The City of Fernandina Beach announces that Stephen Beckman has been appointed as the City's Building Official. Mr. Beckman began his duties on Monday, August 19. 

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Beckman's experience includes working as a general contractor, and in various capacities in the City of Naples' building department. He was the Building Official for the City of Cape Coral before moving to Honduras for one year to manage a scuba diving resort. 

Ready to move back to America to be closer to family (three children and one granddaughter), Mr. Beckman was excited to see an opening with the City. He and his wife visited Fernandina Beach for a conference about three years ago and fell in love with the "small, historic community". They look forward to exploring the outdoors, fishing, cycling and diving at the beach!

Join us for the next installation of our 'Coffee with Your Commissioner' program on Thursday, August 29, 2019 from 8:30-9:30 A.M. at the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, 961687 Gateway Blvd., Suite 101-G, Fernandina Beach, Florida. 

This month's guest is City Commissioner Mike Lednovich. For the past 20 years, Commissioner Lednovich worked as a business consultant and helped companies and organizations like Disney World, the Philadelphia School District and Pratt & Whitney succeed and achieve their goals. As a relative newcomer to Fernandina Beach, Commissioner Lednovich feels that he has a unique perspective on the needs on the City, allowing him to take a fresh look at the community without any preconceived biases. His priorities include working to protect our beaches, tree canopies, wetlands, Historic District, residential neighborhoods and local businesses that collectively make Fernandina Beach so special. 

Meetings with individual Commissioners are scheduled periodically throughout the year. The program presents Chamber of Commerce members with the opportunity to discuss topics in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. There is no agenda for these meetings. Business leaders will have an opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns, while simultaneously giving the Commissioners a chance to learn more about businesses within their district. 

'Coffee with Your Commissioner' is free for Chamber members are $25.00 for prospective members. Advanced payment and registration are always preferred. For more information, CLICK HERE or call (904) 261-3248. 

Join us for the next installation of our 'Coffee with Your Commissioner' program on Thursday, July 25, 2019 from 8:30-9:30 A.M. at the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, 961687 Gateway Blvd., Suite 101-G, Fernandina Beach, Florida. 

This month's guest is Nassau County Commissioner Daniel Leeper. Commissioner Leeper is a native of Amelia Island, where he and his family continue to reside and give back to the community. He spends his free time enjoying the outdoors, running, biking, kayaking and fishing. Commissioner Leeper is very active in the community, serving on numerous boards and committees in the City and County and has worked in public service for more than 34 years. He is currently serving his second four-year term as a Nassau County Commissioner for District 1 on Amelia Island. 

Meetings with individual Commissioners are scheduled periodically throughout the year. The program presents Chamber of Commerce members with the opportunity to discuss topics in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. There is no agenda for these meetings. Business leaders will have an opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns, while simultaneously giving the Commissioners a chance to learn more about businesses within their district. 

'Coffee with Your Commissioner' is free for Chamber members and $25.00 for prospective members. Advanced payment and registration are always preferred. For more information, CLICK HERE or call (904) 261-3248. 

The 2019 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. This sales tax holiday begins Friday, August 2, 2019, and runs through Tuesday, August 6, 2019. 

During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items will be exempt from tax including: certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item; and clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item; and computers and certain accessories selling for $1,000 or less per item, when purchased for noncommercial or personal use. 

For more information and a list of qualifying items, please review the Department of Revenue's Tax Information Publication (TIP) below. 

County Manager, Mike Mullen, and Office of Management & Budget Director, Megan Diehl, will be holding Budget Workshops to discuss department and not-for-profit budget requests for Fiscal Year 2019/2020. These Workshops will be held on:
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• Monday, June 17, 2019 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, June 20, 2019 from 9 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 25, 2019 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

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All meetings will be held in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, Florida 32097. The public is invited to attend, ask questions, and provide input. 

A complete schedule featuring individual times for each department or non-profit budget discussion will follow. 

If you have any questions, please contact the County Manager's Office at (904) 530-6010.

Individuals with disabilities needing a reasonable accommodation to participate in this proceeding should contact the Office of the County Manager's Office at (904) 530-6010, or, if hearing impaired, Florida Relay Service at 1-800-955-8770 (v) or 1-800-955-8771 (TDD). 

Join us at the next Quarterly Luncheon on Tuesday, June 25, 2019 from 11:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. at the Fernandina Beach Golf Course Clubhouse, 2800 Bill Melton Road, Fernandina Beach, Florida. 

