Posted in BOCC, St. Johns County

May 17 St. Johns County BOCC Meeting

Posted on by Beth Tate

Highlights: Triathlon Impact & Agenda Items

The May 17 BOCC meeting was a long one so focus today is on items from the Regular Agenda and the additional Agenda item that was raised by Commissioner Krista Joseph.

The weekend prior to the meeting, there was an Ironman triathlon event in Jacksonville. Part of the course came through St. Johns County. This was the inaugural Ironman in Jacksonville and there were many lessons to be learned from the event!

While there were many St. Johns County residents participating in the event, The  event had been publicized on the news and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s FB page indicating there may be traffic impacts on Saturday; however the word did not get out to many residents along the route and there were upset residents, in both St. Johns County and Duval County, who were surprised and unhappy about the traffic impacts.

Commissioner Joseph had posted on her FB page about the impacts and that the County was not aware of the event and that it would be impacting St. Johns County. She brought the concerns to the Board for discussion at the May 17 meeting.

Administrator Andrews shared that the impact on roads and residents was far greater than had been conveyed to the County by the City of Jacksonville.  She pointed out the course had changed over time and had much more impact on the NE part of the county than originally anticipated.

Watch the discussion here: IronMan Discussion

Regular Agenda Items

Agenda Items 1 & 2 were heard together. This was an appeal of a decision by the Planning and Zoning Agency to approve a Special Use Permit to allow for on-site sale and consumption of Alcoholic Beverages in conjunction with a restaurant. The Appeals came from God’s Way Baptist Church of Hastings and the First Baptist Church of Hastings. After close to 2 hours of discussion, the Appeal was upheld with a 5:0 vote.

“Request to appeal the Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) approval of a Special Use Permit (SUPMAJ 2025-27) to allow for the on-site sale and consumption of Alcoholic Beverages in conjunction with a restaurant located in Commercial General (CG) zoning. This request is being made on behalf of Jeb S. Smith, representing God’s Way Baptist Church of Hastings. This item was heard at the Planning and Zoning Agency’s regularly scheduled February 29, 2019, meeting. Motion to approve was made by Mr. Matovina was seconded by Mr. Olson, and passed with a vote of 4 to 3. Dissenting votes by Mrs. Spiegel, Dr. Hilsenbeck, and Mr. Labanowski.”

Background materials are here: Agenda Item 1 and Agenda Item 2

“Request to appeal the Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) approval of ZVAR 2025-32 and SUPMAJ 2025-27 to allow for the on-site sale and consumption of Alcoholic Beverages in conjunction with a restaurant located in Commercial General (CG) zoning within 1,000 feet of an existing Church. This request is being made on behalf of Benjamin Rodda, representing First Baptist Church of Hastings. This item was heard at the Planning and Zoning Agency’s regularly scheduled February 29, 2019, meeting. Motion to approve was made by Mr. Matovina, seconded by Mr. Olson, and passed with a vote of 4 to 3. Dissenting votes by Mrs. Spiegel, Dr. Hilsenbeck, and Mr. Labanowski.”

Watch the discussion/presentation here: Discussion on Agenda Items 1 & 2

Agenda Item 3 – “Request to rezone approximately 3.08 acres of land from Open Rural (OR) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) to allow for a maximum 11,500 square feet Automobile Repair Facility with a maximum of ten (10) active service bays and accessory Outdoor Storage located at 10150 Cartwheel Bay Avenue.”

Background materials here: Agenda item 3

With commitments to address concerns about vehicle parking and keeping the location neat and orderly, the request was approved 5:0

You can watch this discussion here:

Discussion on Agenda Item 3

Agenda Item 4 – Anchor Faith Mall – Request to rezone approximately 9.56 acres of land from Commercial General (CG) to Commercial Intensive (CI), located specifically at 2121 US Highway 1 S. The Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) heard this request at their regularly scheduled public hearing on April 2, 2026, and was recommended for approval with a vote of 7-0.

