Argyle Area Civic Council

Minutes and Highlights of 2005

Highlights of 2005

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Minutes of 2005

MINUTES OF THE January 20th, 2005 ARGYLE AREA CIVIC COUNCIL MEETING
Held at the Kirkwood Presbyterian Church
8701 Argyle Forest Boulevard
Jacksonville, Florida
January 20, 2005

Present: Bill Lewis, First Vice-President
Allen Durant, Treasurer
Tom Dumas - Second Vice-President
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary

Others present:
John Draper, Mary Burkett, Mary Krause, Wilma Schnell,
Jim Kelly, Audrey Loadholtz, Priscilla & Donald Hoyt, Sherry Stocker, Barbara Bible.

The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m. by First Vice-President Bill Lewis in the stead of President Henry Mooneyhan, who could not be present.

The minutes having been posted on the website, John Draper made a motion that the December 2004 minutes be approved. Motion seconded by Allen Durant and carried.

PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT: OfficerMeisner of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reported on traffic issues for the Argyle Forest area. There have been 29 traffic crashes on Argyle Forest Boulevard in the month of December. Eight were at either Blanding Boulevard or Youngerman Circle. On Blanding Boulevard, there were seven. Five traffic crashes occurred at Shindler and Argyle Forest Boulevard. There was one traffic accident at Cheswick Oaks and Argyle Forest involving a car and a pedestrian.

Along the construction area of Argyle Forest, there were a couple of accidents; one at Candlewood and Argyle Forest, but not an inordinate number overall.
The JaxSheriff.com website can give crime statistic information for your neighborhood, and areas within 500 feet of your address.

TRANSPORTATION: A public hearing will be coming up on the Wells Road Connector. As soon as that information is available, a notice will go out by AACC email.

LITERACY CAMPAIGN: Deferred until the next meeting.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Deferred until the next meeting.

COMMUNICATIONS: The email database is increasing and is being maintained by Bill Lewis. The easiest way to find the AACC website is to go to Jacksonville.com, and in the Keyword Search box, type in the word Argyle and click on Go, and you will be taken straight to the AACC website.

LANDSCAPING, GRANT WRITING, YMCA and CHARTER SCHOOLS: There were no reports from these committees.

NEW BUSINESS: Sherry Stocker spoke in support of the EF Educational Homestay Program, where foreign teenage students come to stay with volunteer host families. The students attend classes Monday through Friday, studying English in the mornings and recreational activities in the afternoons. The program starts on July 5 and continues through August 1st. Local EF staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week while the students are here. This program helps the foreign student and the host family learn about each other’s culture, and helps the students to perfect their English skills and build international relationships. The students have their own spending money. All that is required of a host family is a bedroom and meals and transportation to the school bus stop. A $50 bonus is given to an individual or a group or organization for referring three families that take part in the program. For further information, contact Sherry Stocker at 374-0209.

ELECTIONS: The Supervisor of Elections and City Councilman At Large, Group 1 and Group 3 elections will be held February 15. John Draper announced that he has paid the qualifying fee for the At-Large Group 1 race and asked for the endorsement of the Argyle Area Civic Council. After discussion, Mary Burkett moved that the Argyle Area Civic Council endorse John Draper for the position of City Council At Large, Group 1. The motion was seconded and passed.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Funds in the treasury total $218.12.

There being no further business to come before the board, Allen Durant made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Mary Burkett.
The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Marie Splane, recording secretary



Minutes of the February 17th, 2005 ARGYLE AREA CIVIC COUNCIL Meeting
Held at the Kirkwood Presbyterian Church
8701 Argyle Forest Boulevard
Jacksonville, Florida

Present: Henry Mooneyhan, President
Bill Lewis, First Vice-President
Tom Dumas - Second Vice-President
Allen Durant, Treasurer
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary

Others present:
John Draper, Mary Krause, Wilma Schnell, Steve Hinkle, Ernest Mattson, Thomas R. Martin, Monica Dubrey.

The meeting was called to order at 7:35p.m.

John Draper moved that the minutes from the January meeting be accepted. Motion seconded and passed.

Public Safety Report. Officer Jerry Feltner, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, reported that car burglaries continue to be a problem in the Argyle and Oakleaf Plantation areas due to residents leaving their cars unlocked. Thefts at new construction sites continue.

