Goals cloudy with a chance of referendum: FBCC meets to strategize

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm

Reporter – News Analyst

In what was advertised as a regular meeting but touted as a goal setting session, the Fernandina Beach City Commission and high level city staff gathered at the city golf course clubhouse on January 23, 2014, for an afternoon of reviewing the capital improvement plan and enterprise funds and brainstorming possible future directions for the commission’s focus.  Commissioner Charlie Corbett departed after the first hour and a half.  Deputy City Manager Marshall McCrary sat with the commissioners and City Manager Gerrity during the meeting.  Department heads, who were there to answer questions if needed, were also in attendance.

City comptroller Patti Clifford walked the commissioners through the 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan as well as financial reports from Westrec and Billy Casper Golf.  Commissioners learned that a major city software replacement has been slated for next year while Peck Center window replacement will begin soon as well as work on restrooms at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center.  Clifford reported that the $400K Friends of the Library (FOL) contribution has been deposited with the city and that there are also budget placeholders in future years for waterfront improvements, stabilizing the historic post office building (should the city become the building owner or lessee) and a band shell for Main Beach.  The city plans to replace Fire Station No. 2 as well.  For greater detail, including time frames and projected costs for these and other projects, consult the entire plan, which is part of the approved Annual Budget for FY2013-2014 on the city’s website (fbfl.us).

Clifford’s reports on the financial state of both the city marina under Westrec management and the city golf course under Billy Casper management were augmented by reports from representatives of both management companies and City Manager Gerrity.

Mayor Ed Boner asked how the city might be able to help the golf course improve its revenues.  Josh O’Brien, representing Billy Casper, said that efforts underway to improve signage and remove trees would help.  He explained that because of unchecked tree intrusion over the years, what is billed as a 27-hole course has in effect become an 18-hole course.  He said that the course layout is user friendly and if maintained properly will be comparable to other island courses and prove to be a good value for golfers.  He added that Billy Casper has booked many events and banquets for the year as well.  Work is moving forward, weather permitting, to renovate greens and tee boxes.  Gerrity added that the clubhouse would soon need to be reroofed, further complicating the financial picture.  Commissioner Pat Gass asked for and received confirmation that the debt that has hampered profitability for both enterprise funds was incurred by the city, not either management service.

Westrec’s lease will be up for review and possible renewal on January 15, 2015.  Gerrity asked the commissioners to start thinking about how to proceed.  Mayor Boner said that he wanted to know what it would cost for the city to take back management of the marina operation.  Commissioner Johnny Miller said that he wanted to know more about the past history of the marina under city management.  Gerrity informed commissioners that some of the positions that would need to be added back if the city resumed operations would be union positions and thereby covered by the city’s pension plan.  Comptroller Clifford added that costs would also need to cover non-personnel items such as marketing, reservation system, etc.  Commissioners were reminded the dredging costs are borne by the city’s general fund and available grants.  Mayor Boner said that he was looking forward to touring the area with Lynn Williams and to see what he has built so far to resolve the dredging problem.  [Williams was given $8,000 last May to fund an idea for small scale water injection dredging which has not yet materialized, according to repeated information requests from the Fernandina Observer.]

When the commission resumed deliberations following a short break and Commissioner Corbett’s departure, Vice Mayor Sarah Pelican took the floor to discuss a possible voter referendum on proceeding with waterfront improvements.  She cited how much money and time had been wasted by the city in failing to implement the ATM plan more than 10 years ago.  She said that she agreed with a recent Steve Nicklas column in the Fernandina Beach News Leader in which Nicklas called for action.  She then asked local resident Lynn Williams to present his idea.

While finding some good aspects to two existing plans (the Rice Plan and the Bartelt Plan) to build the Amelia River waterfront park, Williams suggested that problems relating to waterfront development, parking and siltation could be solved if the city were to construct a bulkhead or seawall extending from Rayonier to the Port of Fernandina.  He suggested that the cost of the project would be $15-20M and that the city should “take a high end maneuver” and contact Senator Bill Nelson’s office for assistance in obtaining the funds.  He said that such a seawall would provide high protection from hurricanes and that an oceanographic institute could locate at the south end of the area.

Williams suggested that any hope of high-end residential development in the area is doomed as long as the potential owners would have to overlook “a slum west of Front Street.”  He added that he is not in favor of filling a park with items covered in names as in his opinion such a vista presents “a linear cemetery.”  He proposed a non-binding voter referendum to determine if citizens wanted to take such action at the riverfront.

Vice Mayor Pelican turned to the other commissioners and asked, “Do we have the stomach to go forward?  Do we want the park to transition to this?”  Williams replied that it would be easy to do so.

Mayor Boner said that it is too early to consider a voter referendum, but Pelican disagreed saying, “Maybe yes, maybe not.  Let’s have the discussion now and not kick the can down the road.”  Williams said that right now we don’t know enough to move to referendum.

