[1. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:13]
FEBRUARY 1ST, 2022, CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP.
PLEASE CALL THE ROLE MADAM CLERK.
MAYOR, HERE. COMMISSIONER ROSS HERE.
COMMI COMMISSIONER STURGES HERE.
COMMISSIONER LEDZ HERE. >>> IF YOU TURN YOUR CELL PHONES TO AIRPLANE, SILENT OR OFF, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. WE ARE STILL UNDER COVID 19 CDC GUIDELINES, THE INFECTION RATE, THE LATEST FIGURES I SAW THE IN COUNTY IS 30% LAST WEEK, SO TAKE WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS. OF COURSE, AS VICE MAYOR, WE WILL BE NICE TO ONE ANOTHER. ALL RIGHT.
[3.2 LAND CONSERVATION]
WITH THAT, AT THE REQUEST OF THE VICE MAYOR, I'M GOING TO MOVE ITEM 3.2 TO THE TOP OF THE DISCUSSION LIST.LAND CONSERVATION, THIS ITEM WAS PLACED ON THE AGENDA AT THE ADVICE OF VICE MAYOR KRIEGER, VICE MAYOR, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR,
I PUT THIS ON, THIS IS A GOOD NEWS EVENT AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT AND THERE'S MORE ACTION TO BE TAKEN. DALE, IF YOU WOULD PUT UP THE FIRST SLIDE, PLEASE. THAT'S THE THIRD SLIDE.
AH, THAT'S IT. SO THIS WAS IN 2019, THIS WAS THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP. SO THAT 42% OF THE PROPERTY OF CITY IN FERNANDINA BEACH WAS NO CONSERVATION 17% OR IN
RECREATION. >>> WHAT COLORS ARE THOSE?
>> TWO GREEN COLORS. >>> OKAY.
>>> SINCE 2019, THE CITY HAS PURCHASED 20 ACRES OF PROPERTY AND REZONED FUTURE LAND USE 100 -- IF YOU PUT UP THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 129 ACRES.
SO YOU'LL SEE THIS IS A BRIEF, I SENT THIS OUT TO THE COMMISSION.
IT IS 129 ACRES SO SINCE 2019 UNTIL TODAY WE HAVE ADDED APPROXIMATELY 150 ACRES TO CONSE CONSERVATION. THAT ACTUALLY EQUATES TO HALF A GREENWAY, THE GREENWAY IS ABOUT 300 ACRES.
THAT'S A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY.
IN ADDITION, NOW YOU ALL KNOW WE JUST REVISED OUR LAND CONSERVATION ORDINANCE SO THERE'S DIFFERENT PROCEDURES, THE COUNTY ALSO HAS WHAT'S CALLED THE COUNTY LAND ACQUISITION CLAM PROGRAM. THE CITY HAS NOMINATED 100 PIECES OF PROPERTY TO THAT PROGRAM.
BASICALLY THIS. AND THE TREE CON SERVEANTSY HAS 159 PROPERTIES. AND THERE ARE ALSO PRIVATE NOMINATIONINGS. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, I WAS THE FIRST CITIZEN TO PUT IN ANY NOMINATIONS.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY COUNTY PROPERTY.
ONE OF THEM WAS THE HARRIS TEETER PROPERTY.
CONSTANTLY WE HEAR BUY MORE LAND, OR ACQUIRE MORE, AND THAT IS THE GOAL. THIS IS TO SHOW WHAT WE HAVE DONE. IT IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT WHEN YOU HAVE ADDED 150 ACRES IN TWO YEARS.
ONE INTERESTING THING WAS THE ACQUISITION ACTUALLY WE HAD A DONOR, AN ANONYMOUS DONOR WHO CAME UP WITH $150,000 WHICH OFFERED TO MATCH, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH THE PUBLIC ONLY MATCHED 26,500, SO THAT'S THE CONSERVATION.