Transportation. No public meetings have been announced regarding the Wells Road Connector. The design phase of the Collins Road/295 interchange has been funded and should be completed within a year. Department of Transportation links can be found on the AACC website.
The Argyle Forest Boulevard widening up to Westport may be complete by mid-September.

Business Development. All the restaurants across from the Argyle Village Shopping Center are open and doing a brisk business.

Communications: Website is doing well.

Questions/Discussion from the public: A fire station is planned for the Oakleaf Plantation area; land has already been set aside, it has been approved and funded, and bids have been sent out.

The AACC would like to invite the Supervisor of Elections and City Council-at-Large candidates to our next meeting. President Mooneyhan will try to initiate some contacts and extend an invitation for them to attend.

Old Business. Nothing to report, other than there may be an update on the previously discussed Senior Citizens Center at the next meeting.

Treasurer’s Report. No new expenses or contributions to report. The financial report remains the same as last month.

New Business. A candidates forum was discussed but no final plans were formulated.

Mary Krause reported that new townhomes are going to be built at Jammes and 103rd Street. The northwest corner of Blanding and 103rd will be the site of a Sonic Drive-in, and additional tenant space is being created at the former site of the Aaron Rents building.

There being no further business to come before the council, Tom Dumas made a motion to adjourn, seconded by John Draper. Motion passed, and the meeting adjourned at approximately 8:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary



MINUTES OF THE March 17, 2005 ARGYLE AREA CIVIC COUNCIL MEETING
Held at the Kirkwood Presbyterian Church
8701 Argyle Forest Boulevard
Jacksonville, Florida

Present: Bill Lewis, First Vice-President
Allen Durant, Treasurer
Tom Dumas, Second Vice-President
David Hodges, Chairman, Transportation and Business
Development
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary

Others present:
John Draper, Mary Krause, Wilma Schnell, Ernest Mattson, Steve Thomas, Kathleen Null, Briget Shelton, Steve Hinkle, Don Christen, Barbara Bible, Paul Stella and Ervin M. Flynn.

1. CALL TO ORDER. The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m.

2. APPROVAL OF OLD MINUTES. Motion was made and seconded to approve the February minutes as posted on the website. Motion passed.

3. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
(a) JACKSONVILLE CITY COUNCIL AND CLAY COUNTY COMMISSION REPORTS. No reports available.

(b) PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT. (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Clay County Sheriff's Office.) No reports available.

(c) TRANSPORTATION (David Hodges and Tom Dumas): A meeting was held with the Department of Transportation about the possibility of moving up the construction of the Collins Road interchange, currently scheduled for 2009-2010, to 2007 so that it would coincide with the work that is being done by the Better Jacksonville Plan, which is to widen Collins Road from Rampart to Blanding. The Argyle Forest area will not see any relief to its traffic problems until the interchange is also constructed. The widening of Collins Road, although needed, and the completion of the four-laning of Argyle Forest Boulevard will not entirely ease our local traffic flow problems. From a safety standpoint, it would be safer for the
workers doing the construction to deal with two lanes of traffic rather than four.

Meetings were also held with Representative Joe Negron Representative Jennifer Carroll, Senator Steve Wise, Don
Davis, Mark Mahon and with Dick Kravitz relative to state/federal funding issues.

Tom Dumas has been in contact with the Mayor's Office to keep them informed of the status of the engineering phase, which is about one-third complete. It is hoped that the engineering phase of the project can be accelerated.

(d) Well Road Connector. A check of the State Department of Transportation reveals that no public meetings have been
scheduled. The Cleveland Connector, however, is the No. 2 priority of the MPO.

(e) JACKSONVILLE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (Ervin M. Flynn): The JTA is studying current bus routes and how they should be modified. Mr. Flynn fielded questions from the audience and requests for bus service to the new Argyle Branch Library, Chaffee Road, Ricker Road, Argyle Forest Boulevard & Cheswick Oak, and Collins Road near I-295.

(f) LITERACY CAMPAIGN: Report deferred.