After adding 2 conditions, no Data Center and nothing built under the Live Local Act, the request was approved unanimously.

Materials are here: Agenda Item 4

The application states, “This rezoning merely seeks to rezone the middle two parcels that are buffered from any adjoining properties by their own CG parcels that they also own, which creates a built-in buffer and planning step down in intensity. The parcel rezoning is limited their two inner parcels that will allow some temporary outside use of the parking area deemed necessary for some current use. The property is in the middle of the MIXED USE DISTRICT on the arterial federal highway and is bordered by a car dealership, restaurants, and their own properties. This request is both reasonable and compatible to the area and current uses thereon and in the area.”

Agenda Item 5 – 4060 County Road 13S. – This was a simple request to change the Future Land Use Map desgination from Agricultural Intensive to Residential A to allow the construction of 1 single family dwelling unit on the property. It was approved 5:0.

Agenda Item 6 – Rivers Edge CDD (Rivertown)

This petition proposes to remove approximately 298.07 acres from the 983.88 acres of land currently comprising the district, leaving approximately 685.81 acres within the amended CDD boundary.

The petition was approved 5:0

Agenda Item 7 – Landscaping Service Accessory Use – This is a follow up to an item that came up at the February 17 BOCC Meeting requesting a change to the Land Development Code to allow Landscaping Service businesses as an accessory use to Commercial Plant Nurseries.

The Board of County Commissioners requested changes to Land Development Code (LDC) regulations regarding Landscaping Service businesses as an accessory use to Commercial Plant Nurseries as a Special Use at their regularly scheduled public hearing on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

This was heard in conjunction with Agenda Item 8, “This amendment amends Land Development Code Article II (Zoning Districts and Special Uses), Article III (Special Districts) and Article XII (Definitions) to codify changes to State Statute that went into effect on July 1, 2021 with the enactment of House Bill 403. The bill added Florida Statute 559.955, which stipulates the policies local governments may implement to regulate home-based businesses. This amendment brings the Land Development Code into compliance with F.S. 559.955 by adding the allowed specified criteria to Home-Based Business as permitted in zoning districts allowing residential use. The amendment also removes outdated language no longer in statute.”

This was a First Reading of both ordinance changes so no vote was required.

Agenda Item 9 – SUN Trail Network Presentation This was a presentation to help the current Board understand how we got to the current work on the SUN Trail. Important to note this project has beeh moving forward since 2008.

“Presentation to the Board concerning the SUN Trail, the Northeastern Florida regional loop trail represents a coordinated, multi-jurisdictional effort to create what is anticipated to be the longest multi-use loop trail in the Southeast, totaling approximately 260 miles upon completion. Within this broader system, nearly 40 miles will be in St. Johns County, including segments within the City of St. Augustine and the City of St. Augustine Beach, positioning the County as a critical link in the regional network. The loop integrates with major statewide and national trail systems, including the East Coast Greenway and the Coast to Coast Trail, enhancing both interstate and cross-state connectivity. This presentation will focus on the segment along Beach Blvd. from Pope Road to A1A, within the City of St. Augustine Beach.”

Watch the presentation here: SUN Trail Discussion

Commissioner Reports

During Commission Reports Commissioner Whitehurst reminded residents about the Memorial Day event at the St. Augustine National Cemetery. He also shared information about a presentation he and Commission Taylor attended a presentation on Data Centers and wanted to share that new data centers being built today are not using water for cooling, but a synthetic coolant.

Commission Taylor followed up with her appreciation for that presentation and the concern that data centers do require a tremendous amount of electricity.

Commissioner Murphy wanted to bring back a project that had been presented to the BOCC 2 weeks ago, and now that he has additional information would like to bring it back to the Board for consideration. After discussion and public comment, the project will be brought back before the board for action. This was approved 3-2 with Taylor and Joseph being the no votes.

If you are finding value in these updates, please subscribe to my blog so you get notifications when I publish an update. Feel free to share with others who may find value in the content.