SO AS CHIP WOULD SAY, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? WHAT'S THE GOAL? THE GOAL IS TO MOVE FORWARD CONSISTENT WITH OUR NEW ORDINANCE, THAT IS TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL LAND, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED LOTS OF LAND, OUR ORDINANCE DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANYTHING OUT OF THE COUNTY, I'LL TELL YOU I THINK WE WILL.
WITH THE POPULATION AND THE VOTERS ON THIS ISLAND, I WE WILL
[00:05:03]
GET THIS WHEN THEY START ALLOCATING THE CLAN MONEY.WORKING AGGRESSIVELY WITH LANDOWNERS WHICH MAY BE A VIABLE PURPOSE, WHICH I THINK THERE'S ONLY $100,000 LEFT IN THE FUND AND TO ALSO WORK ON CONSERVATION EASEMENTS IF WE CAN.
BUT THE PURPOSE OF THIS WAS TO IN FACT JUST TO SHOW THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE SAY WE NEED TO MAKE MORE, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS.
ONE INTERESTING POINT ABOUT THIS IS THAT WE'RE PROBABLY CLOSE TO 50% OF THE PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF THE TAX ROLES.
SO THERE ARE IMPLICATIONS TO THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE MAINTAIN OUR LEVELS OF SERVICE AND WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAME UP WITH VISION, IN 20 MILLION DOWNTOWN AND 20 MILLION FOR BUILDINGS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WATCH WHAT WE'RE DOING AS WE MOVE FORWARD, SO THAT'S IT.
>> OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER ROSS, I THINK I HEARD UNDER YOUR BREATH 258,000.
COMMISSIONER ROSS: WHERE IS THE CLAIM MONEY COMING FROM?
>> I THINK THEY WILL PROBABLY DO A REFERENDUM.
COMMISSIONER ROSS: SO IF THEY DON'T RAISE IT THROUGH A BOND THERE'S NO MONEY. MAYOR: THE POINT IS WE JUST POSITION OURSELVES TO ALL OF THE OPTIONS.
>> AND THE NORTH FLORIDA LAND TRUST, WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT? MAYOR: I MAY BE INCORRECT ON THIS, BUT I THINK I'M RIGHT.
AND WE APPROVED A HALF MILLION AND AT THAT DISCUSSION THE LAND TRUST WAS LOOKING AT A $4 MILLION TO RAISE MONEY.
WE NEVER GOT THERE. WE GOT THE $800,000 AND THEN WE HAD SOME CONFLICTS WITH SOME OTHER ISSUES.
WE HAVE ENGAGED THE LAND TRUST, ANOTHER RESOLUTION THAT THEY BECOME OUR AGENTS IS WHAT THEY CALL IT, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO REENGAGE THEM TO SEE IF WE CAN WORK CLOSER WITH THEM FOR LAND IN IN AREA. I DON'T THINK THAT MOST OF THE LAND THAT WE REALLY FITS INTO THEIR GOALS, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD, AND I THINK WE HAVE. I THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO THEM,
AREN'T YOU? >> THE NORTH FLORIDA LAND TRUST BOUGHT LITTLE TIGER ISLAND AND JUST BOUGHT THE LAND AND THE DUNES. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
>> BUT I THINK THEY CAN HELP US
>> AND THEY WILL. >> SO THAT'S IT.
[3.1 STAFF REORGANIZATION]
>> ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT? SEEING NONE. WE'LL MOVE TO 3.1.
VICE MAYOR. MAYOR: THIS IS GOING TO BE REAL BRIEF, REAL BRIEF. WHEN WE ARE REORGANIZED IN OCTOBER AND CHANGED STUFF AROUND, THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME CONFUSION WHO IS DOING WHAT AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND CONFUSION WAS AT THE TOP AND WHAT AREAS WERE ASSIGNED TO BE AND I TALKED ABOUT THAT AND I THOUGHT WE WERE MOVING ON PRETTY GOOD. SO I WAS GOING TO DROP THIS OFF.
THEN I WENT OUT AND ASKED FOR JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND LOW AND BEHOLD COME TO FIND OUT THAT WE DON'T HAVE A JOB DESCRIPTION FOR DIRECTED UTILITIES AND WE HAVE NEVER HAD ONE.
