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July 2011
July 4 CITY OFFICES CLOSED
July 11 City Commission Meeting / 6 pm
July 12 Code Enforcement Board / 6 pm
July 19 Community Development Board / 6 pm
July 25 City Commission Meeting / 6 pm
July 26 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory Committee / 6 pm
August 2011
Aug 8 City Commission Meeting / 6 pm
Aug 16 Community Development Board / 6 pm
Aug 18 Pension Board Meeting / 6:30 pm
Aug 22 City Commission Meeting / 6 pm
Aug 23 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory Committee / 6 pm
Meetings are held in the Commission Chamber unless otherwise indicated.
* These events will be held at Adele Grage Cultural Center, 716 Ocean Blvd.
City offiCiAls
Mike Borno, Mayor Carolyn Woods, Commissioner
John Fletcher, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Hanson, City Manager
Jonathan Daugherty, Commissioner Alan Jensen, City Attorney
Paul Parsons, Commissioner Donna Bartle, City Clerk
www.coab.us • (904) 247-5800
July 2011
July 6 Mid-Week Market / Bull Park / 4 - 7 pm
July 10 Songwriters Concert / Adele Grage / 6 - 8 pm
July 13 Mid-Week Market / Bull Park / 4 - 7 pm
July 27 Mid-Week Market / Bull Park / 4 - 7 pm
July 21 North Beaches Art Walk
Town Center & Adele Grage / 5 - 9 pm
July 31 Acoustic Night / Bull Park / 6 - 8 pm
August 2011
Aug 3 Mid-Week Market / Bull Park / 4 - 7 pm
Aug 7 Songwriters Concert / Adele Grage / 6 - 8 pm
Aug 10 Mid-Week Market / Bull Park / 4 - 7 pm
Aug 17 Mid-Week Market / Bull Park / 4 - 7 pm
Aug 18 North Beaches Art Walk
Town Center & Adele Grage / 5 - 9 pm
Aug 20 Twilight Movies in the Parks / Location TBA
Aug 24 Mid-Week Market / Bull Park / 4 - 7 pm
Aug 28 Acoustic Night / Bull Park / 6 - 8 pm
Aug 31 Mid-Week Market / Bull Park / 4 - 7 pm
Household Garbage Collection
The City of Atlantic Beach provides once weekly solid waste removal,
including trash, garbage, recycling, yard waste, appliances and tires
to over 5,000 customers within the corporate limits of the City.
Because of the semi-automated (hydraulic cart tipper) collection
system used by the City’s Sanitation hauler, the toters used for
garbage pickup have a maximum repeated load capacity without
failure of 150 pounds. Failure is much more likely if the weight is
concentrated in the bottom of the toter.
Collection of construction debris and/or building materials that
are not in the toter is limited to one cubic yard per week, not to
exceed five feet in length and only if the work was performed by the
homeowner. Contractors are required to dispose of debris resulting
from paid home improvement efforts. Wood must be cut into pieces
4’ or less in length and concrete chunks, tiles, etc. must be in a
container that can be lifted and that weighs less than 40 pounds.
July is National Fireworks
Safety Month
Each year, Americans spend more than 200 million dollars on fireworks,
causing 20 million dollars in property loss and sending 7,000 people to
the emergency room for injuries. Many of the injuries are eye injuries to
children and spectators who are not actually setting off the fireworks.
safety tips:
• When drought conditions exist, fireworks can very quickly and
easily start uncontrolled fires endangering you, your neighbors and
any property nearby. Don’t risk your health and property for a
momentary thrill.
• If you plan to ignite legal fireworks, then you should keep a water
hose or bucket of water close by.
• Alcohol and fireworks is a dangerous combination.
• Fireworks burn very quickly and very hot. When fireworks are
stored together, a single spark can ignite an intense, deadly fire
from which you may not be able to escape. There have been
incidents where a box of fireworks accidentally ignited in the
passenger area of a car and resulted in disastrous consequences.
Recognize the dangers and avoid the consequences.
lifeguard staffing
Several people have asked recently about lifeguard
staffing; when and where will they be out? The answer
is; it depends. It depends on the time of the year, day of
the week and the weather. The main goal is to provide
the most protection to the greatest number of people.
Lifeguard supervisors assign staffing to locations when and
where the most people will be. To help make these choices,
lifeguards count the number of people at each beach access
twice a day.
In Atlantic Beach, lifeguards begin manning the towers on
weekends starting on Beaches Opening Day in April each
year. The heaviest beach usage is from Memorial Day to
Labor Day when Atlantic Beach covers towers seven days per
week. Starting when school lets out (June 10th this year),
the City will man eight towers on weekdays including Ahern
Street, 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, 18th, 19th and Oceanwalk.
