The Public Speaks – No to pool closings, paid parking, and Rec consolidations

Submitted by

Suanne Z. Thamm

Reporter – News Analyst

By the time Mayor Arlene Filkoff gaveled the July 17, 2012 meeting of the Fernandina Beach City Commission to a close at 11:22 p.m., some things were abundantly clear, mainly:

  • There is no public support for closing the city pools;
  • There is no public support for consolidating recreation centers;
  • There is no public support for paid beach parking;
  • There is an urgent need to address the issue of storm water;
  • The Nassau Humane Society has based its fundraising and shelter construction plans on receiving promised $225,000 from the city in FY2102-13;
  • The Council on Aging will be cutting back on services like home visits, meals-on-wheels, and transportation unless some financial help is forthcoming from local government;
  • Commissioners Charlie Corbett and Sarah Pelican cannot accept defeat in their multiple, unsuccessful attempts to return unspent Forward Fernandina funds to the bank as a method to stop paying interest fees.

So many people came out to protest closing city pools and the MLK Center as part of an austerity budget for FY 2012-13, that Acting Fire Chief Jason Higginbotham was forced to ask the Commission to rearrange its regular meeting agenda to avoid safety issues in what appeared to be a seriously overcrowded Fernandina Beach City Hall. While the budget was not even on the agenda, it was clearly on the minds of the people, who were determined to be heard. Twenty-eight people, ranging from school age to those of advanced years, city and county residents alike, newcomers and old timers, black and white rose to speak in support of the facilities and recreational programming that attracts both young people and senior citizens. No one rose to speak in opposition.

Speakers highlighted one or more of the following reasons for keeping the pools and the MLK Recreation Center open:

  • Importance of the year-round water aerobics program to help seniors maintain fitness and rehab from injuries;
  • The use of the Atlantic pool for competitive swim events to benefit local schools and student, who have no other options;
  • Investment in youth activities keeps young people off the streets and under adequate supervision both for activities and homework;
  • Role of the MLK/Peck complex in the history of the city and the neighborhood;
  • Potential vandalism of an abandoned or shuttered facility

Contrary to some of the assertions made by others at earlier meetings, many residents said that the MLK Center is always busy, that it is a boon to the neighborhood because parents know that their children are safe when they are there, and that it serves as the city’s most racially diverse facility. Several residents highlighted the need for the city to invest in its youth. Speakers understood that these are tough money times for the city but urged commissioners to consider the price of closing these facilities in addition to considering the money to be saved. A recurring theme was a plea to invest in the city’s youth.  Several speakers acknowledged the need to pay to keep facilities and programs running.

Mayor Filkoff wrapped up the one and a quarter hours of public input by expressing her happiness with the community turn out and thanking those who attended. She cited the need for the city and local non-profit organizations to work together in the coming year to save money by avoiding duplication. She expressed her desire to make the community part of the solution. She reminded the audience that the City Commission could not vote on their concerns at this time, but would bring the matters to the budget meeting scheduled for July 24th at 5:05 p.m.

After a short break that cleared most of the chamber, the FBCC returned to the evening’s agenda. Danny Fullwood, Chair of the Ocean Highway and Port Administration (OHPA), presented Mayor Filkoff with a check in the amount of $71,178, reflecting the OHPA’s annual payment to the city as a result of an agreement made between the parties more than 20 years ago. This check, the highest amount ever paid to the city, reflected the best year ever for the Port of Fernandina. Later in the meeting Commissioner Sarah Pelican questioned the city’s unrestricted use of this money, citing initial legislation that dedicated this money toward parking, downtown improvements and a civic auditorium. City Controller Patti Clifford said that such an agreement would have expired after 5 years. Vice Mayor Jeffrey Bunch stated that he was a fan of earmarking funds to specific projects. Ms. Clifford said that there is no plan for a civic auditorium in the 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan, but that money continues to be invested in the downtown area, whether or not from an earmarked fund. The commission made no decision to earmark the port payment at this meeting.