THERE ARE ALSO SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THE STRUCTURE, ALTHOUGH THE BUDGET BOOK DOESN'T DEFINE WHAT THE STRUCTURE IS, YOU KNOW, THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME CONFUSION, SO ALL I WANT TO SAY IS THAT -- YOU HAVE TO SAY THIS IN PUBLIC, BECAUSE WE CAN'T TALK TO EACH OTHER, THAT I THINK IT IS IMPERATIVE AND I KNOW THEY ARE WORKING ON IT, THAT WE HAVE JOB DESCRIPTIONS THAT DESCRIBE WHAT THEY DO. WE CAN'T POSSIBLY EVALUATE PEOPLE AND THEY ARE WORKING ON IT, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IT IS NOT ALL GOOD NEWS ALL OF THE TIME.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS REORGANIZATION POSSIBLE CONFUSION AND THE LACK OF A JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE DIRECTOR OF
UTILITIES? >> WELL, YES, IT TURNED OUT THAT WE DON'T HAVE A JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES, THINGS APPARENTLY WORKED OUT FINE AND WE ARE AWARE OF THAT SHORTCOMING AND IT IS NOW BEING ADDRESSED.
AS FOR CONFUSION, IT HAS BEEN MADE REMARKABLY CLEAR ON MANY
[00:10:04]
OCCASIONS AS TO WHO REPORTS TO WHOM.SO I THINK THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED.
>> THANK YOU, SIR. ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT? ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS? I HAVE ONE THAT COMMISSIONER ROSS I THINK HAS PIGGYBACKED ON AND THAT IS FOR MY TENURE SITTING ON THE COMMISSION I HAVE ASKED FOR BETTER DEFINED SUBJECT LINES ON AGENDAS.
AND THIS RAISED ITS HEAD AGAIN WHEN THE PUBLIC -- WHEN WE POST THE AGENDA AND THE PUBLIC READS STAFF REORGANIZATION AND THAT'S ALL IT SAYS, WELL, WHAT ABOUT STAFF REORGANIZATION.
ARE THERE ANY SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS.
SO, AGAIN, I WOULD ASK THAT WE HAVE -- WHEN YOU SUBMIT A WORKSHOP ITEM, PLEASE A SIMPLE PARAGRAPH OR HALF PARAGRAPH OF WHAT SPECIFICALLY IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO ADDRESS IN THE SUBJECT WOULD HELP THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT AT THE WORKSHOP AND I WOULD ALSO ASK FOR A CONSENSUS IS OF FOLLOWING THE REGULAR AGENDA RULES OF SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS BY THE DEADLINE THEY ARE DUE. THAT WAY WE ALSO HAVE THE ADJOINING DOCUMENTS WITH THE WORKSHOP ITEMS.
COMMENTS? >> SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT
GOES ON THE TUESDAY PACKET? >> YES, SIR.
>>> OKAY. PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE.
>> COMMISSIONER STURGES. COMMISSIONER STURGES: I'M FINE
THIS WAS A LITTLE UNUSUAL, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
>> ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, ANY FOLLOW-UP TO OUR GOAL SETTING? MR. BEAN.
COMMISSIONER BEAN: AT YOUR PLEASURE MR. MAYOR, I THINK SINCE WE STARTED THIS 5:00 WORKSHOP CERTAINLY HAS ENC! ENCAPSULATED THAT USED TO KEEP US HERE UNTIL 10:00 AT NIGHT.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING. SEEING THAT THE AGENDAS ARE SHORTER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN. MAYBE WE COULD CONSIDER MAKING THIS ONCE A MONTH, MAYBE THE THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH WE HAVE THE HOUR-LONG WORKSHOP. THIS IS A GREAT TWO EXCELLENT TOPICS THAT THE VOICE MAYOR BROUGHT UP, WHAT IF WE PAIRED THEM WITH WHAT WE HAD NEXT MEETING, WE COULD FILL OUT A
COMMISSIONER STURGES: I HAD A MEETING WITH THE BUILDING STAFF LAST WEEK, JUST TO FOLLOW UP, YOU KNOW IT HAS BEEN EIGHT MONTHS TO A YEAR WITH OUR BUILDING STAFF, WHERE ARE WE, WHAT DIRECTION ARE WE GOING IN I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I CAN HELP THEM IN ANY POSSIBLE WAY I CAN TO PROMOTE WHAT I CALL THE BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT WHICH IS PLANNING AND BUILDING.
