On Wednesday, November 4, 2020 at 11:30 a.m., the Board of County Commissioners will host a groundbreaking ceremony in celebration of the upcoming improvements to Pages Dairy Road between Chester Rd. and Felmor Rd.
The County secured grant funding totaling $1.25 from the Florida Department of Transportation to assist with construction costs. The State officially added the project to their 5-Year Work Program in March of 2015 for funding to become available to the County in 2020. The total project cost is $4.7 million, leaving the County’s portion of $3.4 million. The roadway design is complete and a contract for Construction Engineering Inspection Services has been secured. In order to remain eligible for State funding, the County must move forward with construction in order to meet the State’s December 2021 deadline. Concerns have been expressed about this project taking place while the State Road 200 project is still underway. Fortunately, the State recently notified the County that the work on State Road 200 will be completed before the end of 2020. The Pages Dairy work will begin in mid-late November, so there will only be a few weeks where the two projects will overlap. Also, please be advised that the contractor for the Pages Dairy Rd. Project will not permitted to have lane or road closures during peak hours. This type of work will be limited to the hours of 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. District Three County Commissioner, Pat Edwards, stated, “I am grateful to the State for providing grant funding to assist the County with much needed improvements to this segment of road. The County and residents have been anxious to have this work completed and I am happy to see it finally come to fruition”. County Engineer, Robert Companion, added, “As the only east-west corridor to State Road 200, the improvements to Pages Dairy Road are necessary to ensure this major collector road serves citizens well in the future. The improvements include wider vehicle lanes, bike lanes, and right and left turn lanes onto Felmor Rd. from Pages Dairy”. The Groundbreaking Ceremony will be held in front of the Harbor Shores Apostolic Church located at 86674 Pages Dairy Rd. The public is welcome to attend. Reverend James Beale has graciously given permission for the public to utilize their lot for parking during the event. ****************************************************************************************** If you have any questions regarding, please contact the Engineering Services at (904) 530-6225.
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Office of the Nassau County Manager October 28, 2020 On Friday, September 25, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners held a Groundbreaking Ceremony in celebration of Nassau County Fire Rescue Station 71. The event took place at the site’s location of 96262 Chester Rd., Yulee, FL. Approximately 50 people were in attendance including Elected Officials, Fire Rescue personnel, members of the press, and County residents. The ceremony began with a welcome message by Nassau County Fire Chief, Brady Rigdon. Board Chairman, Danny Leeper, spoke about the need for a new station and the positive impact it will have on the community. Jay Chung, President of Core Construction Company, expressed his excitement about working with the County and being involved with this very important project. It is anticipated that the project will be complete in April 2021. We will announce a date for a ribbon cutting as completion nears. If you have any questions, please contact Chief Rigdon at (904) 530-6600 or via email at brigdon@nassaucountyfl.com. -Sabrina Robertson County Manager’s Office October 29, 2020
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Today, officials from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) announced the start of a month-long campaign focused on reminding drivers to be mindful of not littering while traveling along Florida’s roadways. The initiative was created due to an increased presence of trash and debris on the interstate systems in Northeast Florida. More frequent safety messages will fill social media feeds and efforts will be made to enhance maintenance on the right-of-way. FDOT contractors are responsible for maintaining the roadway and removing debris; however, in order to maximize efficiencies, drivers are encouraged to take responsibility by not littering and securing their loads when traveling with furniture, tools and other large items. “FDOT is dedicated to providing a safe and efficient transportation system while preserving the quality of Florida’s environment,” said Carrie Stanbridge, FDOT District 2 Maintenance Engineer. “FDOT encourages all road users to demonstrate good behaviors on our state’s roadways, including not littering,” Stanbridge concluded. Maintenance crews work in eight-week cycles to perform general maintenance obligations such as mowing and litter removal. This schedule ensures taxpayer dollars are used efficiently while properly maintaining the roadway to ensure safer roads for the traveling public. To learn more about FDOT’s enhanced efforts to prevent litter, visit CleanFLRoads.com and follow FDOT, District 2 on Twitter @MyFDOT_NEFL. Nassau County Public Library System
Press Release Submitted by Janet Loveless Assistant Library Director October 29, 2020 Time for a change. Polaris is coming on December 10th! The Nassau County Public Library System will be closed November 2 through November 13 for staff training on the use of the new, online Polaris System. The Polaris system enhances and creates a more streamlined, efficient user experience. New features will include smart searches, easy renewals, increased functions on all devices and more. Visit the Library website at www.nassaureads.com for a detailed list of exciting new features. During the staff training, book drops will remain open and library phones will be answered from 4-6 pm. Digital resources are available 24/7 on the library’s website. Nassau County, Florida, October 28, 2020 – On Monday, November 2, 2020 at 11:30 a.m., the Board of County Commissioners will host a groundbreaking ceremony in celebration of the upcoming Crawford Road Project. This project consists of paving a new 6.5 mile-long, two lane road, connecting County Road 121 with the existing paved portion of Crawford Road, just west of US 301.
