Board of County Commissioner’s Meetings are the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays each month at the County Auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View.
At 5:01 Time Certain will be a special meeting, the second required Public Hearing — St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners Adoption of Final Millage Rates & Budget for FY 2024
With only one proclamation next week, the meeting should move quickly into the Regular Agenda.
The full agenda can be found here: BOCC Agenda 9/19/23
There are 31 items on the Consent with some of particular interest.
Consent Agenda
Item 13 on the Consent Agenda is of interest to those who travel the 210 Corridor or have students at Beachwalk High School.
Bid No: 23-84 Construction of Traffic Signal CR 210 West at Badger Park Drive Intersection
“SJC Purchasing solicited sealed bids to construct a traffic signal at the intersection of CR 210 and Cumberland/Badger Park Dr. This signalization will occupy both the northwest and southeast corners of the identified intersection. The Contractor will be responsible for the installation of the signal and the necessary ITS with connections to the nearest adjacent signals. These adjacent signals being located at the CR 210 intersections of both Beachwalk Blvd. and Moon Bay Pkwy. All work is to be performed in accordance with the specifications and plans provided within the solicitation. The Bid was advertised in accordance with the County Purchasing Policy. Three (3) Contractors submitted bids, with the most responsive and responsible Bid submitted by American Lighting and Signalization, LLC, at a lump sum cost of $900,340.00. Staff recommends award of Bid No: 23-84; Construction of Traffic Signal CR 210 West at Badger Park Drive Intersection, to American Lighting and Signalization, LLC, as the most responsive and responsible bidder, and execution of a contract for the completion of the specified project at the total lump sum cost of $900,340.00.”
Read the info here: Consent Agenda Item 13
“3.1 Contract Time 3.1.1 Contractor shall commence the Work within ten (10) calendar days following receipt of the County’s Notice to Proceed and shall substantially complete all Work within two hundred ten (210) consecutive calendar days as may be extended pursuant to Paragraph 9.2 of this Contract. Final Completion shall be reached within thirty (30) consecutive calendar days after Substantial Completion.”
Consent Agenda item 19 is Authorization to Write Off Accounts Receivable Over One Year Past Due
“Sound accounting practice dictates that annually, the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners considers writing off delinquent Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Utility Services & Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s accounts that have been fully processed through the County’s collection system and therefore deemed un-collectible over one year past due. These accounts have generally been sent to collection agency and, when appropriate, reported to a Credit Bureau. Specific to Utility Services accounts, utility deposits are applied to a customer’s outstanding account balance. The percentage of EMS write-offs to current year collected revenues is estimated to be 10.9%. For Utility Services the percentage of write-offs to collected revenues is less than one-quarter of 1% of annual water and sewer sales. Additionally, the Clerk of the Court Comptroller’s office has requested to write-off uncollectible accounts receivable, returned checks and credit card transactions related to multiple BCC departments, and a General Fund bank reconciliation variance that has been identified largely by activities dating prior to FY 2015. Details regarding this request are included in the agenda back up information and net to $1,194.33.”
Details here: Consent Agenda item 19
Consent Agenda Item 20 – Schedule of County Fees
We often talk about Impact Fees and if builders and developers are being charged enough. This Agenda Item is the approval of County fees, everything from photocopying, library cards, beach access, rental of The Ampitheatre to Wastewater connection fees. And yes, in the middle of this schedule is the full table of Impact Fees (p. 25) charged for new construction.Details here: County Fee Schedules
Regular Agenda Items
Agenda Item 1 is in District 2, Elevation Pointe. The developer seeks to increase wetland impacts with a decrease in preserved wetlands, open space, and upland buffers. This was driven by the addition of a Publix supermarket as a tenant in the shopping center.
Presentation is here: Elevation Pointe
Agenda Item 2, also in District 2, is the Deer Run Road PUD. This is a request to rezone 25 acres of land from Open Rural to Planned Unit Development for 26 duplexes, total of 52 dwelling units. This was approved by the PZA with a vote of 3-2. There was much discussion about the added traffic on Holmes Blvd and Four Mile Road.
Presentation is here: Deer Run Road PUD
Agenda Item 3 is in District 5. A project called Whole 9 Yards is in the Airport District and seeks to rezone 1.37 acres of land from Open Rural to Industrial Warehousing. This was approved at the PZA with a vote of 3-2. Many residents spoke against this change because of the impact to their residential neighborhood.
Presentation: Whole 9 Yards
Agenda Item 6 is a combined public hearing item including the Approval of the 2023 Inventory List of Land available for Affordable Housing in St. Johns County and the available affordable housing strategies through the Live Local Act that passed in the 2023 Legislative session.
