September 2017
September 2017
September 2017
Sept 4 Labor Day – City Offices Closed
Sept 11 City Commission Meeting 6:30 pm
Sept 12 Code Enforcement Meeting 6 pm
Sept 19 Community Development Board Meeting 6 pm
Sept 5 Kids’ Yoga – Adele Grage Center 5:30 & 6:30 pm
Sept 6 Qigong – Adele Grage Center 9:30 am
Sept 6 Mid-Week Market – Bull Park 3-6 pm
Sept 6 Meditation – Adele Grage Center 6 pm
Sept 6 Zumba – Jordan Center 6:30 pm
Sept 7 Meditation– Adele Grage Center 9:30 am
Sept 25 City Commission Meeting 6:30 pm
Sept 26 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory Committee 6 pm
October 2017
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Oct 9 City Commission Meeting 6:30 pm Sept 8 ABET opens 26th Season – AGCC Theater 8 pm
Oct 17 Community Development Board Meeting 6 pm Sept 10 ECO Paddle Tour – Dutton Island 11 am
Sept 10 Yoga – Adele Grage Center 3:30 pm Oct 23 City Commission Meeting 6:30 pm
Oct 24 *Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory Committee 6 pm
Meetings are held in the Commission Chamber unless otherwise indicated.
Sept 10 Songwriters’ Concert – Adele Grage Theater 6-8 pm
Sept 12 Kids’ Yoga – Adele Grage Center 5:30 & 6:30 pm
Sept 13 Qigong – Adele Grage Center 9:30 am
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*These events will be held at Adele Grage Cultural Center, 716 Ocean Blvd.
CITY OFFICIALS
Mitchell E. Reeves, Mayor Donna Bartle, City Clerk
John Stinson, Mayor Pro Tem Brenna Durden, City Attorney
Jimmy Hill, Commissioner Joe Gerrity, City Manager
Blythe Waters, Commissioner Kevin Hogencamp, Deputy City
Mitchell Harding, Commissioner Manager
www.coab.us • (904) 247-5800
Bring the family out to Donner Park on Friday, Sept. 29 to enjoy a great
family event under the stars. The featured movie will be “Power Rangers
– It’s Morphin’ Time”. Don’t forget to bring your chairs, blankets and
snacks. The movie begins at 8 p.m.
Sept 13 Mid-week Market – Bull Park 3-6 pm
Sept 13 Meditation – Adele Grage Center – 6 pm
Sept 13 Zumba – Jordan Center – 6:30 pm
Sept 13 Yoga – Adele Grage Center – 7:30 pm
Sept 14 Meditation – Adele Grage Center – 9:30 am
Sept 17 Yoga – Adele Grage Center 3:30 pm
Sept 19 Kids’ Yoga – Adele Grage Center 5:30 & 6:30 pm
Sept 20 Qigong – Adele Grage Center 9:30 am
Sept 20 Mid-Week Market – Bull Park 3-6 pm
Sept 20 Meditation – Adele Grage Center 6 pm
Sept 20 Zumba – Jordan Center 6:30 pm
Sept 20 Yoga – Adele Grage Center 7:30 pm
Sept 21 Meditation– Adele Grage Center 9:30 am
Sept 21 Featured Artist Reception – Adele Grage Center 5-8 pm
Sept 24 ECO Paddle Tour – Dutton Island 11 am
Sept 24 Yoga – Adele Grage Center 3:30 pm
Sept 24 Acoustic Night with food truck – Bull Park 6-8 pm
Sept 25 WEB.COM events begin
Sept 26 Kids’ Yoga – Adele Grage Theater – 5:30 & 6:30 pm
Sept 27 Qigong – Adele Grage Center 9:30 am
Sept 27 Mid-Week Market – Bull Park 3-6 pm
Sept 27 Meditation – Adele Grage Center 6 pm
Sept 27 Zumba – Jordan Center 6:30 pm
Sept 27 Yoga – Adele Grage Center 7:30 pm
Sept 28 Meditation – Adele Grage Center 9:30 am
Sept 29 Movie in the Park – Donner Park 8 pm or dusk
www.coab.us/recreation
Find Us
On
Facebook Visit us on facebook! www.coab.us/facebook
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FriendS and neighbOrS,
Hello from your City staff and Commission.
When my letter to you is received, many things will have happened
in Atlantic Beach.
Summer will have passed again. School has started. There’s a new
“sheriff” in town, Police Chief Michelle Cook, so please drop by and
give her a warm Atlantic Beach welcome. And by Aug. 30, we will all
have survived “silly season” (a description of an election year given to
me by someone I respect immensely).
First of all, I hope you exercise your right to vote. Your vote does count
and local elections have the greatest potential to affect what you see
when you step out your door. One thing I have learned, as an elected
official, is the sacrifice of time those who dream to serve make both
during a campaign and after, is far greater than you or I might have
imagined. Whether you are pleased with the outcome or not, take
some time to thank those who chose to run for office. And realize the
newly elected will soon be your eyes, ears and mouthpieces for a few
years to come.
