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
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
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.
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You never know what surprises will pop up at the St. Johns County BOCC meetings these days! And Tuesday did not disappoint!
The meeting began with a touching Proclamation Recognizing February 2025 as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Such an important topic anywhere but in St. Johns County this was brought home even more so with the incident involving the young lady who accepted the proclamation. Madison Schemitz was a victim of a brutal attack by an ex-boyfriend in 2023. She still carries the scars of that attack but has dedicated herself to spreading awareness about healthy and unhealthy relationships.
Commissioner Murphy asked for Consent Agenda Item 17 to be brought forward to the Regular Agenda for discussion. This item became Agenda Item 1a.
Regular Agenda
Agenda Item 1 – Constitutional Officers Update
SJSO reminded the public that if they get a call asking to pay a fine with gift cards, they do not accept gift cards for payments. That is a scam. And he urged parents to pay attention to what websites their children are visiting. TPC is coming so folks in that area are reminded of the traffic congestion that occurs during TPC.
And don’t forget the Battle of the Badges, a fund raising event started by Sheriff Hardwick. This is a family friendly event to raise funds for the Diamond of Dreams in the south part of the county. Learn more about it and buy tickets here: Battle of the Badges Event
Property Appraiser’s update included information that taxable value on the tax rolls is up 10.4% for the year. With recent changes in state law, homesteaded property is increased at 3% or CPI, whichever is lower. CPI this year came in at 2.9% so homesteaded property assessed value will increase by 2.9%. Deadline to file for homestead exemptions is March 1.
The Court of the Clerk introduced the Interim Inspector General to present the 2025 Audit Plan. The Full Audit Plan can be found at this link: SJC Audit Plan
Editorial Comment: As a former Chief Audit Executive, I appreciate the time and effort put into these plans and the transparency with the information. Frequently I see residents who are not familiar with Audit Standards and international Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) opine about what was or was not included in the audit reports. There is no evidence that St. Johns County is not adhering to standard audit practices.
Agenda Item 1a turned into the first surprise of the day. This was Consent Agenda Item 17 that Commissioner Murphy asked to move to the Regular Agenda for discussion.
This item was just to approve extension of the Grant Agreement for the funds to build the Shore Drive Trail.
As a reminder, this trail was approved by the County Commissioners on March 5, 2024. There was a public announcement of the project and the much lauded intent to honor the legacy of the late Commissioner Paul Waldron with this trail.
At the time it was approved, a survey had been performed and over 50% of the respondents had been in favor of the project.
Commissioner Murphy brought the item forward for discussion so the approval could be revisited. After more public comment and discussion, the approval to extend the grant agreement was denied. Because the grant was specifically to build the trail, those funds cannot be used to build a sidewalk in the area. This effectively killing the project that had been approved in March of 2024.
No Trail and No Sidewalk to address the safety issues voiced by the residents.
Agenda Item 2 – NonResidential Concurrency – “At the December 17, 2024 meeting, the Board directed staff to bring back an agenda item to consider the removal of the non-residential transportation concurrency exemption. Staff are returning with an ordinance and supplemental information for discussion and direction. This item will come back to the Board for a vote on adoption no sooner than February 18, 2025.”
Residents may have seen a news report on First Coast News last week that included some erroneous statements about this Agenda item. Commissioner Whitehurst asked if anyone from the news station had reached out to anyone at the County to confirm details in the story and they had not. Commissioner Whitehurst then asked a clarifying question about the statement in the article that commercial development is not paying any impact fees. Mr. D’Souza confirmed that is an incorrect statement, “everybody pays impact fees.” Commercial development is being assessed impact fees and paying impact fees.
Questions were asked about Buc’ee’s, Costco, and Wal-Mart not being included in assessments and paying fees. It was clarified that these trip counts were included in the DRI assessment for World Commerce Center and therefore did pay concurrency fees. This ordinance change being requested ONLY applies to commercial businesses outside of a DRI.
A question was asked about what would trigger a 100 trip threshold – response was a 10,000 sq foot day care center or a 25,000 sq ft medical office, or a fast food restaurant with a drive-through.
Commissioner Murphy asked if there had been any commercial development since the ordinance change in 2018 that would have triggered the concurrency fee assessment, and the response was that there had not been anything that large come through since 2018.