(g) BUSINESS/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (David Hodges):
Paul Stella of the Jacksonville Public Library came to tell us that the new Argyle Branch Library will open on March 26,
2005, with the official dedication ceremony by the Mayor to be held on March 28 at 2:30 p.m. The new library, located at
7973 Old Middleburg Road South, next to Enterprise Learning Center, is a 15,000 square foot building, with 20 computers, Wi-Fi access and a community meeting room available.

Ted's Montana Grill, located across Blanding from the Argyle Forest Shopping Center, has officially opened.

(h) COMMUNICATIONS (Bill Lewis): Website is up and running. Bill is in the process of consolidating the 2003 and 2004
minutes on one page.

(i) HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS MEETING (Bill Lewis): No report.

(j) OTHER COMMITTEES: Grant writing, Landscape, YMCA and Charter School committee are not currently active.

4. OLD BUSINESS:
(a) Treasurer's Report (Allen Durant): A recent $25 donation brings our treasury up to $243.12.

5. NEW BUSINESS:
Allen Durant made a motion to hold the next AACC meeting at the new Argyle Branch Library, subject to availability.
Motion seconded and passed.

There being no further business to come before the board, David Hodges moved that the meeting adjourn. Motion was
seconded and carried. The meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary



MINUTES OF THE APRIL 21, 2005 ARGYLE AREA CIVIC COUNCIL MEETING
HELD AT THE ARGYLE BRANCH LIBRARY
7973 Old Middleburg Road South
Jacksonville, Florida 32222-1817

PRESENT: Bill Lewis, First Vice-President; Allen Durant, Treasurer; Marie Splane, Recording Secretary.

Others present:
Ernest Mattson, Ken Shirey, Steve Hinkle, Neilsen Giles, Wilma Schnell, Nancy Fisher, Virginia Miller, John Draper, Wendy Morrow (JTA), Richard Schwabe (JTA), Marcy Cook (COJ PW), Dave Schneider (COJ PW), Mary Krause, Matt Dominy, David Reagan, David Hodges.

The meeting was called to order at 7:42 p.m.
Motion made and seconded to approve the minutes of the March meeting. Motion passed.

TREASURER’S REPORT: A donation of $25 was received from a homeowner, bringing our treasury balance to $243.12.

JACKSONVILLE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TOWN MEETING (Transportation):
Marcy Cook, communications manager of the Department of Public Works, gave a Power Point presentation of the planned
city road projects south of 103rd. All road projects are being reevaluated due to funding shortfalls. The projects highlighted were presented as if no funding shortfalls were going to occur, but are subject to change. Ms. Cook explained that a standard of three community meetings are held per project: One at the end of the study to inform the residents know the configuration of the roadway; one at 90 percent design, to give everyone an opportunity to tell us what they like about the project; and then another meeting before the project goes to construction. If a proposed project is changed or eliminated, the community will be notified.

Four projects are in the study phase: Two sections of Morse Avenue, from Blanding to Shindler, to Ricker Road; Cecil Field connector, 35 percent complete; Paramore Road extension; Shindler Road between Argyle Forest Boulevard and 103rd Street.

Eight projects are in the design phase: Four sections of Collins Road: (1) from Blanding to Roosevelt; (2) from Rampart to Blanding, including the Blanding/Collins intersection; (3) Westport to Shindler; (4) Shindler to Old Middleburg.
The Collins Road widening from Rampart to Westport has been redesigned to avoid private property problems. However, a 147-foot strip of property will have to be purchased from property owners on the south side of Collins from Westport to Shindler. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2007, with an anticipated completion date of the summer 2008. The portion of the project from Shindler to Old Middleburg is currently shown as a four-lane divided roadway. The city might build only two westbound lanes, and as the area develops with either residential or other development, developers would build the eastbound lanes between Old Middleburg and Shindler. That would be one way to save on the costs.

Questions from the audience were answered by Ms. Marcy Cook and Mr. Dave Schneider.

More information on the above-mentioned projects can be viewed at the following site: www.betterjax.com, then go to Search by Neighborhood, then select Westside Projects, and a list will come up.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Jacksonville City Council and Clay County Commission – no reports.

Public Safety: David Hodges reported an increase in car thefts and car burglaries. Crime statistics for your neighborhood can be viewed by going to www.coj.net/sheriff and clicking on Crime Statistics. This will give you crime statistics for a half-mile radius from your home address.