Posted in BOCC, Politics, St. Johns County

St. Johns County and the 2026 Election Year

Posted on by Beth Tate

Updated to correct a missing website link!

It’s an election year! And we already have some very heated races in St. Johns County!

Having lived here 23 years, I know that for those of us who work in Jacksonville or travel a lot for our work, we often don’t even have time to pay attention to local elections.

Many of us have no idea who our Commissioners are or what they do for the County. Not too long ago a local business person told me he was reaching out to Mayor Deegan for help on something. I asked him why, and he said because she’s the Mayor! I pointed out his business is in St. Johns County and he might want to reach out to our County Commissioners. He didn’t know who any of them are.

That’s not a reflection on this individual – it’s just an example of how in the northern part of the county so many of us work, shop and play in Jacksonville that we naturally know more about the Jacksonville scene than what is happening in St. Johns County.

Today I thought I would spend a little time sharing information about the 2026 Election process in St. Johns County so you can start educating yourself and be prepared to get out and vote in the Primary (August 18,2026) or General Election (November 3, 2026.)

Let’s start with, are you registered to vote? And is your voter registration current? Check out the Supervisor of Elections website and confirm your status. You can do that here: Check My Status

And if you are a newcomer to St. Johns County or Florida, you may not be familiar with our Closed Primary process. If there are qualified candidates from more than one Party, it will be a closed Primary. That means when you go to the polls you will be presented with a Ballot showing only the candidates in your registered party. As an example, if you are a registered Republican, you will only see the Republican candidates on your ballot. If you are a registered Democrat, you will only see the Democratic candidates on your ballot. And if you are not affiliated with any party (No Party Affiliation) you will only see candidates for Non Partisan positions.

Before a candidate appears on a ballot, they have to go through Qualifying. You can see the Qualifying dates for St. Johns County positions on this page: Qualifying Dates & Fees

Most of our County offices have a Qualifying date of June 12. That means that any candidates currently showing on the Candidate List have not yet qualified to be on the Primary Ballot in August.

Today I’ll share known info about 2 of our most visible elected positions, County Commissioners.

We have two County Commissioner seats up for election this year, District 2 and District 4. Those seats are currently held by Sarah Arnold, District 2 and Krista Keating Joseph, District 4.

Commissioner Joseph has filed and shared about her desire to return to the Board for another term. Commissioner Arnold has not filed and all indications are that she is not going to run for re-election.

For District 2, we have 3 Active Candidates. That means they have filed but have not yet qualified.

Timothy Ray Burres is a former SJSO Law Enforcement Officer and is actively running. He has a registered website that is not yet active: VoteTimBurres and has an active FaceBook (FB) page: Vote Tim Burres for SJC Commissioenr

Wilson Malcolm McMullan is a lifelong Floridian actively running. He has an active website: Save St. Johns County.com and FB page: Will McMullan for County Commissioner

Martin Valerian Pyszczymuka is a 4 year resident of St. Johns County. He has an active website and indicates that he has gathered enough petitions to qualify for the ballot. His website is here: VoteMartin2026.com and his FB page is here: VoteMartinForCountyCommissioner Interesting note on his website is that he is opposing Sarah Arnold who has not filed to run. His website also addresses questions regarding residency eligibility and states that he plans to relocate into District 2 prior to the election.

District 4 has 4 Active Candidates. Again, they have filed but not yet qualified.

James Austin Galloway – At the time of writing, I was unable to locate an active campaign website. Mr. Galloway appears to be using his personal FB page for his platform: James Galloway

Krista Keating Joseph – Sitting District 4 Commissioner. Thanks to the alert reader who pointed me Commissioner Joseph’s active website: Vote Krista She also appears to be using her personal FB page for her campaigning. KristaKeatingJoseph

Heather Lane Neville – Born and raised in Northeast Florida and resident of St. Johns County since 2007.  Has an active website: VoteHeatherLaneNeville and FB Page ElectHeatherLaneNeville

Samuel Paul Willaims – Also a former SJSO Law Enforcement Officer with an active website: samforstjohns.com and FB page: Williams for St. Johns County Commissioner

As you evaluate candidates this year, I encourage you to spend time learning what each candidate stands FOR — their priorities, leadership style, and vision for the future of St. Johns County.