I HAD A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK FROM KELLY AND A LOT FROM JIMMY PAR AND A LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND TRYING TO PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING, AS FAR AS WHAT THINGS THEY COULD DO TO HELP THEM PROGRESS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT IS FLUID.
SO JUST TO KEEP YOU ABREAST THE SOFTWARE TOPIC CAME UP AGAIN.
WE DISCUSSED IT AND WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
THEY'RE WORKING ON IT. THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT.
IT IS JUST WE JUST NEEDED TO REJUVENATE AND MAKE SURE WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS. I'VE GOT PHONE CALLS, A LOT OF THEM WEREN'T WARRANTED BUT A LOT OF THEM COULD HAVE BEEN FROM PREVIOUSLY ACTUALLY FOUR TO SIX WEEKS PRIOR TO THAT AND SO WHEN I GOT THAT MANY PHONE CALLS ALL AT ONE TIME.
I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP AND KIND OF SAY WHERE ARE WE AND WHERE IS THE BALL GOING, AND THEY ARE ALL WORKING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN TRYING TO PROMOTE THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
I WANT TO GIVE THEM A PAT ON THE BACK, THE PLANNING AND THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT. THEY ARE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN. IT IS KIND OF DIFFICULT.
EVERYTHING IS A LOT HARDER THAN IT IS.
US GOING COMPLETELY DIGITAL WHEN WE DID, AND UNPREPARED EVEN WHEN WE HAD THE SYSTEM UP, MADE EVERYTHING VERY DIFFICULT.
[00:15:02]
I'M TRYING TO HELP THEM COME UP WITH IDEAS TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS. SO WE CAN CUT BACK ON PEOPLE SUBMIT INFORMATION, THEY DON'T SUBMIT THE RIGHT THING, THEY DON'T SUBMIT ENOUGH. WE TALKED ABOUT WORKSHOPS IN THE PUBLIC THAN WHAT WE DO NOW. SO TO GIVE THEM A FORUM OF FEEDBACK. HEY, I'M HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THIS, I'M HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THAT. IF THEY HEAR THE SAME PROBLEM THREE TIMES, STAFF WILL KNOW WE NEED TO ADJUST THAT, SOMETHING IS GOING ON HERE. WE NEED TO FUNCTION IN THE RIGHT LEVEL. MAYBE WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT CHANGING HOW WE DO THIS. JIMMY PAR HAD A REAL GOOD, THE NEW BUILDING OFFICIAL, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SEPARATE MEETINGS. HE WANTS TO HAVE SEPARATE MEETINGS WITH EACH ONE OF THEM. JUST THE TRADES, JUST THE CONTRACTORS, AND JUST THE ARCHITECTS, BECAUSE EACH OF THEM HAD DIFFERENT ISSUES. ALL OF THAT IS STILL GOING ON.THEY ARE ALL STILL FIGHTING AN UPHILL BATTLE RIGHT NOW.
DON'T LET ANYONE FOOL YOU. IT IS NOT JUST THE FACT THAT WE'RE SUPER BUSY. EVERYBODY IS SUPER BUSY.
THEY ARE HAVING TO WORK SUPER HARD TO GET WHAT THEY NEED TO GET DONE. IT WAS A GOOD MEETING AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF THEIR TIME AND WORKING DILIGENTLY TO TRY TO GET IT SMOOTH AND WORKING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT UPDATE.
>> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER ROSS.
COMMISSIONER ROSS: I SUSPECT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS THERE WILL BE ENOUGH TOPICS TO FILL TWO WORKSHOP HOURS. WE'LL SEE.
