 The City Commission is seeking public input for its waterfront development effort. At the September 15 City Commission meeting, Mr. Jeremy Marquis of Marquis Latimer + Halback introduced conceptual renderings of the waterfront. The renderings were based upon previous comments received from the City Commission and several other boards and commissions as well as reviewing 20+ years of previous design efforts and feedback. Mr. Marquis indicated to the City Commission that the concept is based upon overwhelming support for a waterfront greenspace and sunset vistas and incorporates many elements often used to define Fernandina Beach, most notably the wood of the waterfront, the brick of downtown, and the trees of the island. In general, the concept includes an expanded waterfront boardwalk, an event lawn, a bandshell, and expanded open space. The plan also illustrates a reconfigured Front Street to accommodate on-street parking (no reduction of currently available parking) and the relocation of the waterfront Veterans Monument (slightly elevated and closer to the river). The intersections of Ash Street and Centre Street will be modified to include safety improvements funded, in part, by the Florida Department of Transportation. The re-opening of the Alachua Street crossing at Front Street is also incorporated into the design. Marquis Latimer + Halback has designed a Community Hub to solicit community feedback. The Community Hub can be reached at this link: https://fernandina.mlhhub.com/. The concept plans for the waterfront can be viewed and downloaded and comments can be offered on a variety of the waterfront components. The Community Hub will remain accessible for public comments until October 18. A summary of the comments will be presented to the City Commission. The waterfront plans can also be accessed on the City’s website and Facebook page. Additionally, plans developed by Passero Associates to address waterfront resiliency (tidal flooding, storm surge, and sea level rise) can be reviewed on the website and Facebook page.  Rendering 1  Rendering 2  Rendering 3
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 In August, the City’s Conservation Land Trust received its first matching check totaling of $23,180 for the period between February 19, 2020 and July 31, 2020. The City collected an additional $3,100 over the past thirty days which will be eligible for matching by the generous donors. The anonymous donors have enclosed several statements that they wish to make public. “We are very pleased to send in this check for $23,180 that represents a full match on all donations through July 31, 2020. We chose to satisfy this match roughly halfway through this campaign so that donors can actually see their donations were matched dollar for dollar. This matching program is real, not something just talked about. We would like to remind everyone that in late May when we increased our cash contribution by 50%, we also retroactively increased the matching opportunity by 50%. The result of this is that those very generous individual donors who gave $1,000 can now give an additional $500 that will also be matched. For organization donors the match increased from $5,000 to $7,500. For example, Amelia Tree Conservancy which contributed $5,000 to the original maximum match of $5,000, is now eligible to contribute an additional $2,500 that we would match. For any individual who has not yet contributed, they can contribute up to $1,500 for a full match. As referenced above, organization donors can contribute up to $7,500 for a full match. The good news is that with our current match the Conservation Trust Fund has an additional $23,180 to utilize to accomplish its very important goals. The great news is that there are still $126,820 of potential match dollars out there. That’s a lot of potential dollars being left on the table. We challenge our individual citizens and especially some of our large organizations to step up and write a check to the Conservation Trust Fund. A few months later your check will be matched (subject to the above limits). For most, that’s a 100% return on their investment in the Conservation Trust Fund in a few months’ time. When was the last time you got a 100% return on your investment? Please invest in your community and contribute to that storied quality of life that we all cherish.” To celebrate the many generous contributions of our community members, the City is compiling video segments from previous donors to detail “Why I donated!” If you are interested in being featured please contact the City’s Digital Communications Specialist at (904) 310-3289 or mhamburg@fbfl.city. We would enjoy the opportunity to feature your personal reasons for donating in a future social media post. Individuals and organizations wishing to donate may direct funds to the “City of Fernandina Beach.” In the reference memo please include “Land Conservation Trust Fund Account# 135-36601 – matching donation.” Checks can be mailed to the Planning & Conservation Department, 204 Ash Street, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034. The City maintains a log of donations received and provides updates to the Commission at future meetings. Donations are tax deductible.  Photo Location: City Hall Commission Chambers  Police Chief Jim Hurley has announced the formation of a Police Department Advisory Board to provide insight and counsel on department issues and policies, and to further help build strong personal relationships and trust between police officers and community members.
The twelve members of the board will each serve a one year term and will meet with the Chief and department staff both one-on-one and in small groups. “The uncertainty of Coronavirus helped to shape the structure of this advisory panel, but I plan to utilize Zoom meetings and email to communicate on a regular basis with members,” said Hurley. The Advisory Board will be asked to weigh in on current and controversial topics, community perceptions, and organizational trends, and will regularly review police tactics, training and policies. This inaugural board will consist of the following individuals; Samir Gupte, Chief Change Officer at Samiracles Consulting; Bishop Thomas Coleman, President of the Nassau County NAACP; Rick Keffer, local businessman and well-known community leader; Judge Lester Bass, Fourth Circuit Court; Vicki Cannon, Nassau County Supervisor of Elections; Wendell McGahee, local community activist; Senator Aaron Bean, (R) Fernandina Beach; Rev. Nicole Campbell, Elm Street Church of God; Edward Brown, Principal at Fernandina Beach Middle School; Sherri Mitchell, Interim Executive Director of the Nassau County Economic Development Board; Wayne Peterson, Union President at Rayonier Advanced Materials; and Medardo Monzon, a retired management consultant. “Although police reform, fueled by violent police confrontations nationwide, remains an important focus of this group, I anticipate that the group will push into several other areas, such as institutional racism and obstacles to minority success, as well as local business and educational opportunities,” Hurley said. Community members are encouraged to reach out to any advisory board member to share thoughts or concerns or they may contact Chief Hurley directly to participate in this ongoing discussion. WHY PLAN?