Guest speaker Senator Aaron Bean was first elected to the Florida Senate in 2012. He was subsequently re-elected without opposition in 2014, 2016, and with opposition in 2018. Aaron also served as chairman of the Duval County Legislative Delegation in 2018. He is currently serving as chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. Before being elected to the Florida Senate, Aaron served eight years in the Florida House of Representatives. Aaron was tapped by then-Speaker of the House Marco Rubio to chair the House Health Care Committee, which oversaw all health care policy and the appropriations for approximately one-third of the state budget. Prior to being elected tot he Florida House in 2000, Aaron served as a commissioner and mayor of the City of Fernandina Beach and was named "Best of the Best" by the Fernandina Beach News-Leader. 

Senator Bean will discuss various topics at the luncheon, including legislation that directly affects the citizens of Nassau County. 

The Quarterly Luncheon is $25.00 for Chamber of Commerce members and $40.00 for prospective members. Advanced payment and registration are required in order to attend this event. CLICK HERE for more information or call (904) 261-3248. 

The Nassau County Chamber of Commerce announces the next 'Coffee with Your Commissioner' program for Thursday, June 27, 2019 from 8:30-9:30 A.M. at the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce. 

Meetings with individual Commissioner are scheduled periodically throughout the year. The program gives Chamber of Commerce members the opportunity to discuss topics in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. Business leaders have an opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns, while simultaneously giving the Commissioners a chance to learn more about the businesses within their district. 

This month's guest is City Commissioner Len Kreger, who is currently serving his second term on the Fernandina Beach City Commission. He is a retired U.S. Marine with 24 years of service and has over 20 years of experience working in the public sector. Commissioner Kreger cares about making a valuable contribution to the governing of the City, focusing on financial stability and effective growth management practices. 

'Coffee with Your Commissioner' is free for Chamber members and $25.00 for prospective members. Advanced payment and registration are always preferred. CLICK HERE for more information or call (904) 261-3248. 

The 2019 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday was passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. This sales tax holiday begins Friday, May 31, 2019 and extends through Thursday, June 6, 2019.

During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax. However, the sales tax holiday does not apply to the rental or repair of any of the qualifying items. Additionally, the sales tax holiday does not apply to sales in a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment or airport.

For more information and a list of qualifying items, please see the Department of Revenue's Taxpayer Information Publication on the 2019 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday. For your convenience, the Department has provided digital downloads and social media posts for individuals and businesses interested in sharing information about the sales tax holiday.

The City of Fernandina Beach has been named one of the 2019 Healthiest Companies by the First Coast Worksite Wellness Council (FCWWC) as a Gold Level Award winner for the third consecutive year. The Council announced the winners at the 11th Annual Worksite Wellness Conference in Jacksonville on May 8, 2019. The companies who received awards were honored for their commitment to employee health and wellness and for making noteworthy strides to improve the health and well-being of their employees. This is the seventh straight year the City has been recognized by the FCWWC for its health and wellness program. Human Resources (HR) Director Robin Marley and HR Generalists Toni Brown and Teresa Bryan accepted the award on behalf of the City of Fernandina Beach.
 
FCWWC has four levels of awards. According to their website, Gold Level companies have dedicated resources to ensure their programs are being properly measured each year. FCWWC conducts annual surveys and strategically selects the best programs that meet the organization’s goal of improving the health, productivity, and well-being of its employees.
 
Marley shared that organizations must meet certain criteria in their wellness plans to be considered for each award level.  One of the notable actions the City has taken since 2004 is to plan and execute an annual Health and Benefits Fair which includes free health screenings and helps educate employees about better health management.
 
In 2016, the City partnered with Baptist Health and the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast to implement a wellness program, Personalized Approach to Health (PATH), which assists employees in developing a manageable wellness plan, including a baseline health assessment and information to help them achieve personal health goals. In 2017, the City introduced a new weight loss and healthy living program, “Real Appeal,” for its covered employees and dependents, provided at no cost by its medical insurance carrier. 
 
Marley stated, “The focus of every good wellness program is changing behaviors for the better. With the right education, skills, and support, people are motivated to change and become more mindful of their health and wellness. Since beginning our wellness initiative at the City of Fernandina Beach, we have seen our employees become more interested and actively engaged in wellness, not only for themselves personally, but for one another as well.”