October 2008.pdfVOL.4 NO.10OCTOBER 2008
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After several workshops
on the 2009 budget, the
Commission and staff
came to agreement on
a budget that provides
for no decrease in service
levels, and accepts a
budget shortfall of some $184,000 while
keeping the same millage rate as 2008. It was
a very thorough process and I compliment the
staff on being well prepared and presenting
us with options. With the first decrease in
total property valuation that I can recall,
plus reduced revenue due to Proposition 1
tax regulations, the Commission was hard
pressed to not raise the millage but was able
to accomplish a tight budget that includes
cost of living funding for our employees.
Because of the increase in the homestead
exemption by an additional $25,000, many
may see a reduction in their tax bill. All in all,
it was a fair process to develop a financially
prudent budget for Atlantic Beach. I would
also like to congratulate, in particular Public
Works, under the guidance to Rick Carper,
for the cleanup efforts following tropical
storm FAY. Within a week the vast majority
of the yard waste generated by the storm
had been removed. The contractors and
city staff worked long hours to clear the
streets and pick up all the piles of tree
limbs and other debris. We did have some
areas again hit with power outages and
will be addressing that issue with JEA in
the upcoming weeks.
city of atlantic beach newsletter
KEEPING YOUR SIGNS IN LINE
Every political season, questions arise as to the
City Codes regulating election signs.The following
are 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 big a sign can I have?
A.Your election sign can be no larger than 4
square feet in size.
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 long can I post an election sign?
A.Election signs are permitted once a candidate
is qualified to run for election, and must be
removed within 72 hours after the election.
Q. What about polling places?
A.Florida Statute 102.031 specifies that no signs
or solicitors are permitted within one hundred
(100) 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.
John Meserve
Mayor
City Sign Code Makes Understanding Sign Regulations Easy to Follow
Our rainy Fall season is the perfect time to lower
water bills by cutting back on irrigation.Yet,we
often see sprinklers running in the rain.
To save water and money during rainy days:
• Use sensors to manage irrigation.Rain sensors
are shut-off devices that interrupt irrigation
when it’s raining.Soil moisture sensors are more
complex, but keep the irrigation system from
running when there’s sufficient moisture in
the ground.
• Power flickers and outages often mess up the
programming on irrigation systems. If you have
an automatic system, always check the settings
after lightning storms where electrical power
is interrupted.
• Adjust your irrigation timers for seasonal
changes in weather—manually or with a Smart
Controller.A Smart Controller can be
programmed to allow for changes in water
needs throughout the year. Some even have
their own weather stations and moisture
sensors to adjust irrigation to specific conditions.
Remember – Water your lawn no more than
two days per week, before 10 a.m. and after 4
p.m. For more information on how to save
water go to www. sjrwmd.com.
SAVE MONEY ON A RAINY DAY
The City of Atlantic Beach will use an emergency telephone notification system called FirstCall
Interactive Network to notify citizens of emergencies (missing children,active police emergencies,
etc.), potential hazards (hurricane evacuations), or vital public interest notifications (crime alerts,
boil-water alerts, etc).
Primary telephone numbers of residents and businesses in Atlantic Beach are included in the FirstCall
database.Additional telephone numbers such as cell,work,and unlisted numbers can be registered
directly by citizens through the FirstCall website www.firstcall.net.You can also register your number
by calling (866) 484-3264.Phone numbers are not subject to public disclosure.
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM AND PHONE REGISTRATION
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city of atlantic beach newsletter
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.
John Meserve
MAYOR
John Fletcher
COMMISSIONER
Mike Borno
MAYOR PRO TEM
Paul Parsons
COMMISSIONER
Carolyn Woods
COMMISSIONER
Jim Hanson
CITY MANAGER
Alan Jensen
CITY ATTORNEY
Donna L. Bartle
CITY CLERK
CITY OFFICIALS
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www.coab.us •(904) 247-5800
CALENDAR
OCTOBER 2008 NOVEMBER 2008
Oct 8 *Tree Conservation Board Mtg | 7 p.m.
Oct 13 City Commission Mtg | 6 p.m.
Oct 21 Community Development Board Mtg |
6 p.m.
Oct 22 *Tree Conservation Board Mtg | 7 p.m.
Oct 27 City Commission Mtg | 6 p.m.
Oct 28 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory
Committee Mtg | 7 p.m.