Local government decisions shape our roads, growth, schools, public safety, and quality of life in very real ways. Thoughtful participation matters.

In a climate where political conversations can quickly become negative, perhaps we can focus more on ideas, solutions, and the future we want to build for our County together.

If you are finding value in these updates, please subscribe to my blog so you get notifications when I publish an update. Feel free to share with others who may find value in the content.

Posted in BOCC, St. Johns County

Recap of Key Items from the May 5 St. Johns County Board of County Commissioner’s Meeting

Posted on by Beth Tate

I’ve been away for a break but back to providing updates on the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioner’s Meetings.

The County Public Relations staff has been doing an excellent job of publicizing the Commissioner’s Meetings and making them available not only through the County GTV but also broadcasting on social media.

It is so important, especially this year, an election year, to get your information about what is discussed directly from the meetings. I strive to always share with you the direct links to the information so you can watch and hear for yourself what was said. No filter, no bias. I’ll continue to do that throughout 2026.

The May 5 meeting opened with several Proclamations:

  • Recognizing George Ceccanese and William West for reaching their 100th birthdays!
  • National Correctional Officers and Employees Week 2026
  • 41 Years of Hope through St. Gerard Campus
  • Juror Appreciation Month
  • Foster Parent Appreciation Month

Watch the heartwarming recognitions here: Proclamations

Regular Agenda Items

Agenda Item #1 – Outpost at Old Moultrie Administrative Interpretation Appeal

This item has been trending high on social media for St. Augustine and the southern part of the County for a few weeks.

This is an “Appeal of Administrative Interpretation Letter ADMI 2026-01 regarding whether the subject parcel constitutes a lawfully developed or previously developed commercial site, whether mobile food vendors qualify as a permitted accessory use, and whether any specific provision of the Land Development Code requires a previously developed commercial site to undergo full redevelopment or site plan approval as a prerequisite.”

In short, the owner of the property had been operating a location with food trucks and current interpretation of the Land Development Code had caused the location to be shut down. A special magistrate was appointed to review the decision and ruled the county was correct to shut the location down. This morning’s hearing was to appeal the ruling.

Background Materials are here: Agenda Item 1

This was a complicated situation and emotions around the decision have been running high. While all the Commissioners expressed a desire to get the business back in operations, there were differences in how to best accomplish that goal.

Rather than rely on soundbites or social media interpretations of what happened at the meeting, I encourage you to listen to the discussion among the Commissioners before their vote at this link: Commissioner Discussion on Agenda Item 1

The Appeal was upheld and the ruling overturned by a 3:2 vote (Murphy, Joseph voting no)

Commissioner Whitehurst followed up with a motion for staff to work to update the LDC to not require paved parking spots for food trucks, not just at this parcel, but for any other similar uses. Commissioner Taylor asked if something could be added for temporary usage. Growth Management Director Roberson shared that there IS a provision for temporary usage that can be applied.

The motion was clarified that the staff is being asked to come up with wording that recognizes Food Trucks are separate from other Commercial structures.

That motion passed 5:0.

You can watch the entire presentation and discussion here:

Full Agenda Item 1 presentation and discussion

Regular Agenda Item 2 – Golfway Center PUD – this was a “Request for a Major Modification to the Golfway Centre PUD (Ordinance 1997-67, as amended) to revise the MDP Map and MDP Text to allow the remaining development to occur on the property as either Commercial Retail and Commercial Office uses; revise the phasing schedule to a single 10- year phase; add Church and Large Places of Assembly as allowable uses; allow details of future buildings and associated development to be shown on Incremental MDP Maps; and eliminate the requirement to preserve the isolated wetland on site.The Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) heard this request at their regularly scheduled public hearing on April 2, 2026. The Agency recommended approval with a vote of 7-0. During the hearing, there were discussions regarding the traffic impacts to International Golf Parkway and impacts to the remaining wetlands located onsite.”