The Board entered into an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation in March 2014 for Small County Outreach Program (SCOP) grant funding to assist with project costs. The project was added to the State’s Five-Year Work Program in 2014, however the agreement was later amended to provide additional State funding and extend the project timeline. The total cost of the project is $7.9 million, however $5.7 million is being provided by FDOT, leaving the County’s portion at $2.2 million. It is anticipated that the project will be complete by the end of August 2021. District Four County Commissioner, Thomas Ford, stated, “Paving this segment of Crawford Road will increase mobility on the west side of the County. I am very excited to see work begin on this project and look forward to its completion”. County Engineer, Robert Companion, added, “The paving and improvements to Crawford Rd. will provide citizens with a connection from State Road 200 (US 301) to County Road 121, while also providing the infrastructure needed for the future of the Crawford Diamond area”. The Groundbreaking Ceremony will be held on the corner County Road 121 and Crawford Road. The public is invited to attend. ******************************************************************************* If you have any questions regarding, please contact Engineering Services at (904) 530-6225. A Tree Was Planted and More than 600 Books Were Distributed at Southside Elementary School10/29/2020 Fernandina Beach, FL (October 27, 2020) – Keep Nassau Beautiful, with support from Ferst Readers of Nassau County, recently distributed over 600 books to virtual and on-site students and educators at Southside Elementary School. Books were chosen based on how they related to KNB’s mission to reduce litter and waste, increase recycling, and beautify spaces, and were appropriate for the learning level of the student. Ferst Readers of Nassau County provided the content for newsletters which were inserted into each student book. The newsletter content assists parents, guardians, and educators with youth comprehension through learning activities which are also related to the KNB Mission. To further reinforce the message of the importance of a clean, green, beautiful environment a 30-gallon Live Oak tree was planted on school common grounds with support from Liberty Landscape Supply. Dave Holley, City of Fernandina Beach Arborist, was on-hand to provide oversight of the planting and to help ensure the tree gets off to the best possible start. Mrs. Cordova's 2nd grade class volunteered to fill the water bag every school day for the first three weeks. The planting location will provide a nice shady spot for future generations. “The purpose of Keep Nassau Beautiful is to educate and enable residents of Nassau County in our mission for clean, green and beautiful spaces,” said Lynda Bell, Executive Director, KNB. “We are grateful to everyone that made planting a tree and distributing books to Fernandina Beach youth possible. Engaging youth in a learning experience is an enjoyable and rewarding activity for now and the future!” For more information visit www.keepnassaubeautiful.org or 261-0165. To learn more about Ferst Readers of Nassau County visit https://www.facebook.com/NassauFerstFoundation or 248-0165. About Keep Nassau Beautiful Keep Nassau Beautiful, Inc. is working to inspire, educate, and equip individuals, groups, businesses, and governments to take action to make Nassau County a place where residents, visitors and wildlife can thrive and experience the beauty of Nassau County. www.keepnassaubeautiful.org. Stay connected with Keep Nassau Beautiful, Inc., on Facebook. About Ferst Readers of Nassau County Stay connected with Ferst Readers of Nassau County on Facebook. ![]() Southside Elementary School Principal, Marlena Palmer, and 30 Southside Elementary School educators join KNB BOD and Education Committee members, Shelly Rawls and Ashley Powell, KNB Program Manager, Jules Ruppel, Ferst Readers of Nassau County, Lynda Smith, and City of Fernandina Beach Certified Arborist, Dave Holley around the newly planted Live Oak tree. Educators display the book which will be distributed to students in their classroom. ![]() Marlena Palmer, Southside Elementary School Principal, Lynda Smith, Ferst Readers of Nassau County, Ashley Powell and Shelly Rawls, Keep Nassau Beautiful BOD and Education Committee Members, Dave Holley, Fernandina Beach Certified Arborist, Jules Ruppel and Lynda Bell, Keep Nassau Beautiful staff, assist in the planting of a Live Oak and distribution of more than 600 books and learning activities to students and educators at Southside Elementary School. The Board of County Commissioners is currently seeking Nassau County residents who own homestead property and meet other criteria below to serve on the Value Adjustment Board (the VAB). One resident will serve as a member on the VAB, and another resident will serve as an alternate member on the VAB.