Presentation is here: 2023 Inventory of Land
“At the regular meeting on April 18, 2023 the Board requested information regarding SB102, aka Live Local Act (LLA). LLA is a statewide housing strategy designed to increase the availability of attainable housing options through multiple tools. Action is required on the affordable housing inventory list. Pursuant to section 125.379, F.S., the County shall prepare an inventory list of all real property within its jurisdiction to which the county or any dependent special district within its boundaries holds fee simple title which is appropriate for use as affordable housing. The Board of County Commissioners is required to review the inventory list at a public hearing and adopt a resolution approving the final list. The Board may consider making tax exemptions available through LLA for those new and existing affordable housing units meeting certain criteria. An ordinance would be required. LLA includes a preemption on development of affordable housing in commercial, industrial, and mixed-use zoning when 40% of rental units are developed according to density and height standards as specified in 125.01055(7) F.S. LLA also makes an discretionary option available to the Board allowing multi-family or mixed-use residential development consisting of a minimum 10% affordable units in commercial and industrial zoning (125.01055(6) F.S.). Staff seeks direction on further action on this option. LLA includes grant funding opportunities for affordable housing projects through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund statute.”
A review of the inventory list shows almost 300 properties, many of them in West Augustine, Elkton, and the Armstrong area. The question to ask is, what can be done to make this properties available for residents?
Agenda Item 7 is an update on the Category B Emergency Beach Berm and Contract Award for Butler Beach. Butler Beach Contract
Agenda Item 8 – Public-Private Partnership with SJC Cultural Events, Inc for Operations and Management of St. Johns County Cultural Events Public Private Partnership – SJC Cultural Events
Agenda Item 9 is the Second Reading of Proposed Amendments to the St. Johns County prohibited Holiday Activity Ordinance for Sexual Offenders and Sexual Predators. This is followed by Agenda Item 10, the Second Reading of the Proposed Amendments to the Child Safety Zone Ordinance.
Agenda Item 11 is a Proposed Settlement of Lupoli v. St. Johns County and Guilmar, LLC Litigation and Statutory Demand. This stems from a lawsuit filed by residents as a result of a decision made by the Board of County Commissioners in 2022. Settlement Proposal
Agenda Item 12 is to consider the proposed 2024 St. Johns County Legislative Action Plan. You can read the presentation here: SJC Legislative Agenda Proposal
Here are some highlights from the presentation:
Improve the Transportation Infrastructure
- East-West Corridors Upgrade State Road 16, County Road 210, State Road 208, State Road 207, and State Road 206 to provide traffic relief, improve connectivity, fortify hurricane evacuation routes, and enhance safety for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
- North-South Corridors Address overcapacity along US 1 and I-95 and strengthen connectivity between employment centers and residential communities by completing extensions of County Road 2209, State Road 312/313, and related connectors.
- State Road 16 St. Johns County requests $20 million in state appropriations to design and construct a new 4-lane divided roadway with a multiuse path from International Golf Parkway to I-95
Strengthening Community Resilience
- Fire safety improvements
- Beach stabilization and renourishment
- Youth Mental Health
- Changes in state laws around distance of commercial sales of nicotine products to schools
- Youth Sports
Sustaining Economic Prosperity
- Vilano Beach Street Improvements
- World Golf Village Hall of Fame site improvements
- School Capacity – importantly “School Capacity St. Johns County requests the Legislature identify and modify provisions of law and/or administrative rules that may limit the construction of new school facilities, or tie the authorization of construction of new schools to existing school capacity. Additional flexibility will facilitate strategic planning for high-growth districts.”
- Revisions to the Live Local Act. “Affordable Housing Compatibility Revise the Live Local Act to restore local government review of multifamily housing projects proposed for land zoned for commercial or industrial uses.”
- Hastings Water infrastructure
- Unfunded Mandates – “Request the Legislature oppose legislation that requires utilities to expend funds providing information, reports, or other documents to the State without providing a funding source for development of those reports. Specifically, the Legislature should pay careful attention to unfunded reporting mandates related to SB 712 (2020), HB 53 (2021), SB 64 (2021), and HB 1379 (2023).”
Protecting Natural and Historic Resources
- Historic Farming Communities
- Consider the City of St. Augustine as a location for the State Museum of Black History
Last item for the day is at 5:01 Time Certain and that is the second Public Hearing of the millage rates and 2024 Fiscal Year Budget.
“In accordance with sections 129.03 and 200.065 of the Florida Statutes, the Board of
County Commissioners (BCC) is required to hold public hearings to adopt its millage rates and budget for the next Fiscal Year (FY). Such hearings must be held after 5:00 PM if scheduled on a day other than Saturday. The September 19, 2023, 5:01 PM hearing date has been advertised in the St. Augustine Record. The Florida Statutes further prescribe the specific order for consideration of substantive issues to be discussed during the required public hearings. The first substantive issue of discussion must be the percentage increase in the County’s aggregate
millage rate over the rolled-back rate necessary to fund the budget. The rolled-back rate is defined as the aggregate millage rate that would generate the same level of prior year tax revenues less certain defined allowances (such as new construction). During such discussion, the general public shall be allowed to speak and ask questions prior to the adoption of any measures by the BCC. The BCC shall adopt by resolution its final millage rates prior to adopting itsfinal budget for FY 2024.”
Presentation can be found here: TRIM and 2024 Budget Presentation
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Beth Tate 
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