June 2006.pdfVOL.2 NO.6JUNE 2006
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I am pleased
to report the
recently held
“Neighbor to
Neighbor
Beachside
Chats” were a HUGE success!
Each Commissioner joined me as
we met with concerned citizens
throughout our City. Topics dis-
cussed crossed the spectrum
from parking and traffic concerns
to the need for additional juvenile
playground equipment and a
community swimming pool. Crime
preventative lighting, paving,
crime reduction, sidewalks, bike
paths, and new parks (among
others) were specifically addressed.
A complete report will be submitted
to the City Manager for attention by
the appropriate department heads
and/or government agencies.
Regardless of the need, the signifi-
cance of this outreach was realized
by all participants. Future quarterly
“Chats” are to be held, and schedules
will be announced accordingly.
The Commission is working diligently
to place the proposed height charter
revision on the ballot for this fall. I
assure you that this will be done.
Furthermore, the Commission, in
time, will address a district represen-
tation charter revision for considera-
tion by our citizens. This subject was
brought up at our “Chats” and is of
much interest.
Your Commission has gathered
volumes of information regarding
Community Character and has
reconfirmed our commitment to
city of atlantic beach newsletter
SAVE WATER WITH YOUR SWIMMING POOL
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1.Check your swimming pool for leaks and
have them fixed promptly.How do you
know if your pool is leaking?
• Losing more than one inch of water from
your pool weekly
• Trouble balancing chemicals because you
have to keep adding water
• Constantly damp soil around the pool
• Loose or falling tiles
• Obvious cracks,gaps or settling
2.Use a pool or spa cover to reduce evapora-
tion.This can save up to 7,000 gallons of
water per year. (Increases safety factor and
helps keep debris out of the pool,too!)
3.Use the latest cartridge filters.Backwashing
sand and diatomaceous filters use about 500
gallons of water per cycle.
4.Avoid draining the pool unless absolutely
necessary. If you must drain the pool,route
as much water as possible to landscaping.
5.Keep the pool level lower to minimize
water loss from splashing.
6.Use windbreaks around the pool,such as
fencing and shrubbery,to minimize
evaporation on breezy days.
The “Art in the Park”festival held on May 6th
at Bull Memorial Park was a huge success.The
festival offered patrons the unique opportunity
to meet exhibiting artists in person and com-
mission specialty pieces.Admission was free
and open to all.The event was well-attended
and the weather was great.
There were activities for kids such as t-shirt
designing, making hand puppets and creative
painting, which were sponsored by KYDS
children’s store and the Atlantic Beach Cultural
Arts and Recreation Advisory Committee.The
logo for “Art in the Park”,used on t-shirts
and signs,was designed by Robin Shepherd,
a well-known commercial artist. The proceeds
from the t-shirt sales went toward promoting
cultural arts in the area.
We appreciate the help we received from our
committees,sponsors,vendors,designers,
artists and staff,and would like to especially
thank those citizens who came out and made it
all worth while. We hope you had an enjoyable
time and,hopefully,we’ll see you next year.
ART IN THE PARK
For more information on how to conserve water,check out the St.Johns River Water Management
website at www.floridaswater.com.
Also Remember – No watering between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.Water only two
days per week.
Enjoy your pool or spa,but remember ways to conserve water too:
If the City of Atlantic Beach sustains signifi-
cant damage from a hurricane, access back
to the beach may be restricted to only local
citizens, governmental officials, and local
businesses. To help identify these people,
the beach cities have developed Hurricane
Re-Entry Passes that can be displayed in a
vehicle to help them return after a storm.
Any passes that have been issued in the past
remain valid and do not need to be replaced.
New re-entry passes are available at the
Atlantic Beach City Hall and the Atlantic
Beach Public Safety Building.To obtain passes,
an individual must show a driver’s license,
utility bill, tax receipt, or similar
documentation to confirm residency.
HURRICANE PLANNING AND RE-ENTRY
city of atlantic beach newsletter
CALENDAR
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 North Conference Room at City Hall,800 Seminole Road.
Donald Wolfson
MAYOR
Jamie Fletcher
COMMISSIONER
J. Dezmond Waters, III
MAYOR PRO TEM
Sylvia Simmons
COMMISSIONER
Mike Borno
COMMISSIONER
Jim Hanson
CITY MANAGER
Alan Jensen
CITY ATTORNEY
Donna Bussey
CITY CLERK
CITY OFFICIALS
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address these concerns in our
“Old Atlantic Beach” neighborhood.
Hurricane season is once again upon
us. Staff has taken precautions to
prepare for this time of year. Please
heed cautions for you to do so as
well. Hopefully, our City will be spared
once again; however, please take the
time to make sure that you and your
family are prepared for whatever
nature may bring our way.
