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August 2009.pdfa u g u s t , 2 0 0 9 V o l . 5 N o . 8 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 august 2009 Aug 3 Budget Workshop / 5 pm Aug 5 Budget Workshop / 5 pm Aug 10 City Commission Meeting / 6 pm Aug 11 Code Enforcement Board Hearing / 7 pm Aug 12 Budget Workshop / 5 pm Aug 12 *Tree Conservation Board / 7 pm Aug 13 **Pension Board / 6 pm Aug 17 Budget Workshop / 5 pm Aug 18 Community Development Board / 6 pm Aug 24 City Commission Meeting / 6 pm Aug 25 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory Committee / 7 pm septemBer 2009 Sept 7 Labor Day Holiday – CiTy offiCES CLoSED Sept 8 Code Enforcement Board / 7 pm Sept 9 *Tree Conservation Board / 7 pm Sept 14 City Commission Meeting / 6 pm Sept 15 Community Development Board / 6 pm Sept 22 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory Committee / 7 pm Sept 28 City Commission Meeting / 6 pm City offiCials John Meserve, Mayor Carolyn Woods, Commissioner Mike Borno, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Hanson, City Manager Paul Parsons, Commissioner Alan Jensen, City Attorney John fletcher, Commissioner Donna Bartle, City Clerk www.coab.us • (904) 247-5800 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 Rd. august 2009 Aug 1 Tunes ‘n’ Talent/ Jordan Park / 6 - 8 pm Aug 9 Songwriters Concert / Adele Grage / 6 - 8 pm Aug 17 Registration opens for october 10th Campout Under The Stars / Adele Grage Aug 17 Registration opens for flag football / Adele Grage Aug 20 North Beaches Art Walk / Town Center Area / 5 pm Aug 22 Twilight Movie in the Park / Russell Park Aug 30 Acoustic Nights / Bull Park / 6 - 8 pm septemBer 2009 Sept 12 Tunes ‘n’ Talent/ Jordan Park / 6 - 8 pm Sept 13 Songwriters Concert / Adele Grage / 6 - 8 pm Sept 17 North Beaches Art Walk / Town Center / 5 pm Sept 26 Twilight Movie in the Park /Location TBA Sept 27 Acoustic Nights / Bull Park / 6 - 8 pm Presents…The Act By John Kander & fred ebb / musical adele grage theatre / september 11 – 26 A lively musical from the highly acclaimed songwriting team of Kander and Ebb set in a fictional nightclub. Starred Liza Minnelli on Broadway – wait till you see ABET’s version! for reservations or more information call (904) 249-7177. Voter Registration Books Closing for City Election Now is the time to make sure you are registered to vote and/or that your voter registration is up-to-date and correct. The registration books will close for new voter registrations on September 8. Registered voters will be able to make changes such as name, address, party and signature updates during the closed period. you may request a duplicate voter’s registration card by calling 630-1414. Voter registration applications are available at City Hall, any public library, drivers’ license offices, state agencies that provide public assistance, and many other public locations. for more information or to obtain an online application, please visit the Duval County Supervisor of Elections’ website at www.duvalelections.com. Neighborhood and Homeowner Associations Contact information To help the City get information to residents in a more timely fashion, we are asking for updates/additions to primary contacts for Neighborhood and Homeowner Associations, with the goal of creating an email list that could be used to send important information to all groups with a single electronic message for further dissemination to the individual homeowners. Please call Public Works at 247-5834 to update or verify the contact information for your group. As Atlantic Beach prepares to address 2010 (and beyond) budget issues, i would offer some words about what we are facing and the assurance that the City is in reasonable fiscal condition, given the state of the economy and because we have paid attention over the past many years to completing infrastructure improvements to our streets and utility systems. That being said, we are still facing a reduction in overall property values of 5% which directly equates to a loss of property taxes, a primary source of income for the city’s operational budget. Most of you have read about Duval County’s and florida’s fiscal woes and we are faced with some of the same issues, which will require hard decisions. Employee pension funds, invested in the market have lost value and that will force us to fund a larger amount in upcoming budgets to keep them solvent into the future. We are committed to keeping the faith with all current employees while economic pressures may force us to create different retirement and pay contracts with future employees. obviously we will be forced to delay certain construction projects, particularly those that are “nice to do”, but will continue to fund those that are required and to maintain critical utility systems. We are faced with some mandates from the State and federal Government that have timelines beyond our control, such as new standards for wastewater, which will require improvements to our sewer treatment plants. That project alone will cost the city over $10 million dollars, requiring us to borrow money for construction. We will take the steps to cut the cost of government so if any tax increase becomes necessary, it will be minimal. We have several budget workshops planned in August and, as always, they are open to the public. The dates and times