BOCC – Page 4 – Beth Tate

Key Takeaways from the September 16 BOCC Meeting

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Beth Tate

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.

You can watch the full discussion here: Agenda Item 1 – Impact Fees

And the backup documentation is here: Agenda Item 1 – Impact Fee Documentation

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.”

Read the back-up materials here: Robinson Improvements

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

You can watch the presentation here: Agenda item 3 – World Golf Hall of Fame

Read the presentation here: Agenda Item 3 – Backup Materials

Key slides are below:

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.”

Watch his comments here: Commissioner Whitehurst Comments

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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As it becomes clear who is running in 2026, i will be providing links to their websites and FaceBook pages so you can follow them, learn more about them, and make up your own mind. Links will be posted to the right on my blog page. If you see links I should add, send them over.

Recap of the June 3 St. Johns County Board of County Commissioner’s Meeting

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Beth Tate

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.

Watch the ceremony here: Graduation Ceremony

Learn more about the program here: SJC 101 Citizens Academy

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

You can watch the workshop here: 2050 Comp 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.

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.

Regular Agenda Item 3 – Constitutional Officers’ Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Presentations

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.

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.

Watch the presentation here: SJC Sports Complex

Agenda Item 6 – Proposed E-Bike Ordinance – discussion item

Watch the video here: E-Bike Discussion

Draft Ordinance is here: E-Bike Ordinance

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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BOCC, Comprehensive Plan, Uncategorized

May 20 St. Johns County BOCC Meeting – Change in Time!

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Beth Tate

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.

The full agenda can be found here: May 20 Agenda

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.

You can read the full red-lined version at this link: 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update

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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BOCC, Budget, St. Johns County

What’s Ahead in St. Johns County the week of May 5

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Beth Tate

There is no shortage of public meetings of importance to the county next week. Let’s take a look at the most critical.

Budget Meetings

Budget season for St. Johns County begins in earnest next week with scheduled presentations of departmental budgets.

County Administrator Joy Andrews released a newsletter last week sharing how to listen in to the Budget process. The Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Disclosure Series begins next week and everyone can watch and ask questions!

These meetings are meetings between the Operational Department leaders and the County Administrator, reviewing their “proposed levels of service and requested funding need to accomplish those service goals and operations.”

Between May 8 and May 13, 2025, each County department will be presenting their operational needs and priorities. If you’ve ever wondered how they come up with these numbers or where the money goes, this is great opportunity to watch the process!

Each session will be broadcast live and recorded so you can watch in real-time or later. They will also have available public viewing areas if you want to be “in the room”.

The meetings will be held at the St. Johns County Administration Building, 500 San Sebastian View in St. Augustine. There will be limited seating in the conference room for in-person attendance and additional space in the auditorium where they will broadcast the meetings live. Or you can watch from the comfort of home on GTV. Link here: St. Johns County GTV

If you have feedback or questions, you can email the team at budget2026@sjcfl.us

If you are interested in specific topics, here is the line-up:

May 8 – 1:00 – 5:00 PM

Health & Human Services
Office of Performance & Transparency
Purchasing and Contract Management
Economic Development
Public Works and Solid Waste

May 9 – 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Building Services and Code Enforcement
Growth Management
Medical Examiner
Utility Services

May 9 – 2 – 4:30 PM

Health Department
Administration/Board of County Commissioners/Office of Management & Budget
Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
Office of Public Affairs

May 12 – 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Library Services
Parks & Recreation
County Attorney
Management Information Systems

May 12 – 2 – 4:00 PM

Community Partners

May 13 – 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Public Safety
Human Resources and Risk Management
Agricultural Extension Services
Veterans Services

May 13 – 2 – 5:00 PM

Facilities Management
Land Management
Emergency Management/Coastal Management/Disaster Recovery
Tourism and Development

Learn more about the process here: 2026 Budget

Besides the Budget series beginning next week, there is the regularly scheduled BOCC meeting. There are some interesting topics on the agenda and I’ve already seen some mis-representation on social media. Before you plan to show up about a specific topic, learn more about what will be presented.

Let’s walk through the Agenda.

Regular Agenda Items

Agenda Item 1 – Tidal 210 – Request to rezone approximately 65 acres of land from Commercial Highway and Tourist to Planned Unit Development for the development of a maximum of 297 townhome units. This was heard by the PZA and failed with a 3:3 vote (Labanowski, Hilsenbeck, Speigel voting no.

