At this month’s meeting of the Ponte Vedra Beach Municipal Service District (MSD) Board of Trustees, Chairman John Wegl said the Ponte Vedra/Palm Valley Citizens Traffic Task Force Board (CTTF) is planning to release the results of its recent traffic surveys following a meeting with county staff scheduled for next week.
The CTTF circulated the first of its two online traffic surveys in October, collecting input on short-term improvements that can be made to various intersections in Ponte Vedra Beach and Palm Valley that would improve traffic flow and safety. A second survey was circulated in mid-November asking for input on the widening of A1A and Mickler Road.
Both surveys were developed by the CTTF Board to solicit feedback from area residents and businesses as a result of recommendations proposed in a recent study commissioned by St. Johns County and the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TPO).
Wegl said the CTTF Board will review the survey feedback with county staff next week and then release all pertinent information to the public. Wegl did not provide a specific date for exactly when or how that information will be made available.
In other news, Trustee Brad Wester said a contractor for JEA is currently replacing pods in MSD residents’ yards that are part of the vacuum sewer system. He said it’s an ongoing project with no end date.
“They’re out there putting these protections in to reduce any potential backups in the homes and businesses,” he said. “You’ll see them. They’re contractor trucks so they’re not specific to JEA.”
Wester also said pavers have been implemented at two beach access points in the district as part of the MSD’s ongoing beautification efforts. One is just south of the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, he said, and the other is across from San Diego Road. Wester noted that these are the two most heavily used access points other than the one at Solana Road.
The MSD Board discussed code enforcement at the end of the meeting. Wegl kicked off the discussion by asking the board if they should help the county with prioritizing the PRIDE complaints (anonymous, online complaints sent by residents to the county) it receives from Ponte Vedra. Wegl said the county has grown impatient with the number of PRIDE complaints coming out of their area.
Trustee Kitty Switkes said she analyzed the Ponte Vedra PRIDE complaints and doesn’t believe Ponte Vedra’s number is any higher than other areas in the county. She also doesn’t think the MSD has the right to prioritize complaints by citizens of the area.
“Ponte Vedra was the first zoning district that has rules,” she said. “The reason why we have such good community appearance is because we have those rules. And if people are sending in PRIDES, and they’re supposed to be anonymous, then I don’t see how the MSD can prioritize complaints by citizens of our area. We have the rules, and people have the right to point them out. This is the system the county has set up.”
Vice chairman Gary Jurenovich voiced his opposition to the PRIDE complaint process and said residents should instead approach such situations as educational opportunities.
“If somebody dumps their yard trimmings on the street, if somebody has garbage out two or three days in advance, I think it’s an educational issue, and I think we’d be more suited to go talk to that resident instead of simply turning in yet another PRIDE complaint,” he said.
The next MSD meeting is Jan. 6, 2018, at the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, where the board will elect a new chairman, vice-chairman and treasurer.
