Clocks fall back on Sunday

Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday, November 4 at 2:00am, so remember to turn clocks back one hour before retirning on Saturday night, so you’re on-time on Sunday morning. Daylight Saving Time begins each year on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

Tuesday is Election Day – Early voting ends tomorrow

Early voting ends tomorrow, Saturday November 3. Polling locations will be open from 7:00am-7:00pm. For a list of locations, click here.
If you have not retuned your absentee ballot, you may wish to drop it off to ensure it is received by the Supervisor of Elections by Election Day. There are 11 locations across the county where ballots may be dropped off, including the city’s Financial Services Center. To see a complete list of locations, click here.
To get ready for Election Day, visit the Supervisor of Elections web site at www.sjcvotes.us for complete voting information, including sample ballots.

No trucks on Lemon St.

Effective immediately and continuing through the construction work on the US-1/Ponde de Leon Blvd. San Sebastian Bridge, trucks are prohibited on Lemon St. Earlier this week the city placed signs noting the prohibition on the western end of Lemon St. at its intersection with US-1/Ponde de Leon Blvd.

Commission sets alternative meeting date in November
December meeting schedule includes two workshops

The Veterans’ Day and Thanksgiving Holidays have necessitated the rescheduling of November’s only Commission meeting from the usual second and fourth Mondays to November 14. This will be the body’s only regular meeting in November.
In December, the Commission will meet on Monday, December 3 for its reorganizational meeting which will include the administering of the oath of office to Joe Boles and Leanna Freeman who were reelected to their offices, and the winner of the general election on November 6. The reorganizational meeting starts at 7:30pm.
December’s busy holiday season will result in the Commission having only one regular meeting which is set for December 10, but the commission has also scheduled two workshops that month. The first workshop, set to start at 4:00pm on December 10, concerns the future of the carpet golf facility located near the City Marina. The second workshop, set for Thursday, December 13 at 9:00am, the topic of discussion will be modifications to the city zoning code, starting with the use of Planned Unit Developments (PUD).
All of the meetings will be held in The Alcazar Room in City Hall, 75 King St. When available, agendas for the meetings will be posted on the city’s web site here.

North Davis Shores sanitary sewer inspections involves smoke
In this case, where there’s smoke…there’s I & I

One of the biggest challenges to operating an efficient sanitary sewer system is to ensure that all the water that needs treated gets treated, and water that does not need treatment doesn’t get it.
Seems simple, but when aging pipes allow rainwater or groundwater to enter the sewer system, a lot of water that does not need to be treated, gets treated; not an efficient use of resources.
The solution? Find the leaks and stop the leaks.
That’s the basis of current inspections of the sanity sewer systems in the North Davis Shores area with the goal of eliminating rainwater inflow and groundwater infiltration. Commonly referred to as “I & I,” the problem occurs when groundwater and/or rainwater enters the sanitary sewer system, travels through pump stations and ends up at the wastewater treatment plant necessitating its treatment just as if it were waste water.
One the the most efficient ways to find the sources of I & I is by distributing smoke into the system and then watch for the smoke. Where there’s smoke, there’s I & I.
To learn more about the inspections and upcoming tests. click here.

In just two weeks…Light-Up! Night
Nights of Lights’ 19th season begins on November 17

Have you seen your neighbors checking their holiday lights? Seem a little early? Not really when you consider that the 19th season of Nights of Lights is only a few weeks away.
Recognized as one of the Southeast’s major seasonal events, Nights of Lights has brought holiday excitement to the Nation’s Oldest City annually since 1994. The 10-week long event begins each year with a simple flip of a switch on the Saturday before Thanksgiving known as Light-Up! Night. To read about last year’s opening night, click here.
Don’t be “left in the dark” when the Nation’s Oldest City is transformed into an enchanted city of light. For guidelines to participate in the Nights of Lights by adding displays to property in the city’s historic districts, click here.
For visitor information including dining, shopping, lodging, attractions, and tours, during the ten weeks of Nights of Lights, visit www.nightsoflights.com.

The Break Room: City Clerk keeps City records, and much more

City Clerk Alison Ratkovic stops by The Break Room this week and discusses the work of the Clerk’s Office as well as explains the City Commission’s reorganization process held every two years following an election.
Each week the friendly and informative style of The Break Room offers the community an opportunity to know a little more about how their city works by getting to know those who do the work every day. The Break Room airs Wednesdays at 5:30pm and Saturdays at 8:00am, and each program is archived at www.breakroom.info as podcasts available for download anytime. To listen to this week’s program immediately, click here.