Commissioner Murphy shared that he would only be supportive of this if it protected the smaller businesses because the big box stores have the deep pockets and are going to come regardless.
He also asked for and received clarification that concurrency fees are paid up front by the developer and then that amount is used as a credit to buy down their impact fees that are paid at the time of construction. What that means is this is essentially a passthrough for big businesses but may be a barrier for a smaller business just trying to open up.
This is a complicated topic as there are components in the Comprehensive Plan and components in the Land Development Code. It is easy to get them confused. I do suggest you watch the presentation to hear the explanations from Mr. D’Souza.
What was clear during public comment is that most residents don’t understand that the big box stores are coming into areas of Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs) and they ARE paying the concurrency fees. This ordinance change would not impact those at all. From statements made it appeared that they did not hear the explanation that the big box stores WERE included in the concurrency fee assessments paid by the DRIs when they were approved and that they HAD paid concurrency fees.
Certainly no one anticipated a Buc’ee’s gas station when World Commerce Center was approved, but the developer DID pay concurrency fees at the time. This ordinance would have no impact on that or on the incoming Wal-Mart that was recently permitted.
There is also confusion about this one time FEE vs recurring TAXES that are paid by commercial and how this impacts the county’s revenue.
The motion to transmit this ordinance failed 3:2 (Joseph, Taylor)
Disclosure: As Chair of the St. Johns County Public Policy Committee, I did assist in the presentation of the Chamber’s opposition to this change. Our concern was the impact on our small businesses in the county that would not have been protected in this specifica ordinance.
Difference between Prop Share and Impact FeesProp Share (Concurrency)Impact FeesPermitting HistoryOrdinance Change
Agenda item 3 – Morning Side Drive. appeal PVZVAR 2024-02 Approval – This is a repeal of a Ponte Vedra Zoning Board approval of an impervious surface ratio to accommodate a swimming pool.
The motion to uphold the zoning ruling passed unanimously.
Agenda Item 4 – Ponte Vedra lakes Boutique PUD -this was a request to incorporate a smaller piece of property into an existing PUD. Approved 5-0.
Agenda Item 5 – This is for a LAMP acquisition of property on Bishop Estates Road.
Highly ranked by the LAMP Board in 2024, there are 2 parcels that will be acquired by the County. The larger area is under consideration with the North Florida Land Trust to work with the Bailey family to perhaps run a horse therapy operation and to place some of the land in conservation.
Lots under discussionAerial view of all plats under discussionProposed Usage of lotsPotential Future Use
This was approved 5-0.
The County Board recessed and the St. Johns County Community Redevelopment Agency convened.
Agenda Item 6 – Interlocal Agreement between the St. Johns County Community Redevelopment Agency and Flagler Estates Road and Water Control District. This item is to use Tax Improvement Funds (TIF) to support road improvements in Flagler Estates.
While in session as the CRA, Commissioner Murphy requested and received consensus to direct staff to present a utility cost funding item to address lighting infrastructure costs.
They reconvened as the Board of County Commissioners.
This was approved 5-0
Agenda Item 7 – Appointment of a St. Johns County Municipality member to the Northeast Florida Regoinal Council (NEFRC). Virginia Morgan of St. Augustine Beach was approved to replace former St. Augustine City Commissioner Roxanne Horvath.
Commissioner Reports
Commissioner Whitehurst raised concerns from residents of Shearwater who are requesting a sound wall to protect them from the noise of the coming First Coast Expressway. Commissioner Murphy suggested that the North Florida TPO could conduct a sound study to aid in moving this concern forward. By consensus this will move forward.
He also reminded folks about the Mobile Mammogram that will be at the Admin Building on February 25th.
And, congratulations to the St. Johns Golf Club for awards received from the PGA of America. Check out the Press Release here: St. Johns County Golf Club Recognitions
Commissioner Arnold – a big thank you to Senator Tom Leek for filing a bill to select St. Johns County as the location for the Florida Museum of Black History. Press Release is here: Bill to Support the Black History Museum
Commissioner Taylor – The second big surprise of the day came in Commission Taylor’s comments. She raised a concern about an email that she had received from a member of staff with allegations about inappropriate workplace behavior that had been ignored. In a surprising move, Commissioner Taylor read from the email specifics of the complaint. She stated that the complaint was public record since it was emailed to her. She indicated that the correspondence alleged it had been escalated to County Administrator Andrews and that she had failed to respond.
