August 2020 .pdfAUGUST 2020
Aug 6 Budget Workshop 6 pm
Aug 10 Commission meeting 6:30 pm
Aug 12 Environmental Stewardship Committee 6 pm
Aug 17 Community Development Board 6 pm
Aug 19 ESC Outreach Subcommittee 6:30 pm
Aug 20 Pension Boards 6:30 pm
Aug 24 Commission meeting 6:30 pm
Aug 25 Board Member Review Committee (tentative) 6:30 pm
SEPTEMBER 2020
Sep 3 Code Enforcement Special Magistrate Hearing 2 pm
Sep 7 City offices closed
Sep 8 Cultural Arts and Recreation Advisory Committee 6 pm
Sep 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee 6 pm
Sep 14 Commission Meeting 6:30 pm
Sep 15 Community Development Board 6 pm
Sep 16 ESC Outreach Subcommittee 6:30 pm
Sep 21 Commission workshop (tentative) 6 pm
Sep 28 Commission meeting 6:30 pm
Meetings are held in the Commission Chamber unless
otherwise indicated.
A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 V O L . 1 6 N O . 8
C I T Y O F A T L A N T I C B E A C H
8 0 0 S E M I N O L E R O A D
A T L A N T I C B E A C H , F L 3 2 2 3 3
(9 0 4 ) 2 4 7 -5 8 0 0 /I N F O @ C O A B .U S
W W W .C O A B .U S
C I T Y C A L E N D A R
The drastic reduction in canopy size decreases the
ability of the palm to feed itself through
photosynthesis, so leaves struggle to stay green.
The stress of pruning to a “feather duster” shape
can weaken a tree making it more susceptible to
pests or disease.
Repeatedly removing large amounts of the canopy
can result in a thinner trunk, which ultimately
weakens the palm and makes it more susceptible to
damage in high winds.
A healthy palm should have a 360-degree canopy.
Only remove dead leaves.
If you hate the look of a full canopy, then just do not
remove any fronds off the palm above an imaginary
line drawn from 9-3 o’clock.
County Extension Agents and Univ of Florida IFAS
offer free science-based advice. Visit
www.ifas.ufl.edu.
Hurricane season is coming, but it is NOT time to prune
your Palms with a hurricane cut.
W H A T E X P E R T S K N O W
Some pruners make easy money convincing
homeowners that the “hurricane cut” keeps palms
healthy and safe in a windstorm. However, save your
money, because the experts including American
National Standards Institute (ANSI), the International
Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the University of
Florida (UF/IFAS) have years of proof - before and after
hurricanes - that the opposite is true. Be aware that
some tree services are there mostly to cut for money
rather than to nurture your healthy trees.
Y O U R P R O B L E M
Excessive pruning can negatively affect palms in 3
ways:
W H A T Y O U C A N D O
Save the health of your trees with less aggressive
pruning, consider the experts’ guidelines:
COMMISSIONER
ANDERSON
PROPOSED
CHARTER AMENDMENT
Although it’s still a few months until the elections, I
want to make you aware of a very important item on
your November ballot: a p r o p o s e d C h a r t e r
a m e n d m e n t . It asks you to change the Mayor’s term of
office from two years to four years. I urge citizens to
vote A G A I N S T i t (it has nothing to do with any
candidates currently running), and will explain why.
Presently, our four Commissioners are elected to four-
year terms, alternating two Commissioners every two
years, while the Mayor is elected to a two-year term.
Thus, every two years there are two Commission seats
and the mayor’s seat up for election. Because that is the
majority of the Commission, citizens can determine the
Commission’s direction every two years, keeping more
control over our future. The proposed amendment
would only allow voting on three seats every four years
– twice as long – before the people could change the
majority of the Commission. Additionally, while the
Mayor may only have one vote in Commission meetings,
that position wields more power than the others. The
Mayor controls the meetings, makes joint decision with
elected officials in other cities which affect us all, and
can issue “emergency” orders without consultation with
other Commissioners.
Other Commissioners proposed this amendment so an
incumbent mayor wouldn’t have to run for re-election as
often (it’s costly and time-consuming). That’s not a
good enough reason for citizens to surrender their
ability to direct change every two years.
Past voting on state constitution and charter
amendments reveals voters typically vote “yes” to any
proposal on election ballots. So I am concerned the
same pattern could occur with this proposal. Please find
this proposed Charter Amendment on your ballot and
v o t e “N O ” to preserve the people’s right to choose their
Mayor every two years. And please convince your fellow
citizens of the need to v o t e N O , as well.
Thank you for your kind encouragement as I
endeavored to serve you the past two years. Please
continue to give City staff the same support for their
efforts.
See you around town!
Cindy Anderson
canderson@coab.us
The purpose of the upcoming municipal election is to
fill the following Commission seats and consider
Charter amendments by public referendum as detailed
in Ordinance No. 33-19-24.
O f f i c e s u p f o r e l e c t i o n :
M a y o r /C o m m i s s i o n e r -S e a t 1 (2-year term) - A t l a r g e
Currently held by Ellen Glasser
C o m m i s s i o n e r -S e a t 2 (4-year term) - D i s t r i c t 1 3 0 8
Currently held by Cindy L. Anderson
C o m m i s s i o n e r -S e a t 3 (4-year term) - D i s t r i c t 1 3 0 7
Currently held by Martina "Blythe" Waters
P u b l i c r e f e r e n d u m /C h a r t e r a m e n d m e n t :
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE ATLANTIC BEACH
CHARTER TO MODIFY THE MAYOR-COMMISSIONER
TERMS OF OFFICE
Commencing with the election in November, 2022 shall
Section 5 of the Atlantic Beach Charter be amended to:
(1) extend the Mayor-Commissioner term of office from
two to four years; (2) reduce the Mayor-Commissioner
number of allowable consecutive terms from four to two
terms; and (3) limit any Mayor-Commissioner holding
office as of November, 2022, who has served two
consecutive terms, to one additional consecutive four-
year term?
YES _______ NO ________
A d d i t i o n a l I n f o r m a t i o n :
For information on residency requirements and links to
the candidate’s folders, election calendar, district map,
and Duval County Supervisor of Elections’ precinct
finder page, please visit our AB Municipal Election page
at www.coab.us/Election.
The City Clerk serves as the filing officer for Atlantic
Beach municipal elections. Citizens interested in more
information should call (904) 247-5809 or email
cityclerk@coab.us.
PALM TREE TRIMMINGNOVEMBER 3, 2020
AB GENERAL ELECTION