Literacy Campaign: Still looking for someone willing to chair this committee. The Argyle Branch Library would be an ideal place for this committee to meet.

Business Development: An announcement of a new service–oriented business might be made at the next meeting. A hardware store might be opening in the area; restaurants are also considering locations in the Oakleaf Plantation area.

Communications: Our meetings are listed in the Community Calendar in the Jacksonville Times-Union.

Homeowners Association Presidents Meeting: No report.
Grant Writing Committee: No active committee, no report.
Landscaping Committee: No active committee, no report.
YMCA Committee: No information on a YMCA for the Oakleaf area, but there have been discussions.
Charter School Committee: No active committee, no report.

OLD BUSINESS: None.
New Business:
David Reagan made a motion that future meetings of the AACC be held at the Argyle Branch Library. Motion seconded and passed.

David Reagan reported that the Argyle Elementary School in Clay County is trying to get set up for next year. The PTO/PTA will be calling on the local homeowners associations in Clay County to make a donation .

There being no further business to bring before the council, David Hodges made a motion to adjourn, seconded by John Draper. The meeting adjourned at 8:47 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary



MINUTES OF THE MAY 19, 2005 ARGYLE AREA CIVIC COUNCIL MEETING
HELD AT THE ARGYLE BRANCH LIRARY
7973 Old Middleburg Road South
Jacksonville, Florida 32222-1817

PRESENT: Bill Lewis, First Vice-President; Allen Durant, Treasurer; Tom Dumas, Second Vice-President; Marie Splane, Recording Secretary; David Hodges, Chairman of Transportation and Business Development.

Others present:
Thomas Martin, Giles Neilson, Jim Kelly, Ernest Mattson, Joe Clairmont, Charles Felder, Jesse Medeiros, Ken Shirey, Ray Sibert, John Draper, Barry Wynns, George Nail, Drew Frick.

The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m.
Motion made and seconded to approve the minutes of the May meeting. Motion passed.

NEW BUSINESS:
Gate Petroleum: George Nail, Vice President of Marketing Development for Gate Petroleum, and Drew Frick, Vice President, GL National, Inc., made a presentation for a new Gate Petroleum gas station at the corner of Argyle Forest Boulevard and Rampart Road. Gate Petroleum has put this piece of property under contract. After giving their presentation and fielding questions from the audience, John Draper told Mr. Frick and Mr. Nail that the residents in that area absolutely do not want a gas station at this site or any kind of retail establishment. Several residents expressed the opinion that a better location would be on Argyle Forest Boulevard near the Oakleaf Plantation area, where 11,000 homes will be built.

John Draper made a motion that the Argyle Area Civic Council officially express opposition to the proposed Gate gas station at Rampart Road and Argyle Forest Boulevard. The motion was seconded. After discussion, Mr. Draper amended the motion to read that the Argyle Area Civic Council adopt a resolution opposing any commercial development at Rampart Road and Argyle Forest Boulevard. The amendment was seconded. A hand poll in favor of the amended motion revealed that the vote was unanimous.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Public Safety Report: Officers McNeil and Anderson gave reports on area crime activity. New construction thefts have abated somewhat, due to the arrest of a ring of thieves that was stealing appliances from construction sites. A police helicopter spotted 22 brand-new air conditioners that were stashed in a field, awaiting relocation and resale. A pale blue van with New York tags and another vehicle were used in these thefts.

Automobile burglaries are increasing not only in the Argyle area, but all over the city. The present manpower of the sheriff’s office is such that follow-ups to auto burglaries can seldom be done.

A new program instituted by the sheriff’s office is the Community Service Officers. These officers write civil citations, allowing the sheriff’s deputies to handle the more serious calls. The program is getting better every month and is growing.

Officers McNeil and Anderson shared information relative to the use of Tasers and answered other questions from the audience.

NEW BUSINESS:
Business Development: David Hodges reported that two new restaurants will be opening next to the Walgreen’s on Oakleaf Plantation Boulevard, and a Super Wal-Mart is going in at Normandy Boulevard and Chaffee Road.

Due to time constraints, the remaining agenda items will be
postponed until the June meeting.