are on our website and i urge interested citizens to attend. —Mayor Meserve Rain Gardens – a Neighborhood Approach to Low Impact Development A rain garden is a landscaped area designed to capture and hold excess water for a short period, allowing it to soak into the soil. The garden is planted with vegetation that prefers a slightly wetter environment, but can tolerate dry times, too. it is a place to grow some beautiful plants like blue-flag iris and black-eyed susans, and offers a break in the monotony of ordinary landscaping. Rain gardens are easy to maintain and many rain garden plants attract birds and other wildlife. how do rain gardens work? Rainwater that falls on the roof, driveway and lawn is channeled into a low or excavated area of the yard where the rain garden is located. A healthy rain garden is composed of loose soil that is well mulched to create a dynamic system teeming with life. Water is absorbed by the plants or filtered into the soil where, over time, natural chemical and biological processes break down pollutants. A well-placed, carefully designed rain garden can capture virtually all of the stormwater runoff from the property in all but the heaviest storms. instead of washing your soil and fertilizers to the nearest stream or lake, the water is utilized in an attractive garden which enhances the beauty of your yard while protecting your water. Rain gardens capture the water and increase the amount that filters into the soil. • Limiting the volume of rainwater flow helps to reduce flooding and drainage problems in the community. • Lawn fertilizers, pesticides, oil and car fluids and other substances are captured and broken down instead of polluting nearby lakes and streams. • Slowing the flow of water helps to prevent the erosion of your valuable topsoil. • The beauty of the yard in enhanced with a low-maintenance bed. • Birds, butterflies and other wildlife are attracted to rain gardens. Additional information on raingardens can be found at http:// www.tappwater.org/raingardens.aspx or http://sky-bolt.com/ RainGardens.htm How to Participate in World Water Monitoring Day world water monitoring Day is an international outreach program to raise awareness about protecting water resources around the world. World Water Monitoring Day is September 18, but you can help monitor the condition of local streams, lakes, rivers, estuaries and other water bodies from now through December 31, 2009. in 2008, a total of 73,000 people in 70 countries tested their local waters. it’s easy to get involved. Just visit the website www.worldwatermonitoringday.org, register the site you wish to monitor and purchase a test kit ($20). The test kit has everything you need to measure four “snapshot” parameters that indicate water condition: temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and pH. The kits include enough labware and chemicals to conduct up to 50 tests. Perform your testing and enter your data in the international online database any time before December 31, 2009. your results will be part of a global snapshot of the world’s water quality. remember – new irrigation rules are in effect. water only on your assigned two days per week, before 10:00 am or after 4:00 pm. homes with oDD addresses – wednesday and saturday homes with eVeN addresses – thursday and sunday Non-residential – tuesday and friday City Elections During the 2007 Election, two referendums regarding changes to the election process were put on the ballot, voted on and passed. one referendum resulted in Commissioner Seats 2 through 5 being designated as district commissioners. Although candidates for those Seats must live in the district they represent, they are elected by all voters of Atlantic Beach (At-Large). The second referendum made changes to the Election Calendar. The City’s 2009 election cycle is the first time these changes will be utilized. The new district representation concept resulted in minor changes to the precinct boundaries (now also known as districts). To find out which precinct/district you live in and the polling location, go to the Duval County Supervisor of Elections website at www.duvalelections.com, click the Maps and Demographics tab, then click the Maps and More link. Primary Election – october 6, 2009 General Election (if run-off required) – November 3, 2009 offices Up for Election: Seat 1 – Mayor (2 year term) Seat 4 – District 13f-City Commissioner (4 year term) Seat 5 – District 13S-City Commissioner (4 year term) Qualifying Dates – Qualification of candidates will begin at noon September 1 and end at noon September 8, 2009. However, candidates may open a bank account and begin campaigning earlier if they wish. for more information, please visit our website or contact City Clerk Donna Bartle at 247-5809 or at dbartle@coab.us. Communications Supervisor, Glenda Dedenbach is Retiring After 35 years with the City of Atlantic Beach Police Department, Communications Supervisor Glenda Dedenbach has announced her retirement, effective July 22, 2009. Glenda was hired in 1974 as a dispatcher for the Police Department. After many years of dedicated service, she was promoted to Supervisor of the Communications / Dispatch Center in 1997. Glenda has been a true asset to both the City of Atlantic Beach Police Department and the residents of the City. We wish her well in her retirement!