The St. Johns County Civic Roundtable is a forum and collective voice for our county's neighborhoods and civic groups.

Early in the 1980s concerned citizens attending county government and regulatory meetings recognized a need for strength in numbers and a need to create a way for citizens to participate in, and promote changes in our communities. Several civic associations came together to organize the St. Johns County Civic Roundtable.

The purpose of the Roundtable is to preserve and improve the quality of life in St. Johns County.

The Roundtable:

• Provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and points of view on matters of County and State interest.

• Invites speakers to address issues of current importance. Formulates Roundtable positions on matters and issues important to our community.

• Makes recommendations to appropriate County and State authorities, and takes other actions appropriate to support Roundtable positions.

• Monitors the annual budget as well as actions taken by the Board of County Commissioners.

• Communicates to Roundtable members, reports, presentations, studies, discussions, and other findings on County and Statewide issues to keep members informed and stimulate the additional participation of citizens.

If your group is interested in joining those who care about making a difference in the quality of life in our community, email: [email protected].

The Roundtable meets once a month, on the second Monday of each month. During this Covid-19 Crisis, our meeting will be held at 12 Noon via Zoom Video Conferencing.


NEIGHBORHOOD BILL OF RIGHTS

Participation of citizens in their government is a hallmark of the American experience. The opportunity for citizens to participate is much greater at the Local level than at the State or Federal level however, there has been an increasing tendency for citizens to avoid participation for a variety reasons.

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners recognizes the value of having our citizens involved in their government. Out of a sincere desire to encourage citizens to participate more in government the Board of County Commissioners passed Ordinance 2007-1 actively entitled the Neighborhood Bill of Rights.

Just what is the Neighborhood Bill of Rights? The answer put simply, is an ordinance which gives neighborhood or homeowner associations increased notification, the ability to acquire more information, and the right to increase participation in matters of concern to their communities. The idea for this Ordinance originated in a meeting of the St. Johns County Civic Association Roundtable.

In 2005, Suzanne Jenkins, a Commissioner from Duval County, presented a program on Duval's Neighborhood Bill of Rights. For the next two years the idea gained momentum as it was presented to large numbers of homeowner associations and civic groups around the County. At the end of 2006, the Board of County Commissioners had a draft ordinance prepared that allowed concerned citizens to review and modify it before its presentation.

The Neighborhood Bill of Rights was adopted in January 2007 and implemented on April 2, 2007. In order to register, homeowner and neighborhood associations and vision groups must complete an application available either online or in the County Administrator's Office. http://www.sjcfl.us/NBR/index.aspx Homeowners associations must be able to provide the physical boundaries which their group encompasses before registration is complete.

Anyone with questions about the St. Johns County Neighborhood Bill of Rights should contact the County at  (904)209-0579.