There being no further business to come before the council, John Draper made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Tom Dumas. The meeting adjourned at 8:53 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary



Minutes of the June 16, 2005 ARGYLE AREA CIVIC COUNCIL Meeting
Held at the Argyle Branch Library
7973 Old Middleburg Road South
Jacksonville, Florida, 32222-1817


Present:
Henry Mooneyhan, President; Bill Lewis, First Vice-President;
Tom Dumas, Second Vice-President; Allen Durant, Treasurer;
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary.
Giles Neilson, Bruce Barney, Valerie Barney, Ernest Mattson,
Ken Shirey, Debbie Israel-Messer, Officer J. D. Stronko, Officer
M. J. Meissner, Thomas R. Martin.

The meeting was called to order by Bill Lewis at 7:35 p.m.
Motion made and seconded to approve the minutes of the June meeting. Motion passed.

Committee Reports:
No reports available.

Public Safety:
Officers M.J. Meisnner and J. D. Stronko gave a public safety report.
Auto thefts in the Westside and citywide have increased. Two-thirds of the auto thefts occurred when people left their keys in their car. Auto dealerships are experiencing potential buyers taking cars for test drives and not coming back.
The Sheriff’s Office has received permission to trespass vagrants out of the wooded area in the vicinity of Blanding Boulevard and Argyle Forest Boulevard. Weekly rechecks of the area will be done in an attempt to make sure this wooded area is kept clear.
Crimes of violence are down 60 percent in the Blanding Boulevard to Shindler area.

Transportation:
The road widening of Phase I of Argyle Forest Boulevard should be completed by the end of the summer. Construction of Phase II is scheduled to start mid-January of 2006.
Collins Road/I-295 Interchange: No update.
Reconstruction of Blanding Boulevard/Collins Road intersection should be starting shortly.

Literacy Campaign:
No report.

Business Development:
A Duval County Tax Collector Branch Office will be opening near the new Walgreen’s drug store on Oakleaf Plantation Boulevard.

Communications:
Bill Lewis reported that there is some updating of the website to be done.

Homeowners Association Presidents Meeting:
No report at this time.

Old Business:
John Draper presented a copy of the motion made on May 19th opposing
any commercial development of the 10 acres of property at the corner of Argyle Forest Boulevard and Rampart Road. Lengthy discussion ensued.

Meeting Announcement Signs:
Allen Durant made a motion to pay John Draper $50 for changing the wording
of our signs to reflect our new meeting location. Motion was seconded and passed.

Treasurer’s Report:
Treasurer Allen Durant reports a balance of $268.12

Additional Notes:
Due to a previous commitment of the library meeting room, the August meeting will be held on August 25th, the fourth Thursday in August.

There being no further business to come before the council, Thomas Martin made a motion to adjourn. Motion seconded and passed. The meeting adjourned at 8:52 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary



Minutes of the July 21, 2005 ARGYLE AREA CIVIC COUNCIL Meeting
Held at the Argyle Branch Library
7973 Old Middleburg Road South
Jacksonville, Florida, 32222-1817


Present:
Henry Mooneyhan, President; Bill Lewis, First Vice-President;
Tom Dumas, Second Vice-President; Allen Durant, Treasurer; David Hodges, Jon Draper, Steve Hinkle,
Others to be included in minutes.

The meeting was called to order by Henry Mooneyhan at 7:38 p.m.

Motion made by David Hodges and seconded by John Draper to approve the minutes of the June 16, 2005 meeting. Motion passed.

Elected Representatives Reports:
No reports available.

Public Safety:
Officer Ed Sweat – Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office gave a public safety report and statistics on crime based on number of calls.
L1 Sector
Property Crime & Violent Crime – Down 6% Year to Date
Property Crime - Down 9% Year to Date
Violent Crime - Down 21% Year to Date

K3 Sector
Property Crime & Violent Crime – Down 6% Year to Date
Property Crime - Down 9% Year to Date
Violent Crime - Down 21% Year to Date

Transportation:
Exit Ramp off I-295 North Bound onto Blanding Blvd is now open.
New traffic pattern on Argyle Forest Blvd over the new bridge is now open.
Flooding problems on Argyle Forest Blvd at Acanthus Drive are occurring during heavy rain.
Jacksonville Building Department has permitted the runoff from the new storage units behind Jo Ann Fabrics onto Argyle Forest Blvd.

