ARPC May ’09 Report

The Apalachee Regional Planning Council (ARPC) held its regular meeting yesterday, May 28 at the Ramada Conference Center in Tallahassee.

The ARPC is comprised of elected city and county officials and appointees of the Governor that serves a nine county region, which include, Franklin, Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Calhoun, Liberty, Wakulla and Gulf counties.

At the meeting, Davis Stoutamire, Vice-Chair of the Liberty County Board of County Commissioners informed the council that the South Fulton Municipal Regional Water & Sewer Authority (Authority) has made application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (ACOE) Savannah District to construct a pump-storage reservoir on Bear Creek.

The proposed Bear Creek project is located along Highway 70, about eight miles north of the Fulton-Coweta county line.

Stoutamire’ fears shared by the council, was that the project would cause a further reduction of freshwater flow down the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint (ACF) River System to the detriment of everyone south of the project.

Stoutamire learned from attending a recent River South meeting held in Bristol that the proposed 440-acre pump-storage reservoir would demand 16.44 million gallons of freshwater per day out of the Chattahoochee River for use by the Authority.

He went on to say that, the Liberty County Board of County Commissioners has already written a letter to the ACOE opposing the application and requested that the Regional Planning Council follow pursuit.

After a brief discussion, Stoutamire made a motion, which passed unanimously to request that all cities and counties represented on the ARPC write letters of opposition and copy the Governor’s office.

In other business, Tallahassee City Commissioner Debbie Lightsey, questioned ARPC staff whether having central sewer on St. George Island would activate any old Development of Regional Impact’s (DRI) approved on the Island some years ago.

Lightsey expressed concerns over whether the old DRI’s in which Gene Brown was the developer would resurface before the ARPC due to the issue surrounding central sewer on the Island.

Neighborhood Watch Program

Apalachicola Police Chief Bobby Varnes has scheduled a Neighborhood Watch meeting for 6:00PM Monday night June 1, at the 6th Street Recreation Center. The public is invite to come out and learn what you can do to reduce crime in your neighborhoods.

In addition, Franklin County Sheriff Skip Shiver will be on hand to assist with answering questions and to define the role of his department will play in the program.

Neighborhood Watch is another fine project initiated under the Apalachicola Community Pride Partnership Program.

For more information, telephone Chief Varnes at (850) 370-6050 or via email at bobby@apalachicolapolice.com.

It’s in Our Hands

At the April 7, 2009 city commission meeting, city officials moved to enter into a partnership agreement with the U.S. Census Bureau to make certain that every resident living in the City of Apalachicola is counted during the 2010 Census.

However, neither your city government nor the U.S. Census Bureau can do this alone; we need the assistance of other partners, individuals, groups, and organizations from throughout the city to help build awareness about the census.

We need you to get involved by volunteering to serve on the Complete Count Committee (CCC). The purpose of the CCC is as stated to bring awareness concerning the census as well as to motivate residents in the community to respond.

During the last census, only 44 percent of Franklin County’s population including the City of Apalachicola responded to the count.

That was unfortunate because data collected from the census help determine the amount of Federal funding the city receives, the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and it’s used to determine where to build new roads, hospitals, and schools.

For the 2010 Census, we can turn that around by volunteering to join the Complete Count Committee (CCC), for more information telephone City Administrator Betty Taylor-Webb at (850) 653-9319 or via email at apalachadmin@fairpoint.net.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

The Apalachicola Board of City Commissioners and staff wish you and your family a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend. In observation of this national holiday, all city offices except for the police department will close all day Monday, May 25, 2009, and reopen the next day.

For those of you who fly the American flag, flag etiquette require that the flag be flown at half-staff from sunrise to noon.

Community Pride May Meeting

ONE INDIVIDUAL… ONE NEIGHBORHOOD… ONE COMMUNITY

Scheduled for 6:00PM this Thursday, May 21, at the 6th Street Recreation Center is the monthly Apalachicola Community Pride Partnership meeting.

On the agenda are monthly reports from the organizers of the community garden, adopt-a-block program, neighborhood watch, community redevelopment agency, and project impact.

In addition, plans to reconstruct Apalachicola State Bank will be available for review, as well as a discussion on marketing the city’s new flag and working as a community to ensure a maximum count during the 2010 census.

