St. Augustine Beach notebook: Commission allows flexible setbacks to save trees (SAR)

Here's a 238 word story on a four (4) hour meeting. Shockingly shallow coverage. Journalistic malpractice? As FBI Assistant Director Mark Lynch said to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in "All the President's Men," I hate shallowness, which is becoming a bad habit at the St. Augustine Record under GateHouse management, with editing and page layout functions performed in Austin, Texas, in an office with high turnover.

The St. Augustine Record's news coverage quality is declining at St. Augustine Beach City Commission. Four days after meeting, here's an article that omits most of the important things that took place at the meeting. I hate shallowness. Journalistic malpractice?

Once again, the St. Augustine Record had NO reporter at a St. Augustine Beach City Commission meeting. In the past, City "Manager" BRUCE MAX ROYLE has created conflicts with City of St. Augustine City Commission meetings. When I complained, ROYLE smirked at me and said, "You're the only one who complained." This time, for the February 12 (Lincoln's birthday) meeting, there was a planned schedule conflict at the behest of unelected nabob newbie Commissioner DONALD SAMORA, who demanded the meeting be set for February 12th to accommodate his own unstated and unexplained schedule conflict. Why do they let one unelected Commissioner reschedule a meeting to accommodate his schedule, instead of allowing him to attend by telephone, or miss the meeting? This amounts to a Philistine's veto for the new Commissioner, the co-owner of Beachcomber Restaurant.


St. Augustine Beach notebook: Commission allows flexible setbacks to save trees
By Sheldon Gardner
Posted Feb 15, 2018 at 7:22 PM
Updated at 6:41 AM
St. Augustine Record

St. Augustine Beach commissioners tackled several things this week at City Hall.

They upheld a decision by the city’s planning and zoning board to provide a blanket variance to the Ocean Ridge development that allows flexible setbacks to save trees. People from a neighboring development had challenged the decision.

Commissioners moved forward a series of ordinances and discussions on updating the building code, flood regulations, land development regulations and building permit fees. All will come back to the commission for further review.

The city plans to bring back changes to the sign code for temporary signs, including allowing two temporary signs per business, and they plan to craft a provision to allow signs to be placed on unpaved City Hall property during early voting. The code that had been adopted had prohibited any type of sign on City Hall so as not to regulate content and potentially run afoul of First Amendment protections. City Attorney Jim Wilson suggested the change to allow signs during early voting.

Public Works Director Joe Howell said a temporary fix to the Mizell Road stormwater drainage pond has been put in place. Part of the structure was damaged during Hurricane Irma.

Commissioners further discussed the possibility of having a fee to cover collection of solid waste. The city already charges $74 a year to residential customers for disposal. Commissioners plan to review the issue in the future and also discuss changing commercial fees.

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• Edward Adelbert Slavin
 
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No SAR reporter attended 2/12/2018 SAB Commission meeting -- not the first time. The Record rarely quotes concerned citizens who do their homework and speak in meetings. Why? Article omits: 
1. Decisions on four (4) matters during "Commissioner comments," refusing public comment on: 
A. Letter endorsing a St. Johns County Request for Proposals (RFP) to find a new vendor for the St. Augustine Beach Farmer's Market on county property.  
B. Updating strategic plan. Commissioners rightly rejected the notion of hiring UCF's overrated, overpaid Marilyn Crotty as facilitator at a meeting this year. Too soon, too much money ($1800 for a day). I agree with their decision. But I was not allowed to speak. Unconstitutional.  
C. Authorizing newbie Commissioner DONALD SAMORA and City Manager BRUCE MAX ROYLE to work on a renewed effort for the City to communicate with the County about SAB's desire take over the Pier Park, with a "vision." Not on agenda. No public comment allowed. Unconstitutional.  
D. Directing City Attorney J.P. WILSON to write a policy for HIM. to investigate any harassment complaints involving the City Manager or Police Chief, instead of independent counsel or arbitrator. Conflict of interest. Bad policy. Not on agenda. No public comment. Unconstitutional. Investigation must be by neutral, not an advocate. 

2. Mayor George's righteous apology to Commissioner Maggie Kostka for maladroit City "Manager" ROYLE's targeting her for Jan. 25 code enforcement hearing on two flutter signs at Cone Heads Ice Cream on A1A Beach Blvd. -- retaliation against Commissioner Kostka for her:  
(a) questioning ROYLE's coverup of alleged sexual harassment of female employee by former Building Official GARY LARSON, and  
(b) calling for a national search for City Manager.« less

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• Edward Adelbert Slavin
 
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3. St. Augustine Beach City "Manager" BRUCE MAX ROYLE's refusal to apologize for his bogus code enforcement complaint, refusal to illuminate his prevarication to the Record (falsely claiming to Record that someone else complained and that he was protecting their identity -- there is no evidentiary privilege or F.S. 119 exemption allowing him to refuse to disclose this information). City "Manager" MAX ROYLE NEVER apologizes for anything. ROYLE puts his head down and won't look you in the eye when you ask questions, and he never takes responsibility for his management failures. It's time for him to go. 

4. St. Augustine Beach Mayor UNDINE CELESTE PAWLOWKI GEORGE's ordering police ejection of public comment speakers Tom Reynolds and Merrill Roland after their First Amendment protected activity, claiming that they were "disruptive" in their manner of protesting the January 6, 2018 3-2 vote slashing public comment time from three to two minutes on agenda items.  

We need mayors, not martinets, in our two itty-bitty cities.  

No more "iron fists," malocchios and refusal to answer questions.  

SAB's "two minute rule" must be repealed at March 5th SAB Commission meeting. Commissioners must apologize for their failure to require answers to public comment questions -- we have a right to be heard and heeded, and to hear answers to questions, as under Mayor Gary Snodgrass.  

It's rude for officials to ignore questions and refuse to require answers. Their arrogance is contrary to the genius of a free people. Ask questions. Demand answers. Expect democracy. Remember -- WE are the proprietors -- NOT unaccountable, unctuous poohbahs like SAB's MAX ROYLE and St. Johns County's MICHAEL DAVID WANCHICK.  

The days of KKK rule and Caudillos in St. Johns County must end. Now..« less