The City's local planning process is not static. It is continuous, evolving, and ongoing. As such, the Comprehensive Plan is audited from time to time. Pursuant to Chapter 163.3191, F.S., the City completed and adopted an Evaluation and Appraisal Review (EAR) Report in December 2019. NEXT STEPS Policy amendments are required to satisfy requirements of Florida Statues 163.3177 (Seasonal Population), 163.3178 (Peril of Flood), and 163.3177(6)(c) (Water Supply Facility Work Plan). These documents serve to fulfill these requirements and complete the City’s EAR based Comprehensive Plan Amendments. The proposed changes will be reviewed by the Planning Advisory Board through two meetings in July and proceed to the City Commission for consideration in August. Following first reading of an ordinance to adopted the proposed policy changes, the City will transmit the documents to the appropriate Florida agencies for review. Once reviewed and any comments are addressed, the City can adopt the amendments at 2nd Reading which is anticipated in late September 2020. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS The following documents will be presented at the Planning Advisory Board meeting on Wednesday, July 8, 2020 and receive formal consideration by the Board on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. A virtual meeting is scheduled for both dates. Details for log-in will be provided as part of the published agenda for those meetings. In addition to meeting attendance, written comments are encouraged by email to Kelly Gibson at kgibson@fbfl.city. Seasonal Population 2020 Seasonal Population Data and Analysis Peril of Flood 2020 Peril of Flood Data and Analysis Water Supply Works Plan Water Supply Works Plan Data and Analysis SUPPLEMENTAL DATA Bureau of Economic and Business Research Population Estimates and Projections Bureau of Economic and Business Research Population Estimates and Projections (DOC) YOUR INPUT IS WELCOMED AND ENCOURAGED! The Planning and Conservation Department welcomes your input. Please feel free to email Kelly Gibson directly at kgibson@fbfl.city or by using the feedback form provided. If you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss the items by phone please call 904-310-3480. Feedback Form Due to the recent dramatic increase in numbers of positive cases in NE Florida, and the exponential numbers of contact tracing investigations that must be performed, “close contacts” of cases may be notified by the individual positive case before they can be reached by Public Health Officials. Take immediate action if you are notified that you are a close contact to a positive case or have a positive test result. Key Points: If you have had a sample collected for testing, you should self-quarantine (i.e. sequester yourself from others) until you know your results. If you have tested positive for COVID-19, self-isolate (i.e. “lockdown” at home – you should not go out, you should not let non-household members inside with you, and you should not let others get close to you). Public health officials will let you know when you can be released from isolation. Let your close contacts know you have tested positive. If you are told you have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, stay quarantined at home for 14 days and monitor your health for symptoms. Getting a negative test result while you are under the 14-day quarantine does not change the length of time you are required to stay sequestered at home. These instructions must be followed if we are to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Community members are encouraged to work together to minimize exposure by using cloth masks whenever in public indoor spaces. Free cloth masks are available throughout Nassau County. Please see below for the infographic from the Florida Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The City of Fernandina Beach has issued an Emergency Order effective immediately, mandating mandatory masks. Nassau County Board of County Commissioners will also order a similar resolution shortly.
Nassau County Chamber of Commerce staff will be at the Chamber office tomorrow, Friday, July 3rd from 9:00-10:00 A.M. handing out masks for business owners to give to employees and customers. Below are key points from the City's resolution. To read the entire Emergency Order, CLICK HERE.
The City’s local planning process is not static. It is continuous, evolving, and ongoing. As such, the Comprehensive Plan is audited from time to time. Pursuant to Chapter 163.3191, F.S., the City completed and adopted an Evaluation and Appraisal Review (EAR) Report in December 2019.
At this time, policy amendments are required to satisfy the more recently enacted requirements of Florida Statues 163.3177 (Seasonal Population), 163.3178 (Peril of Flood), and 163.3177(6)(c) (Water Supply Facility Work Plan). The City’s proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments serve to fulfill these requirements and complete the City’s EAR based Plan changes. The public is invited to access, review, and offer comments on the proposed changes at www.fbfl.us/EAR. Please provide feedback through the comment form provided in the City’s website or by emailing Kelly Gibson at KGibson@fbfl.city. All proposed changes will be reviewed by the Planning Advisory Board through two public meetings held on July 8, 2020 and July 22, 2020. These meetings will be a hybrid of virtual and physical presence at City Hall. Following Planning Advisory Board review the amendments will receive consideration by City Commission in August and transmit the amendments to the appropriate Florida agencies for review. Once reviewed and any comments are addressed, the City can adopt the amendments at 2nd Reading anticipated for September 2020. 1. City officials and staff support the enhanced public education efforts promoted by the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners and the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in our community.
2. Workers in and visitors to local businesses (to include private, public, and non-profit facilities) are strongly encouraged to wear masks and appropriately distance from others, especially when indoors. Other Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations should also be rigorously followed: wash hands, use hand sanitizer, and avoid large groups. 3. City staff will provide support as needed to assist with the education and enforcement effort within the city limits. 4. I encourage everyone to monitor their own health and adhere to the CDC guidelines to avoid the re-implementation of stricter public health measures. 5. Thank you for your cooperation. Nassau County has received the official notice of approval from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation on the the Nassau County Vacation Rental Plan. Effective immediately, vacation rentals can begin accepting and welcoming reservations again.
Below are a list of resources to assist with implementing the new Nassau County Short-Term Vacation Rental Plan:
For assistance with the sourcing of cleaning supplies for your business, please contact the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce at (904) 261-3248 or info@NassauCountyFLChamber.com. |
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