Boner said that before he would react, he wanted to hear from the Waterfronts Committee and the Waterfront Advisory Group.  He also felt more details were needed.  Williams quickly disagreed saying that the referendum would be just general to get a sense from the people if they wanted to go in that direction.  He added that the Department of Environmental Protection would not support any plan without greater detail, however.  Boner asked what would happen if such a referendum were to be voted down.  There was no response.

Commissioner Gass said that before the city would spend this kind of money it would need to consult the taxpayers.  Pelican, again referencing the Nicklas column, said, “We need a big plan.  We should not do this piecemeal.”

At that point, Commissioner Gass took the discussion in a new direction:  downtown parking.  She restated her position from earlier meetings that parking needs must be met before any talk of downtown development.  She said that she had spoken with local architect John Cotner who said that utilizing existing city hall property east and west of Second Street, a complex that involved building a city hall and garage could be done.  She claimed that a parking garage needed to be investigated and either done or “taken off the list.”  City Manager Gerrity suggested bringing in a consultant to study parking and Deputy Manager McCrary suggested reaching out to other communities for guidance.  He also mentioned impact fees as a possible funding source, adding that some of the parking concerns might be addressed through zoning changes.

Vice Mayor Sarah Pelican moved on to the topic of creating a quiet zone downtown, a topic she had championed following her election three years ago.  City Manager Gerrity said, “One of the most developer-friendly things we can do is to move forward on this issue.”  The benefit to a quiet zone is that trains do not need to blow horns or whistles in moving through street intersections.  In order to create such a zone, a study needs to be done in cooperation with the railroad to determine upgrades for intersection safety needs.  Gerrity indicated that he estimated that it would cost about $250K to install the required signalization at Ash and Centre Street railroad crossings to create a quiet zone.

Item 4.6 on the agenda called for an update on the status of proposed improvements for the MLK Center restrooms.  Gerrity reported that the city will soon receive the final plans for the expansion from Gillette and Associates and an agenda item will come forward at a future meeting for approval.

Commissioner Pat Gass led a discussion on item 4.7, which called for the possibility of involving State Senator Aaron Bean and State Representative Janet Adkins in submitting a special bill to the legislature to help fund beach renourishment through an additional dollar-per-night tax.  This idea had been put forward by city resident Tony Crawford.  Gerrity said that he is working to try to influence county and Tourism Development Council (TDC) leadership to agree to a three-way split of the local cost share for beach renourishment.  Gerrity said that he will write a letter to Nassau County Manager Ted Selby on this proposal and is relying on the city’s TDC representatives – Commissioners Pelican and Corbett – to press the issue with the TDC.  Pelican said that the way current law reads, as long as there is a county body like the TDC collecting a resort rental feel, there couldn’t be another tax tacked on.  According to Gerrity, “It is unusual for a city to take the initiative on beach renourishment because it really is a county beach and a county responsibility.”

Praising actions to increase the putt-putt lessee’s boundaries for retail activity, Gass said that she would like Main Beach to be more business friendly and that the city should look for more opportunities to increase business at Main Beach.  “It used to be so vital, and there was so much energy out there,” she said.  “Now it is not, and hopefully it will come back.”  McCrary commented that privately owned property at Main Beach is so valuable that return on amusement property activities is not profitable.  Commissioners discussed whether it makes sense to remove valuable beach property from the tax rolls to add to the public land available at the beach for recreation.

Commissioners Gass and Miller also expressed a desire to offer free or low-cost swimming instructions to all city residents all summer long.  Parks and Recreation Director Nan Voit spoke to the issue.  She said that free or sponsored swimming lessons are already provided, but that available slots are not filled.  She said that a plan to provide free swimming lessons to those who cannot pay has been in the works for 15 years, and that money to support the program is not an issue, thanks to grants and other underwriters.

Mayor Boner asked for website improvements that would better promote the marina, golf course and city programs.  He also discussed the possibilities of RSS feeds on the site.

Commissioner Miller suggested that the city reach out to high school students to see what types of activities they would like to see the city offer.  Voit said that currently there are two positions on the Parks and Recreation Committee designated for high school students, but there does not seem to be any interest in serving.  She said that students prefer to do things without supervision.

Miller also suggested that the city initiate a program to become “the most Navy-friendly city in Florida.”  He said that the city might work with restaurant owners and hotels to create packages targeted at military families, adding that the city might consider a “Navy Appreciation Day,” given the city’s close proximity to naval stations.

With no comments from the public, the meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m., an hour short of its scheduled ending time.  Although the meeting was advertised as a regular meeting, no votes were taken.  There was no clear indication that consensus had been achieved on major points of discussion.

Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.

January 24, 2014 3:32 p.m.