Literacy Campaign:
No report.

Business Development:

Gator Dockside is opening a branch in Oakleaf.
A Duval County Tax Collector Branch Office will be opening near the new Walgreens.
ClearWire High Speed Internet now has two towers in Argyle Forest online.

Communications:
Bill Lewis reported that there is some updating of the website to be done.

Homeowners Association Presidents Meeting:
No report at this time.

Old Business:

More discussion on the possible Gate gas station at Argyle Forest Blvd and Rampart Road.

New Business:

David Hodges mentioned that there is a loophole in the registration of sex offenders if they move from another state. Bill Lewis mentioned that the best way to look up sex offenders is thru the link at http://www.justicecoalition.org or http://www3.fdle.state.fl.us/sopu/index.asp

Olson Farms Proposed Rezoning.
Tom Dumas declared a conflict and recussed himself from the AACC board.
Project is located at the corner of Collins Road, I-295, Park City and Rampart Road.
This is part of the Southwest Vision Plan – City Planning Department Web Site.
Site is 32 acres. Currently zoned RR – Rural Residential.
Owner is looking to rezone property to RPI with CRO designation and PUD at later time.
Motion was made by David Hodges and seconded by Allen Durant to vote on the Olsen Farms Proposed Rezoning at the August AACC meeting.

Additional Notes:

Due to a previous commitment of the library meeting room, the August meeting will be held on August 25th, 2005 the fourth Thursday in August.

There being no further business to come before the council, Allen Durant made a motion to adjourn. Motion seconded by Steve Hinkle and passed. The meeting adjourned at 8:53 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Bill Lewis – First Vice President



MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 25th, 2005 ARGYLE AREA CIVIC COUNCIL MEETING
Argyle Branch Library
7973 Old Middleburg Road
Jacksonville, Florida 32222-1817

Present: Bill Lewis, Acting President; Tom Dumas, Assistant Vice-President; Allen Durant, Treasurer; Marie Splane, Recording Secretary.

Residents/guests in attendance: John Draper, Officer Tomlin (JSO), Thomas Martin, Kay Siebert, Alberta Hipps (additional names to be added from the sign-in sheet)

The meeting was called to order by Tom Dumas, who announced that Henry Mooneyhan was out of the city on business and would not be attending.

PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT:
Officer Tomlin, from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, gave the public safety report. Crime statistics in our area have been increasing due to the high growth of new housing in the OakLeaf Plantation and surrounding areas. As of August 24th, there have been 3 burglaries to residences in the last 14 days, but none in the last 7 days. Two auto thefts have occurred in the last 7 days. Crime generally is up throughout the city. More patrol officers have been added to the Argyle Forest area.
Lindsay Terrace: Most of the crime in this area is residential burglaries and burglaries to vehicles. The crime statistics are historically higher in the summer months, with the majority of offenders being juveniles. Many of the apartment complexes have high automobile burglary rates.
ShAdCo: Officer Tomlin invited everyone to take an application to join the Sheriff’s Office Advisory Council (ShAdCo). Meetings are held once a month to find out concerns residents have about crime or traffic complaints. If you fill out an application, you will be notified by mail when a meeting will be held in your area.

TRANSPORTATION:
Officer Tomlin advised that the intersections of Blanding/I-295, Blanding/Argyle Forest Boulevard, Blanding/Youngerman Circle, Blanding/Collins Road and Blanding/Lake Gray Boulevard are among the worst traffic crash sites in the city. Community Service Officers are currently dispatched to handle traffic accidents, thereby making the patrol officers available to handle criminal matters.

Bill Lewis tells us that a traffic light will be installed at Shindler Drive and Argyle Forest Boulevard when the four-laning is finished.

