St. Augustine Boards & Committees: Your Direct Link to City Governance and Local Decision-Making

St. Augustine residents looking to influence local decisions have a direct avenue through the city's various advisory boards and committees. These groups, composed of appointed citizens rather than elected officials, play a crucial role in advising the St. Augustine City Commission on a range of issues affecting daily life in the city.

Participation on these boards often requires specific qualifications. For example, some positions demand city residency or experience in a particular field. While each board has distinct responsibilities and appointment criteria, they all rely on community members willing to dedicate their time and expertise to public service.

Transparency remains a cornerstone of these advisory bodies. Florida's Sunshine Law mandates that all advisory board and committee meetings be open to the public and announced in advance. Residents can watch meetings for the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) and the Planning and Zoning Board (PZB) online via CityStAugTV. However, meetings for the Code Enforcement Special Magistrate and the Lincolnville Community Redevelopment Area Steering Committee (LCRA) are not currently available for online viewing.

Citizens wishing to speak before a review board, committee, or the City Commission must follow established procedures and submit an application. For those needing to access public records, Darlene Galambos, the City Clerk, serves as the Custodian of Public Records for the City of St. Augustine. She can be reached at 904-825-1007 or by mail at 75 King Street, PO Box 210, St. Augustine, FL 32085. Residents should note that under Florida law, email addresses are public records.