On Tuesday July 26, 2016, only FOUR (4) DAYS after charges were dismissed against First Amendment hero William Rosenstock on July 21, 2016, ANDREA SAMUELS -- controversial St. Augustine Beach Commissioner and ex-Mayor -- publicly placed a partisan proprietary pall upon the professionalism of St. Augustine Beach Police, whose actions were at issue in the Rosenstock case.
Appearing before St. Johns County Commission on July 26, 2016, SAMUELS candidly referred to SAPBD as being "my 17 police officers."
Yes, she did.
That's some admission -- next stop, federal court?
St. Augustine Beach meeting to cover debt, parking
Posted: July 31, 2016 - 11:07pm
By SHELDON GARDNER
sheldon.gardner@staugustine.com
St. Augustine Beach commissioners could move forward with a debt plan, and are also expected to discuss the county’s new parking plan at tonight’s meeting.
The meeting, at 6 p.m. at St. Augustine Beach City Hall, will cover a number of topics including a resolution to allow the city to get a loan worth millions of dollars from the Florida Municipal Loan Council, according to the agenda. The loan could be up to more than $7.5 million but is expected to be $4.5 million.
That will allow the city to pay off $3 million still owed for the purchase of former Maratea subdivision property, which is now Ocean Hammock Park.
The loan will also allow the city to repay itself $1.5 million that it took from savings to make the initial payment for that property.
The last commission meeting covered the tentative millage rate and other budget matters, and backup materials outlined the plan for the debt. That includes keeping the debt millage rate at .50 mills.
“From the revenue provided by the 0.50 mills, the City would then pay $248,126 to the League [for the new loan] each year and put the rest of the money in a reserve account.
That saved money then will be available to pay the bond debt for the years between 2028, when the citizen-authorized levy of 0.50 mills will expire, and 2036 or 2046, when the terms of the bonds would expire,” according to a memo from City Manager Max Royle.
Parking is another issue that will likely affect the city.
The St. Johns County Commission recently got an update from its consultant who produced a plan for charging for off-beach parking and increasing on-beach parking fees.
The County Commission voted to go forward with the plan but to make sure that county residents will not be charged more for parking, and that veterans and seniors will get a discount regardless of where they live.
The plan supported by the commission recommends charging noncounty residents $5 daily and $50 for an annual permit for off-beach parking.
The revenue from the plan as proposed was estimated to be about $1.6 million without the changes for residents, so the revenue will not be as much as anticipated.
St. Augustine Beach Commissioner Andrea Samuels spoke to the County Commission on Tuesday about the possible impact to beach residents of more people trying to find parking in neighborhoods.
“There is one small thing that you didn’t consider with your motion,” she said. “And that is the cost to my residents of the city of St. Augustine Beach that are now going to have to look to policing what you’ve just done. ... Is the county willing to subsidize my 17 police officers to monitor the parking issue that you’re going to create for my city? You really need to think about that.”
County Administrator Michael Wanchick said the county plans to use the parking plan funding for a shortfall in the beach services budget.
He also said details about the plan need to be worked out, and it could be implemented by early 2017.
***
If you go
What: St. Augustine Beach City Commission meeting
When: 6 p.m. today
Where: St. Augustine Beach City Hall, 2200 State Road A1A South, St. Augustine Beach
COMMENTS
Thomas Francis Reynolds
Thomas Francis Reynolds 08/01/16 - 06:10 am 52There is no free parking, the residents are paying !
First of all Criminal/Unethical Commissioner Andrea Samuels has no business calling St Augustine Beach Residents "my" . I am not a resident of Commissioner Criminal/Unethical Andrea Samuels (my) City. Commissioner Samuels is nothing more than an Elected Commissioner who will be voted out in November. The Police Officers in St Augustine Beach are not Criminal/Unethical Andrea Samuels Police Officers as Criminal/Unethical Andrea Samuels said. The Police Officers in St Augustine Beach are St Augustine Beach Police Officers and VERY GOOD ONES. Although I have never asked them, I doubt they would say they are Andrea Samuels Police Officers. Criminal/Unethical Commissioner Andrea Samuels might think she owns the City of St Augustine Beach because she says things like "my residents" and "my police officers", but she DOES NOT. As a resident of St Augustine Beach who attended the County meeting on parking, Criminal/Unethical Commissioner Andrea Samuels was an EMBARRASSMENT to the residents of our great City of St Augustine Beach. Commissioner Criminal/Unethical Andrea Samuels currently has 3 Florida Ethics Commission complaints pending, one First Degree misdemeanor Florida Election Commission charge pending, and an open investigation for alcohol state law violations in reguards to laws being broken in CITY HALL BY HER and the Beach Civic Assocation, which might be Felonies. Finally, there is no free parking, we are paying one way or another.The Presentation was seriously FLAWED and typical of County Administrator Michel Wanchick. The study did not even ask for imput from the City of St Augustine Beach. County Administrator Michael Wanchick refered to Samuels as Mayor and she is not. That showed how clueless he is and added to his already completely out of touch reputation. We are in need of a new County Administrator as well as new Elected St Augustine Beach Commissioners.
sponger2 08/01/16 - 08:15 am 31Shouldn't and won't pay a penny.
This is already ours, and only the commission in it's seemingly endless ignorance has made the situation critical by jamming more and more housing down our throats thereby creating a problem that they wish to solve by punishing us, the people who pay their salaries and benefits. As usual.
mach12.1e 08/01/16 - 09:42 am 32Another fundraiser.
Another by-product of unplanned over development, they rely on the tried and true remedy to charge us yet again, for services we already pay for, and tell us to like it.
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