Background materials can be found here: Tidal 210 PUD

Agenda Item 2 – Comprehensive Plan Update: Population Projections – the vendor supporting the process for the Comprehensive Plan was instructed to use Medium Population projections for the County as they prepare the Comprehensive Plan. This is their assessment.

Materials are here: Comp Plan Update

Agenda Item 3 – Amendment to the Irrigation Ordinance regulating the consumptive use of water for landscape irrigation. Proposed change will bring St. Johns County Utilities in conformity with best practices suggested by the St. Johns River Water Management District’s goals for water conservation.

The amended section is here (change in red):

Section 5. Exceptions to Landscape Irrigation Schedule. Landscape irrigation shall be subject to the following irrigation schedule exceptions:

A. Irrigation using a micro-spray, micro-jet, drip or bubbler irrigation system is allowed anytime.

B. Irrigation of new landscape is allowed at any time of day on any day for 30 days immediately following planting/installation and every other day for the next 30 days for a total of one 60- day period, provided that the irrigation is limited to the minimum amount necessary for such landscape establishment.

C. Watering in of chemicals, including insecticides, pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides, and herbicides, when required by law, the manufacturer, or best management practices, is allowed at any time of day on any day within 24 hours of application. Watering in of chemicals shall not exceed ¼ inch of water per application except as otherwise required by law, the manufacturer, or best management practices.

D. Irrigation systems may be operated at any time of day on any day for necessary maintenance and repair purposes not to exceed 20 minutes per hour per zone.

E. Irrigation using a hand-held hose equipped with an automatic shut-off nozzle is allowed at any time of day on any day.

F. Discharge of water from a water-to-air air-conditioning unit or other water-dependent cooling system is not limited by this Ordinance.

G. The use of water from a reclaimed water system is allowed anytime unless restricted by a utility provider for operational needs as permitted by law. For the purpose of this paragraph, a reclaimed water system includes systems in which the primary source is reclaimed water, which may or may not be supplemented from another source during peak demand periods.

Agenda Item 4 – Amending the SJC Utilities Ordinance – Second Reading

“During a recent Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) inspection of the Utilities Pretreatment Program, it was discovered that the current Utility Ordinance did not give delegation authorization from the Utility Director to the Pretreatment Coordinator. It was also noted that the Ordinance did not define a timeline for reviewing data and issuing or denying Pretreatment permits. These minor amendments (pages 42 and 52) to the Utility Ordinance will address the changes FDEP requested during the Pretreatment inspection. First Reading was held April 1, 2025.”

Agenda Item 5 – Rezoning SR 207/Helen Road Commercial – Request to rezone approximately .97 acres of land at 180 State Road 207 from Residential, Manufactured/Mobile Home to Commercial Intensive. The applicant intends to develop the overall site to include office, self-storage and flex warehousing.

Materials are here: Agenda Item 5

Agenda Item 6 – 1235 S. Winterhawk Drive – Request for a Non-Zoning variance to allow for an access easement within a platted subdivision

Agenda Item 7 – FLUEDRA Mediation update: Robinson Improvement Company – This is an item that needs to be understood in it’s entirety. I’ve seen encouragement to show up on Tuesday to tell the BOCC to deny this request. That is not one of the options for Tuesday. Read on.

“On November 5, 2024, the Board denied Robinson Improvement Company’s request to rezone 2,763 acres to PUD (PUD2024-09). The property is located north of County Road 214, south of County Road 208, and between I-95 and County Road 13A. Robinson Improvement 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 special magistrate mediation occurred on March 28, 2025. During the mediation, Robinson Improvement presented a revised plan providing more site detail, including a neighborhood commercial component. The parties agreed that, contingent on Board approval, Robinson Improvement could proceed to a public rezoning hearing on the revised plan. If the Board does not approve scheduling the new rezoning hearing, the parties will proceed to a public hearing before the special magistrate regarding the FLUEDRA request.”

Relief is being sought by the developer under FLUEDRA, aimed at resolving the dispute between the developer and the county without litigation.

You can read the FLUEDRA statute here: FLUEDRA Statute

There are two options for the Commission on Tuesday:

OPTION 1: Motion to rehear PUD2024-09 and authorize the scheduling of a public rezoning hearing complying with public notice and advertising requirements.

OPTION 2: Take no action and allow the matter to proceed to a public hearing before the special magistrate.

Note that there is no option to deny the development at this meeting. Either it gets scheduled for another rezoning hearing or no action is taken, allowing this challenge to go before the special magistrate.

This article in the Jacksonville Daily Record lays out some of the details: Agrihood – Second Chance

The full agenda for Tuesday can be found here: May 6 BOCC Agenda

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BOCC, St. Johns County

Recap of the April 15, 2025 St. Johns County Board of County Commissioner’s Meeting

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Beth Tate

The meeting began and ended with important discussions that highlight the on-going discord with the current Board of County Commissioners. Residents have expressed their desire to see some of these disagreements put aside so the Commissioners can get on with the business of the County. Read on for more information.

Mental Health Awareness Month

Commissioner Sarah Arnold presented the Proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Month. Accepting the proclamation were representatives from families and organizations working with Mental Health issues in the community.

Watch the Proclamation presentation here: Mental Health Awareness Month

Learn more about two of the organizations at these links: Patients not Prisoners and SMA Healthcare

As someone who has seen first hand what mental health struggles can do to a family, I’m grateful for organizations like these and the Proclamation for Mental Health Awareness.

Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

The second proclamation of the day was for National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Appropriately presented by Commissioner Murphy, who began his law enforcement career in this field, this proclamation recognizes the work done by the dedicated folks who answer the call to 911, handling over 414,000 incoming and outgoing calls in St. Johns County last year.

You can watch the presentation here: Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

There were no additions or deletions to the Consent Agenda and it was approved.

Regular Agenda

Regular Agenda Item 1 – Request for Reimbursement of Attorney’s Fees.

Commissioner Joseph is requesting reimbursement of her attorney fees incurred when she filed suit against the Florida State’s Attorney and the County Commissioners. See the slides for more details on the events.

Following her attorney’s presentation, Commissioner Joseph asked if she was ever going to be put in jail. The attorney responded that at one point there were law enforcement vehicles outside her home in early morning hours and that caused her to worry that there would be a predawn raid. The attorney contacted the State’s Attorney’s office to discuss arranging a surrender for her arrest so that her husband would not be left without care. The State’s Attorney would not have the discussion.

Commissioner Taylor made a motion to move funds from the General Reserve fund and approve the amount of $139,005 in attorney’s fees for Commissioner Joseph. Commissioner Joseph seconded the motion.

After public comment, there were questions from the other Commissioners. Some of the questions and answers are paraphrased here:

Q – Has Commissioner Joseph paid this bill?

Answer – No, she still owes the attorney so the request is for the county taxpayers to pay the attorney’s fees for Commissioner Joseph

Q – What gave Commissioner Joseph the impression that there was going to be a pre-dawn raid?

Answer – There were law enforcement cards idling outside her house in the pre-dawn hours an that gave her concern. There was never any verification about why the law enforcement cars were outside of her home and never an arrest. She did believe they were there at the direction of the State’s Attorney’s Office.

Q – Why is Commissioner Joseph pursuing the County to reimburse her rather than the State’s Attorney’s Office which was pursuing the prosecution after the County Commissioners were dismissed from the lawsuit.

Answer – She is seeking reimbursement because these were fees incurred as part of her public duty.

Commissioner Murphy noted during discussions that the taxpayer is getting the bill both ways – to defend the Commissioners and to reimburse Commissioner Joseph for her fees.

Commissioner Murphy questioned the amount being requested and referred to an amount of $110,242 that had been deemed to be a “reasonable fee” and said he would support an amended motion for that amount. He would not support the total requested without an itemized bill for that amount.

Commissioner Arnold also asked about itemized bills and questioned the request being a reimbursement when the bill has not yet been paid. She would like for the topic to come back with more information in the request.

Commisioner Taylor amended her motion to $110,000, it was seconded by Commissioner Murphy and passed 3-2 with Arnold and Whitehurst being the No votes.

You can watch the presentation here: Agenda Item 1 – Reimbursement of Legal Fees

Agenda item 2 – The Shell at St. Augustine -a project to benefit local arts, culture and heritage organizations, provide a pathway to sustainability for the participating non-profits, increase tourism dollars for St. Johns County and enrich quality of life for local residents.

The organization has funding to build the building and are looking for a location to build. Consensus from the Board was for staff to work with the organization to help finding a location for this facility.

Watch the presentation here: The Shell

Agenda item 3 – Dog and Bog withdrawal of request. The applicants have determined they cannot develop the project and have located a local partner, Habitat for Humanity of St. Johns County, who are in discussions to purchase the project. Habitat for Humanity CEO Malinda Everson confirmed that Habitat is in the due diligence phase of moving forward with the purchase.

(Disclosure: I currently serve as the Treasurer on the Habitat for Humanity Board and did vote affirmatively to move forward with this purchase, dependent upon the outcome of the due diligence.)

