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.)
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Tuesday had the very meaty topic of Impact Fees on the Agenda along with several other items. You can watch the entire meeting at this link: September 16 BOCC Meeting
The blog update today will focus on the 3 most critical items of the day and cover an overarching them of the day; turn down the temperature.
Commission Chair Krista Joseph was absent and Commissioner Whitehurst served as Vice-Chair for this meeting. No comment was provided about why Commissioner Joseph was absent although there were hints in closing remarks of the day.
The Meeting opened with a Proclamation Recognizing Constitution Week.
In public comments there were calls to be more civil and to be kind in remarks. This popped up a few times during the day.
Agenda Item 1 – Impact Fee Schedule Update
Please take the time to watch the discussion on the Impact Fees. Impact Fees are widely misunderstood. Soundbites presented on social media are often inaccurate. This was pointed out during the discussion on Impact Fees. Do your own research. Don’t rely on social media posts that may sound confidently correct.
There is a new Conservation Impact Fee that was proposed. All the Commissioners were in favor of the Conservation Impact Fee. However, there are still questions lingering. They wanted to understand these questions before raising the fees to the maximum allowed under state law.
Commissioner Whitehurst recommended cutting it in half, with the idea that it could be raised in the future, to give people time to get accustomed to the new fee. If we think this through, there are probably already developments in the works that have built their budgets and plans based on current fee structures. They will need to adjust for this additional fee.
There was also discussion to clarify some misunderstanding about how to set impact fee rates.
Commissioner Murphy indicated he was comfortable that the proposed impact fee increases would satisfy the concerns about paying for new development without going to extraordinary circumstance.
There was consensus to go with the 50% increase and not follow the Extraordinary Circumstances
Commissioner Whitehurst then took the time to address some erroneous information that had been spreading on social media. Watch what he had to say and the explanations here: Commissioner Whitehurst’s Comments on social media posts
Specifically he was addressing some comments that Commissioners had lowered impact fees in 2018. Director Roberson addressed the misunderstandings about what had happened in 2018.
In 2018 the Board chose to implement maximum impact fees. They also chose to ease the transition to the new fees by implementing only 75% of the maximum fees for the first year, from March of 2018 through the end of 2018 (about 9 months.) However, in 2019, the full impact fee kicked in. And in 2019 they implemented the 40% buy down for non-residential impact fees.
Affordable Housing Waiver – 50% reduction for housing built for residents with 80% of AMI
Consensus was reached to apply the Affordable Housing Waiver
Eliminating the Non-Residential Buy-downs
In 2018 the Board established a maximum rate for impact fees and implemented a “buy-down” program for commercial development. The intent was to create incentives for more commercial development in the county and help shift the reliance on residential for Property Tax income. It has not achieved the desired result and the ratio of residential to commercial remains about the same; 85% residential to 15% non-residential. After some discussion confirming that they could still issue economic incentives on a case by case basis, they agreed to eliminate the buy-down.
It was pointed out in the closing discussion on the dais that Impact Fees are NOT borne by the developer but by the end user, the purchaser of the home. Impact fees are paid by the builder, and they passed on to the initial buyer of the home. That increases the cost of a new home for residents in the county. This does not create a scenario of the Developer paying for new construction.
In public comment following the impact Fee discussion, a point was raised that the Commissioners seemed to be listening to each other and having positive dialog on the item in a positive change from recent meetings. Appreciation was expressed for this change in tone during discussion.
Agenda Item 2 – Robinson Improvement Company land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act – “On November 5, 2024, the Board denied Robinson Improvement Company’s request to rezone 2,763 acres to PUD (PUD2024-09). Robinson Improvement filed a request for relief from the denial under the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act (“FLUEDRA”). Pursuant to FLUEDRA, the parties mediated the dispute and agreed to ask the Board to schedule a new rezoning hearing. The Board declined. The parties then proceeded to a public hearing before Special Magistrate J. Michael Traynor. Special Magistrate Traynor issued his Report and Recommendations on August 19, 2025. FLUEDRA now requires the Board to consider accepting, modifying, rejecting, or not taking action on the Report and Recommendation.”
Discussion among the Commissioners resulted in Commissioner Whitehurst making a motion to postpone to seek more information. There was a 2-2 vote which is a technical denial meaning the item will now come back before the board for a hearing.
Agenda Item 3 – Presentation of Phase 1 Proposals for the World Golf Hall of Fame
The Board voted to move both proposals to Phase 2 for consideration.