The Community Pride Partnership is a group of Apalachicola residents that has begun actively working together to address quality of life issues throughout the city. The only prerequisite to joining is having enough pride in ones community to see positive things happen.

For more information contact Betty Taylor-Webb, City Administrator at (850) 653-9319 or email apalachadmin@fairpoint.net.

Hillside Forum Report

At the H’COLA May 14 governmental forum, held at the 6th street recreation center elected officials from the city of Apalachicola and Franklin County gave the small group in attendance an update on issues currently facing their offices.

Highlighted in this report are the discussions held with Franklin County Tax Collector James Harris, Clerk of Circuit Court Marcia Johnson, Property Appraiser Doris Pendleton, and District 3 School Board Member Teresa Ann Martin.

Peace Officers Memorial Day

Everyday throughout this country, police officers at every level place themselves in harm’s way to protect and serve our interest.

In honor of their commitment to the call of duty, this past Monday the President of the United States issued a proclamation for the American flag to be flown today at half-staff.

As a community, we cannot afford to forget the sacrifices these officers and their families have made so that we can raise our families in a wholesome environment.

Because of this, as Mayor of the City of Apalachicola, I encourage each resident, business, and government building within the city to show support by observing the presidential designation of Friday, May 15, 2009, as Peace Officers Memorial Day and proudly display the American flag at half-staff.

Everyone should've had a dog in the fight

Upon further reflection, I like to commend the leadership of the Apalachicola Board of City Commissioners for their foresight and fortitude in entering the tri-state water wars litigations. As the 20-year old court battle nears its end, it appears that not only was it the right thing to do, but also the only thing to do.

At Monday’s May 11, hearing in Jacksonville, it appeared that every community upstream of Apalachicola from the smallest hamlet to metro Atlanta had a seat at the table arguing their rights to the waters of the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint (ACF) River System.

From the key tri-state players, Florida, Alabama and Georgia to the Southeastern Federal Power Company Customers, along with the Atlanta Regional Commission which represents four Georgia counties in addition to the cites of Gainesville and Atlanta. Even the Lake Lanier Homeowners Association along with the Alabama Power Company all had seats at the table.

What’s particularly noteworthy is that the Lake Lanier Homeowners Association is made up of a group of lake front residents, individuals, businesses, boaters, and fishermen, which felt compelled to enter the fray to fight for their rights to this limited natural resource.

I commend this group as well, for realizing early on that the tri-state water rights conflict was a high stakes game and for stepping in to protect the water levels around their lake front homes.

Which is and should be very important to them, likewise the protection of the estuary of Apalachicola River and Bay should’ve been just as important to every man, woman, child, shrimper, oysterman, businessman and elected official whose communities boarders the ACF.

However, the only Florida defenders at the table during the May 11, hearing were the State of Florida itself, and the small city of Apalachicola.

Everyone else in the State that boarders the ACF or depend upon its resources only contribution appears to have been a large dose of lip service and a letter writing campaign.

In fact, the Lake Lanier Homeowners Association is now gearing up for phase two of the battle by soliciting donations through their website to help fund their legal war chest.

For the rest of us downstream, I just hope that at the end of day, the old saying, “you want miss the water until the well runs dry” isn’t true.

Tri-State Water Wars

A good day in court

Late yesterday May 11, City Attorney J. Patrick Floyd called from Jacksonville to report that he felt all went well for Florida, Alabama, and the City of Apalachicola in the hearing to resolve the nearly 20-year old tri-state water wars between Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.

The hearing scheduled before the Honorable U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Magnuson for the Middle District of Florida was to determine whether metro Atlanta has the right to use Lake Sidney Lanier as its primary municipal water supply.

Judge Magnuson, appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota by President Ronald Reagan in 1991, was selected to oversee the tri-state case because of his prior experience in water rights litigations.

According to Floyd, from the onset the Minnesota Judge limited both sides to only one hour to make their opening and closing arguments, and questioned why Georgia didn’t take their concerns for additional water allocations directly to Congress.

