Another shallow, boring, maladroit article on St. Augustine Beach Commission in the
St. Augustine Record. Ho-hum. The
Record omits key details, eschews quoting citizens, avoids quoting criticism of government officials, and fails to defend the First Amendment. Mayor RICHARD BURTT O'BRIEN once again violated Florida law and the First Amendment. The City Attorney and Commissioners should have spoken out. The Record did not bother reporting it. "If you want to keep a secret in St. Augustine," my friend J.D. Pleasant says, "tell the
St. Augustine Record."
Posted September 19, 2017 12:02 am - Updated September 19, 2017 09:23 am
By SHELDON GARDNER sheldon.gardner@staugustine.com
St. Augustine Beach commissioners move budget along, but millage not settled
St. Augustine Beach commissioners moved forward a flat millage rate at Monday night’s meeting, but things could change.
For now the millage rate is planned to remain at 2.3992, and the debt service millage is planned to stay at .5 mills. Monday was the first of two required budget hearings for approving next fiscal year’s budget. The final budget hearing will be 5:01 p.m. Sept. 28.
One of the main concerns of the night was rebuilding reserves, in part to pay for unanticipated emergency expenses. The city is now also dealing with expenses from Hurricane Irma, including what the public works director described as an “urgent” need to repair a stormwater pond damaged by the hurricane.
The General Fund’s unassigned fund balance is about $195,000, which the city would draw from in a disaster before looking to other funds. It should be more than $1.1 million for the proposed budget, according to an email from city Chief Financial Officer Melissa Burns.
“My own view is it’s perilously low,” Commissioner Gary Snodgrass said of the fund.
The city spent the reserves to buy property for Ocean Hammock Park. The city expects reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for Hurricane Matthew expenses and a $1.5 million grant from the Florida Communities Trust in the next year, but it’s not clear how soon the city will get those funds.
To help get more money to the unassigned fund balance, commissioners supported reducing capital expenses.
Vice Mayor Undine George said she’d like the city to lower the millage rate to the rolled-back rate of 2.2357 — that’s the same millage needed to bring the same amount of ad valorem tax revenue in the next fiscal year. The rolled-back rate would cost about $30 less in a year than the current millage rate for someone who owns a home with an assessed value of $200,000 after exemptions, according to the city.
More details on a plan to lower the millage rate are expected at the final budget hearing.
Earlier in the meeting, Mayor Rich O’Brien supported keeping the millage rate the same.
”Everyone I’ve talked to is very happy with their property taxes,” O’Brien said.
One of the key repairs needed in the city is the stormwater retention pond on Mizell Road, said Public Works Director Joe Howell.
What is damaged is equipment that acts like a dam to separate the stormwater from the Matanzas River tides, Howell said. The pond treats the stormwater before it leaves the pond.
“We’re not providing the full volume of treatment that we’re supposed to,” Howell said.
An engineering estimate put the repair cost at $250,000, City Manager Max Royle said.
George again recommended the city continue providing health insurance for commissioners, but commissioners didn’t reach consensus to do so on Monday night.
The city voted in June to allow George and Commissioner Maggie Kostka, the only commissioners on the plan, to remain on the plan until the end of the budget year on Sept. 30.
Also, the city plans to bring back adjustments to employee pay increases at the final budget hearing.
In other business
Kostka asked that the commission discuss beginning a search for a new city manager. George supported having a discussion.
Check Wednesday’s St. Augustine Record for more details on the regular meeting.
· It was another BAD NIGHT FOR the St Augustine Beach Residents.
St Augustine Beach Residents were denied their Florida Law Right to speak on the Budget. For NO INPUT ON THE BUDGET FROM THE PUBLIC IS THE MOST UNETHICAL and unAMERICAN ACT I HAVE WITNESSED IN 5 YEARS OF ATTENDING ST AUGUSTINE BEACH CITY MEETINGS!
The City Attorney should NOT be allowing the FLORIDA LAW TO BE BROKEN!
THE CITY ATTORNEY SHOULD KNOW THE LAW and DEMAND THE COMMISSION OBEY THE LAW!
The City of St Augustine Beach Residents deserve better than Coquina Law Group/Jim Wilson as our CONTRACTED CITY ATTORNEY!
WHY ARE THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS NOT STANDING UP AGAINST THIS WRONGDOING BY MAYOR O'BRIEN and CITY ATTORNEY JIM WILSON?
PUBLIC INPUT IS IMPORTANT and the FLORIDA LAW!
WE THE RESIDENTS of ST AUGUSTINE BEACH FLORIDA WANT A 100 %
OPEN .......... HONEST ......... and .... TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT !
· 1. St. Augustine Beach City Attorney James Patrick Wilson was oddly silent throughout both meetings, doing little more than read the millage rate ordinance on first reading.
2. He did not speak up when Mayor Richard Burtt O'Brien violated citizens' rights to speak on the budget.
3. While there were three separate agenda items, Vice Mayor Undine Pawlowski George and Mayor O'Brien unilaterally and without discussion had no public comment on the second two.
4. When local government watchdog Thomas F. Reynolds, Jr. objected, Mayor Richard Burtt O'Brien curtly ruled, "You're out of order."
5. No one at the dais spoke out in favor of citizens' legal rights to speak on the second agenda item, the budget. Why?
6. While Commissioners were very thorough in their budget discussion -- impressive -- very little of that was reported in the recor.
7. When citizens' rights to speak on the budget were violated, the Record did not report it. Why?
8. This is not the first time that St. Augustine Beach Mayor Richard Burtt O'Brien has violated citizen First Amendment rights. Last year, Mayor O'Brien obtained an illegal temporary ex parte injunction against "stalking" by Mr. Reynolds, which was overturned by Circuit Court Judge Howard O. McGillin, who found Tom Reynolds' words were protected by the First Amendment.
9. The Record's incurious approach to covering government meetings omits criticism of government officials (e.g., City Manager Max Royle), whether by citizens or Commissioners. Why?
10. The Record has a history of giving aid and comfort to First Amendment violators, endorsing Mayor O'Brien for re-election in a chauvinistic editorial, endorsing Mayor Joe Boles for re-election in a chauvinistic editorial that actually stated it prefers "business as usual," opposing the federal court decision on Rainbow flags on the Bridge of Lions, and attacking artists and musicians engaged in First Amendment protected activity on St. George Street. Sad.
11. This newspaper fails to defend the First Amendment and badly needs new leadership.
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