Nov 10 City Commission Mtg | 6 p.m.
Nov 11 City Offices Closed – Veteran’s Day
Holiday
Nov 12 *Tree Conservation Board Mtg | 7 p.m.
Nov 13 Pension Board of Trustees Mtg | 6 p.m
Nov 18 Community Development Board Mtg |
6 p.m
Nov 24 City Commission Mtg | 6 p.m.
Nov 25 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory
Committee Mtg | 7 p.m.
Nov 26 *Tree Conservation Board Mtg | 7 p.m.
Nov 27 City Offices Closed – Thanksgiving
& 28 Holiday
SPECIAL EVENTS
October 2008
Aug 5 Songwriters Concert – Adele Grage |
6-8 p.m.
Oct 11 Family Fun Day & Campout under the
stars – Jack Russell Park
Oct 19 Acoustic Night – Bull Memorial Park |
6-8 p.m. (Last concert of the season)
November 2008
Nov 2 Songwriters Concert – Adele Grage |
6-8 p.m.
For more information on upcoming events,
call the Recreation and Special Events
Office at 247-5828.
ABET PRESENTS THE
COMEDY-THRILLER REAR END
October 17-25
This original play by Fernandina Beach and
former New York playwright, Richard Wolf, is
a howling, comic spoof of the famous classic
movie thriller, Rear Window.
YOGA AT ADELE GRAGE
When:Sundays, 4 to 5 p.m.
Where:Adele Grage Cultural Center, 716
Ocean Blvd, Atlantic Beach
Cost:$10.00 per session
Bring a mat, towel, water and wear
comfortable clothing
COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS
MEETING
The next Community Stakeholders meeting will
be held Tuesday, October 7 at the Commission
Chambers at 6 p.m. A presentation will be given
on the progress of the Mayport Road project.
Meeting is open to the public.
FALL BACK
Don’t forget to turn your clocks back on
November 2.
DISPOSAL OF COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS
The JEA, the City of Jacksonville (COJ) and
participating Green Partners retailers have part-
nered to create a convenient system for disposing
of spent compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
Proctor Ace Hardware, 580 Atlantic Blvd.,
Neptune Beach is the nearest Green Partner
retailer for Atlantic Beach residents.JEA provides
transportation to the COJ Household Hazardous
Waste Collection site.The City will then send
them to a recycling facility for mercury recovery.
Only CFLs from Duval County residents will be
collected. Broken CFLs and any other types of
fluorescent lighting (such as tubes) will not be
collected. For more information, go to
www.jea.com/community/conservcenter/home
/cfl-disposal.asp
How to Dispose of Other Fluorescent
Light Bulbs
• Residential Fluorescent Tubes
There are two options for disposal:
1. Take tubes to the COJ Household
Hazardous Waste Collection site at 2675
Commonwealth Avenue.
2. Take them to a COJ Household Hazardous
Waste mobile collection sites. For dates and
locations visit www.coj.net
• Broken CFLs
Much of the mercury in a CFL is in a vapor
and is lost to the atmosphere.Place the remnants
of the broken bulb in a sealed plastic bag and
dispose with household garbage or transport to
a household hazardous waste collection site.For
guidance on dealing with broken CFLs visit
www.energystar.gov
• Commercial Sources of CFLs and
Fluorescent Tubes
Commercial bulbs and tubes are not accepted at
the COJ Household Hazardous Waste facility and
are regulated as a universal waste and subject to
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
(FDEP) rules.
• Please refer to the Florida Administrative
Code,Chapter 62-737 for rules governing
the management of spent mercury
containing lamps.
The City’s contractors will begin debris cleanup throughout the City as soon as possible after a storm.
During debris cleanup,there is no requirement to bag or otherwise containerize leaves,branches and
clippings.Tree trunks, stumps, limbs, branches, etc., do not have to be cut to normal yard waste
length or weight standards.If waste is containerized,residents are asked to not mix the bagged waste
with the bulk debris since they are picked up by different haulers and hauled to different disposal sites.
The bulk debris contractor uses mechanized equipment for collection.Consolidating bulk waste with
your neighbors will increase the efficiency of collection.
To protect the drainage systems,streets and other public property,please do not place trees,limbs,
and other debris in the roadway or on medians.The debris should be placed next to the roadway,and
not in the street where it will obstruct drainage.
STORM DEBRIS CLEANUP TIPS
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