This is 2 meetings in a row that Commissioner’s comments include targeted complaints about the County Administrator.
Commissioner Taylor read from a document that had clearly been prepared earlier and asked for a vote to have an independent investigation. Commissioner Joseph joined in the discussion reading further from the email about the culture in the county. She also asked for consensus for a firm from outside the county to conduct an independent workplace investigator.
When Attorney Komando was asked if they could proceed with requesting an outside investigation, he took the opportunity to point out this email was most likely NOT public record as there exemptions that are in place to protect the employee from any type of disclosure. He informed the board that the county does have an outside firm that would handle these types of complaints.
Commissioner Arnold asked if they could get more information before making a decision as she hadn’t seen the email.
Commissioner Joseph suggested a 10 minute recess to allow everyone to read it as it is “in everybody’s junk mail.”
Commissioner Murphy asked if it was reported to HR and if HR had performed an investigation.
County Administrator Andrews advised that she would not comment on the specifics of the case out of respect for the parties involved but it had been addressed and proper actions had been taken with HR and legal counsel involved.
Commissioner Joseph pushed that the employee who wrote the email had not had a response in 5 months. Administrator Andrews advised that she would be happy to share the timeline but declined to hash it out in public.
Commissioner Joseph asked for consensus to have the outside investigator perform the work. Mr. Kommando advised that this is something that would be done anyway, they did not need the direction from the board.
As follow up to this discussion point, I requested a copy of the email, if it was indeed public record. I was advised by the County legal staff that it is NOT public record and is covered under Florida State Statute 119.071(2)(g)1, (k), and (n).
“(g)1. All complaints and other records in the custody of any agency which relate to a complaint of discrimination relating to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status in connection with hiring practices, position classifications, salary, benefits, discipline, discharge, employee performance, evaluation, or other related activities are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until a finding is made relating to probable cause, the investigation of the complaint becomes inactive, or the complaint or other record is made part of the official record of any hearing or court proceeding.”
“(k) A complaint of misconduct filed with an agency against an agency employee and all information obtained pursuant to an investigation by the agency of the complaint of misconduct is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until the investigation ceases to be active, or until the agency provides written notice to the employee who is the subject of the complaint, either personally or by mail, that the agency has either:
1. Concluded the investigation with a finding not to proceed with disciplinary action or file charges; or
2. Concluded the investigation with a finding to proceed with disciplinary action or file charges.”
“(n) Personal identifying information of the alleged victim in an allegation of sexual harassment or the victim of sexual harassment is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution if such information identifies that person as an alleged victim or as a victim of sexual harassment. Confidentiality may be waived in writing by the alleged victim or the victim. Such information may be disclosed to another governmental entity in the furtherance of its official duties and responsibilities. This paragraph is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2027, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.”
In a subsequent news story, the reporter indicated that someone had anonymously leaked the email addressed to Commissioner Joseph to the press. Let us hope that the investigation identifies who leaked the email as they would be in violation of the referenced state statute referenced above.
Commissioner Murphy shared that beginning 2/10 portions of Watson Road West will be closed and shared about the community meetings to discuss the closures.
Commissioner Joseph applauded Roads and Bridges in their timely response to resident’s complaints about potholes. She also raised a concern about Sprinter vans and how the ordinance can be changed to address these being classified as Recreational Vehicles.
Update on the county Attorney Search
After the first 30 days, the committed felt their pool was not large enough so advertised for an additional 30 days. They will close the advertisement on February 21. Interviews will begin March 5th with consideration by the Board hopefully by March 18th.
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What in the World Happened at the January 21, St. Johns County Board of County Commissioner’s Meeting!?!
You may be wondering that after seeing some of the local news headlines! Tuesday’s meeting was a 6 hour meeting that has had people talking ever since!
If you want to get to the newsmaking bits, you can skip to the Commissioner’s Updates.
Proclamations were back with a Proclamation recognizing January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Consent Agenda
Item 14 was pulled from the Consent Agenda and moved to the Regular Agenda.
Item 2 was pulled from the Consent Agenda because there was some documentation that needed updated before presenting to the Commission.