While there were several other items on the agenda Tuesday, these were the most critical items and I’ll jump to the Commissioner’s Reports to wrap up the day.
Commissioner’s Reports
Commissioner Taylor shared that she has gained consensus from St. Augustine Beach to support a letter to congress regarding funding for the Guana Preserve. And she shared information about the joint meeting she had with Sheriff Hardwick on the topic of e-bike safety. Sheriff Hardwick and Representative Kendall are pursuing state level legislation around e-bike safety. She also revisited concerns about Nights of Light funding and a desire to have more accountability for how the money is spent. She wanted to form a task force to address these concerns. More information is needed before that can move forward as legal will need to review and make recommendations.
Commissioner Whitehurst reported he is headed to the Innovation and Policy Conference. He has been appointed to be Vice President on the Water and Environmental and Sustainability committee. He will be working with other counties on best practices before the upcoming legislative session. He also took the time to raise concerns about rising violence over the past year the rising number of people willing to justify killing in the name of politics. He brings this forward because he is shifting to a stance to begin bringing forward when people are being ugly and threatening in their rhetoric and asked to “lower the temperature and be more respectiful.”
Commissioner Arnold invited all to the Ceremony to celebrate the Black History Museum at 9:00 on Thursday. She also thanked Commissioner Murphy for a smooth, productive and drama free meeting noting that the people in the room and watching could feel and see the difference.
Commissioner Murphy made a motion to provide 10 – 12 loads of available milling asphalt to the American Legion on Pearl Street. Approved 4-0. He also added his own comments piggybacking on Commissioner Whitehurst’s comments about the heated rhetoric. He is also concerned about the uptick in rhetoric that purports to violence on the political scene. His concern is that we should be able to discuss differing opinions if not peacefully, nonviolently.
County Attorney’s Report
Attorney Kommando only asked to keep Commissioner Joseph in your prayers.
Commissioner Murphy added that while respecting her privacy, please keep Commissioner Joseph in your prayers for health.
Editorial Comment: Tuesday’s meeting was noticeably calmer, with repeated reminders to treat one another with respect. Many left hopeful that civility could finally replace the constant conflict.
Yet, instead of honoring that call, some voices online have chosen to double down on personal attacks and spread inaccurate claims. In the meeting itself, Commissioner Joseph’s privacy was respected and prayers were offered for her health. The suggestion that anything else was said is simply false — and continuing to stir anger only harms our community.
With the 2026 election ahead, St. Johns County deserves better than agendas driven by outrage. We need conversations rooted in truth, not distortion; in collaboration, not division. Turning down the heat is how we protect our county’s future and ensure decisions are made with clarity and respect.
Because in the end, progress doesn’t come from tearing each other down — it comes from connecting people and solving problems together.
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The June 3 BOCC meeting was another long day and one full of overwhelming positivity and support!
The day began with a Retirement Recognition of Timothy Pugh, Fire Rescue Engineer. It is always heartwarming to see the outpouring of thanks for a first responder as they retire from the force. You can watch the recognition here Fire Rescue Retirement
Following that recognition was the Graduation of the Saint Johns County 101 Citizens Academy class of 2025. This is a new program started by County Administrator Joy Andrews and has been a great success. I spoke with a couple of the class members before the meeting began and they were so impressed with what they learned! They theme I heard was how much more appreciation they had for the dedicated and hard working county employees that we take for granted every day.
Commissioner Whitehurst made a motion to move Agenda Item 1 (2050 Comprehensive Plan Workshop) to the end of the meeting.
Commission Chair Joseph was opposed to moving the item to the end because of its importance to the county’s future. She recognized that many in the auditorium were there to speak either in support of or against County Administrator Joy Andrews (Item 2 on the Agenda was discussion on Ms. Andrews contract.) Commissioner Joseph said it would be better for people to speak about that topic in Public Comment so they could keep Agenda Item #1 where it was on the agenda.
The Regular Agenda was approved as is and the Board moved into Public Comment. You can watch the full Public Comment here: 0603 Public Comment
Public Comment went on for almost 2 hours with 32 speakers (including myself) speaking in support of Ms. Andrews in her role as County Administrator. Four of the speakers brought up the very negative social media attacks and indicated they need to stop. Three speakers urged the Board to start working together in a more collegial manner.
By the conclusion of this Public Comment, it was close to lunch time, so recess was declared before getting into the Regular Agenda items.
