St. Augustine Beach denies e-scooter agreement. (SAR)

When corporations write our laws, there are flaws.

Democracy is under attack by corporate power.

Once again, We, the People won one.

I spoke at several Commission meetings  in support of St. Augustine Beach Commissioners' decision to deny two multinational corporations' request for what one of their regional sales managers demurely referred to as "my ordinance."

• There cheers for Mayor Undine George, Vice Mayor Margaret England, Commissioners Maggie Kostka, Don Samora and Dylan Rumrell, for doing their own research, asking questions, demanding answers, weighing fairly, and then graciously, politely and professionally rejecting, the proposal.
• Thanks to City Attorney James Patrick Wilson for spending time on writing an ordinance, which won't be needed. Now he's writing an ordinance that will ban deckless scooters from St. Augustine Beach City sidewalks.
• No thanks to incurious reporter-distorters in our lousy local NPR affiliate WJCT in Jacksonville and to Chain Gang "journalists," e.g. at goofy GateHouse-owned St. Augustine Record and other local news media for being played, once again, by corporate PR.
• No thanks to supercilious St. Augustine Beach City "Manager" BRUCE MAX ROYLE for once again proving him a cat's paw for corporate interests, placing this item on the agenda and consuming hours of time.

Here's the St. Augustine Record's article, five (5) days after the Commission's vote on Wednesday, November 8, 2019 meeting, proving once again that, as my friend J.D. Pleasant says, "if you want to keep a secret in St. Augustine, tell the St. Augustine Record."  We pay for this newspaper and get crummy coverage, PR propaganda, and an increasingly thin paper, waiting days after meetings for stories..

From The St. Augustine Record:

St. Augustine Beach denies e-scooter agreement
By Christen Kelley
Posted Nov 10, 2019 at 3:00 PM
The city of St. Augustine Beach has decided to ban dockless electronic or e-scooter rental programs, citing concerns about safety and liability.

The city of St. Augustine Beach has decided to ban dockless electronic or e-scooter rental programs, citing concerns about safety and liability.

The topic came up several months ago when scooter vendors from Bird and Frog approached the commission, hoping to enter into an agreement that would allow them to use public property to park the scooters.

The scooters are rented through a mobile app and are tracked via GPS. Prices vary, but they usually cost $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute to ride. They typically go 15 mph and do not require pedaling or kicking.

The city was originally considering a pilot program that would serve as a trial period for scooters in the city. Vendors pointed out that the devices could provide an alternative means of transportation.

“This is the private sector providing a public service to help residents and tourists commute and promote business and a vibrant community,” said Frog representative Steve Dennison. “This is an eco-friendly community and these are sustainable, electric vehicles that reduce cars, alleviate traffic, parking and reduce the carbon footprint in an eco-friendly beach community.”

But in the end, commissioners decided the risks outweigh the benefits. They relayed stories from other cities where the scooters are left on sidewalks and in the streets, and people misuse them and end up getting injured.

“In bigger cities they’re on street corners and leaning against lamp posts, there’s folks riding around at night after having one too many cocktails, jumping over curbs,” said Commissioner Don Samora. “I’ve talked to college students, I have talked to other residents, teachers, people in larger cities. Not one gave me a positive response to them.”

Commissioners said the majority of St. Augustine Beach residents they asked were ‘adamantly opposed’ to the e-scooters as well.

The city of St. Augustine already has a temporary ban in place that prevents the city from entering into an agreement with e-scooter ride-share programs such as Frog and Bird. St. Augustine Beach city attorney Jim Wilson said he will model the Beach’s ordinance after their policy.


The bans do not prevent e-scooters entirely, only the dockless rental programs. Earlier this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis passed a law giving e-scooters the same rights as traditional bicycles, so privately owned scooters are still allowed.

Traditional rental programs are also allowed, where scooters are picked up at a designated place and then returned at the end of use.

The commission plans to vote on the ordinance at next month’s meeting, but all commissioners said they were in favor of prohibiting them.

“I went in with an open mind,” Commissioner Dylan Rumrell said. “I think it’s great to find other means of transportation but I just don’t know if our city is the right city.”