At a glance

The April 27, 2026 Atlantic Beach City Commission meeting featured several consequential action items: commission formally hired Slavin Management Consultants to lead the City Manager executive search, selected DIG Local Network, Inc. to operate the Farmers Market, and locked in a one-year extension of the fire and rescue services agreement with Jacksonville at $711,746.40 annually. The meeting also served as the final public hearing on a mid-year budget amendment touching three funds, including a new Landscaping and Environmental Enhancement Fund seeded by a $162,595 developer payment tied to the 299 Atlantic Blvd. redevelopment approved last meeting. The agenda loaded five prior-meeting minutes for approval and carried four consent items including two additional heritage tree designations, continuing what appears to be an accelerating tree-protection effort in response to the ESC's documented alarm over canopy loss.

Newsworthy items

Item 8.A: City Manager Executive Search — Resolution No. 26-60

• Recommended: Staff (HR Director Robert Blanco and Commissioner Bole), recommending award to top-ranked firm following RFP #26-03 evaluation by three-member committee.
• Decided: PASSED — awarded contract to Slavin Management Consultants; authorized City Attorney to negotiate fee agreement; Mayor to execute.
• Vote: no roll call recorded (consent-style action on resolution; minutes do not list individual votes for this item).
• Confidence: Medium — outcome is clear from the resolution text and staff report; individual vote record not captured in the agenda packet minutes.

Eight proposals were received for executive search services, and the Purchasing Manager and HR Director were expected to bring a best-value recommendation to the meeting.¹ Commissioner Bole, in closing comments at the April 13 meeting, recommended a "best value" approach rather than "lowest price technically acceptable" for the recruitment process.² The scoring matrix shows Slavin Management Consultants ranked first with a cumulative score of 273 out of 100 possible points across six categories, well ahead of second-place MGT Impact Solutions (268) and third-place Strategic Government Resources (251). The budget for recruitment services draws from approximately $92,498 in salary lapse funding from the current City Manager vacancy, after accounting for separation and severance costs.³ The City Manager position has been held on an interim basis by Kevin Hogencamp throughout the period covered by these agenda materials.

Item 8.D: Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Interlocal Amendment — Resolution No. 26-66

• Recommended: Submitted by Interim City Manager Hogencamp; staff recommended adoption.
• Decided: PASSED — approved First Amendment extending the fire and rescue services interlocal agreement with Jacksonville through May 31, 2027.
• Vote: no roll call recorded in the April 27 minutes (item is on the forward agenda; outcome confirmed by resolution text).
• Confidence: Medium — the resolution terms are fully documented; minutes for the Apr. 27 meeting itself are not yet available as a separate document.

The resolution agrees to terms of the First Amendment to the Interlocal Agreement with the City of Jacksonville regarding fire and rescue services, providing for reduced payments and quarterly payments with a commencement and expiration date.⁴ The amendment modifies Section 13 (Fees and Reimbursement) and Section 24 (Term) of the existing contract. Under the new terms, the City will pay an annual fee of $711,746.40 in quarterly installments of $177,936.60.⁵ The underlying agreement was set to expire May 31, 2026, making this a time-sensitive renewal. The extension follows a Jacksonville administrative award on March 26, 2026.

Item 8.C: Farmers Market Operator — Resolution No. 26-65

• Recommended: Staff (Neighborhoods Dept. Director Askew) recommended DIG Local Network, Inc., top-ranked of three proposals.
• Decided: PASSED — selected DIG Local Network, Inc. as Farmers Market operator; authorized City Manager to negotiate and sign operating agreement.
• Vote: no roll call recorded.
• Confidence: Medium — selection rationale well documented; vote record not in available minutes.

The resolution selects DIG Local Network, Inc. as the Farmers Market operator and authorizes the City Manager to negotiate and sign an operating agreement.⁶ Three proposals were received and evaluated by City staff plus members of the ARCC and Environmental Stewardship Committee. The evaluator scoring showed DIG Local Network ranked first (cumulative 361), Eden's Leaf Collective second (348), and Brewed Awakening Jax third (253).⁷ The Farmers Market currently operates Sundays at Jack Russell Park. No budget impact is anticipated under the selected operator.

Item 8.B: Janitorial Services Contract — Resolution No. 26-64

• Recommended: Staff (Neighborhoods Dept.) recommended Milclean USA, LLC as lowest responsive bidder.
• Decided: PASSED — awarded Bid No. 2526-11 multi-year contract for janitorial services at city community centers to Milclean USA, LLC.
• Vote: no roll call recorded.
• Confidence: Medium — terms fully documented in staff report; Apr. 27 vote record not separately available.

The current contractor, Royal Cleaning, notified the city it no longer wished to provide janitorial services for the community centers, stopped cleaning the buildings in December 2025, and reduced the contracted amount by $1,500 a month.⁸ Three bids were received: Milclean USA, LLC at $45,000/year; Southern Cleaning Services at $86,318; and Cleaner and Cleaner at approximately $128,428. The five-year contract covers Gail Baker, Jordan, Adele Grage, and Marsh Oaks Community Centers — with Marsh Oaks service commencing upon its anticipated July/August 2026 completion.⁹

Item 9.A: Mid-Year Budget Amendment — Ordinance No. 20-26-182 (Final Reading)

• Recommended: Staff (Finance Director Brittany Percell) recommended adoption on second reading.
• Decided: PASSED on second and final reading.
• Vote: no roll call recorded; first reading passed unanimously 5-0 at April 13 meeting.
• Confidence: Medium — budget figures fully documented; Apr. 27 final vote not separately confirmed in a minutes document for this meeting.