Lake Lanier is a storage reservoir created in 1956 by the completion of Buford Dam, its primary use as authorized by Congress is to provide for hydroelectricity and flood control. The use of the lake for municipal drinking water is an incidental use secondary to hydroelectricity.

The City of Apalachicola entered into the litigation because of the irreparable harm imposed upon the ecosystem and our way of life by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to supply Atlanta its drinking water by restricting vital freshwater flows down the Apalachicola River Basin contrary to authorized congressional use.

In addition, city officials felt that the issue was of local significant not to relegate our responsibility to fight for the residents of our community to others.

Floyd further reported that the Judge indicated that it would take some time before he would render his decision, however the city attorney surmised that it could be within a month.

H’COLA’s Community Forum

The Hillside Coalition of Laborers for Apalachicola (H’COLA) will hold a community forum as part of their ongoing effort to bring elected government officials back into the community to give residents an update from their perspective offices.

Invited are the Mayor and Apalachicola City Commission, the District 3 County Commissioner and School Board Member along with the Sheriff and all constitutional officers.

The forum will afford residents an opportunity to ask questions while our elected officials talk about the issues, share ideas, and make available general information concerning their offices.

Mark your calendars for this coming Thursday, May 14 and plan to attend from 6:00PM to 8:00PM at the 6th Street Recreation Center.

For more information, telephone Tami Ray-Hutchinson at (850) 653-7515 or via email at tamirh68@yahoo.com.

Happy Mother’s Day

My mother is no longer with us, however to my beloved wife Gail, my daughter Kristy, my two daughter-in-laws, Miesha and Erin and my sisters Wendy and Ann and to all mother’s the world over, I wish you a happy and joyous Mother’s Day.

It is because of your nurturing love, faith and encouraging words that develop young men into principled leaders, whose service is toward the Lord and young women who grow up virtuous, mirroring the image of their mothers.

Work underway at Orman House Park

Work has begun on joining Chapman Botanical Garden with Veterans Memorial Plaza and the Orman House, as part of a long-term management agreement, entered into last July by the City of Apalachicola, the Florida Park Service, and the Three Servicemen Statue South, Inc.

Under the three-way agreement, the Florida Park Service will provide operational management over all three sites under the umbrella of the Orman House Historic State Park, with both Chapman Botanical Garden and Veterans Memorial Plaza retaining their existing identities.

The initial work calls for the portion of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Avenue between fifth and Market Street to be closed to vehicular traffic. The existing asphalt road will be removed to accommodate onsite parking, a sidewalk system, and open green space. Vehicular traffic will only be allowed to enter the park from Market Street, while pedestrian traffic will be allowed to enter from either Market or the 5th Street side of the park.

Future plans includes removing invasive plants from the garden and replanting native plants that were name by Dr. Alvin Wentworth Chapman, building a large pavilion for weddings and family picnics, installing restrooms and placing a resident ranger house on site.

This past September, representatives from the Park Service conducted a public hearing at City Hall to gather public input for incorporation into the management plan.

I respect your point of view

Proud Concerned "Local" Citizens of Apalachicola

sp1proct@aol.com

Dear Proud Concerned “Local” Citizens of Apalachicola:

Thank you for copying me with your May 6, letter to the editor of the Apalachicola Times.

As I certainly respect your right to express your opinion, I firmly believe that as a lifelong resident of the City of Apalachicola and as it’s duly elected Mayor that our beloved city will never realize its full potential until all concerned move beyond the locals versus newcomer’s mentality.

We are going to have to come together as one community to address the problems that affects us all, the issues are too vast for the city to be divided on any front.

In addition, during the Mayoral race, I was up front and clear that I would be the Mayor for all the residents of Apalachicola and that it would not matter to my administration who you are, where you live, whether you just moved to the city or have lived here all your life. I pledged to represent, serve, and respond to everyone’s concerns equally.

For your review, the campaign ad where I made this pledge can be accessed by clicking this link.

In closing, please feel free at anytime to criticize my administration, I grow from constructive criticism. However, please don’t criticize me for being inclusive and for listening to others point of view, because as I see it, that’s exactly, why I was elected Mayor.