OLSEN FARMS PROPOSED REZONING:
Tom Dumas temporarily recused himself from the board for this agenda item. Tom has been hired to manage the development of this piece of property.
The Olsen Farms property is located to the west of I-295, and bordered on the north and south by Park City Drive and Collins Road, respectively. The type of development that is envisioned is in keeping with the Southwest Vision Plan. Alberta Hipps explained that the owners of this property would be seeking a land use change, which would be residential/professional/industry, and then a companion rezoning to Commercial/Residential/Office. A Southwest Vision Plan brochure was passed out which contained the two themes, one which focuses on creating activity centers, and the other for connecting activity centers to their surroundings.

After further discussion, Thomas Martin made a motion to approve the rezoning of the Olsen Farms Property from Rural Residential to RPI with a CRO designation, with the possibility of a planned unit development at a later time. Motion seconded by Kay Siebert. Motion passed.

Additional Comments from the Public:
An informal discussion ensued, with Alberta Hipps fielding questions from the audience on the BRAC/Cecil Field reopening.

There being no further items to come before the board, John Draper made
a motion to adjourn. Motion seconded, and the meeting adjourned at 8:56 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary


NO Minutes of the Sept 15, 2005 AACC Meeting-Argyle Branch Library



MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 20, 2005 ARGYLE AREA CIVIC COUNCIL MEETING
HELD AT THE ARGYLE BRANCH LIBRARY
7973 Old Middleburg Road South
Jacksonville, Florida 32222-1817

PRESENT: Henry Mooneyhan, President; Tom Dumas, 2nd Vice-President;
Allen Durant, Treasurer; Marie Splane, Recording Secretary.

Other members in attendance: Wayne Ezell, Ken Shirey, Dana Martin, Neilson
Giles, Kay Sibert, Rosalie Carrasco-Lopez, John Draper, Bobbie Cockayne,
Priscilla Hoyt, Donald Hoyt, Steve Hinkle and Yvonne Boman.

The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m.

President Mooneyhan announced that due to budget cuts for the city's
library program, the Argyle Branch Library will no longer be available for
our meetings. The library will be closed by 6 p.m. on weeknights. An
announcement will be forthcoming as to next month's meeting site.

Approval of Minutes:
Tom Dumas moved to accept the minutes from the September meeting, as posted
on the website. Allen Durant seconded; motion passed.

Committee Reports:.
Public Safety: Officer Thomas from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office gave
the Public Safety Report. Auto thefts are down about 100 percent in the
last seven days. Auto burglaries are down 33 percent. Residential and
business burglary statistics stayed the same.

Traffic accidents are down since the four-lane section of Argyle Forest
Boulevard opened last month. There was some general discussion regarding
the accidents at the intersection of Argyle Forest Boulevard and Shindler
Drive.

Tranportation: Tom Dumas gave the transportation report for David Hodges,
who could not be present for this meeting. Complaints have been filed with
the City of Jacksonville relative to road construction on Argyle Forest
Boulevard on two issues: 1 - The sidewalks are not as wide as they are
specified to be, and they are uneven and prone to flooding. 2 ??“ Erosion
control appears to be insufficient in the area of the new self-storage
facility behind the Argyle Forest Shopping Center.

David Hodges has also requested that the City consider putting the stop
lights at the intersection of Argyle Forest Boulevard and Rampart on flash
mode after major drive times. Input is welcome from Argyle residents.

I-295/Collins Road Interchange: The City is proposing to do away with the
proposed connector on Collins Road at Parramore Road, which would connect
to Youngerman Circle. The AACC Transportation Committee is of the opinion
that this connector will relieve a lot of local traffic congestion in the
area of Blanding & 295, Blanding & Collins Road, and provide another
north-southbound route for local traffic. David Hodges and Tom Dumas will
be driving through the proposed connector site on Monday in order to get a
better idea of how this connector will facilitate local traffic
flow. Anyone interested in joining them on Monday is welcome to call Tom
and arrange to ride along.

Tom Dumas made a motion that the AACC write a letter to City Councilman
Michael Corrigan, with a copy to the Transportation Chair, stating that the
Parramore Road-Youngerman Circle connector is beneficial to the community
and asking that it be kept alive. Motion seconded and passed.


Treasurer's Report:
Allen Durant reports that the treasury balance is $218.12. The rental fee
for tonight's meeting has been donated, so there will be no expense to the
treasury.

OLD BUSINESS:
Olsen Farms proposed rezoning. The first public meeting was held and the
city planning department is in support of it, as is Councilman Davis. It
appears that the process is moving smoothly.