On normal weekends, the City also has a tower at Dewees
Avenue. During holidays, additional towers may be added.
However, if the weather is rainy and attendance is down,
fewer towers will be staffed.
Staffing after Labor Day generally declines and is limited to
weekends only. It is also dependent upon budget and staffing
availability. For example, if there were several rainy days
through the summer that reduced the cost, the City may be
able to provide more staffing later in the year. However, a
lot of our lifeguards go back to school and availability of
manpower is sometimes a limiting factor in September.
We are quite proud of our lifeguard staff in Atlantic Beach.
They hold an Advanced Certification from the United States
Lifesaving Association which recognizes that they are
professionally trained and certified by a national association.
They take their jobs very seriously and we are all much safer
as a result.
— Mayor Borno
Save Water
While Staying Cool in Your Pool
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%.
• 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.
remember, only irrigate on your assigned days before 10 am and after 4 pm.
Odd numbered addresses - Wednesday and Saturday
Even numbered addresses - Thursday and Sunday
Nonresidential properties - Tuesday and Friday
Hurricane Season:
Are You Ready?
Hurricane Season began on June 1st and ends on November 30th.
This is a good time for all citizens and businesses to review and
update their plans and supplies. The Atlantic Beach website, www.
coab.us, has valuable information to review and some suggestions to
follow in the event of an approaching storm.
Highlights include an emergency notification system that will allow
people to enter their cell phone numbers so that they can receive
emergency information by phone, links to surge maps and evacuation
routes, how to obtain re-entry passes, and general preparedness tips.
A recent Evacuation Study was released and depending on the
characteristics of a hurricane tracking toward Atlantic Beach, early
evacuation may be a necessity. However, people do not need
to necessarily drive long distances, creating traffic jams on the
interstates and major highways. In most cases, people can drive
much shorter distances to locations in or near Jacksonville where
they are safe from flooding conditions. Jacksonville surge maps can
be found on the City of Jacksonville website, www.coj.net.
Ideally, people should leave early and choose destinations that are
high and dry, and close-by.
Fire Safety
Did you know that:
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and injuries in
the U.S. These fires typically result from unattended cooking and human error.
Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths.
Senior citizens and children under age 5 have the greatest risk of fire deaths. The fire
death rate among seniors is more than double the average population.
safety tips:
• install and maintain smoke alarms: Smoke alarms are the best early warning systems
available and are an inexpensive way to save lives. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department
will install a free smoke detector in any qualifying one and two family residences.
• Be careful cooking: keep cooking areas free of combustible materials i.e. paper towels,
boxes, towels. Never leave cooking unattended. If grease catches fire, slide a cover over
the pan to smother the flames then turn off the burner.
• Keep fire extinguishers handy (and know how to use them): Home fire extinguishers
should be visible and accessible, especially in the kitchen and any high risk locations.
People should know how to operate the fire extinguishers in the event of an emergency.
• Practice candle safety: never leave a lit candle unattended in the house and never leave
candles burning when you go to bed.
• safe smoking: In addition to basic precautions like not smoking in bed or when sleepy,
consider electronic cigarettes or similar devices as an alternative to smoking tobacco
products. Select an electronic device that will deliver the nicotine without burning any
combustible materials.
• use electricity safely: Replace cracked or frayed extension cords and don’t overload
them or run them under rugs. Don’t tamper with fuse boxes or use improperly sized fuses.
Fire Safety
Did you know that:
� Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and injuries in the U.S. These
fires typically result from unattended cooking and human error.
� Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths.
� Senior citizens and children under age 5 have the greatest risk of fire deaths.
The fire death rate among seniors is more than double the average population.
Safety Tips:
- Install and maintain smoke alarms: Smoke alarms are the best early warning systems available
and are an inexpensive way to save lives. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department will install a
free smoke detector in any qualifying one and two family residences.
- Be careful cooking: keep cooking areas free of combustible materials i.e. paper towels, boxes,
towels. Never leave cooking unattended. If grease catches fire, slide a cove over the pan to
smother the flames then turn off the burner.
- Keep fire extinguishers handy (and know how to use them): Home fire extinguishers should
be visible and accessible, especially in the kitchen and any high risk locations. People should
know how to operate the fire extinguishers in the event of an emergency.
- Practice candle safety: never leave a lit candle unattended in the house, and never leave candles
burning when you go to bed.
- Safe Smoking: In addition to basic precautions like not smoking in bed or when sleepy, consider
electronic cigarettes or similar devices as an alternative to smoking tobacco products. Select an
electronic device that will deliver the nicotine without burning any combustible materials.
- Use Electricity Safely: Replace cracked or frayed extension cords, and don’t overload them or
run them under rugs. Don’t tamper with fuse boxes or use improperly sized fuses.
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 assistance 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.