Respectfully,

Van W. Johnson, Sr., Mayor
The Historic City of Apalachicola

Link:
Letter to the Editor

To live aboard or not to live aboard

For the past three months, the subject of live aboard’s at the Battery Park Marina (also known as the ten-foot hole) has come up at the regular scheduled monthly meetings of the Apalachicola city commission. Tuesday’s May 5, meeting was certainly no exception.

Other concerns expressed by many during the meetings were the unkempt conditions in which the city operates the marina. As well as the low rent fees charged and the manner in which some tenants have allegedly violated the clean water act.

Currently there exists a city ordinance that allows a person to live aboard his or her vessel docked at the marina at the discretion of the harbormaster, a practice in which the city commission is now considering discontinuing.

Further, City Administrator Betty Taylor-Webb has spoken with the Battery Park Committee concerning the junk that currently clutters the marina. Webb has also alerted the U.S. Coast Guard to visit the basin in order to conduct a compliance inspection of each boat moored there.

In addition, the police department will begin red tagging for towing any vehicle parked at the marina that’s not operational.

Earlier a request was made of the Franklin County Public Health Unit to take water samples from the basin to help determine whether there were any violations of the clean water act. The results of the samples revealed that a minuscule amount of fecal coliform was present in the basin. According to water quality standards, the levels were so diminutive, that they were considered good.

The city is also looking into a new fee structure for mooring at the basin, one that will raise the rates but at the same time give a break to local residents.

In the near future, City Administrator Betty Taylor-Webb will schedule a workshop so that the commission can gather additional public input, before any final decisions are reached in this matter.

Commission Report: May 5, 2009

The following business came before the Apalachicola Board of City Commissioners at their regular scheduled meeting held last night.

*Resolution
The commission unanimously adopted resolution 2009-03, recognizing the Philaco Woman’s Club of Apalachicola for 113 years of dedicated service to the City of Apalachicola and the Franklin County community.

*Chamber Report
Anita Grove, executive director with the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce reported on the activities of several downtown businesses.

Grove reported that the Express Lane convenience store has opened the once closed Chevron station location at the corner of U.S. 98 and Market Street. She further reported that the Green Door has moved to the Orman Building and that Le Debut is moving to the Taranto House.

Grove also reported that there has been no word on the new Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan program. The program was signed into law on February 17 to help small businesses recover from the economic downturn. However, as of yet no formal application process has been defined.

*Police Department Report
Lt. Pam Lewis with the Apalachicola Police Department stood in for Chief Bobby Varnes who couldn’t attend the meeting due to illness.

Lewis reported that during the month of April the police department received 198 calls, made five direct arrests, served three warrant requests, worked seven traffic accidents, and issued 30 traffic citations.

She stated that the May 11, 6:00PM meeting scheduled to implement the neighborhood watch program will be held at the 6th street recreation center, instead of at the Battery park community center.

*Library Report
Librarian Caty Greene reported that at the last library board meeting, the board unanimously voted Susan Clementson in as its new Chair after outgoing Chair Denise Roux tendered her resignation.

Greene further reported that the library board has withdrawn its request for zoning change for the Pierce house and that the board continues to explore other options.

*City Administrator Report
The commission approved a request submitted by City Administrator Betty Taylor-Webb on behalf of Forgotten Coast Cultural Coalition to close the portion of Water Street directly in front of the Historic Cotton Warehouse for the 2009 Plein Air Paint-Out on May 17.

Webb also submitted the written results from a fecal coliform test conducted by the Health Department of the waters at Battery Park Marina. The test revealed that there were very low levels of fecal coliform in the basin. According the Jason Flowers, Environmental Manager at the Health Department, the low levels could be from birds or wildlife and not necessarily from boats docked in the marina.

*Grant Manager Report
City grant manager Cindi Giametta presented to the commission a list of five contractors that submitted bids to perform improvements to the stormwater system along Avenue G and Market Street. Aero Training & Rental, Inc. submitted the lowest bid of $174,112.25. However, the company failed to submit the required equal opportunity employment documentation. The commission then awarded the contract to the second lowest bidder Poloronis Construction, Inc., for $190,610.76.

The commission also motioned to approve the Mayor’s signature on the Stan Mayfield Working Waterfronts grant award to purchase Charlie Williamson property adjacent to Leavins Seafood.

