Songwriters’ Concert
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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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.
232019
12
*Tree Conservation
Board Meeting
7:00 p.m.
*Tree Conservation
Board Meeting
7:00 p.m
Code Enforcement
Board Meeting
7:00 p.m.
25
In Atlantic Beach, we began an interesting
process, which involved many of our citizens,
to define what makes our city special. We
hired a consultant to educate the Commission,
moderate several public workshops, and
manage several focus groups to get input on
just what we mean by "ambiance" and if we can
figure out ways to maintain whatever that is,
without writing lots of new laws. What we heard in the public
debates was that so many folks love our community and that
managing construction so that "mass" and "scale" of new hous-
es fits in with the neighborhood is very important. Additionally
most people mentioned that keeping our tree canopy was vital.
I believe that with good public input, your Commission can
make a few changes that will ensure that our city remains a
village that we can be proud of and feel part of, and that goes
for the entire city not just the oceanfront or the core city area.
As we go forward with various projects, ranging
from bicycle paths, to the improvements in
the 5 corner area, and even less dramatic
improvements to our drainage system, I would
thank our extremely capable staff, led by City
Manager Jim Hanson for their support and
attention to detail. They are the ones that
translate our ideas into real improvements.
John S. Meserve
Mayor
"We're only going up the road."
"He keeps crying if I don't hold him."
"She thinks she is too old for a booster seat."
"He doesn't like it that tight."
"I put it on her, but she takes it off."
Do any of these sound familiar? They are all common
reasons parents give for not putting their children in
appropriate child safety seats or safety belts.
Unfortunately, unrestrained or improperly restrained
children are far more likely to be injured, suffer more
severe injuries, or die in the event of a crash. Even if you
are a careful driver, you can't control other drivers'
behavior or eliminate the possibility of a crash. You can,
however, greatly reduce the risk that your children will
be seriously injured or killed.
•Infants should ride in rear-facing safety seats as long
as possible, until they are at least 12 months old AND
weigh at least 20 pounds.
•Children who are at least 1 year old and weigh 20-40
pounds should ride in forward-facing child safety seats
(if they can no longer ride rear-facing).
•Children over 40 pounds should be correctly secured
in belt-positioning boosters or other appropriate child
restraints until the adult lap and shoulder belts fit
correctly (around age 8).
If you have questions or you would like to schedule an
appointment to have the installation and use of your
child's seat inspected, please call Officer Tiffany Layson
at the Atlantic Beach Police Department at 247-5859.
KEEPING YOUR CHILDREN SAFE IN THE CAR
LETTERFROM THE MAYOR
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