As we bring closure to the third week of May and head into the Memorial Day holiday weekend, it is important to know that your St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners continue to work closely with the health community and other local officials to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 in St. Johns County, while also implementing our local reopening plan.

Today, Governor DeSantis announced a lifting of all State restrictions on youth activities, sports, and summer camps. St. Johns County Parks and Recreation staff is currently reviewing the Governor's executive orders to determine future programming options that will ensure the health and safety of all participants and staff. Additional information regarding these programs will be forthcoming in the very near future.

After a five-month rehabilitation project, the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier Gift Shop and Visitor Information Center is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, please call 904.209.0326 or visit the  St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier webpage.  In addition, a phased reopening of the Solomon Calhoun Pool will begin on Monday. The pool will be available for lap swim only from 6 to 10 a.m. and 12 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Swimmers can reserve a lap swim time twice a week, for up to 45 minutes. For more information or to reserve your swim time, please call 904.824.6770.

St. Johns County Public Library branches reopened for expanded essential services on Tuesday. Services include returns, grab-and-go service, and computer usage up to one hour. Seating areas, meeting rooms, and play areas are not accessible at this time. Building capacity is limited, in accordance with State of Florida executive orders, and all returned materials are to be placed in the book drop. For more information, please visit the  Library's webpage or call your branch library.

St. Johns County's Plan for Opening Short-Term Vacation Rentals was approved by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations on Wednesday. The plan outlines details regarding a variety of factors including reservations, staffing, cleanings, and inspections. For additional information, visit www.sjcfl.us.

In order to assist our local businesses with employee retention and recovery efforts, St. Johns County is now offering the St. Johns County Back to Business Grant Program. The program offers up to $10,000 in grant funding for eligible businesses to assist with expenses related to rent or mortgage, utilities, and payroll. The program application will be available on www.sjcfl.us beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26. For more information on the St. Johns County Back to Business Grant Program and eligibility requirements, please email btb@sjcfl.us or call 904.209.1278.

The next special meeting to discuss continuation of the Local State of Emergency will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2020, in the Auditorium located in the County Administration Building. Members of the community who would like to participate by calling into public comment during the meetings may do so by calling 904.209.1265. The meeting can be viewed on GTV, Comcast cable channel 3, or online at www.sjcfl.us/GTV.

We, along with the rest of the community, look forward to returning to normalcy within St. Johns County and getting back to business. We intend to do so in a safe and healthy manner while also adhering to CDC guidelines and protocols. As always, please do not hesitate to call or email any of us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners