09/1993 Atlantic Beach CourierR.A V�, NWml,
William I. Gulliford, Mayor
Commissioners; Lyman T. Fletcher, Glenn A. Edwards, Adelaide R. Tucker, J. Dezmond Waters,
Alan C. Jensen, City Attorney, Kim D. Leinbach, City Manager, Maureen King, City Clerk
VOLUME 4, NO.3
SEPTEMBER 1993
"1W ffte'
City of Atlantic Beach
BOARDS
A FINAL NOTE....
I am stepping down as mayor of our community on
CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD
November 2nd,1993. This honors both a prior campaign
George Bull, Jr. Heywood Dowling, Jr.
commitment not to run again, and a sincerely belief that
we need fewer long term, "professional" politicians. You
John J. Venn Kathleen Russell
have honored and humbled me by permitting me to serve
Suzanne Shaughnessy Barbara Bonner
as your Mayor these past five years. I will miss the
Edward Martin
experience primarily because of the many wonderful
(Meets 1st Tuesday every two months)
people in Atlantic Beach I have met and known during my
tenure. You have made my job easier because of your
intelligence, your courtesy, and yes, even your diversity of
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD
opinion and background.
Ruth Gregg Mary Walker
I believe our City is a wonderful, ongoing experiment in
W. Gregg McCaulie Robert Frohwein
local government that has continued to thrive and improve
Don Wolfson Mark McGowan
because of its closeness and responsiveness to each
Patricia Pillmore
citizen, and the reciprocal involvement of so many people
(Meets 3rd Tuesday of each month)
in the community. Space does not permit me to thank the
many volunteers who have served the City during my
term, and have contributed so much to their fellow
PENSION BOARD OF TRUSTEES
citizens. I will carry my appreciation of those many
volunteers throughout the years to come. Each of you
Joseph Garvin Don Ford
has made our local government work so very well.
John C. Fletcher, Jr. Richard White
I will remain active in several efforts in the City which I
believe are important to its future. I will continue to speak
HOSPITAL BOARD
out against the one-sided relationship with the
Dorothy Kerber, Atlantic Beach Representative
Consolidated City of Jacksonville which places an
unreasonable financial burden on each of our taxpayers.
Additionally, I will contribute whatever time necessary to
TREE CONSERVATION BOARD
see the resolution of that inequity.
John Weldon, Jr. Thomas Frohne
Carolyn Woods Hope VanNortwick
I have thrived on my contact with you. You have given
Jim Pelkey
me strength and purpose during my time of service. I
cannot adequately convey my appreciation for the
(Meets 3rd Monday of each month)
experience you have allowed me. Although there are many
of you I don't know personally, I have felt a bond with
you, as a neighbor, a friend, and a fellow resident.
RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD
Therefore, I wish each of you the very best, and please
Donald Fagan Henry Batts
know that I am always available to assist in any effort to
Jeff Croom Henry Isaacs
further our community. Thank you and goodbye.
Richard Riley
Bill Gulliford
(Meets 2nd Thursday of each month)
Mayor
DIV ' '•t 1
When it comes to hurricanes we tend to adopt the
philosophy of "Out of sight, out of mind." However, the city
considers the threat of a hurricane a very serious matter and
for that reason a good portion of this newsletter has been
devoted to the subject of hurricanes. For the past few years
the city has been developing a hurricane plan to help us
provide essential services to our citizens in the event a
hurricane strikes this area. The plan addresses both the
preparation for and the recovery from a storm.
Most of us do not worry unless a hurricane threatens the
area where we live. Then we run around trying to take all the
steps which should have been taken months before to protect
our homes and loved ones. If we are really serious about
protecting our loved ones and property, now is the time to do
it; don't wait until we are threatened by a hurricane.
THE FOLLOWING CHECK
I,TST FOR FTTIRRIC'A,NF
SAMPLE OF THINGS WHICH
SHOULD BE CONSIDERED:
1. Develop a written evacuation plan for the whole family.
2. Evacuate early; don't wait for the government to tell
you when to leave.
3. Jacksonville will not be a safe place to go.
4. Plan on leaving for all hurricanes; don't try to ride it out.
5. Go to a public shelter only as a last resort.
6. Have all materials on hand to protect your property.
7. Make sure your insurance policy covers all aspects of
potential hurricane damage.
8. Do not count on government services like police, fire,
water and electricity during the hurricane, or for several
days afterwards.
The following articles have been written by various
city departments to provide you with more in-depth
information concerning what you can do to prepare
for a hurricane.
THE SAFETY COORDINATOR suggests you listen
closely to weather updates on hurricanes or dangerous
weather. STAY INFORMED. Understand pre -storm
terminology and know the severity of the various hurricane
categories.
Gas your car early - gas lines at the last minute will be
long and time consuming and can cause evacuation route
tie-ups; plan for the safety of your pets; secure boats and
campers; have a hurricane kit ready (first aid, food, water,
radio, flashlights, etc.); pack only needed items; take
important papers and cash with you; cut off electricity,
gas and water supply to your house.
ONCE THE ORDER TO EVACUATE IS GIVEN,
cooperation with city officials, police and fire department
personnel is essential. They have planned on meeting your
needs to assist in quick and efficient evacuation, but your
cooperation is necessary.
The Jacksonville Electric Authority has provided us with
the names and addresses of thirty disabled Atlantic Beach
residents who need assistance with evacuation. Other disabled
citizens who may need similar help should register with the
Fire Department at 249-5606.
While working outside before a hurricane wear safety
equipment such as goggles, gloves and other equipment for
ear, head or foot protection. Watch for power lines, flying
PLEASE, if evacuation notice is given, DO SO QUICKLY,
Atlantic Beach is located on an island. Remember the
devastation from recent hurricanes HUGO and ANDREW.
THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT suggests the following
steps be taken to protect property:
1. Tape and close all glass windows, sliding glass doors,
etc. This reduces shattering when glass breaks.
2. Board up all openings with minimum 1/2" plywood or
equally strong shutters. Use 2" screws or 12D nails to attach
plywood.
3. Houses built before 1985 (Florida Coastal Construction
Code went into effect in 1986) should be checked by a
contractor or building inspector to ensure hurricane resistant
construction.
4. Store all outside items, i.e., barbecue grills, yard tools,
trash cans, etc., in a secure building. Plastic or fiberglass yard
furniture may be immersed in a swimming pool.
POLICE DEPARTMENT ADVISES in the event of a
hurricane their primary responsibility will be evacuation of
citizens before the storm. Intersections have been identified
for posting police officers and barricades to aid in evacuation.
The traffic will basically be routed to Atlantic Boulevard and
then west into Jacksonville.
Atlantic Boulevard is only about six feet above the water
level at the Intracoastal Waterway and we encourage citizens
4. It is further prohibited to post any city right-of-way
*ith any unauthorized sign or structure prohibiting
parking of motor vehicles.
As always, the purpose of the sign ordinance (Chapter
17 of the City Code) and all city ordinances is to ensure
our continued quality of life and maintenance of all of our
property values.
I V.11 I tol DEG]
. � ,
The staff at the Adele
Grage Community Center are
well versed in the words and
music to ALICE IN
WONDERLAND - the play
performed by the summer
drama workshop students. Our
thanks to the competent staff
who have worked with these
talented students.
For the adults in our community, we extend an
invitation to "come back to school." The Adele Grage
Community Center will offer a Creative Crafts class
beginning September 22, and an art class beginning
September 23. These classes are offered to senior citizens
through the FCCJ Gold program and are either free or are
offered at a very nominal charge. If you would like to have
other classes, please call Rose at 247-5828.
We have two people who would like to start a Canasta
club, just to play and meet new people. Call Rose if you
are interested. A Cribbage group meets every Wednesday
from 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM and they would like some new
members.
Kirk Farber, an Atlantic Beach resident and owner of
Body Arts will conduct a seminar entitled "Common
Sense and Self Defense for Women" on Wednesday,
September 15, 1993 at 7:00 PM. The course consists of
common sense topics, forty-five minutes of hands-on
techniques that are simple and effective, and a question
and answer period. The seminar lasts about ninety minutes
and costs $1.00, with proceeds going to Atlantic Beach
recreational activities.
Gail Baker, the Donner Park activities coordinator,
reports that the Donner Park Community Center served
1,370 children in the summer camp program from June 21
to August 20. Activities at Donner Park Community
Center will begin again on Tuesday, September 7, 1993,
from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday, for
homework help, play, movies, etc.
Again this year we will accept donations of food to
provide a Thanksgiving meal for the less fortunate. We do
not plan to prepare food baskets this year. Instead we are
working to coordinate this function with the Fleet Reserve
Association which has offered to serve the Thanksgiving
meal in their facilities on Mayport Road.
For further information or to register for any of these
programs, please call Rose Blanchard at 247-5828. Rose
will be out of town from September 16 through September
22, so if you need reservations for this period or for the
week following her return, please call before September
15 so you can be assured of the facilities you need.
The "Newcomers" have groups who meet once a month
in the library in Neptune Beach for Bridge, Scrabble, Arts
and Crafts. "Newcomers" are defined as beaches residents
of less than three years. For more information, please call
Barbara Hoggatt at 273-5226.
BEAUTIFICATION
The Beautification Committee is very proud that our
community has been nationally recognized as a TREE
CITY, U.S.A. This was the result of the combined efforts
of our citizens and government and demonstrates our
commitment to providing a healthy, beautiful community
for our residents and visitors.
During the long, hot, and dry
summer days many residents have
managed to maintain outstanding
yards. The committee's "Yard of
the Month" recognition program is
alive and well! Recent locations
receiving this distinctive award include: 327 Tenth Street,
220 Twelfth Street, 1820 Sea Oats Drive, and 1913 Selva
Marina Drive. Since the program was initiated, there have
been more than thirty recipients of the award. Take a
minute to nominate a yard that you find attractive and
worthy of recognition. Any residential property within our
city limits is eligible.
Our thanks to our good neighbors and friends in Fleet
Landing for providing a watering system for the
landscaping surrounding the "Welcome to Atlantic Beach"
sign on Mayport Road. A group of Fleet Landing residents
have also undertaken a clean-up program on Mayport
Road in an effort to reduce litter.
With the coming of fall, the committee is planning
improvements which will require ideas, time and lots of
dedication. Join us and be a part of the "doers." Meetings
are held at 7:30 PM the second Wednesday of each month
in the conference room in City Hall.
In August the police department mailed citizen surveys
to randomly selected citizens. We are seeking your input
as to what we are doing right, where we need to improve,
and what citizens consider to be the most important police
problems in the community. We hope that everyone who
receives a survey will take the time to complete it and
return it to us. The more we know about your wishes, the
better we can serve you.
Due to humitures exceeding 100 degrees on many days
Public Works and Sanitation crews have been instructed to
take additional breaks to prevent dehydration. Crews have
been very productive, however, we ask you to be
understanding should additional time be needed to
complete certain non-priority work orders.
Yard trash must be -placed on homeowners' property
and not on vacant lots. Priority is given to occupied lots.
101 UN 03 11 D1 '' ' 1
Learn the Gift of Life - Learn CRR
The Atlantic Beach Fire Department is teaching CPR
classes to the general public. Classes are based upon
demand; we need a minimum of five people per class. The
course being taught is the American Heart Association C -
course which covers adult, child and infant resuscitation.
The course consists of two sessions and costs $25.00 per
person. Classes are being offered on September 15 and 16,
October 13 and 14, and November 17 and 18. All classes
are from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. For further information, or
to register for a class, please contact the Fire Department
at 249-3173.
Brochures on Fire Extinguishers, Match and Lighter
Safety for Kids, Fire Safety for Baby Sitters, Teach Pre-
Schoolers to be Safe; Fire Safety for People with
Disabilities, and many others, are available in the Fire
Marshal's office at 716 Ocean Boulevard. Please come by
or call for a brochure on any and all topics covered. The
Fire Department also offers free home fire safety surveys.
Call for an appointment if you are interested in receiving
this service.
Thanks to the efforts of citizen volunteers and the
generous donations of many citizens we have just placed
an order with Laerdal Medical Supplies for an automatic
electronic defibrillator at a cost of $6,197.80. This piece
of life-saving equipment will be used by our Emergency
Medical Technicians responding to calls to heart attack
victims. To date we have received donations totaling
$8,865.00. We are hoping to purchase a second unit to be
used as a backup when the first unit is in use, and further
donations will be gladly accepted at the Fire Department.
COMMUNITY
NEWS
Residents may have noticed that a new bulletin board has
been placed at the Shoppes of Northshore, where Third
Street intersects with Atlantic Boulevard. This has been
a favorite area in the past to display banners announcing
community events. No banners will be allowed at this
location in the future but the Shoppes of Northshore have
agreed to provide limited space on the sign for city or
community notices. Anyone wishing to advertise an event
on this bulletin board should contact George Bull, Jr. at
246-4469.
CODE ENFORCEMENT
As one drives through Atlantic Beach, particularly on
weekends, one's eyes are suddenly struck with a
proliferation of signs ranging from real estate signs to
garage sale signs. The city has a sign ordinance and, yes, it
is enforced.
1. Real estate signs shall not be more than four square
feet and only one sign is permitted. Signs should not be
placed on the city right-of-way.
2. Any sign over four square feet requires a permit from
the city.
3. No person shall paint, paste, print, nail or fasten in
any manner whatsoever, any sign, banner, paper, notice or
advertisement on any curb, pavement, sidewalk or upon
any tree, lamp post private wall, window, door, gate, fence,
telephone or electric pole within the limits of any street or
city right-of-way.
(continued on next page)
to evacuate early. When Atlantic Boulevard goes under water,
citizens still on the barrier island will be trapped until after
the storm. In a major storm the entire city of Atlantic Beach
will be covered with water and waves.
The Atlantic Beach Police Department is focusing its
hurricane preparedness plan on the preservation of lives. The
early evacuation of residents from the beaches is the single
most important goal of the city and we expect to keep traffic
flowing away from the beach until gale force winds create too
great a hazard for police officers to remain. At that time, all
officers will be evacuated from the beach.
Before the storm arrives in Atlantic Beach, all electric
power will be cut. All police officers and fire fighters will be
evacuated.
There will be no emergency services personnel in
the city to respond to calls for service. We strongly
recommend that all citizens leave early to evacuate and seek
shelter away from the beaches.
THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT will be
responsible for street maintenance, sanitation, water and
sewer service. Many of you who
experienced problems in the windstorm
in March 1993, will recall that trees
and debris on city rights-of-way were
cleared as quickly as possible by city
crews; however, trees on private
property are the responsibility of
property owners. In the event of a
hurricane rights-of-way will receive attention in priority order
of the importance of the thoroughfare. Garbage and trash
collection will resume when roads are cleared.
The Atlantic Beach and Buccaneer water and sewer
systems have strict procedures for providing backup power,
storage and disinfection of water. Prior to a hurricane
residents should store water in bathtubs or similar containers.
After a hurricane water should be sanitized before being used
for drinking, cooking or for consumption by mouth. Water
can be sanitized by adding two drops of household bleach to
each quart, or eight drops per gallon of clear water and
allowing it to stand for thirty minutes before using. The
amount of bleach should be doubled if the water is cloudy.
Alternatively, water may be disinfected with tincture of iodine
at the rate of five drops per quart if the water is clear or ten
drops per quart if the water is cloudy. Water may also be used
after boiling vigorously for five minutes.
FROM PARKS AND RECREATION. PLEASE, do not
allow your children in any park during or after a hurricane or
storm. Old trees break easily and may be in a dangerous
condition; canals and swails fill with water and harbor
mosquitos and snakes, some poisonous; animals, even pets,
can become dangerous when afraid and hungry. This is not a
time to go exploring. Please keep children away from parks
until the parks have been inspected and rendered safe by the
parks department.
We hope you find this information helpful. Additional
hurricane information is available at Atlantic Beach City Hall,
American Red Cross, area radio and television stations, Winn
Dixie Stores, Atlantic Beach Fire Station and the community
interest pages of the telephone book.
CITY CLERK
The city will hold its biennial election on October 5,
1993 with run-off, if needed, on October 19, 1993. The
offices up for election are the office of mayor and three
commissioners.
POLLING PLACES ARE AS
FOLLOWS:
03F - Adele Grage Community Center
716 Ocean Boulevard
03G - Community Presbyterian Church
150 Sherry Drive
03H - City Hall
800 Seminole Road
Look for our candidates as they introduce themselves
throughout the city. Vote for the candidate of your choice.
YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
For the first six months of 1993 the Atlantic Beach
police officers made 175 arrests for violations pertaining
to driving under the influence of alcohol. We are
continuing this emphasis on enforcement to reduce the
number of alcohol related crashes and injuries.
The "Every Child a Swimmer"
program reached over one hundred
children this year. Through the
efforts of volunteers, we were able
to provide swimming lessons and
water safety instruction to many
children who may not otherwise have been able to take
lessons. This program provided a valuable service to the
community at virtually no expense.
FREQUENTLY
Called Numbers
Tax Collector (Auto Tags)..............................246-7407
.....................249-5606
Supervisor of Elections...................................630-1410
Public Library (Beaches Branch) ...................241-1141
Driver's License Bureau
(For appointment)......................................241-3215
Bus Schedule Information ..............................356-5521
.....................247-5828
Dial -A -Ride ....................................................246-1477
Atlantic Beach Elementary School.................249-2794
Mayport Middle School..................................241-2441
Fletcher Middle School ..................................246-6484
Fletcher Sr. High School ................................249-5635
Councilman Dick Brown
(Council District 3) ....................................630-1386
Rep. Joe Arnall
(State House District 19) ...........................249-1990
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Tallahassee .................................................488-0001
Newsletter Staff
Maureen King
Trudy Lopanik
Donna Bussey
City of Atlantic Beach Courier
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
IMPORTANT
Telephone Numbers
Police & Fire Emergencies....................................911
Police & Fire Non -Emergencies
.....................249-5606
Police Records ................................................249-4629
City Hall (Information)...................................247-5800
Animal Control...............................................246-1648
Garbage & Trash ............................................247-5834
Parks & Recreation Department
.....................247-5828
Recycle Hotline ..............................................247-5834
Building Department ......................................247-5826
City Clerk.......................................................247-5810
City Manager..................................................247-5800
Finance Director.............................................247-5800
Public Works ..................................................247-5834
Purchasing......................................................247-5818
Utility Billing ..................................................247-5816
J. A. (ui.%i 11gu O) ........................................__
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Tax Collectors Office .....................................630-2000
Property Appraisers Office .............................630-2025
Bulk Rate
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