Public Comment (about an hour on Tuesday)
Theme of the day was concerns about the Indian Head Biomass facility and it’s impact on the surrounding communities. There have been complaints dating back many years about the operations at this facility.
After Public Comment, Commissioner Joseph advised that the County will look into the issues with Indian Head.
Regular Agenda
Regular Agenda Item 5 was moved to the February 18 Agenda.
Commissioner Joseph asked the Fire Rescue Chief to share with the public how St. Johns County is prepared for Wildland Fire prevention and Mitigation. Watch the presentation here:
Agenda Item 1A – Non-Exclusive franchise agreement to Hicks Rolloff and Recycling, LLC for the collection and transportation of non-residential solid waste. This was Item 14 from the Consent Agenda.
This evolved to a discussion on contractual language around ownership of companies doing business with the county. Currently the language in the contracts specifies that no County Commissioner, County Officer or County employee, directly or indirectly owns more than 5% of the total assets or capital stock of the Contractor nor will any such person directly or indirectly benefit by more than 5% from the profits or emoluments of the agreement.
Commissioner Murphy would like to make that more restrictive and that it should be no ownership. The County Attorneys will be reviewing the language and bring this back for discussion at the next Board Meeting.
Agenda Item 2 – St. Johns County Impact Fee Update Study. County Ordinance requires this be reviewed every 5 years. This is a topic that should be of interest to any resident concerned about development in the county. We frequently hear that we should charge higher impact fees, or that impact fees should be paying for the infrastructure improvements in the county.
This discussion is a great lesson in Impact fees; what they are, how they are calculated, and how they can be used. If you are interested in understanding, I highly encourage you watch the discussion and reference the materials for the study.
Note that Impact Fees are limited in how they can be used. They cannot be used to fund capital projects outside of the designated impact area.
Another important note is that Impact Fees are ultimately paid by the new homeowner. The Builder includes this charge in new home builds. Having built 2 homes in St. Johns County, I have paid that impact fee to the builder 2 times. The impact fee is not absorbed by the developer; it gets passed through to the initial homeowner.
Agenda Item 3 – World Golf Village Hall of Fame Update and Discussion – this was another interesting discussion item. What is probably of great interest to newer residents in the county is the history of the property and how we came to have this very complicated situation around the facility.
Agenda Item 4 – “This is the second reading and adoption hearing of a proposed amendment to the Ponte Veda Zoning District Regulations (PVZDR) Ordinance No. 2003-05, as amended; Amending Section IX.D,” off-street parking- General provisions” to modify San Juan Drive Parking Requirements and limitations. The first reading of the proposed ordinance was held at the 10/15/24 Board of County Commissioner meeting.”
Agenda Item 6 – “Request for a Large-Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment to change the Future Land Use Map designation from Rural/Silviculture (R/S) to Rural Commercial (RC) for approximately 120 acres of land, specifically located at 8000 US Hwy 1 South.”
This was approved 5-0
Commissioner’s Reports
Commissioner Whitehurst – A concern had been brought to him about county vehicles being parked at the courthouse and causing congestion and parking issues at the courthouse. Growth Management Director Mike Roberson advised this is related to construction. He will confirm they are using the spaces designated for their use during the construction. He recognized that a St. Johns County resident is the first female Chief of Staff and former Congressman Mike Waltz is now the National Security Advisor. He also attended the Field of Dreams opening day ceremony. This is a special needs field in District 1.
Commissioner Joseph surprised the room by reading a multi-page document critical of County Administrator Joy Andrews. During the 10 minute diatribe, she blamed Ms. Andrews for the FCC debacle, for not getting the 14-point tree ordinance implemented, the county recommendation to not raise the Impact Fees, the Comprehensive Plan (that we have not yet seen), employee attrition, and of being pro-developer in the execution of her duties. As she concluded, she indicated this was not personal but a concern for the good of the county. She ended by calling for a vote of no-confidence in Ms. Andrews. Commissioner Taylor seconded the motion.
The room was stunned.
By now you have seen some of the news coverage about this portion of the meeting. Local reporters had been alerted to tune in to the meeting for a big news moment. “Backfired” and “Tense Moments” were words used in the press to describe this portion of the meeting. As with some of her past prepared documents, there has been discussion in the community about who may have had a hand in writing the document for Commissioner Joseph to read.
I encourage you to watch it yourself and come to your own conclusions.