They requested 5 updates:

  • 221,032 sq ft of already approved Commercial Retail and Office uses to be located anywhere within the PUD.
  • Remove development acreage
  • Eliminate the requirement ot presereve the isolated wetland on site
  • Add Church and large Places of Assembly as allowable uses
  • Single 10 year Phase

After presentation and discussion at the Board, a motion was made to deny the request. That was approved 3-2, Whitehurst and Arnold voting no.

Regular Agenda Item 3 – Enclave at World Golf – “On August 5, 2025, the Board denied John Troy and Buffie Marie Hilberts’ request to rezone approximately 18.5 acres of land from Planned Unit Development (PUD) to Workforce Housing (WH). The property is located at 3740 Pacetti Road. The Hilberts filed a request for relief from the denial under the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act (“FLUEDRA”). FLUEDRA provides a means to potentially resolve disputes pre-suit through a special magistrate mediation and hearing process. The FLUEDRA special magistrate mediation occurred on October 29, 2025. During the mediation, the Hilberts presented a plan to reduce the number of units in their proposed development. The parties agreed that, contingent on Board approval, the Hilberts could proceed to a public hearing on their revised proposal. If the Board does not approve scheduling a new rezoning hearing, the parties will proceed to a public FLUEDRA special magistrate hearing regarding the August 2025 rezoning denial.”

The presentation and vote can be found here: Agenda Item 2

This was not a rezoning request but a consideration of whether to schedule it for a rezoning hearing or allow it to continue to a FLUEDRA hearing. No action was taken by the Board so it will continue to a public FLUEDRA hearing.

Regular Agenda Item 4 – Appointment the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) – Tom Turner was appointed to the AHAC with a unanimous vote

Commissioner’s Reports

Commissioner Arnold brought forth complaints being raised aboutstreet parking in Silverleaf and impacton school bus drop-offs. She requested and received consensus for staff to meet with SJSO and the School District to come up with solutions.

Commissioner Joseph recognized the loss of a long time employee at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Lodge, Sidey Austin. He was a part of the community and his loss is felt. She also brought up concerns about Home Rule. She referenced comments from Commissioner Whitehurst at a previous meeting and asked to form a task force to push back on home rule. As part of establishing the task force, she suggested firing the Lobbying firm, The Florida Group, because she felt they have not done enough to bring these type of bills to the attention of the Commissioners. She indicated that the lobbying group not providing information is probably a breach of contract. She also feels that there is a conflict of interest because the lobbying firm also represents clients who support items that the Commission is opposed to. After discussion, Administrator Andrews indicated that staff can and will look at the contract and advise if there are any items that would be considered a breach of contract.

You can watch Commissioner Joseph’s comments and the following discussion here: Commissioner Joseph Concerns about Lobbying Firm

Commissioner Whitehurst had no Report

Commissioner Taylor brought forward concerns about Data centers and the amount of water and electricity they can take. She asked that staff draft an ordinance to eliminate Data Centers from businesses that could qualify for economic incentives, tax exemptions or abatements. And additionally, she would like to have the LDC amended to limit zoning categories where these could be located. Commissioners Whitehurst and Murphy indicated they would like more information before such a vote. Commissioner Whitehurst asked for consensus for a presentation from staff on pros and cons of data centers. Consensus was achieved.

Commissioner Murphy had no report.

Administrator Report – Administrator Andrews shared information about the upcoming budget sessions beginning May 11. You can watch the Budget sessions on-line here: https://www.sjcfl.us/watch-govtv-live/

Attorney’s Report

Only item was to discuss who will be on the Canvassing Board this year. That will be Commissioners Murphy and Whitehurst.