The purpose of the VAB is to hear appeals regarding property value assessments, denied exemptions or classifications, ad valorem tax deferrals, portability decisions, and change of ownership or control. Taxpayers or their representatives file petitions with the VAB clerk in the county where the property is located. The VAB is an independent entity not affiliated with the property appraiser or the tax collector. Per Florida Statute 194, appeals will be heard before the VAB’s appointed Special Magistrates who will make recommendations to the VAB in order to render a final decision. The Board consists of the following:
The VAB holds meetings as needed. Board members do not receive any compensation for their time and/or travel. Board members are required to file financial disclosure. If you are interested in serving, please submit a resume to contact@nassaucountyfl.com by October 30, 2020. Resumes will be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners in November for review and consideration. For more information regarding the Value Adjustment Board, please contact the Nassau County Clerk of Courts by phone at (904) 548-4662 or via e-mail at vab@nassauclerk.com. Fernandina Beach Main Street Press Release October 25, 2020 ![]() It is with great pleasure that we announce our new Executive Director for the Fernandina Beach Main Street organization. Lisa Finkelstein will be joining us effective November 2, 2020. Lisa has owned a second home here in Fernandina Beach for many years and had recently decided to make this her permanent home. Lisa owned Attick’s Inc., a wholesale floral importing/distribution business which was started by her parents in 1975. She has been on several non-profit boards including the CAN DO Economic Development Corporation and the Conyngham Valley Civic Organization. Lisa was most recently the Assistant Scout Executive for Minsi Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America, in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. During her tenure with the BSA, she supported volunteers in all aspects of the Scouting program with youth and adult recruitment, fundraising, training, and activities. Most recently, she was responsible for special event fundraising, grants, and working with individual donors to support the local Scouting program. Lisa has been active in Rotary International since 2007. Lisa and her husband, Mark, have two sons. One currently living in Kampala, Uganda and the other in Denver, Colorado. They also have one grandson, Max. We welcome Lisa and her family to Fernandina Beach fulltime and to Main Street. We believe that Main Street will thrive under Lisa’s direction and that the businesses and historic resources within the Main Street district will all benefit greatly from her experience. During her first couple of months, she will transition work from Arlene Filkoff who served as the Executive Director of the program since 2017. Arlene will be retiring December 31, 2020. Fernandina Beach Main Street thanks her for all her hard work and dedication to our program. We wish her and her husband Steve the best in their retirement. ![]() Starting Oct. 26, the following change will be in effect for bluefish:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regulations for bluefish do not extend into federal waters of the Atlantic. This change was approved at the July Commission meeting. Bluefish from Maine through the Atlantic coast of Florida make up a single population. A 2019 federal stock assessment found that this Atlantic population of bluefish is overfished. Because of the assessment results, federal fishery managers adopted more restrictive recreational bag limits in Atlantic federal waters, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission requested states implement similar regulations. Learn more about bluefish recreational regulations at MyFWC.com/Marine by clicking on “Recreational Regulations” and “Bluefish,” which is under the “Regulations By Species – General Species” section. The Only Provider in Florida Chosen
Starting Point Behavioral Healthcare (SPBH) is one of only 20 providers nationally – and the only one in Florida – chosen to participate in the Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Equity Call to Action Community of Practice, sponsored by the National Council for Behavioral Health. This project will provide training to SPBH staff from a national team of experts to help them provide more informed treatment to individuals affected by trauma and/or systemic racism. “Because there are a limited number of slots available for this training, Starting Point faced a very competitive process to become approved,” said CEO Dr. Laureen Pagel. “This recognition reflects the commitment we have to providing care to clients with the latest approaches. We know that trauma can often be intergenerational, and it can also be the result of lifelong systemic racism. Knowing how to identify and treat these issues will help our clients during their therapy. It also educates and informs our own staff, so they can identify these issues in their own lives.” Once the 12-session training is complete, Starting Point’s mental health professionals will have a completed plan to educate staff on the effects of trauma, micro-aggressions, inequity, and systemic racism for the individuals they serve. “This is a 12-month learning collaborative focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Dr. Pagel said. “I am very proud that this has been an effort driven by our own staff. Our Diversity Steering Committee completed this competitive application process and will be the core implementation team. This is a very exciting opportunity for our organization.” “Trauma-informed, resilience-oriented care asks not, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ but, ‘What happened to you?’ and ‘What’s strong with you?’, “ she said. |
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