I’ll quote some of the residents who spoke up during public comment,
We can do better. The divisiveness has to end.
This has been the most transparent County Administrator we have had.
We have to stop being petty. Find a way to get along.
We need to stop and work together. Stop the pettiness.
Commissioner Whitehurst shared his opinion that the county has never had anyone of the caliber of Joy Andrews. She has spent an 18-year career growing in the county administration, beginning in the budget office. He pointed out that the Commission sets the policy and Ms. Andrews executes based on the direction of the Commission.
Commissioner Arnold reiterated that it was the BOCC that made the decision to hire FCC and it was not appropriate to blame Ms. Andrews for it. She expressed that this seems to be a very personal attack.
Commissioner Taylor supported Commissioner Joseph’s comments.
Commissioner Murphy agreed with Commissioner’s Whitehurst and Arnold that the blame should go to the Commissioners, not Ms. Andrews. He said he believes it is unwise to make a move of this magnitude and would not support a change.
Commissioner Joseph said she will not be quiet. She added a comment that of course she would not get along with Commissioner’s Arnold and Whitehurst because they voted against her for Chair in the first place.
Commissioner Joseph then called on Ms. Andrews for her report. Ms. Andrews was able to pull herself together after this 25 minute attack and discussion on her performance and give updates on the availability of cold weather shelters that would be open that night and potential disruption of services related to the icy weather coming to the northwest part of the county.
The Director of Human Resources provided an update on the County Attorney search. There will be open meetings as they proceed with the selection process. There have been 8 candidates who have submitted applications.
County Attorney Update
Legislative Session begins March 3.
Mr. Kommando demonstrated moral courage and shared that while it may not be in his best interest to comment, (as he is one of the 8 candidates for County Attorney) in his estimation, Ms. Andrews is one of the best County Administrators he has worked with. He added that many of the concerns raised were executed under direction of the Commission at the time. Ms. Andrews takes her input from the Commission and does not work behind the scenes for her own agenda.
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Let’s get caught up on what happened at the December County Commission meetings beginning with the December 3 meeting. The December 17 meeting will be published later this week.
This was the first meeting following the new agenda announced by Commission Chair Krista Joseph.
The meeting began with an invocation from a familiar face, former County Administrator Hunter Conrad. (Many residents may not know he is also a pastor at Turning Point Calvary Church.)
This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by former Tax Collector Dennis Hollingsworth. Mr. Hollingsworth was surprised after the Pledge by a commemoration of his 46 years of service to the county.
With no additions or deletions to the consent agenda, Public Comment was opened.
Commission Chair Krista Joseph read a prepared statement about restoring Public Comment to the beginning of the meeting. This is from the meeting transcript:
“NOW I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT PART. WE ARE GOING TO OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THAT ARE NOT ON THE REGULAR AGENDA. AND I JUST HAVE A QUICK STATEMENT TO READ REAL QUICK BECAUSE I’M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS BEING BACK. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A SPECIAL WELCOME TO YOU, THE PEOPLE, WHO ARE GIVING PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS MORNING.
IT HAS BEEN FOUR LONG YEARS YOU HAVE WAITED FOR THEM TO BE REMOVED TO THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING WHERE THEY TRADITIONALLY WERE. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO TAKE TIME OFF OF THEIR WORK TO GIVE THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT. I KNOW THIS CHANGE WILL INCREASE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. AND THAT IS WHAT I’M ALL ABOUT. TO INCREASE THE PUBLIC’S OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED IN THE GOVERNMENT AND DECISION-MAKING. IT IS IN THE SAME SPIRIT THAT I WANTED TO INVOLVE MORE VETERANS IN LEAVING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AT THESE MEETINGS.
SOME VETERANS WERE LEAVING THE PLEDGE MANY TIMES AND MOST VETERANS HAVE NEVER LET IT. SO I WROTE AN EMAIL TO JOY ANDREWS AND STAFF STATING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE VETERANS I HAVE NOT SEEN LEAD THE PLEDGE BEFORE LEAD THE PLEDGE. MY INTENT WAS TO SHOW HOW VETERANS LEADING ARMED FORCES CAN COME AND WORK FOR THE COUNTY AND SHARE THE EXPERTISE THEY LEARNED SERVING
AND PROTECTING OUR COUNTRY. NO ONE WROTE BACK ABOUT THE VETERANS COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT, OR I MOST CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE CONTACTED COLONEL DUDLEY FIRST. HE AND I HAVE SPOKEN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HIS CONTINUING ASSIGNING VETERANS TO LEAD THE PLEDGE. RESULT IN MORE VETERANS HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU, COLONEL DUDLEY. YOUR HARD WORK ON BEHALF OF OUR VETERANS.”