Regular Agenda Item 1 – 2050 Comprehensive Plan Workshop
I’ve included some key slides but do encourage you to watch the very important discussion on this topic. You’ll get a much better understanding of the proposed changes by watching rather than looking for key sound bites.
ScreenshotScreenshotScreenshotScreenshot
Agenda Item 2 – Board Discussion on the Terms of County Administrator’s Contract
Commissioner Whitehurst had asked that this be put on the Agenda following conversation at the May 20 evening meeting. He was concerned that some of the questions and commentary about Ms. Andrews at that meeting occurred at 10:00 at night and wanted the opportunity to have that discussion in the next meeting where more people could have visibility to the discussion.
Ms. Andrews was given an opportunity to explain her application for the position of County Administrator in Palm Beach County. In short, based on feedback she had recently from the board, she was concerned about the long term prospects of her role here in St. Johns County. She felt she had to make the right decision to be able to support her family so she applied for the other role. In response to the reaction from the public, her staff, and her children, she reconsidered and withdrew her application. St. Johns County is her home and she wants to continue her role here.
The discussion and additional public comment are here: Agenda Item 2
Again, I encourage you to watch for yourself to gain an understanding of the concerns and responses.
Commissioner Whitehurst offered his concerns about maintaining the stability of the staff in the County and made a motion to extend Ms. Andrews’ contract for 6 years. Commissioner Murphy countered with a 3 year extension.
Commissioner Murphy shared that in the months he has been on the Board he has heard nothing but accolades and he is fully supportive of Joy.
Commissioner Joseph commented that she hadn’t seen goals accomplished by Ms. Andrews, including not having landed the Black History Museum that was not voted on by the State Legislature as Commissioner Arnold reminded the Board.
Public comment from residents included a speaker on behalf of the St. Johns County Firefighters who are in full support of Ms. Andrews There were 4 other speakers supporting Ms. Andrews and more admonitions about the negativity on social media and requests for the Board to work together.
The Contract extension was approved 3:2 with Commissioners Joseph and Taylor being the no votes.
Tuesday’s presentation was from the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller and the Property Appraiser. It was pointed out that the budgets of the Tax Collector and the Property Appraiser are approved by the State Department of Revenue, not the local Commission, as their budgets are fee based. They are not required to submit their budgets to the county but the Property Appraiser has elected to do so. The Sheriff and Supervisor of Elections will be presenting their budgets at the June 17 Board meeting.
It was noticed that TRIM notices are scheduled to be mailed August 15 to the 181,000 Taxpayers in St. Johns County.
Property Appraiser BudgetClerk’s Budget
Agenda Item 4 – O’Hara Family Property – Public Hearing to vacate a portion of Poinsettia Road Right-of-way. Little discussion on a minor request, approved unanimously.
Agenda Item 5 – SJC Central Sportsplex – this request is for a Non-Zoning Variance to allow for a County Park to utilize Scenic Edge standards, to allow for reduced performance standards in a portion of the Development Edge, and to allow for overflow parking within the scenic Edge. The site is at the corner of County Road 16A and Timberwolf Trail. Approved unanimously.
There was robust discussion on the item; I encourage you to watch the discussion including the exchange with Director Martin from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
Director Martin shared that SJSO has been reallocating manpower to educate students and issued a Call to Action to parents. They talked about the importance of working with HOAs to create new rules and regulations within their communities to assist with the issue, as well.
The overarching concern was the ability of SJSO to have the manpower and resources to enforce some of the proposed elements in the Ordinance.
The item concluded with consensus to draft a resolution about the education and enforcement of existing laws for e-bikes. This will come back to the Board for additional discussion.
Agenda item 7 – Adoption Hearing for a Comprehensive plan Amendment needed to comply with Section 163.3177 of the Florida Statutes related to the 2023 North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan.
“This is the adoption hearing for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to amend Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the St. Johns County 2025 Comprehensive Plan in order to comply with Section 163.3177, Florida Statutes, with the issuance of the 2023 North Florida Regional Water Supply Plan. The statute requires local governments to amend their Comprehensive Plans to include selected projects from the updated regional water supply plan and to update its Water Supply Facilities Work Plan, adopted by reference in the Comprehensive Plan. The amendment was brought before the PZA on March 6, 2025, for a motion to recommend transmittal to state agencies for review. There were minor comments and questions from Agency members along with one public comment on aquifer withdrawal. The Agency subsequently voted unanimously to approve the motion. On April 1, 2025, the amendment was brought in front of the BCC for a motion to transmit to state agencies for review. Staff answered questions from the Chair on alternative water supply projects that the County has selected. In addition, a public comment was discussed on gray water availability for reuse. The BCC subsequently unanimously approved the motion to transmit. The amendment was sent out for state agency review on April 4, 2025. No substantial comments or concerns with the amendment were received from the state agencies by the 30-day deadline. Staff intends to bring the amendment to the PZA again on May 15, 2025, for a recommendation to adopt and will verbally advise the Board of any issues or questions asked.”
