| 24 November 2009
BEACHES WATCH MISSION STATEMENT
“Beaches Watch promotes and facilitates educated and productive citizen involvement in local and state government decisions that affect the future of our northeast Florida beaches communities. We achieve this by raising, monitoring and researching issues; providing factual issue information to the general public and government officials; encouraging citizen participation in the solutions to beaches growth and quality of life issues and organizing citizens for action.”
Preserving the Beaches Communities
Beach Living. The phrase summons up images of sun-drenched lazy afternoons and a way of living that is less hurried than the urban pace of life. People who choose to live, work and play at the Northeast Florida's beach communities enjoy all the amenities of a major metropolitan area. But they specifically choose the Beaches for something more - a simple, easy-going way of life offered by smaller beach communities that are quickly vanishing from our state.
What is Beaches Watch?
Beaches Watch is a non-partisan concerned citizens group that was established in 2004 by residents of Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach to focus on preserving our beaches quality of life. By monitoring the issues in our beaches communities, educating the beach citizens on these issues, and encouraging citizen participation in the government process, Beaches Watch is helping residents maintain the beach lifestyle for themselves and future generations.
Education and Public Involvement
Citizen education and involvement in our beach community issues is key to good government and preserving our quality of life. Beaches Watch promotes education and public involvement in the following ways:
- Education through our web site, emails, and printed materials.
- Participation in local government meetings such as Council or Commission meeting, Planning, Board of Adjustment and Code Enforcement meetings.
- Candidate forums to give voters a chance to hear the positions of all candidates for municipal office and make an informed choice.
- Community programs aimed at educating citizens on quality of life issues that affect us all.
- Student essay contest to encourage youth involvement in community affairs.
- Recognition of individuals or businesses who improve the beaches quality of life with the Friend of the Beaches Award.
- Addressing beaches issues at the regional and state level.
- Networking with other community groups throughout Florida.
Smart Growth
The quality of life that makes the beaches an attractive place to visit or live also creates a great economic incentive for over-development on a finite stretch of island. The Beaches towns are nearly �built out.� Further development increases burdens on our infrastructure, our roads and our schools.
Stopping our towns from growing is not practical; growth will occur. But beaches residents can work together with local governments to ensure smart growth. Projects that destroy natural resources, overcrowd our roads or schools, or change our community character should be discouraged in favor of development that better fits our way of life.
Citizens CAN Make a Difference
With informed, positive involvement in local issues, citizens can make a difference in preserving our beaches' quality of life for future generations. Since the inception of Beaches Watch, informed and active residents have worked effectively to moderate uncontrolled development:
- Blocked approval of a massive 550-unit high rise project on the Intracoastal Waterway in Jacksonville Beach that was out of character with our beach community.
- Limited the scope of development of an Intracoastal island in ecologically sensitive marshlands of Atlantic Beach.
- Sponsored an amendment to the Jacksonville Beach City Charter controlling high-rise development and giving the citizens control of any future height limit changes. The amendment was overwhelmingly approved by Jacksonville Beach voters in 2004.
- Organized a successful effort to deny permitting to a waste transfer station within half a mile of two elementary schools and a hospital.
Beaches Watch Board of Directors
The Board of Directors includes four elected officers: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and one board member appointed by the elected officers. Elected officers serve a term of two years with the fifth Board member serving a term of one year.
President: Sandy Golding (term expires 12/31/10)
Vice President: John Tipton (term expires 12/31/11)
Treasurer: Jim Overby (term expires 12/31/10)
Secretary: Maria Mark (term expires 12/31/11)
Board Member: Lance Folsom (term expires 12/31/10)
Board Member: Michael Aston (term expires 12/31/11)
Board Member: Darrell Shields (term expires 12/31/11)
Beaches Watch Brochure:
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