There had been a lot of information floating around the county about the decision to change who led the Pledge of Allegiance. A Public Records Request to the County yielded this email that Commissioner Joseph referenced in her remarks.
Chair Joseph email
It is possible that staff might have assumed that after 2 years of serving on the Commission, Commissioner Joseph was aware of the involvement of the Veteran’s Council in leading the Pledge at the Commission meetings and that is why it wasn’t brought to her attention. We don’t really know what happened there.
In a previous blog post I had shared concerns from Lt. Colonel Dudley about the changes that were made without discussion with him.
My Public Records request also yielded this email:
Chair Joseph email to Attorney
Why am I bringing these to your attention? Because during Public Comment, the controversy continued.
Public comment lasted 52 minutes and included remarks from many regular speakers who share their opinions during Public Comment at the Commission meetings. Some of these speakers had strong opinions about the press coverage and controversy around the changes in who would lead the Pledge. This was clearly a divisive issue and continued on into the December 17th meeting. Watch for my update about that meeting.
You can watch the Public Comments Section at this link:
This item is the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Appropriation. Presented by Jesse Dunn, our new Deputy County Administrator. In 2021 the US Department of Treasury launched the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under the ARPA Act of 2021. St. Johns County was allocated $51,409,434. These funds must be expensed by December 31, 2026. This amendment is being recommended in order to maximize the use of funding within St. Johns County by committing the dollars by December 31, 2024. The recommendation is to reallocate $2,187,252 to go into the Police Athletice League Project, the Diamond of Dreams in southwest St. Johns County. This would be an all-inclusive specially designed baseball/multipurpose field and playground for children of all abilities.
During Public Comment, residents spoke in support of the project. One resident asked if they could do something similar in the northern part of the county, apparently not realizing there is already the Field of Dreams in the northern part of the county. Commissioners Whitehurst and Arnold commented on the Field of Dreams that opened in Aberdeen Park in 2024 which is a a multi-use park including a baseball field for special needs children of all needs. This has been a great addition to the North part of the county and it is wonderful to see that the South part of the county will have a similar benefit as this was approved 5-0.
Learn more about the Field of Dreams at Aberdeen Park here:
Agenda Item 2 – Intergovernmental Affairs Director Adam Teccler presented the proposed 2025-2028 St. Johns County Funding and Advocacy Roadmap – the list of priorities to secure financial resources and other support from our State and Federal Representatives. Once approved, this will be presented to the State Legislative Delegation for consideration.
An abbreviated version of the presentation was provided during the session. You can see the full version at this link: Funding and Advocacy Roadmap
County Road 2209 – upgrading the roadway from State Road 9B to County Road 210 and extending the Central Segment of CR 2209 from SR 16 to CR 208
Airport infrastructure – request for matching state funds for a road network and site preparation to support a 440,000 SF Aviation and Aerospace Complex.
World Golf Village I-95 Interchange – requesting FDOT to incorporate capacity upgrades to the I-95 to IGP interchange
Protect State Road A1A
County Road 210 and State Road 312 – Expedite upgrades to CR 210
Trails and Greenways – Orangedale to Mickler Trail, River to Sea Loop I-95 Overpass, and the North A1a Trail to the Duval County Line
Countywide Rail Safety
Feasibility Studies
Community Resilience
Septic to Sewer & Water Projects
Deep Creek Watershed improvements
Resilient Florida Program Modifications
Other Critically Vulnerable Assets such as International Golf parkway realignment, stabilization of Porpoise Point and elevation of Jack Wright Island Road
Commissioner Whitehurst brought up an item he has been pushing for since his first year on the board and that is to overturn the vaping shop preemption that does not allow a local government to create a minimum distance between a school and a vape shop. This has been a concern for many parents along Race Track Road in the northern part of the county as there is a vape shop directly across the road from Durbin Creek Elementary School. Because of this preemption, the county was not able to stop the vape shop from being permitted. The Board agreed to add that to the priority list.