*Commissioner Cook
Commissioner Frank Cook motioned that all projects in the city that has a design element go through the planning and zoning board to receive public input before approval is granted, including all city projects. Cook’s motion passed.

Community Garden germinates interest

Karla Ambos and the other organizers and participants of the Apalachicola City Square Community Garden really do deserve a hearty round of applause.

Through their efforts to make the community garden the success that it is, this group in the process also managed to generate a fair amount of interest from other garden organizers from around the area.

One such group situated about 120-miles west of Apalachicola, is the organizers of the Defuniak Springs Community Garden.

According to a blog post back in February of this year, the Defuniak Springs Community Garden group patterned their vision and approach after the Apalachicola project.

Also on Fiskars Garden Blog, the company in which the Apalachicola group submitted a grant application for garden supplies referenced a post from the Mayor’s Blog on their Project Orange Thumb Grant program.

I guess that it's a tried and true fact that community gardens grow more than just plants, vegetables, and communities. They also generate interest.

Links:
Community Garden of Defuniak Springs Blog
Fiskars Garden Blog

The Great Plein Air Paint Out

Thursday, May 7 marks the beginning of the 2009 Great Plein Air Paint-out, which will run through Sunday, May 17.

This annual event brings scores of nationally recognized artists to the area to capture the allure of Florida's Forgotten Coast with paint and canvas.

The same as with last year’s event, artists will be painting on the beach, across the marsh, beside the lakes and throughout the streets of waterfront towns from Mexico Beach, Windmark, Port St. Joe, Cape San Blas, Apalachicola, Eastpoint, St. George Island, Carrabelle, and inland at Wewahitchka.

In addition, on May 10 and 11, noted maritime artist Donald Demers will teach two one-day field workshops as part of the Great Plein Air Paint-out experience.

For more information on the Great Plein Air Paint-out, or its schedule of events, telephone (800) 378-8419 or visit www.pleinairfl.com.

Please Don’t Eliminate State Aid

The Honorable Charlie Crist
Governor of the State of Florida

Dear Governor Crist:

Thank you for your supportive words and for getting involved yesterday May 2 and this morning concerning the Transportation and Economic Development Conferees initial position of eliminating funding from their budget for the State Aid to Public Libraries program.

However, the job is not yet complete. As you know, at their meeting the Conferees agreed to restore $21,253,978 to the program. However, they are still wrangling over a source for that funding.

Mr. Governor, for the sake of all Florida Libraries, especially rural ones, it is important that you remain connected to this issue to ensure that there’s adequate funding for this vital program.

Therefore, may I respectfully suggest that you meet with both the Senate President and the Speaker of the House to help resolve this funding issue?

Thanks again for your support and leadership!

Respectfully,

Van W. Johnson, Sr. Mayor
The Historic City of Apalachicola

Copy:

Senate President Larry Cretul
larry.cretul@myfloridahouse.gov

Speaker of the House Jeff Atwater
atwater.jeff.web@flsenate.gov

Senator Alfred “Al” Lawson
lawson.alfred.web@flsenate.gov

A ceremony to remember

Yesterday’s ceremony at Veterans Memorial Plaza, was one of a series of scheduled events designed to draw visitors to “The Wall That Heals”, during the Wall's five-day stay in Apalachicola before departing the city this Sunday to continue on its national tour.

Franklin County’s school aged kids from various public, private, and chartered schools took the day off to visit the Wall and participate in the ceremony.

The kids not even in existence during the Vietnam conflict, danced, stepped, and song with such enthusiasm that it left me feeling especially grateful toward all the men and women who have fought so that our country can remain the land of the free.


More importantly, the kids left me with a renewed sense of hope, hopeful that when their generator take over the reins of government, that unlike previous generations, they will see fit to eliminate the need for war, hatred and poverty.

As well as with the other kids, Tommie Lee Dowden, a senior at Franklin County School took part in the ceremony by reading a poem about Clifford Millender of Carrabelle. During the Vietnam War, Millender, a relative of Dowden, whose name appears on the Wall, gave his life in the fight for our freedom.

Closing out Friday’s ceremony with a beautiful rendition of Kristi Moore’s American Tears, was Ashley Carroll, a seventh-grader at the Franklin County School.