If you are finding value in these updates, please subscribe to my blog so you get notifications when I publish an update. Feel free to share with others who may find value in the content.

Posted in BOCC, St. Johns County

Recap of Key Items from the December 2 Board of County Commissioner’s Meeting

Posted on by Beth Tate

Just when you think it’s going to be a short, routine Board meeting, surprises happen!

Tuesday began with recognition of Graduation of the third St. Johns County 101 Citizens Academy Graduation. County Administrator Andrews shared there are 150 people on the wait list for the program; and 29 in the current graduating class.

Check out the County Announcement about the class, with a link to the program information, at this site: Citizens Academy Graduation

Regular Agenda Items

Agenda Item 1 – Sebastian Oaks

“Request to amend the conditions of REZ 2023-16 (Ordinance 2024-09) to eliminate the requirement to construct a roundabout at the southern intersection of Old Lewis Speedway and Lewis Speedway and replace it with a condition that the developer shall adhere to St. Johns County’s standard requirement for proportionate fair share transportation mitigation, as outlined within Part 11.09.00 of the Land Development Code. The Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA) heard this request at their regularly scheduled public hearing on November 6, 2025. The Agency made a motion to recommend approval, which failed with a vote of 3-3. Support of the approval motion was made by members Spiegel, Matovina, and Perkins. Dissenting votes were made by members Olson, Hilsenbeck, and Labanowski. Member Green was absent. Discussion from the Agency members and the public was centered on the history of the project and the proposed roundabout that was included with the approval of REZ 2023-16 on 3/5/2024.”

This project was approved in March of 2024. One of the key elements in the approval was to include a roundabout for traffic calming on Lewis Speedway. The applicant is now requesting to eliminate the roundabout and pay the proportionate fair share transportation mitigation fee.

During discussion at the Board there were many questions raised about the location of the roundabout and if it would be appropriate to remove the roundabout and change back to paying the mitigation fees. There was a bit of confusion as some public comments were urging to not approve the project. This was not about the project – it is approved. It is only about the change on the roundabout. A motion was made to defer the discussion to the December 17 meeting to allow time to gather answers to the questions. The motion was approved 4:1 (Joseph.)

Details about the request are here: Agenda Item 1

Watch the presentation here: Video of Agenda Item 1

Agenda Item 2 – Second Reading – Amendment to Impact Fee Ordinance

This is second and final reading of the Impact Fee Ordinance. Details are at this link: Impact Fee Ordinance Change

This was approved 5:0.

Agenda item 3 – Second Reading of Ordinance amending the St. Johns County Park Ordinance, adding definitions; adding prohibition of smoking and vaping in St. Johns County beaches and parks; amending to include cigarette butts and vaping paraphernalia as defined litter.

Key Slides from the presentation:

Commissioner Whitehurst clarified with Attorney Lex Taylor that the State of Florida has a carveout for cigars so this ordinance will NOT apply to smoking cigars on the beach.

Motion to approve passed unanimously.

The remainder of the agenda items were quick discussions – you can watch the full meeting here: Dec 2 SJC Board of County Commssioners Mtg

During Commissioner’s Reports, discussions took an interesting turn.

Commissioner Murphy began with reading a prepared response to the accusations levied against him at the previous Commissioner’s Meeting. He ended his remarks with a motion to recall Commissioner Joseph as Board Chair and nominated himself for the position of Board Chair. Commissioner Whitehurst seconded the motion.

After Public Comment, Commissioner Joseph spoke in rebuttal to his comments and reiterated the concerns she raised in the previous meeting.

After more discussion at the Board, vote was cast 3:2 (Joseph, Taylor voting No) and Commissioner Murphy became the Board Chair for the coming year.

As usual, I do encourage you to watch the full discussion at this link rather than rely on soundbites and edited clips that may be out of context of the full discussion. Commissioner Murphy Comments and Discussion

After this surprising twist there was little else to be share by the Commissioners.