One of the most important happenings in Atlantic Beach is preparation
of the annual budget. City staff and the Commission are working hard
to bring you the most value possible for your tax dollars. After ensuring
that the present level of service the City provides you is maintained,
consideration is given to capital projects, increased levels of service,
projects that originate from your wishes, and many other components
of the complex process.
Doing more with less, or doing more with more, is a familiar theme
during budget time. But, doing less with less never seems to be the
expectation. It’s the “doing more” that is the common numerator.
Some of the extras you may hear discussed are a splash park, new
beach dune walkovers, lighted crosswalks, sidewalks marsh-side, and
Commission chamber technology upgrades. So I encourage you to
participate in the budget presentations in September. Tell your elected
officials and City staff what you would like to see in the budget.
And last, I believe by the time you read this our City will have a new city
manager. It has been an arduous process. I encourage you to get to know your
new city manager; after all, this is the chief administrative officer of your City.
I believe you will be pleased with the efforts of your staff and Commission and
with the selectee.
In closing, I truly believe your City staff and elected officials all sincerely hope
to preserve and protect Atlantic Beach and to give you the highest quality of
life possible. To be sure, we all have our own ideas about how to accomplish
that. The purity of motive should never be in question because there is no fame,
fortune or power to be gained, only your appreciation, which is priceless.
God bless you all and thank you for allowing us to serve you.
John M. Stinson
Family Fun Day & Campout
Don’t miss this popular event scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 21 from 3 to 10
p.m. at Jack Russell Park, 800 Seminole Road. This year’s Family Fun Day
will feature the K9 Frisbee Show. Bring the kids to see these high flying-dogs
in action. Performances are at 4:30 and 7 p.m. and will be followed by the
showing of “Secret Life of Pets”. All events are free and open to the public.
Campers can reserve a site beginning Sept. 1 for $15. After Sept. 30, the
campsite fee is $20. A free pancake breakfast is served on Sunday morning for
overnight campers.
Register at the Recreation Office in the Adele Grage Cultural Center, 716 Ocean
Blvd. For more information, call 247-5828 or visit www.coab.us/events.
Short-term rentalS prohibiteD
Within the City of Atlantic Beach, it is prohibited under Section 24-82(l) of the
Code of Ordinances for any residential dwelling to be rented or leased for less
than 90 days. Short-term rentals by definition in the code are considered to
be a commercial use similar to hotels and are therefore not an appropriate use
within residential zoning districts.
While City staff members regularly search for short-term rentals, they cannot
catch them all. If you suspect that a property may be in violation of this code,
please contact the City’s Code Enforcement office through the Citizen Request
Tracker at www.coab.us, call 247-5855, or stop by City Hall. Complaints can
be made anonymously.
neW Fema FlooD mapS
The last phase in the approval process for the new Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) is under way.
The 90-day period for appeals began Aug. 10 and ends Nov. 12. FEMA will ac-
cept appeals for determinations that may be scientifically or technically incorrect
based on scientific or technical data.
Under the new FIRMs, 110 buildings will increase in either flood zone or Base
Flood Elevation (BFE) and 228 buildings will see a decrease in either flood zone
or BFE, for a total of 338 buildings with changes in their flood zone.
The City of Atlantic Beach is covered by four flood maps (FIRM Panels) and the
current and preliminary panels can be found on the Building Department page of
the City’s website, www.coab.us. The link http://coab.us/index.aspx?nid=656
will take you to the FEMA flood maps and information page. We recommend
that you find your buildings on both maps to fully understand your flooding
potential and insurance situation. The preliminary maps are much easier to use;
you may want to start there.
If you have trouble finding your buildings on the maps, please call (247-5813)
or email (darlington@coab.us) the Building Department for assistance.
tree permit proCeDureS
There have been a lot of questions around the City recently about tree removal
and when permits are required. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer as
the requirement for a tree removal permit depends entirely on the situation
and type of tree or trees to be removed. While Chapter 23 of the City’s code
regulates tree removal, the City has created a flow chart to help citizens answer
the question, “Do I need a Tree Removal Permit?”
The flow chart can be found at www.coab.us on the Forms page of the Planning
and Zoning Department. If a permit is required for your tree removal, complete
the tree removal application found on the same page of the City’s website and
submit it along with the application fee to the Permits Desk inside City Hall
during business hours.
If you suspect that trees are being removed without a permit take these steps.
First, look for a permit posted on the property. If there isn’t one, review the
“Do I Need a Tree Removal Permit?” flow chart and try to answer the questions
yourself. If you are still unsure a permit is required, call the City at 247-5826
with an address or the address of a neighboring property to inquire about a
permit and/or report a violation.