This was approved unanimously.
Agenda Item 8 – “Adopting and approving the final schedules of rates, deposits, charges, fees, and costs relating to the use or availability of water, wastewater, and reclaimed water services pursuant to the St. Johns County Utility Ordinance for FY2025, creating a single set of rates for the North Beach and Main System and establishing an effective date.”
Approved unanimously
Agenda Item 9 – Appointments to the Planning and Zoning Agency due to the resignation of Elvis Pierre. Commissioner Joseph made a motion to appoint Bob Olson. She indicated her support for Joe McAnarney but felt the rest of the Board would not support him so she wanted to put forward Bob Olson. Commissioners Whitehurst and Arnold asked if Dick Williams couldn’t be discussed.
Commissioner Joseph indicated she felt Mr. Olson would be fair and objective. He was approved 4-1 with Commissioner Arnold being the no vote.
Agenda Item 10 – Appointment to the Industrial Development Authority – Susan Phillips was the recommended appointee and approved 5-0.
Commissioner’s Reports
Commissioner Joseph shared a video from about Veterans Village. You can watch the video here: Veterans Village
Commissioner Whitehurst invited Misty Dzion to share about the loss of her son that led to the enactment of Connor’s Law, requiring truck drivers to be proficient in the English Language. Watch her presentation here: Connor’s Law Presentation
Commissioner Taylor asked for consensus for the County to send a letter of opposition to SB 180, asking that Governor DeSantis veto the bill. That bill includes more local preemption language. Commissioner Arnold shared that she had already reached out to members of our local delegation “who have unanimously voted yes” on this bill. She was reluctant to sign on to this letter when our entire delegation had voted in favor of it. Commissioner Whitehurst added that he had spoken with Senator Leek and Representative Kendall about the bill. In their view this bill helps people get back in their homes more quickly. While he also disagrees with parts of the Bill, he was also reluctant to sign onto the letter asking Governor DeSantis to veto a bill that our state delegation had voted to pass. Commissioner Joseph stated she would be sending a letter to Governor DeSantis asking him to veto it because she is concerned about the trees.
County Administrator’s Report – Ms. Andrews congratulated the staff on receiving the 2025 Urban Deal of the Year from the Florida Economic Development Council for the Publix pharmaceutical manufacturing facility to be built on 210. The project is planned to open in 2026 and will bring 400 new jobs with a salary over $100,00. Learn more about the project here: Urban Deal of the Year
She asked for, and received, consensus to promote a St. Johns County Day for the 2026 Legislative Session.
County Attorney’s Report – reminder that financial disclosure reports are due at the end of the month and announced the promotion of Kealey West to Deputy Attorney.
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Since the 2024 election we’ve heard about the desire to try an evening Board of County Commissioner’s meeting to give more people the opportunity to attend.
Well – that time is here! The May 20 BOCC meeting will begin at 5:00 PM in the Auditorium or you can watch on GTV, here: Link to GTV
Be prepared for a late evening. It usually takes an hour or more to get to the Regular Agenda, depending on how many people participate in Public Comment at the beginning of the meeting.
There are only 3 items on the Regular Agenda, a Non-Zoning Variance, review of the Comprehensive Plan, and review of a Reclaimed Water Meter Fee in Beacon Lakes.
Interesting to see that one of the most impactful conversations of the year for the Commissioner’s will be on the agenda, Item 2, the review of the Comprehensive Plan update. This is a discussion only item with no vote scheduled on Tuesday evening.
We’ve already seen 2 Commissioners voicing their opposition to the plan on social media and asking people to show up at the meeting to express their opposition. You may want to read the proposed changes yourself before deciding if you agree or disagree.
For those not familiar with a red-line – you can see in red the proposed changes, omissions, modifications, deletions. It is a lengthy document, 289 pages, so be prepared to take some time to read it!
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Beth Tate 