If you are finding value in these updates, please subscribe to my blog so you get notifications when I publish an update. Feel free to share with others who may find value in the content.

Posted in BOCC, St. Johns County

Key Takeaways from the November 18 St. Johns County Board of County Commissioner’s Meeting

Posted on by Beth Tate

Tuesday began with what is typically a straightforward agenda item — the annual re-organizational meeting of the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners. In recent years, however, this meeting has become less predictable, with outcomes that depart from long-standing practice.

Traditionally, the Vice-Chair has been elevated to the role of Chair, with the Vice-Chair position often assigned to a newer Commissioner as preparation for future leadership. Since 2023, that tradition has shifted. Commissioner Joseph, elected in 2022, did not serve as Vice-Chair during the 2022–2023 or 2023–2024 terms. For the 2024–2025 term, she was elevated directly to Chair, and newly elected Commissioner Murphy was selected as Vice-Chair. Many observers assumed this year’s reorganization would follow past precedent, with Commissioner Murphy moving into the Chair role and Commissioner Taylor potentially stepping into Vice-Chair.

Following the Invocation and Pledge, County Attorney Kommando outlined the procedures for the re-organizational meeting. Commissioner Taylor nominated Commissioner Murphy for Chair, and Chair Joseph nominated Commissioner Whitehurst. Chair Joseph then asked Commissioner Murphy whether he would support Commissioner Taylor for Vice-Chair; he responded, “No.” Chair Joseph stated that she could not support Commissioner Murphy for Chair.

Commissioner Whitehurst thanked Chair Joseph for the nomination but expressed a desire to uphold the traditional progression of Vice-Chair to Chair. He withdrew his name from consideration and indicated support for Commissioner Murphy.

Chair Joseph then asked Commissioner Whitehurst about his certifications and training as a Commissioner, specifically referencing Ethics training. She expressed concern that Commissioner Murphy had not attended the required training and therefore could not support him for Chair. Commissioner Murphy responded that he had completed the Ethics training over the summer, leading to additional discussion about the training and about his reasons for not supporting Commissioner Taylor for Vice-Chair.

Commissioner Murphy countered that he HAD attended the ethics training over the summer.

What followed was some debate about whether Commissioner Murphy had attended the training and why he would not support Commissioner Taylor for Vice-Chair.

During Public Comment a suggestion was made to keep the current chair. After Public Comment, the first vote was called for Commissioner Murphy. That vote failed in a 3-2 vote with the No votes being Taylor, Joseph, and in a surprise move, Commissioner Murphy himself.

Because Commissioner Whitehurst had withdrawn from consideration, Commissioner Taylor followed up on recommendations from Public Comment and nominated Commissioner Joseph to be Chair. During a long pause, Commissioner Joseph asked Commissioner Whitehurst if he was sure he didn’t want to do it; his response was to indicate he supported her for Chair.

That vote passed 3-2 with Arnold and Murphy voting no.

I encourage you to watch the discussion, public comments and following vote at this link: Re-organizational Meeting

The special meeting was adjourned and followed by the Regular Board Meeting.

Key Highlights from the Regular Board Meeting were:

Agenda Item 1 – Request to split precinct 209 and add precinct 214; reequst to reconfigure precincts 501 and 502 and add precinct 512 to allow for efficient operations on Election Day. Supervisor of Elections Vicky Oakes presented the request and it was approved unanimously.

Below are the new precinct lines. Always check with St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections for your voter status and current precinct information.

New Precinct 512
New Precinct 214

Agenda item 2 – Total Earned Unused and Undistributed Revenue – “In compliance with Florida Statute, 218.36, the St. Johns County Tax Collector, Jennifer Ravan, will present a report of unused earned revenue collected for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Please note that these unused revenues have already been estimated as part of the County budget process and therefore they do not necessarily represent additional County revenue.” This was approved unanimously.

