Speak Out February 25, 2019 Against "Regan's Folly" -- It's Our Money.

SHAVER: Don’t compound a mistake by buying Coquina property


By Nancy Shaver / St. Augustine
Posted at 2:01 AM
St. Augustine Record

[On August 28, 2018, St. Augustine residents] elected me to a third term as your Mayor, trusting me to lead us in working together to make the City the best it can be. And now I need your help to make things right.

A few weeks ago, the Commission approved a property purchase on Coquina Avenue in South Davis Shores using $500,000 from our financial reserves. It’s now clear this is not fiscally responsible, and should be reversed.

We were told these two lots would provide essential flood control and a purchase of the property was required to do that critical work. And we were told Davis Shores didn’t have a park. The entire Commission, including me, voted for it. But we didn’t have the whole story.

It turns out the City already owns two marshfront parcels on Coquina, one of which is already a park (that hasn’t been maintained). And it also turns out the “sunny day” flood control project is a straightforward one-week effort and the City only needs temporary access. The property owners next door has provided that access many times over the last 40 years and says they are happy to do so again.

Everyone makes mistakes; I did with my initial vote. The city staff made its. The measure of a person or a city and its people, is how you own up and recover. And we can from this one.

It’s not the right use of our tax dollars to buy this property. If we dip into our reserves (which aren’t for “nice-to-haves”) we need better streets, more stormwater control, maybe more code enforcement or more police officers.

But the wheels are in motion, and last Monday my fellow Commissioners weren’t willing to take another look at that decision. To be fair, concerned citizens had informeme me, and then the City Manager, John Rega,n of the facts. My colleagues were likely hearing them for the first time that night.

The next Commission meeting is on Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. It is the last chance for all of us to do the right thing and fix this mistake before it happens.

I know this is important to you, your family and your neighbors so send emails or call your commissioners and city manager with your thoughts. But most importantly, mark your calendar, come to the meeting and speak up. Democracy isn’t a spectator sport. We all need to be in the game to keep our city on the right track.