Agenda Item 5 – change order to Phase 1 Design-Build Agreement for Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Design-Build services for Silverleaf Fire Station #22 and Sheriff’s Operations Center. This was an item to process a change order to include Early Works in the project at a cost of $2,288,800. Approved unanimously

Agenda Item 6 – Amendment for Early Works packages for Central Community and Community Sportsplex Parks. Approved unanimously

Agenda Items 7– Appointment to the Housing Finance Authority. Robin Pfalzgraf was appointed unanimously.

Agenda Item 8 – County Attorney Agreement for Legal Services.

After discussion on the agreement and minor modifications, it was approved 3-2 (Taylor and Joseph being no votes.)

Once approved, Commissioner Joseph expressed her concern about signing the contract without confirmation that there would be no criminal repercussions. Attorney Kommando indicated there was no reason he knows of that she could not sign the agreement but if she were uncomfortable, she could delegate to someone else. She stated that is what she would do.

The agreement can be found here: County Attorney’s Legal Agreement

You can watch the video here: Discussion on County Attorney Agreement

Commissioner’s reports

Commissioner Whitehurst – Congratulations to the Gators on recent athletic wins. Very impressed with his tour of Saint Augustine Youth Services (SAYS) and recommended all commissioners should take that tour. Learn more about SAYS here: SAYS Website

Commissioner Whitehurst also shared a recap of his recent visits to Tallahassee and all the legislators he met with while in Tallahassee pursuing actions and funding on behalf of St. Johns County.

And concluded with Happy Easter to all those who celebrate

Commissioner Arnold – Also shared an update on the visits to Tallahassee. Taking off her Commissioner hat for a moment, she spoke about bills moving through the House and Senate right now that could potentially result in loss of funding to special programs in St. Johns County included IP, AP, AICE, CTE and Dual Enrollment programs. She encouraged all parents to do their own research, come to their own conclusions and reach out to the legislators if they are so inclined.

Commission Taylor – Shared an update on her visits to Tallahassee. She asked for clarification about the bill related to funding for the IGP and I-95 interchange. Senator Leek had pointed out that this item was number 6 on the priority list and she wanted clarification to Senator Leek that it is one the County’s Top priorities. She talked about a letter requesting the funding and wanted to include in the letter that the county is requesting $10 Million dollars in federal funding.

See previous post about the requested appropriations for IGP and I-95 improvements here: Florida Legislative Appropriations Process Blog

Commissioner Murphy – Shared he was wearing his Autism Awareness hat he got while attending a recent Re-Certification class with Old Town Trolley Tours.

He asked for consensus to direct staff to review some standing committees that have been inactive for some time. This will come back to the Board as an Agenda item.

He also talked about the trips to Tallahassee and the importance of the Commissioners going to Tallahassee and developing relationships that will allow them to bring home more money from Tallahassee. In order to meet the goal of a tax rollback, the county must have money from Tallahassee.

Commissioner Joseph raised a point that when they were in Tallahassee, Commissioners Arnold and Whitehurst were meeting with the legislators separately from Commissioners Joseph, Murphy, and Taylor. This devolved into a bit of a debate between Commissioners Joseph and Whitehurst that is worth watching at the link below.

Commissioner Joseph asked about updating the letter to Senator Leek about funding for the IGP-I-95 exchange. County Administrator Andrews explained that there are very careful discussions with Congressman Rutherford’s office about what that number might be and they do not want to submit a number that has not been agreed to by his office. (Again reference the process outlined in the link to a previous blog post above.)

Commissioner Joseph also sent Happy Anniversary wishes to her husband on their 35^th Anniversary on April 16.

Watch the Reports here for more context and detail: Commissioner’s Reports

County Administrator’s Report

Administrator Andrews expressed appreciation to the Board for Rich Kommando’s contract and expressed that this is the most impressive legal team they have had at the county during her tenure. She also had the Director of Growth Management Mike Roberson provide an update on the Comprehensive Plan timeline.

Administrator Andrews provided an update on the situation with Indianhead Biomass. A letter was issued to the business with code violations. The county is working with them to address the violations. She shared that the company does provide a valuable service to the county as they are the only vendor who addresses our biomass collection. They are still awaiting results of a study to determine if the odor violates current standards but are also talking with the company to bring down the odors.

County Attorney’s Report

Attorney Kommando pointed out to the Board that there are more than Appropriations of concern in Tallahassee this session including bills concerning condo associations and local preemptions. Deputy Attorney Kealey West thanked the Board for the decision about Attorney Kommando, commenting that he has been here for a year, guiding through a tumultuous time and they office looks forward to his continued leadership.

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