In closing, I am pleased to note the
commitment of citizen involvement in
our wonderful community. The spirit
of passion within the hearts of our
friends and neighbors bodes well for
the future of Atlantic Beach. What
must never be forgotten are the equal
rights of all while we seek to balance
the concerns of many.
REAL ESTATE SIGNS!
SALE, RENTAL, OR OPEN HOUSE!
Whatever you want to call it, it’s a
real estate sign, and is regulated
by City Code. So, what are those
codes and what do they regulate?
Size, quantity, and location.
• You are limited to no more than
one real estate sign.
• Real estate signs must be placed
solely on your property.
• No off-site advertising is permit-
ted. Real estate signs are not
permitted on City rights-of-way,
medians, trees or utility poles.
• Real estate signs cannot exceed
six square feet in size and five
feet in height.
—City Code, Chapter 17, Sec. 17-26 (b) (1)
For additional information regard-
ing real estate signs or to report a
violation of City Code, contact your
local City Code Enforcement Officer
at (904) 247-5855.
Jun 3&4 Shakespeare in the Park (Jack Russell
Park) | 7 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Jun 8 Board Member Review Committee
Meeting | 5 p.m.
Jun 11 *Songwriter’s Concert| 6 - 8 p.m.
Jun 12 City Commission Meeting| 7:15 p.m.
Jun 14 *Tree Conservation Board Meeting |
7 p.m.
Jun 20 Community Development Board
Meeting | 7 p.m.
Jun 25 *Acoustics Night at Bull Park|
4 - 6 p.m.
Jun 26 City Commission Meeting|7:15 p.m.
Jun 27 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory
Committee | 7 p.m.
Jun 28 *Tree Conservation Board Meeting |
7 p.m.
(continued from front)
www.coab.us •(904) 247-5800
The City of Atlantic Beach fire rating has
been improved to a Class Three by the
Insurance Service Office (ISO). Fire ratings
from the ISO range from 1 to 10, with 1
being the best.According to the ISO, only
3.4 percent of ratings given nationwide are
Class 3 or better. Many insurance companies
that offer residential and commercial policies
use the ISO rating as one of their criteria for
setting the rates that customers in Atlantic
Beach pay and this will certainly be good
news for those policy holders.This rating
will take effect on September 1.
The last ISO inspection done in Atlantic
Beach was in 1996, which resulted in a Class
4 rating.The fire rating consists of scores
both for the fire service as well as the water
system.The scores for both have improved
since 1996.According to David Thompson,
Public Safety Director for Atlantic Beach,
“The primary purpose of contracting fire
services with Jacksonville was to provide a
higher level of fire protection and emergency
medical service for the citizens of Atlantic
Beach.The improved ISO rating represents
an independent confirmation that we are
achieving that goal.” Donna Kaluzniak,
Utilities Director for Atlantic Beach said,
“The most dramatic improvement was the
inspection frequency and condition of the
hydrants followed by the overall water
system, including capacity and hydrant
distribution. I believe the replacement
of old, undersized water mains, including
installing new hydrants and the addition of
a new elevated tank, contributed greatly to
the higher rating of the water system and
hydrant condition.”
Mayor Wolfson noted that,“Providing good
fire protection is one of the main purposes
of local government and this improved rating
is just another example of why Atlantic
Beach is such a great place to live.The Water
Department staff has been working for years
to accomplish many of the projects in our
long term plan and is due our appreciation
for a job well done.Also, David Thompson
and members of the Jacksonville Fire
Department have made great strides to
provide top notch service.”
ATLANTIC BEACH FIRE RATING IMPROVED
JUNE 2006
Jul 9 *Songwriter’s Concert | 6-8 p.m.
Jul 10 City Commission Meeting| 7:15 p.m.
Jul 11 Code Enforcement Board Meeting |
7 p.m.
Jul 12 *Tree Conservation Board Meeting |
7 p.m.
Jul 13 Board Member Review Committee
Meeting | 5 p.m.
Jul 18 Community Development Board
Meeting | 7 p.m.
Jul 23 *Acoustics Night at Bull Park |
4 - 6 p.m.
Jul 24 City Commission Meeting| 7:15 p.m.
Jul 25 *Cultural Arts & Recreation
Advisory Committee | 7 p.m.
Jul 26 *Tree Conservation Board Meeting|
7 p.m.
JULY 2006
The storage of junk,inoperable or abandoned vehicles in residential zoning districts is illegal.
As defined by City Code, this includes a motor vehicle with a mechanical or structural
condition that prevents its ability for street travel, or is dismantled, discarded, wrecked or
does not bear current license tags. No such vehicle shall be parked or stored openly in any
residential zone. Furthermore,out-of-doors repair work is restricted to minor maintenance
or emergency repairs lasting less than 8 hours and performed on the vehicle owned by the
occupant of the residence. City Code: Chapter 24, Sec 24-163 (c)
JUNKSTORAGEILLEGAL
Donald M. Wolfson
Mayor