The first of two major presentations was on the recent flooding of North Fletcher during tropical storm Debby. City Utilities Director John Mandrick and City Streets & Parks Manager Rex Lester provided dramatic photos of flooded streets which in some cases led to flooded homes. Mandrick said that 132 acres were flooded with more than 72 million gallons of water. Lester and Mandrick threw all city resources into pumping the water, which because of the basin effect of the North Fletcher area, had no place to naturally subside. Several residents stood to praise the city’s efforts to help them in the storm’s aftermath. The city separates storm water from wastewater treatment, yet some storm water seeps into the waste water system. Mandrick said that the rains, the worst since 2008, had put a severe strain on the city’s water treatment facility. He said that the pumping station on North Fletcher was inches away from being compromised.  Had that happened, the North Fletcher area could have been flooded with contaminated water in addition to storm water.

Rex Lester stressed that the time has come to do something about the storm water issue, which has been discussed often, but kicked down the road for cost reasons. John Mandrick added that some of the problem relates to inadequate infrastructure in the developments built in that area in the 1970’s. Because adequate drainage was never built into the construction at that time, the North Fletcher system is a mix of city and septic systems, some without drain fields.

After thanking both men and their city crews, Vice Mayor Bunch noted that the city owns two lots in that area and wondered if they could be used for retention ponds to help the situation. Mandrick said that a pump station would be needed. He added that it would be of benefit to work with Fort Clinch to clear some of the old mosquito control ditches so that water could drain into Egan’s Creek through the state park. Both Mandrick and Lester said that they have solutions, but they lack the money to implement them.

Mayor Filkoff reaffirmed that the city has the plans, but last year no one was interested in adding another fee or tax on top of others being proposed. She asked the city manager to bring back to the commission a proposed fee schedule for fixing this problem. Audience members broke into applause.

The second presentation was delivered by former Interim City Manager Dave Lott on the subject of paid beach parking.  (A full discussion of this study may be found on the Fernandina Observer in a post dated July 4, 2012 entitled How Much Is Our Beach Worth to its Users?)  Lott stressed that this study had come as a result of a fact-finding mission, that the permit option was only one of many options considered, and that should the city decide to pilot such a system, it could be easily shut down if it proved to be unworkable or if revenues did not meet expectations.  This particular option, which would involve issuing annual, weekly and daily permits, involved little to no cost for city residents who would be entitled to 2 free permits per household, commissions for businesses selling permits and a relatively high labor cost.

No speaker supported this concept.  Tony Crawford, the primary public opponent of this plan, cited potential loss of beach businesses and inconvenience to beach zone residents.  He said that the goal should be to raise revenues to maintain the beaches, not punish people. George Stewart, owner of Sliders, said that such a plan would hurt tourism and pleaded, “Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.” Gil Langley, Executive Director of the Tourism Development Council (TDC) said that as a matter of state law, the TDC dedicates 10% of its revenue toward the beaches and spent $1.3M on beach renourishment in 2008. His industry would not favor additional fees placed on visitors who stay on Amelia Island. When Lott explained that the target audience for beach parking fees was day-trippers, people who generally do not spend money on the island, he received some push back from people who said that such visitors often do spend money here.

The FBCC agreed to reconsider this matter at their August 7th meeting, which will be the next meeting of the full commission.  Vice Mayor Bunch said that either the taxpayers or the users are going to have to pay for the beaches and that he is willing to look at other options to paid parking.  Mayor Filkoff expressed some frustration at running out of time to do something creative in time to help with next year’s budget shortfall.  She said that she would consider trying Main Beach as a pilot area for paid parking and consider selling licenses to city beach and park vendors.

It wasn’t until 9:00 p.m., a full three hours into the meeting, that the FBCC reached the consent agenda. Vice Mayor Jeffrey Bunch pulled two of the four items for questions, but eventually the items all passed on a 4-0 vote (Commissioner Tim Poynter was absent from the meeting.)

Eric Olsen of Olsen Associates, Inc. spoke to Resolutions 2012-113 and 2012-114, both of which dealt with beach renourishment, and both of which passed on 4-0 votes. He explained problems uncovered by the Army Corps of Engineers that might require the city to repay $469K because of a funding discrepancy found in an audit of files in the Southern Area Division. He stressed that the Jacksonville office does not support this finding, and that if it cannot be resolved relatively soon, the city’s lobbyist will bring Senator Bill Nelson into the picture. Failure to resolve this matter has the potential to adversely impact the planned 2014 beach renourishment.