Discover First America! Program Adventure returns November 20

The Discover First America! Program Adventure returns starting on Tuesday, November 20 at 7:00pm. The free, five-part entertainment series, held at Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College, 14 Granada Street, explores facets of St. Augustine’s rich history and culture. Each program will begin at 7:00pm with the doors opening at 6:00pm for seating, lobby displays, information and book signings. The Discover First America! Program Adventure is presented by the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration in partnership with Flagler College, Florida Power & Light Company.

The program schedule is:
– November 20, 2012: Mythbusters! Fact & Fiction in St. Augustine’s History
– December 5, 2012: Ancient City Musicale: 450 Years of Song & Dance
– January 9, 2013: Palace in Paradise: The Hotel Ponce de Leon Turns 125
– January 23, 2013: Juan Ponce de León Finds La Florida
– March 14, 2013: Revolt! Revolutionary War Trials & Tribulations in St. Augustine

St. Augustine 450th Commemoration passports will be given to all participants. Souvenir stampings in the passport will be provided at each program. The Discover First America! Program Adventure is sponsored by the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration, Flagler College, Florida Power & Light Company, St. Johns County Tourist Development Council, St. Augustine/Ponte Vedra on Florida’s Historic Coast, The St. Augustine Record, Augustine.com, SGS Art & Design, and City Gate Productions.
Additional details about the entire The Discover First America! Program Adventure at www.staugustine-450.com.

Got papers to shred? Let Advanced Disposal do it for you.

Advanced Disposal is sponsoring its second annual St. Johns County Shredding Event. St. Johns County residents and businesses are invited to safely destroy old personal documents that should not be carelessly thrown out with the trash. Note that there is a three-box limit per household or business.
Planned for Saturday, November 17 from 9:00am until 1:00pm at the Anastasia Square Shopping Center, corner of SR 312 and Hwy A1A. To see and print a flyer for your information or to share, click here. For more information on the shredding event, call Advanced Disposal at 904.827.1005.
Post-Thanksgiving FOG collection returns
Used fats, oils and grease to be collected on Monday, November 26

The City of St. Augustine and St. Johns County Utilities have joined together for the second year to collect used cooking oil and grease (FOG) following the Thanksgiving holiday.

The recycling collection is set for Monday, November 26, 7:30am–3:30pm at two recycling drop points:
25 W. Castillo Drive (Francis Field); and
840 West 16th Street on Anastasia Island.

This opportunity allows residents to properly dispose of large amounts of used cooking oil to be recycled into usable products such as biodiesel fuel. Participants are asked to allow used cooking grease to cool prior to delivering it in a safe container that will not melt or shatter. Also, to help in collecting oil in the future, each participant will receive a free funnel for future recycling efforts.
When cooking oil is improperly disposed of down the drain, it can clog sewer pipes and create environmental and public health hazards. Problems with sewer lines typically increase around the holidays when people are washing a lot of greasy and fatty foods down the drain. The fats, oils and greases build up inside sewer pipes and can cause raw sewage to back up and overflow into homes, businesses and the environment.
But it is not necessary to wait until Thanksgiving to recycle cooking ooil. There are six locations throughout the county that accepts used cooking oil year round. For a list of the locations and directions, click here.
For more information on the collection and other cooking oil recycling efforts, contact Glabra Skipp, City of St. Augustine at 904.209.4284 or Stacy Kowlsen, St. Johns County at 904.209.2662.

Veterans Day holiday closings for the City of St. Augustine

Offices for the City of St. Augustine will be closed on Monday, November 12 in observance of Veterans Day, but the solid waste pick-up schedule will remain unchanged.

Opportunity to serve: Code Enforcement, Adjustments & Appeals Board

The City Commission is accepting applications to fill vacancies on the Code Enforcement, Adjustments & Appeals Board. Interested individuals who reside within the city limits of the City of St. Augustine are invited to submit applications for this volunteer board. Applications are requested by Friday, November 30 with appointments tentatively scheduled for the City Commission meeting of Monday, December 10. For information concerning qualifications and applications please contact the City Clerk’s office at 825-1007. The application form is available on the city’s web site by clicking here.

Meeting Agendas
Planning & Zoning Board, Tuesday, November 6. Agenda is here.
Code Enforcement, Appeals & Adjustment Board, Tuesday, November 13. Agenda is here.
City Commission, Wednesday, November 14. Agenda will be available here.
Historic Architectural Review Board, Thursday, November 15. Agenda is here.

All agenda, minutes and GTV info
Agendas and minutes for all city meetings can be found at www.staugustinegovernment.com with a schedule of upcoming meetings listed under City Calendar. City Commission meetings are broadcast live via GTV (Comcast Channel 3 in St. Augustine) each second and fourth Monday at 5:00pm. Commission meetings are also recorded and rebroadcast as are Planning and Zoning Board and Historic Architectural Review Board meetings. For a current schedule of all programming on GTV, click here.

Source: City of St. Augustine