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July 2011.pdfJ u l y 2 0 1 1 V o l . 7 N o . 7 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 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.