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County pledges ditch maintenance, schedules free sandbags in St. Augustine Beach ahead of hurricane season
Summary
St. Johns County public works said it maintains nearly 850 miles of ditches countywide and will distribute free sandbags this week near the City of St. Augustine Beach; officials urged residents to watch SJC Connect for staggered giveaway dates and locations.
St. Johns County officials said the county maintains nearly 850 miles of ditches and will distribute free sandbags this week to help residents of the City of St. Augustine Beach prepare for hurricane season.
"We handle almost 850 miles of ditches in Saint Johns County," Greg Caldwell, public works director for St. Johns County, told Dylan Rumrill, mayor of the City of St. Augustine Beach. Caldwell said the county has heavy equipment and will work with cities through memoranda of understanding to clear ditches and improve stormwater flow before storms. "So whenever there's a need and we can help out our partners, we're here to help," he said.
Caldwell also announced a free sandbag giveaway scheduled for the week and asked residents to monitor county channels for details. "We're actually having the free sandbag giveaway. Again, in preparation of the hurricane season, so please keep an eye out for that because there is one in this general area," Caldwell said. He added the county had staggered giveaways over a couple of days and would post specifics on SJC Connect and county social media. Dylan Rumrill said he believed the giveaway would be at Windswept Acres Park.
The discussion made clear the county's role is operational — providing equipment, clearing ditches under memoranda of understanding with partners and staging sandbag distribution — and not a change in policy. No ordinance, statute or formal new county policy was announced during the conversation, and no vote was taken.