>> SO I WAS GOING TO BUILD UPON COMMISSIONER ROSS'S STATEMENTS, THIS IS -- I THINK YOUR SUGGESTION HAS MERIT.
BUT I WOULD SUGGEST WE SEE HOW WE GO ALONG.
THIS IS THE FIRST WORKSHOP I CAN REMEMBER THAT WAS THIS SPARSE.
>> RIGHT. >> IF WE GO TO OUR NEXT ONE, WE WILL BE HERE PROBABLY MORE THAN AN HOUR WITH THAT.
SO I THINK WE KEEP YOUR SUGGESTION BACK OF MIND AND IF WE TREND THIS WAY, WE CHANGE IT, BUT IF WE GO THE WAY HISTORICALLY WE WOULD BE GOING, WE KEEP IT TO TWICE A MONTH.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS?
>> YES, SIR. >> THERE'S APPARENTLY BEEN A LOT OF COMMENT ABOUT PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, AND I WOULD SUGGEST -- I WAS DRIVING OUT TO THE COURTHOUSE FOR A COURT HEARING ON MONDAY, AND I WENT OUT 17 AND MADE A RIGHT ON WILLIAM BURGESS ROAD AND I WOULD URGE YOU ALL GO OUT THERE, BECAUSE THERE IS A REALLY, REALLY NICE NEW PLAYGROUND THERE.
YOU MIGHT JUST WANT TO GO SEE WHAT THEY DID AND THEN REMEMBER THAT THE COST OF IT WAS $263,000 FOR PLAYGROUND BUDGET.
SO I SUGGEST YOU MIGHT -- FAITH AND I MADE A FIELD TREATMENT AND WENT OUT THERE AND LOOKED AT IT, IT IS NICE.
>> MR. MAYOR, ON THE NEXT WORKSHOP, WE DO HAVE THE
PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT. >> WE HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA, THERE'S A RESOLUTION ON THE AGENDA TO REPLACE THE ELEMENT
THAT WAS REMOVED. >> EXCELLENT.
>> THAT IS WHAT THE ANGST IS THAT WE TOOK OUT A MULTI-AGED DEVELOPMENT AND REPLACED IT REALLY WITH EQUIPMENT THAT'S ZIENTD -- DESIGNED FOR YOUNGER KIDS AND ALSO MORE INDIVIDUAL THAN GROUP ACTIVITY, SO THAT MULTI -- THAT LARGE ELEMENT IS WHAT NEEDS TO BE PUT BACK, SO THAT'S WHY IT IS ON IT.
ANYONE ELSE? >> YEAH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I RIDE VERNON STREET A LOT. THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT THAT WAS INSTALLED A LITTLE WHILE BACK AT THE ELM STREET CENTER IS VERY BEAUTIFUL AND VERY ENGAGING AND IT IS DECENT SIZED AND IT HAS A NICE SOFT SURFACE CENTER UNDERNEATH IT, AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MUCH IT COSTS, AND IT DOES LOOK REALLY NICE, AND IT MAKES A STATEMENT RIGHT THERE AT ELM STREET.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT PLANS OR WHAT DIRECTION, I DON'T WANT TO BE HASTENED WITH IT. I DO WANT IT TO BE A NICE SETUP THAT WE DO PUT AT CENTRAL PARK. BUT THE EQUIPMENT AT ELM STREET LOOKS PRETTY AND I DID GO BY AND VISIT SEVERAL PLAYGROUNDS
[00:20:04]
MYSELF. I WENT TO NORTH HAMPTON AND LOOKED AT THEIR PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AND HAD A LITTLE SUBDIVISION LIKE THAT AND IT IS REALLY ATTRACTIVE AND NICE AND ENGAGING FOR THAT AGE GROUP. I THINK WE CAN GET IT FIGURED OUT. WE JUST NEED TO KEEP ON IT.ANYTHING ELSE? I DON'T SEE ANY LIGHTS AND I DON'T SEE ANY NODS,
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.