Despite questions and reservations raised by Vice Mayor Bunch, the FBCC approved 4-0 resolution 2012-108, approving agreements with Kronos for software and hardware to handle payroll and time clocks for the new fiscal year.  Despite reassurances that the time clocks were secure because an employee had to provide a biometric (finger scan) in addition to a time card, Bunch maintained that supervisors could manipulate the system.  Finally, to resolve this matter, City Manager Joe Gerrity agreed to run through reports generated by the system to determine if this was in fact a problem for the city.

The Commission also unanimously approved Resolution 2012-109 awarding RFP 12-103 to First Coast Community Bank (FCCB) to provide banking services to the City of Fernandina Beach through September 30, 2015. Vice Mayor Bunch strongly suggested that FCCB waive checking cashing fees for people cashing city checks, because of the money that this award brings the bank.  FCCB President Chip Townsend thanked the FBCC for the contract award, but indicated that through its response in a very competitive bid process, FBCC had given the city a good deal. He was not prepared to waive check-cashing fees, a practice uniformly accepted industry-wide.

The FBCC on 4-0 votes passed the remaining resolutions on the agenda.

On first reading of Ordinance 2012-14, a lengthy ordinance covering special events permitting, all commissioners voted to approve except for Commissioner Pelican, who gave no reason for her nay vote. The master fee schedule amendment for the city’s golf course (2012-15) was approved unanimously on first reading.

It wasn’t until 10:30 p.m. that the FBCC reached item 10 on the agenda: Discussion – Direction – Action.  Commissioner Corbett brought before the FBCC a request to waive all interest charges for a property at 815 S. 7th Street (10.2). The city had already offered to reduce the interest on the charges and fines by $10,000 to get the property back on the tax rolls.  But the owner sought additional relief from the city commission. Commissioners Corbett and Pelican moved to waive all interest charges.  City Attorney Tammi Bach cautioned that approving such a move would open other properties to similar requests.  The motion failed on a 2-2 vote. The FBCC agreed to uphold the original offer to forgive $10,000 in interest, requiring the owner to pay remaining interest charges of approximately $2,500 in addition to penalties of $8,426, which the commission could not waive.

The Nassau Humane Society had waited patiently for an opportunity to explain to the FBCC why they could not wait for the promised contribution of $225,000 toward their new shelter. John Henredon, on behalf of the organization, explained that the organization was through design and into permitting based upon a commitment made by the FBCC to fund $225,000 on a match basis for the next fiscal year. Henredon said that if the city was delaying its financial support, that would have a major impact on construction which was set to begin this calendar year, along with fundraising that hinged on the city’s financial support.He said that it is imperative that the city honors its commitment publicly, as soon as possible.  Mayor Filkoff agreed to take this item up at the budget meeting next week. She asked for all additional information to be forwarded to the FBCC.

Commissioner Charlie Corbett renewed his request that the city abandon work to open the Alachua crossing and the repairs to the rail crossings at Centre and Ash Streets. Corbett claimed that this is not the time to pursue such an effort, and that the moneys could be returned to both pay down the loan for Forward Fernandina projects and save the loan interest. Commissioner Pelican seconded this move. Corbett expressed his view that there is no benefit for the city in opening the rail crossing on Alachua. Vice Mayor Bunch tried to explain to Corbett that the loaned money could be used for a variety of projects, not just the Alachua crossing. While Commissioner Pelican seemed to be interested in waiting to hear the recommendations of the soon-to-be formed CRA committee on the need for the Alachua crossing as well as the Port’s proposal to help the city in this regard, she seconded Corbett’s motion and voted with him in an effort that failed in a 2-2 vote. For the time being the planning and permitting work for the rail crossings will proceed.

After very brief reports, the meeting adjourned at 11:22 p.m., a recent record for FBCC meetings.

July 18, 2012 10:10 p.m.

2 Comments
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Theresa Hamilton
Theresa Hamilton (@guest_397)
11 years ago

Once again, I really appreciate the thorough, clear summaries of these important meetings that we are unable to attend. Thank you, Suanne, for your efforts.

Len Kreger
Len Kreger (@guest_400)
11 years ago

Nice overview of the meeting. Hopefully we will see some postive positive actions. One, being implemention of storm-
water upgrades.