Discussion on E-Bikes – Chair Joseph recognized Director Martin of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Department to address the Board about e-bikes. He shared they have made great progress with the educational piece. House Bill 243 (HB243) has been filed with our Representative Kim Kendall being a co-sponsor of the bill. Sheriff Hardwick is participating on a committee for the bill, sharing learnings from St. Johns County.

 Read the bill here: HB243 – E-Bikes

The Sheriff’s department has purchased e-bikes of their own so they can meet the riders where they are. The focus is to make contact with riders and educate them on safety rules when needed; holding accountable if necessary.

Watch the update here: E-Bike Update

Agenda Item 3 – this was a very lengthy request to “appeal the Planning and Zoning Agency’s (PZA) denial of a Special Use Permit to Section 2.03.26 of the Land Development Code to allow for the construction of a 150-foot monopole communication tower and support facilities within Open Rural (OR) zoning, located specifically at 1152 Fort Peyton Drive, came before the Planning and Zoning Agency for public hearing on July 17, 2025. The Planning and Zoning Agency denied the application with a vote of 6-0, Member Green was absent.”

Motion to deny the appeal was approved unanimously.

Agenda Item 4 – Epic-cure Warehouse “Request to rezone approximately 0.90 acres of land from Open Rural (OR) to Commercial Warehouse (CW) with conditions to provide consistent zoning across the overall 2.82 acre property. This request was heard by the Planning and Zoning Agency at their regularly scheduled public hearing on Thursday, October 16, 2025, and was recommended for approval by a vote of 5-0.”

This was also approved unanimously.

Agenda Item 5 – Project Dark Horse – a request to rezone approximately 11.86 acres of land from Open Rural to Planned Unit development for a 21,000 sq. ft. health/fitness facility and a 12,250 sq. ft. covered turf field on the north side of Greenbriar Rd. approximately 1.25 miles west of Longleaf Pine Pkwy.

There has been some publicity about this project as local basketball star turned ESPN broadcaster, Steffi Sorenson, is the owner of the project.

Watch her pitch to the Commissioner’s here: Dark Horse Request

The rezoning was approved unanimously. See coverage of the project here: Dark Horse News Coverage

We’ll now jump ahead to the Commissioner’s reports:

Commissioner Whitehurst offered Happy Thanksgiving greetings and shared his views that there are still many opportunities in this country  for those who work hard to succeed.

Commissioner Murphy asked for consensus to extend December 26th as a Holiday for the staff in addition to Christmas Day. County Administrator Andrews added that she was going to ask if the County could follow the Governor’s new additional Holidays, November 26th, December 26th and January 2nd. This was granted by consensus.

Commissioner Taylor shared about the recent opportunity to meet Judy Benjamin, an 81 year old Alzheimer’s Survivor who completed her almost 3000 mile walk by touching the water in St. Augustine Beach. Read more about Ms. Benjamin and her journey on her website, Judy Walks Website

She also shared about the successful start to Nights of Lights and success from improvements made to this years event. Learn more here: Night Of Lights

County Administrator Report

Administrator Andrews had 3 updates for the Commissioners. The first was a response to a request from Commissioner Taylor about LAMP Funding. They are still reviewing opportunities for additional funding including identification of possible grants in collaboration with state and federal agencies. Second was an update on the $200,000 approved for the food pantries – $117,000 has been disbursed to the 10 agencies approved thus far.

The 3rd update was presented by Jamie Locklear and Christine Valliere. In relation to the World Golf Village properties, the new owners of the Renaissance Hotel have announced a $20 Million renovation project. This shifts the negotiating position of the county considerably as there is now private sector investment coming into play for the adjacent properties. A motion was made to reject the current bids for the WGV properties in order to continue negotiations.

Deputy Attorney Lex Taylor gave a good explanation of the proposal. Watch it here: World Golf Village Motion Explained

The motion passed unanimously.

If you are finding value in these updates, please subscribe to my blog so you get notifications when I publish an update. Feel free to share with others who may find value in the content.