Commissioner Joseph asked if there was any upcoming legislation about the use of electric bikes on sidewalks, speed, helmets, and age restrictions. Mr. Tecler is going to research that item for the Board.
The list was approved 5-0
Agenda Item 3 – Growth Management Assistant Director of Transportation Dick D’Souza presented the 2025 Roadway and Transportation Alternatives list of Priority Projects (LOPP).
The common theme of public comment on this topic was the need for public transportation in St. Johns County.
Agenda Item 4 – a Change order the Master Contract for the Design of Intersection & Widening Improvements for SR 16 & IGP to San Giacomo Road.
Questions were asked by the Commission about the increased costs and also about the impact fee reductions. Great explanation of how this works and what was behind the decisions in the past.
Please watch the entire presentation and exchange of comments afterward at this link: Agenda item 4
Agenda Item 6 is the Presentation on Destination marketing Management Services. In November the Tourist Development Council (TDC) voted to forego presentations and proceed with award based upon the evaluation scores from the submitted proposals. After several questions and good discussion within the Board this passed 4-1 (Joseph.)
Agenda Item 7 – the Colee Cove Hamlet – a small scale comprehensive Plan amendment to change the Future land Use Map designation for approximately 45.8 acres of land from Rural/Silviculture to Residential-A. This includes a text amendment to limit the property to 11 single family residential dwelling units.
The current tenant is Rayonier who recently harvested their timber crop. That generated a lot of interest in the community.
Commissioner Joseph asked if the property owner was going to clear cut the trees. The owner explained that he did not own the trees, that is up to Rayonier.
There is a 35 ft Development edge required but Rayonier could choose to take all their trees down and it will have to be replanted.
Many of us have been interested to learn over the years that many of the trees we love in this county are part of the silviculture industry. That means that the owner is always harvesting and replanting these trees. They are not meant to be permanent parts of the environment. Once you learn about the silviculture industry locally, you start to recognize the tree farms as the pine trees are in wonderfully straight and symmetric rows, not like random natural tree growth. See if you can identify the tree farms on your local commute!
This was approved 5-0.
Agenda Item 8 – the Summer Haven Managed Retreat Project. This is a request for staff to submit a grant agreement to Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) while they continue to pursue match funding.
This was approved 5-0.
Commissioner Reports Commissioner Whitehurst met with the group at Horse Play Therapy and asked for consensus for Adam Tecler to work with this nonprofit to identify grant funding they could receive to support their work.
He also asked the Director of Growth Management to address concerns about the new Wal-Mart proposed at World Golf Village. The development was approved in 2003 with a number of entitlements for commercial development. This would use 180,000 sq ft and there would still be 290,000 sq ft approved and available for commercial development.
The question was asked about what could be done to legally stop the Wal-Mart from being built. The County Attorney clarified that any attempts to stop it would expose the county to “significant liability” for the cost incurred.
Commissioner Whitehurst also expressed opinion about changes to the agenda including appreciation that the Board would continue proclamations and presentations. He asked that legislative and Infrastructure updates to the agenda as these were valuable updates for the public to understand what was going on in the county.
Commissioner Arnold referenced the passing of Greg White’s wife, a pillar of the community.
Commissioner Taylor asked questions about the Comp plan and Attorney Kommando offered to work with her offline on that topic. She also asked about evening meetings. The County Attorney indicated they would have to waive board rules to schedule an evening meeting.
Editorial comment – considering this meeting lasted almost 5 hours – would an evening meeting go until after midnight?Would staff have to be paid overtime to participate in these meetings? Would the applicants be willing to stay until after midnight for their item to be heard?Or would these evening meetings also have thier agendas restructured so they are shorter meetings?
Commissioner Murphy asked for consensus for staff to bring back potential options for the Summer Haven area.
Commissioner Joseph re-visited the World Golf Village traffic concerns. She wanted to know if there was a way to put a pause on development in that area. She also shared that she had talked to Mr. Kommando and he is interested in applying for the job of county attorney. She asked if the staff could do a job search and make a decision by February of 2025. The motion for the search was approved 3-2 (Arnold and Whitehurst) to do a nationwide search for attorney with the hope that Mr. Kommando would rise to the top of the applicants.