Cecil Field proposed Master Jet Base. The Mayor has withdrawn the City's
support for the creation of a master jet base at this time.

Grant Writing Committee and Literacy Campaign: Allen Durant invited
residents interested in either of these areas to contact the AACC. Bill
Lewis, Communications Director/First Vice President, will be sending
invitations to all residents through our email newsletter.

New Officers: President Mooneyhan appointed a nomination committee to come
up with a slate of nominations for officers next year. The nominating
committee will be chaired by Tom Dumas. Committee members are Marie Splane
and John Draper. Anyone interested in serving is encouraged to contact
Henry Mooneyhan.

There being no further business to come before the council, John Draper
made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Motion seconded and carried.

Respectfully submitted,
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary



November 2005 AACC Meeting CANCELLED
Due to Jacksonville Public Library Cutback on Hours of Operation and Alternate Meeting Location Schedule Conflicts,
The November 2005 Monthly AACC Meeting Has Been CANCELLED.



MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 15, 2005 ARGYLE AREA CIVIC COUNCIL MEETING
HELD AT KEITH PIERSON TOYOTA
6501 Youngerman Circle
Jacksonville, Florida 32244

PRESENT: Bill Lewis, First Vice-President; Tom Dumas, Vice-President; Allen Durant, Treasurer; Marie Splane, Recording Secretary.
Other members in attendance: Bobbie Cockayne, Yvonne Boman. Officer Jason Young.

The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m. The minutes of the October meeting having been posted on the website, a motion was made by Allen Durant
to accept the minutes as posted. Motion seconded and passed. The November
meeting was cancelled due to lack of a meeting facility, the Argyle Branch Library having reduced its hours.

COMMITTEE REPORTS: No reports were available from Clay or Duval County officials.
Public Safety: Officer Jason Young, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, gave the report for Duval County. Traffic is heavy and we continue to have traffic accidents, especially at the corner of Argyle Forest Boulevard and Shindler Drive. When this section of Argyle Forest Boulevard is widened, a traffic light will be installed.

Officer Young answered questions from the audience regarding general traffic conditions. Of particular concern was a situation at Enterprise Elementary School where long lines of parents waiting to pick up their children after school are parking in the turning lane, forcing local traffic to drive on the striped no-driving portion of the roadway. It was suggested that this situation be brought to the attention of the substation located at the Cedar Hills Shopping Center.

Another concern is the long line of traffic on Argyle Forest Boulevard East at
Shindler Drive, which backs up quite heavily while cars are waiting to turn left onto Shindler.

Traffic fatalities are on the increase. Speeding has been a problem on certain sections of Argyle Forest Boulevard, but it is being addressed by the patrol units.

Transportation: Tom Dumas gave a report on the FDOT’s Five-Year Work Plan. The interchange at Collins and I-95 is in the work plan, as is the widening of Collins Road from Blanding to Rampart. Part of the Collins Road widening has
already begun. The Collins Road overpass at I-295 will be constructed to accommodate the new interchange.

Literacy Campaign: No report.
Business Development: No report.
Communications: Nothing new to report.
Homeowners Association: No report.
Treasurer’s Report: Treasury funds are stable at $218.12.

NEW BUSINESS:
Future meeting site: Discussion was had regarding future meeting locations. Allen Durant will check with Argyle Presbyterian Church.

Election of Officers for 2006: Tom Dumas announced that the slate of new officers will be voted on at next month’s meeting. The slate of officers are Bill Lewis for President; Tom Dumas, Vice President; Allen Durant, Treasurer; and Marie Splane, Recording Secretary. Henry Mooneyhan, David Hodges and John Draper have agreed to continue serving on the board. Allen Durant made a motion to nominate Bobbie Cockayne as a board member from the Watermill subdivision. Additional nominations will be accepted from now until the next meeting, as well as from the floor at the next meeting. Anyone wishing to serve is invited to contact Tom Dumas at Tomdumas@bellsouth.net.

There being no further business to come before the council, Tom Dumas made a motion to adjourn. Motion seconded and passed.

Respectfully submitted,
Marie Splane, Recording Secretary

Email us
ArgyleACC@joimail.com