Get to know your City Commission candidates - Group 2

September 21, 2020

Editor's Note:  The Fernandina Observer presented four written questions to candidates seeking a seat on the Fernandina Beach City Commission.  Today we present answers from Group 2.  We have turned off commenting on this post so our readers will focus on the answers and not the comments.

On Thursday, September 24, the Fernandina Observer Candidate Forum can be viewed on the City of Fernandina Beach website via live streaming beginning at 7:00 p.m.  In the future, we will provide more information on access to the forum.

Alexandra Reed Lajoux, Genece Mishew, and David Sturges, are candidates for City Commission, Group 2.

Press Releases Announcing Candidacy:

Alexandra Reed Lajoux

Genece Minshew

David Sturges

What was the deciding factor in your decision to run for office?

The deciding factor in my decision to run for city commission was twofold: my concern about hyper-development, combined with my realization that a single commissioner vote can make a difference. There had been a series of 3-2 votes in favor of major developments opposed by citizens. I decided to run on a pledge to vote always to protect our environment.

What was the deciding factor in your decision to run for office?

There was not just one deciding factor, but several. I’ve lived here a number of years and have watched the city commission with interest. I know that the city can do a better job in managing day to day activities as well as planning for the future and I can help make that happen. I’ve also been encouraged by many local citizens to run this election year.

I bring years of experience, skills and knowledge to the table and I know that I can make Fernandina Beach a better place to live, work, play and visit.

What was the deciding factor in your decision to run for office?

I have a lifetime of service to this community and it is the next logical step for me to want to serve my community in this capacity.

believe that we need a better vision for our city and be more fiscally responsible with the tax money collected from the property

owners in the city.

Our city bureaucracy has expanded and the commission has taken on pet projects rather than focusing on the higher priority matters. As a business owner efficiency is key to success and longevity, government has a reputation of being woefully inefficient and we need to change that.

What is the most important problem the next city commission must solve?

There isn’t just one problem facing the next city commission. There are many.

• Impact of the pandemic on our economy, our citizens and our city budget

• Managing growth and development

• Balancing citizens desire for services vs. reducing property taxes

• Relationship with the County and with the Port Authority

• Improving city processes to reduce cost and improving customer relationships

• Revenue generation for the golf course and the marina to make them self-sustaining

• Managing long term debt obligations for marina

• Storm water resiliency and dune management requires preparing for impacts of climate change and the bigger challenge of how to pay for it

• And the list goes on

The challenge will be how do we address all these issues. Will we address these issues piece meal and without a clear strategic direction or will we begin to work with a clear vision and the leadership that encourages cooperation and collaboration over command and control top down decision making?

What is the most important problem the next city commission must solve?

We need to get our financial house in order, we overspent on the Marina without securing the FEMA reimbursement in writing. We are spending money we don’t have on things we don’t need. Our personnel has expanded and yet permit turnaround times are slower, we have inconsistency in our application of the LDC and seemingly change the rules in the middle of the game. We are focused on stopping development while our infrastructure lags. A city our size does not need a bloated bureaucracy, it should be streamlined and simple.

What is the most important problem the next city commission must solve?

I believe that the next city commission will have an historic opportunity to return our marina to its former glory. The Fernandina Beach Marina represents our largest burden of debt, yet it may also be our single greatest asset. We need to manage our debt prudently, and we need to work with Oasis, the newly hired marina management company, to enhance our revenue. In addition, we need to aggressively pursue FEMA reimbursement. We should refrain from any projects in the waterfront area that do not support and enhance our working marina.

If we can solve the financial problem of the marina, we can devote more city funds to support other vital needs, such as environmental conservation, without raising taxes.

How have you prepared yourself to be an effective city commissioner?

I’ve successfully run a small business for nearly 20 years. I have been attending FBCC meetings for several months, addressing the board when warranted, I have met with the City Manager along with Department heads and have been speaking to residents every opportunity I get. Information is key and I have made every effort to obtain as much pertinent information as possible.

How have you prepared yourself to be an effective city commissioner?

In preparation to become an effective city commissioner I have done the following since filing as a candidate on November 5, 2020.