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Tuesday will be the first meeting following the new format announced by Commissioner Joseph.
The new format is:
Call to Order by Chair
Roll Call by the Clerk of the Court
Invocation
Pledge of Allegiance
Deletions to Consent Agenda
Approval of Consent Agenda
Additions/Deletions to Regular Agenda
Approval of Regular Agenda
Public Comment
The stated goal is to get to the business of the county more quickly. Legislative updates and Public Safety updates will now be available via Press Releases and Social Media posts. That means you will need to follow the St. Johns County social media pages and check them regularly in order to get these updates going forward. Or, you can request to get the Press Releases sent to you or check the St. Johns County website for their Press Releases.
Another change is the movement of Public Comment from a time certain 11:30 and limited to 30 minutes to the beginning of the meeting. Commissioner Joseph stated at the November meeting that public comment would not be limited. This could be lengthy as sometimes there have been 25 or more people lined up to speak for public comment. If limited to 3 minutes per person, Public Comment could go over an hour before getting to the business of the county.
First on the Regular Agenda is “American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Appropriation.” St. Johns county has received ARPA funding and it must be committed/allocated by 12/31/2024. This is a request to reallocate the final funds that will not be expended by the deadline. Materials are here: Agenda item 1
Item 2 on the Agenda is the “2025-2028 St. Johns County Funding and Advocacy Roadmap.”
This is the list to prioritize funding requests from state and federal resources. Included in the list are:
Agenda Item 3 is the 2025 Roadway and Transportation List of Priority Projects.
The full list can be found in the presentation materials here: Agenda Item 3
The Roadway Projects are here:
Roadway projects
Agenda item 4 is a Change Order to an existing Master Contract with England Thims & Miller, Inc., for the Design of Intersection & Widening Improvements for State Road (SR) 16 at International Golf Parkway (IGP) to San Giacomo Road.
More details on the Change Order can be read here: Agenda Item 4
Agenda Item 5 is Silverleaf DRI Road Impact Fee Agreement Modification. Impact fee modifications are often misunderstood and anything related to Silverleaf seems to be a lightning rod for public comment.
Details about this modification are here: Agenda Item 5
Agenda item 6 – This is an item related to the Tourism Development Council and awarding a contract for Destination Marketing Management Services.
For background, at the November 18 meeting of the Tourist Development Council, the TDC voted unanimously to forego presentations, as elected by the evaluation committee, and to proceed with award based upon the evaluation scores from the submitted Proposals. The TDC is an advisory council of the BOCC and their vote is provided as a recommendation for BOCC consideration. In the RFP, there was an option conduct Presentations as a second stage of evaluation, as determined by the Evaluation Committee. The majority of the Evaluation Committee agreed that conducting presentations as a second stage of evaluation was appropriate to make the final decision. The Presentations and Evaluation Meeting has been scheduled for December 6, 2024.
The Board has two options: 1. Vote to forego presentations and proceed with award based upon the scored Proposals as recommended by the TDC; or 2. Vote to continue with the presentations and then proceed with award based upon the total scores in accordance with the RFP.
Details and the scorecards are in this link: Agenda Item 6
Watch the video of the Tourism Development Council meeting here: 11/18 TDC Meeting
Agenda Item 7 is as Small Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment for Colee Cove Hamlet. This is to change the Future Land use of approximately 45 acres from Rural Silviculture to Res A for the purpose of building 11 residential units.
Agenda Item 8 is the Summer Haven Managed Retreat Grant Agreement.
“During the 2023 Legislative session, the County sought and was awarded funding for the Summer Haven Managed Retreat Project (the “Project”). The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has grant funds appropriated in the amount of $5,000,000 under Legislative Line-Item Grant (FY23/24) Project L2313 – St. Johns County Summer Haven Managed Retreat. The $5,000,000 is recognized and appropriated in the FY25 Land Management budget. The grant agreement requires a one-to-one match and staff is pursuing opportunities to fund the match through grant funding. For this item, staff is requesting approval to execute and submit the grant agreement to FDEP while the County continues to pursue match funding. If grant funding is not available, staff will bring back an item for Board consideration to appropriate local funding as properties become available for purchase and/or through the Fiscal Year 2026 budget process.”
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Beth Tate 