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November 2020.pdfNOVEMBER 2020 Nov 4 Environmental Stewardship Committee 6 pm Nov 5 Code Enforcement Magistrate Hearing 2 pm Nov 9 Commission Meeting 6:30 pm Nov 11 Veterans Day – City offices closed Nov 12 Pension Board 6:30 pm Nov 16 Commission Workshop 6 pm (tentative) Nov 17 Community Development Board 6 pm Nov 18 ESC Outreach Subcommittee 6:30 pm Nov 23 Commission Meeting 6:30 pm Nov 26-27 Thanksgiving Holiday - City offices closed DECEMBER 2020 Dec 1 Cultural Arts and Recreation Committee 6 pm Dec 9 Environmental Stewardship Committee 6 pm Dec 14 Commission Meeting 6:30 pm Dec 15 Community Development Board 6 pm Dec 16 ESC Outreach Subcommittee 6:30 pm Dec 24-25 Christmas holiday – City offices closed Updates and information on attending and participating in meetings are published at www.coab.us/calendar. N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 0 V O L . 1 6 N O . 1 1 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 Is there space for STREET TREES? If so, the City of Jacksonville will plant a tree in the right-of-way in front of your home at no cost to you. All that is asked of you is to provide water and enjoy! To get started, visit www.coj.net or call 630-CITY. Most residents will have contact with the Public Works Department from time to time, even if it’s “our garbage was not picked up today.” Here is some insight into how we operate. We handle 50 or so telephone calls a day; and emails – there are way too many to count. The topics of those calls and emails include, but aren’t limited to: permits, stormwater, parks, streets, buildings, trash, recycling, yard waste, tree trimming and watering, drainage, signs, barricades, traffic control, sidewalks, beaches, landscaping, ponds and mowing. We do it all! In addition, our department is responsible for preparing and monitoring contracts for sanitation, janitorial services, ditch spraying, storm debris removal, beach cleaning, electrical service, engineering, asphalt, landscaping, laboratory analyses for stormwater, welding, street sweeping, surveying, utilities, and more. A little further behind the scenes: the office personnel are responsible for multiple documentation of erosion control, vehicles, permits, sludge, electric, signs, payroll, parks maintenance, sanitation, hurricanes, employee information, budget, buildings, and inventory. As you can see, we are not just about making sure trash is picked up! We know you see our crews cleaning out the ditch in front of your home, or making sure the Howell Park trails are clean. But who are these folks? We are 25 men and women ranging in age from 24 to 74. We are a diverse group hailing from Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Louisiana, California, Ohio, Alabama, West Virginia, Nebraska, North Carolina, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador. And two of us are military veterans. We take tremendous pride in our work. And although it’s not within our responsibilities, we’ve been known to retrieve cats from trees and we save baby sea turtles. Recently, one of our employees helped a woman whose kayak was stuck at low tide on the Dutton Island mud flats. The employee talked with the woman, flashlight in hand, for four hours waiting for high tide so she could float free. We truly love our jobs! Now you know a little bit about us and what’s on our plate. When you see us out and about, or put a call into our department please know that compliments, in addition to those requests, are always appreciated! The election season is wrapping up – it’s time for all the winners to get to work. Welcome aboard to the new faces on the COAB Commission. When you attend the Veteran’s Day celebration at Beaches Veterans Memorial Park this year, please notice the improvements that Public Works has made there. Also, around the city you might notice new street signs honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Many thanks to Lenny Jevic for making that happen. Veterans Day recognizes all who served -- thank a Vet today! In spite of COVID-19 restrictions, City staff and the Commission managed to complete the Parks Master Plan with the assistance of National Park Service personnel and input from the public. It addresses all the Atlantic Beach parks, laying out existing amenities and ideas for the future. For example, this fiscal year, we have earmarked about $100,000 from the Convention Development fund to create more parking along George Street at Donner Park. Other examples are grant funds being used to add a dune walkover at 12th Street and new equipment for the lifeguard station. And the ½-cent sales tax fund is paying for a walking track at the Aquatic Gardens dog park. When we plan park expenditures for the year, we try to balance them among all the neighborhoods of the city. In the past few years, playground equipment was installed in several parks, and basketball courts were repainted. This year saw bridge and walkover replacement and new railroad ties laid in Howell Park, and 120-plus trees planted in various parks. An important guiding principle for the Commission has been our priorities, set out each January in a retreat setting. One of the more ambitious goals reads: “Mayport Road: an initiative to improve safety, business and cultural opportunities, quality of life, and neighborhood identity.” To that end, the Mayor has established personal and professional connections with the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization for transportation initiatives. A landlord has sponsored the Saturday-midday and third-Friday-night food truck market. Murals and facades are being added by business owners using our grant programs. Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. Be a good neighbor and make sure others on your street are well-fed this holiday. Count your blessings and be thankful. Candace Kelly ckelly@coab.us BEHIND THE SCENES COMMISSIONER'S MESSAGE CANDACE KELLY DID YOU KNOW, AB? Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only holidays that impact the City’s garbage collection schedule. There will be no garbage, recycling, or yard waste pickup on Thursday, Nov. 26. Thursday’s scheduled service will be moved to Friday, Nov. 27; Friday’s collection will be Saturday, Nov. 28. Also, there will be no garbage, recycling, or yard waste pickup on Friday, Dec. 25; Friday’s scheduled service will be moved to Saturday, Dec. 26. NO GARBAGE COLLECTION ON THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS The Atlantic Beach Police Department adopted a new physical fitness policy on Oct. 1, 2017. Existing officers had three years to take and pass the physical ability test, and then would be required to pass it annually beginning in 2020. All officers hired on or after Oct. 1, 2017, are required to pass the physical fitness test before being hired, and then once annually. There are some provisions written into the policy for remediation; however, the test must ultimately be passed each year. The physical fitness ability test is just one portion of the agency’s wellness program. The Atlantic Beach Police Department recognizes that overall good health is an essential attribute of a police officer and the purpose of this policy is to set forth the expectation that all sworn employees are capable of meeting the physical demands of law enforcement duty and that they have the physical ability to perform the tasks set forth in the job description for the position of a police officer. We are pleased to report that as of Sept. 30, 2020, every officer currently employed by the ABPD has successfully completed the physical ability test.