• Activist involvement. Participated in citizens groups involved with city finances (brief ad hoc committee responding to COVID) and with the environment (ATC Working Group on the Comprehensive Plan, Simmons Park post-contract re-envisioning with architect and environmentalists)
• Board and committee work. Volunteered to serve my HOA as VP (November 2019 to present). Volunteered to serve on the City’s Parks and Recreation Committee (January 2020 to present). Attended commission meetings regularly in person or (more recently) on Zoom.
• Boot Camp. Attended all sessions of the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce Boot Camp in January and February 2020.
• Candidate forums and questionnaires. Accepted invitations to candidate forums or interviews including North Florida Central Labor Council (6/4/20), NAACP/SCLC) (8/8/20 – cancelled), Nassau Chamber of Commerce (9/2/20), Concerned Friends of Fernandina (9/11/20), Fernandina Observer (9/24/20 - forthcoming), Nassau Builders (10/7/20-forthcoming), Federated Republican Woman of Nassau (10/9/20- forthcoming). Filled out questionnaires for these groups if requested, plus questionnaire from the League of Women Voters.
• City Commission involvement. Attended commission meetings in person or (more recently) on Zoom. Spoken at commission meetings and/or sent in comments on local issues. Met with a variety of past, current, and aspiring commissioners.
• Community participation. Attended various community events including 2019 Christmas Parade, 12/31/2019  Shrimp Drop, Black Business Expo, MLK Breakfast, MLK Parade, Juneteenth Celebration, Racial Equity Coalition March, Memorial Day celebration, Back the Blue march, and events in the county related to historic preservation of American Beach. Continued support for several charities located in the city and learned more about their missions.
• Person-to-person outreach. Met one-on-one with many voters from across the city representing a range of views. Reached out to small business owners and longtime residents in the historic neighborhoods at the heart of the city. Introduced myself to all political candidates in both the city and county races, fostering ongoing dialogue in many cases.
• Research on local and national municipal issues. Read and contributed to Fernandina Observer and the Fernandina Beach News Leader. Joined and began following several local Facebook groups. Subscribed to various online groups such as Strong Towns and Smart Cities. Began writing a book on municipal sustainability  (De Gruyter 2021) re setting goals (environmental, economic, engineering); financing initiatives (land trusts, bonds, grants; general obligation bonds, revenue bonds); using tools (ordinances, zoning, density, impact fees); and dealing with conflict (litigation and mediation).
• Website communication. Posted my platform and several speeches and viewpoints on a dedicated campaign website (lajouxforcitycommission.com) so that citizens can see all my views. Issues covered include city finances, Black entrepreneurial history (S. 9^th Street), local COVID response, and the problem of local hyper-development.

How have you prepared yourself to be an effective city commissioner?

I’ve spent the last 2+ years regularly attending city commission meetings, reviewing agendas, and becoming familiar with the issues presented at the city commission.  In 2019 I applied for and was appointed to the City Planning Advisory Board of which I am now the chair.  This board is the official Planning Authority for the City and as such we have worked diligently to work through FLUM and Zoning inconsistencies, improved the tree ordinance and increased fines for failure to comply.  We are now preparing for a complete re-write of the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code planned for 2021.

Since moving here in 2008, I have volunteered with several organizations which gives me insight into the needs of our diverse community.

I have actively engaged with the City Manager and City Commission on issues that are important to me, such as the Top Tracer contract for the golf course, the Simmons Rd park vote, the Marina Management RFP mismanagement, the proposed lease changes for the Amelia River Golf Course and more.  I was part of the group that successfully passed a Human Rights Ordinance through the city commission in 2019.

I do my homework and understand as much as possible about issues facing the city.  I will be an informed and knowledgeable commissioner ready to start work on day one.

If you believe that there is too much development in the city, how would you propose to stop it legally without interfering with private property rights?

I have many ideas. Here are just some of them.

• Strengthen collaboration with the North Florida Land Trust’s Amelia Forever campaign. Avoid competition.
• Enforce our current ordinances more strongly. Stop giving variances re building height, setback, and other environmental values.
• Promote the city’s environmental fund (as well as the NFLT’s Amelia Forever) to raise funds that enable more purchases of private land to put into conservation.
• Consider a temporary moratorium on the approval of major development projects until comprehensive plan and land development code are updated. Existing projects with valid contracts could be grandfathered.
• New financing. Take a fresh look at general obligation bonds and revenue bonds related to conservation causes. Consider holding a green bond referendum jointly with the county in November 2021.
• Strive to attract developers who wish to preserve and enhance existing buildings instead of clearcutting to build new ones. Approach philanthropists—not just here but nationally and globally to help us resolve this emergency for one of the world’s last pristine “barrier island” cities.
• Collaborate closely with expert conservationists and qualified legal counsel to strengthen our comprehensive plan and land development code to make them as effective as they can be without violating property rights.
• Tax/economic Incentives. Provide tax and economic incentives for owners of environmentally sensitive lands so that owners will be motivated to either accept public easement status for the property in part or in whole, or agree to accept a sale price that would put the land into conservation. If current owners agree to either of these conditions, the city would make them whole.

If you believe there is too much development in the city, how would you propose to stop it legally without interfering with private property rights?

It isn’t so much about stopping development, as it is about understanding the impact of development on our community, understanding the legal options to control and direct where and how we want development to occur while recognizing private property rights.  It is about using the Comprehensive Plan to clearly articulate the community vision and standards that we want for our city.  It is about writing ordinances in the Land Development Code that support that community vision.  We have an opportunity in 2021 to re-write and clearly document that vision in both our Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Code.  It is the most important thing that we can do as citizens to control future development.

If you believe that there is too much development in the city, how would you propose to stop it legally without interfering with private property rights?

I do not believe we have over-development in certain Forms of construction. Yes, Large Scale development and hotels are not what we need in the city of Fernandina Beach. However, a lack of inventory of single-family affordable housing is raising prices and making it difficult for young families to live and work here. It is a balance that needs to be struck. It seems that those who ardently oppose development lament the lack of “affordable housing” in the same breath. You cannot have both. Encouraging redevelopment of aging properties by simplifying the permitting process would make the properties that can be affordable to young families more attractive.I am an ardent believer in private property rights, the fact remains that there is a finite amount of buildable land left in the city. We cannot legally stop people from coming here and buying property or existing homes and building and refurbishing them or redeveloping them.