Posts tagged Public Hearings

St. Augustine’s Founder’s Day, the annual commemoration of the founding of the city in 1565, is usually held on the Saturday closest to the city’s actual anniversary. This year that date is the actual founding day: September 8.

   Held on the grounds of the Mission Nombre de Dios starting at 10:00am, the commemoration, as is traditional, will include a reenactment of the landing of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the city’s founder, followed by a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop of St. Augustine Felipe J. Estevez.

     After the Mass, Dr. Timothy J. Johnson, Chairman of the Flagler College Humanities Department will offer a presentation related to the city’s founding. Activities then continue at the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park.

     The Founder’s Day commemoration is sponsored by the Mission Nombre de Dios and the La Compania de Santiago, a member unit of Florida Living History, Inc.. The event is free and open to the public.

    For more information contact Florida Living History, Inc. at 877.352.4478.

The City of St. Augustine continues its annual recognition of the anniversary of 9/11 with its Ceremony of Remembrance, a community gathering to remember those who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, September 11 starting at 8:30am at the St. Augustine Fire Department’s main station, 101 Malaga Street. The ceremony is open to the public.
The city’s first Ceremony of Remembrance was held just two days after 9/11 and has continued each year on the anniversary of the attack. The 15-minute program will include a presentation of the colors by the St. Augustine Police Department Honor Guard, an invocation by Larry Clay, St. Johns County Fire Rescue Chaplin, musical presentations by Bob Patterson, and remarks from Vice Mayor Leanna Freeman.The ceremony will conclude with a minute of silence at 8:45am, timed to coincide with the time the first plane hit the first tower of the World Trade Center in 2001. Then after the Fire Department’s historic 1900 fire bell rings 11 times, once for each year since 9/11, the ceremony will end with the playing of Taps by Arthur Tenney, Florida National Guard Master Sergeant, Ret.For more information, call the Public Affairs Department at 904.825.1004.

One might think the only activity in the city’s right-of-way is driving, but that would be wrong. Utilities of all types pass under and over the area generally defined as “from the outer edge of the sidewalk on one side of the street to the outer edge of the sidewalk on the other side,” and activity in that narrow zone has to be carefully monitored.

     That’s the responsibility of the city’s Construction Inspector, Xavier Pellicer, who stops by The Break Room this week to discuss his work and the this important space: the right-of-way.

      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 Roomairs 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.

Moving to and through St. Augustine, whether in a personal or commercial vehicle, is a challenge. The city’s compact historical district’s small, narrow streets draw millions each year, and when volume meets capacity, there can be gridlock.
In recent years there have been many studies by governmental and private entities evaluating the existing traffic systems and proposing ways to increase the ease of moving around St. Augustine. Some studies focused just on street use, others on pedestrians and bicycles, still others on light rail and shuttle services, but there has not been one with the complete, overall view that is likely to result from the St. Augustine Mobility Institute.
Running September 17- 21, the Institute is a week long intensive effort to learn about mobility challenges along the city’s three entrance corridors – King Street, San Marco Avenue, and Anastasia Boulevard – and by week’s end propose solutions based on input from a series of public workshops.

If, as a resident of St. Augustine, you recycle, chances are you are not recycling as much material as you could. Most everyone is certain they can place newspapers, glass and cans in their recycling bin, but those are just a few of the items welcomed.

     The city and its contractor, Advanced Disposal, are launching the Make St. Augustine Cleaner & Greenercampaign to encourage residents to recycle and thus increase the amount of recycled material collected. But, with increased recycling comes the need for increased capacity, so a second bin is being provided, free of charge, to every one of the city’s more than 4,600 customers. Bins currently used throughout the city are 18-gallon capacity, as will be the additional one. The new bins will be delivered the week of September 24-28.

     For an up to date list of what is and what is not accepted for recycling, and a map illustrating the collection schedule, visit www.StAugRecycle.info, and watch for your additional recycle bin the last week of September.

The City Commission is currently accepting applications to fill two, three-year terms on the Planning and Zoning Board. Applicants must be city residents. Those wishing to apply much be city residents and submit a completed application by Friday, September 14. For more information on the Planning and Zoning Board, click here.