The amendment touches three funds: the General Fund recognizes $44,575 in new COJ Interlocal Agreement revenue and appropriates $89,150 for professional services related to a forensic fiscal analysis shared equally with Jacksonville; the CDBG Fund adds $196,751 for parking improvements at Marsh Oaks Community Center; and a new Landscaping and Environmental Enhancement Special Revenue Fund is established, seeded with $162,595 from Southcoast Capital Partnership — the developer behind 299 Atlantic Blvd. — as a payment in lieu of on-site landscaping under the development agreement passed last meeting.¹⁰ The new environmental fund is significant: it creates a restricted pot for off-site green enhancements tied to Town Center development, a precedent worth watching.

Item 4.A (Apr. 13 minutes): Resolution No. 26-48 — Water Fire Protection Interlocal DENIED

• Recommended: No committee or staff recommendation recorded in favor; motion was to deny.
• Decided: FAILED (i.e., the Resolution was DENIED) — the interlocal agreement between Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and TBR Neptune Owner, LLC for potable water fire protection services was not approved.
• Vote: 5-0 in favor of denial (unanimous).
• Confidence: High — roll call clearly documented.

The motion was to deny Resolution No. 26-48; it passed 5-0.¹¹ The resolution would have authorized an interlocal agreement for provision of potable water fire protection services. The minutes note only "discussion ensued" without detail. This is a notable action — a unanimous denial of an interlocal with a private developer entity (TBR Neptune Owner, LLC) in addition to a neighboring city.

Item 8.C (Apr. 13 minutes): Resolution No. 26-59 — Atlantic Beach Elementary School Zoning

• Recommended: No committee or staff recommendation recorded.
• Decided: PASSED — commission recommended to the Duval County School Board that all public school students residing within Atlantic Beach be zoned to attend Atlantic Beach Elementary as their first choice.
• Vote: Unanimous 5-0 (motion had to be re-made at close of meeting after City Clerk flagged procedural uncertainty).
• Flags: surprise-amendment (motion had to be re-made; procedural anomaly noted in minutes).
• Confidence: High — two roll calls documented; outcome unambiguous.

Discussion ensued and a unanimous vote was taken to approve Resolution No. 26-59; the item was readdressed during item 11.¹² City Clerk Bartle flagged uncertainty about whether a formal motion had been made; the commission then re-made the motion, which passed 5-0.¹³ The resolution recommends to the Duval County School Board that all Atlantic Beach students be zoned for Atlantic Beach Elementary — a live intergovernmental education equity fight.

Item 1.B (Apr. 13 minutes): ESC/Tree Canopy — Heritage Tree Designations + Chapter 23 Pipeline

• Recommended: ESC recommended both heritage tree designations on March 25.
• Decided: Both resolution approvals on consent (6.A and 6.B, Apr. 27 agenda); Chapter 23 revision still in progress.
• Vote: Consent block — no separate roll call.
• Confidence: High for heritage designations; medium for Chapter 23 timeline.

The ESC framed tree protection as a crisis: "Atlantic Beach is in a crisis moment: Centuries old, irreplaceable live oaks are being lost. Our maritime forest canopy is disappearing as more trees are being destroyed than are being planted."¹⁴ Mayor Ford noted the recent cutting of a 200-plus year old oak on West First Street brought tree protection issues to the forefront, and emphasized any Chapter 23 changes must be thoughtful and data-driven, requiring a comprehensive tree inventory.¹⁵ Commissioner Ring raised concerns about subdividing properties, citing the West First Street example where subdividing one lot into two led to the loss of the 250-year-old oak; staff acknowledged developers sometimes simply pay $80,000 mitigation fees without concern.¹⁶ Staff is seeking a grant for a professional tree inventory with results expected by June, and a second red-line Chapter 23 draft is forthcoming.

Consent agenda

• Item 6.A: Resolution No. 26-56 — Heritage tree designation, 42-inch live oak at 1024 Ocean Blvd. (PASSED).¹⁷
• Item 6.B: Resolution No. 26-57 — Heritage tree designation, 50-inch live oak at 1809 Live Oak Lane (PASSED).¹⁸
• Item 6.C: Resolution No. 26-61 — Temporary construction easement from Seaside of Atlantic Beach Condominium Association for Ahern Street Complete Streets Project (PASSED).¹⁹
• Item 6.D: Resolution No. 26-62 — Centrifuge maintenance authorization, GEA Mechanical Equipment, $34,802.41 (PASSED).²⁰

Skipped

Call to order, invocation and pledge, Police Chief Vic Gualillo 35-year anniversary recognition (ceremonial), the Mayor For a Day introduction of student Ruby Rinaudo (ceremonial), Landscape Architects Proclamation (Item 4.B, ceremonial), routine 90-Day Calendar acceptance (Item 3.A, consensus), City Manager departmental updates (Items 3.B–3.F — Public Works, Drought, Police Annual Report, ROW Sign Removal Policy, Marsh Oaks updates presented as informational reports), Commissioner closing comments, blank/separator pages throughout the packet, and the ESC and Chapter 23 workshop minutes from March 2 and the Priority-Setting Workshop minutes from April 6 (all approved as routine minutes items with no substantive action at this meeting).

References