2022 City of Fernandina Beach Candidate Questionnaire
Innovation and Economic Development
In your opinion, what is the City's role in economic development?
The City’s role works best when certain key success factors are in place:
Discuss your opinion on conducting a comprehensive and continuous review of all regulatory processes that impact business/industry and provide solutions that address these barriers.
Ease of doing business, with accessible and approachable City departments requires a continuous improvement process of review, adjustment, review, adjustment, etc. The goal is to improve processes for both the city and business by minimizing red tape, having reasonable/justifiable fees, maintaining high-quality services and ensuring Fernandina Beach’s staff are approachable.
Business Climate and Competitiveness
How can the City of Fernandina Beach improve the climate and competitiveness of our existing businesses and industry?
Identify stakeholder needs. Prioritize their needs and make improvements. Make excellent customer service an ingrained culture.
What are your thoughts about the disparity in regulations and processes in doing business between the City of Fernandina Beach and Nassau County?
Many of our businesses are operating in the regulated Historic District, which adds additional layers of staffing, inspections and approvals. We should compare apples to apples with the county on other business practices.
And, do you support the creation of a local purchasing program?
I do with the proviso that prices are within the competitive range that adds value to expending taxpayer assets.
How can the City of Fernandina Beach better support our entrepreneurial ecosystem?
Provide excellent customer services that supports new businesses where the City is a partner not just a regulator.
How can the City of Fernandina Beach engage in the creation of partnerships and funding programs related to current and relevant data, research as well as talent recruitment and start-up opportunities?
Our grants administrator can advise business owners on federal and state programs available for information and support.
Civic and Governance System
What, in your opinion, are the three biggest challenges facing the City of Fernandina Beach?
Any time decisions are contemplated that affect a particular segment of the community, representatives of that affected sector, such as the business/industrial community, should be invited to the table for dialogue and input. How important is community/partner organization input as a meaningful direction in developing sound policy and how will you implement?
City Commission workshops have been a valuable tool for engaging stakeholders in different aspects of the City. Workshops, along with one-on-one meetings coordinated with the Chamber keeps the communications channels open.
Do you believe the City of Fernandina Beach has an adequate amount of funding from property taxes or do you expect to require additional resources from Nassau County property owners? Please explain.
The City’s economic model is unsustainable. Many City services have been provided to non-city users for free or at the same rate charged to city taxpayers. Tourists and day trippers pay nothing for the use of City services or our infrastructure. Non-city youth (70% of participants) pay nothing for the use of city youth fields and complexes. The city cannot afford to go it alone going forward. The county Bed Tax formula also needs to be changed in order to provide financial support of infrastructure maintenance and improvements.
Infrastructure and Growth Leadership
How can the City of Fernandina Beach balance and pursue both natural environment protection and sustainable economic development?
Acquire and place more parcels into conservation. Stop approving rezoning of commercial parcels for residential development.
Led by the Chamber of Commerce beginning in 2015, the now completed Public Transportation study and recommendations concluded in 2017. What are your specific recommendations to increase the options and availability for public transit?
This needs to be a joint City/County initiative with several approaches (park & ride off island and in the city, increased mobility with additional protected bike paths and improved sidewalks, etc.)
The future innovation economy and efficiency of government is dependent on technology infrastructure. How will you ensure the City of Fernandina Beach continuously improves faster, more stable, and more secure connectivity?
Continued funding of equipment that provides the public with safe, stable and fast connectivity.
Quality of Life and Quality of Places
Land development codes and incentives for workforce housing have not produced the needed inventory for our community. What are you recommendations for access to housing?
Real estate values and escalating increases are problematic within the City. The best opportunities for workforce housing exists off Amelia Island.
Community-based development organizations are vital tot he City of Fernandina Beach. How will you strengthen the role of these organizations?
Funding and recognition are the best avenues for support by the City.
What is the role of the City of Fernandina Beach for underserved communities and their development?
The city supports with funding numerous non-profit organizations that provide services to a wide spectrum of communities.
In your opinion, what is the City's role in economic development?
The City’s role works best when certain key success factors are in place:
- clear, transparent and consistent policy making and planning by the city; ease of doing business, with an accessible and approachable city;
- careful navigation of conflicts and a balance between short-term business interests and long-term city development goals; and
- channels for businesses to contribute to strategic planning.
Discuss your opinion on conducting a comprehensive and continuous review of all regulatory processes that impact business/industry and provide solutions that address these barriers.
Ease of doing business, with accessible and approachable City departments requires a continuous improvement process of review, adjustment, review, adjustment, etc. The goal is to improve processes for both the city and business by minimizing red tape, having reasonable/justifiable fees, maintaining high-quality services and ensuring Fernandina Beach’s staff are approachable.
Business Climate and Competitiveness
How can the City of Fernandina Beach improve the climate and competitiveness of our existing businesses and industry?
Identify stakeholder needs. Prioritize their needs and make improvements. Make excellent customer service an ingrained culture.
What are your thoughts about the disparity in regulations and processes in doing business between the City of Fernandina Beach and Nassau County?
Many of our businesses are operating in the regulated Historic District, which adds additional layers of staffing, inspections and approvals. We should compare apples to apples with the county on other business practices.
And, do you support the creation of a local purchasing program?
I do with the proviso that prices are within the competitive range that adds value to expending taxpayer assets.
How can the City of Fernandina Beach better support our entrepreneurial ecosystem?
Provide excellent customer services that supports new businesses where the City is a partner not just a regulator.
How can the City of Fernandina Beach engage in the creation of partnerships and funding programs related to current and relevant data, research as well as talent recruitment and start-up opportunities?
Our grants administrator can advise business owners on federal and state programs available for information and support.
Civic and Governance System
What, in your opinion, are the three biggest challenges facing the City of Fernandina Beach?
- Increase of tourists and day trippers and the resulting burden placed on the City services/infrastructure. Mobility within the city
- An unsustainable economic model
- How to fund a $20 million Historic Downtown renovation
Any time decisions are contemplated that affect a particular segment of the community, representatives of that affected sector, such as the business/industrial community, should be invited to the table for dialogue and input. How important is community/partner organization input as a meaningful direction in developing sound policy and how will you implement?
City Commission workshops have been a valuable tool for engaging stakeholders in different aspects of the City. Workshops, along with one-on-one meetings coordinated with the Chamber keeps the communications channels open.
Do you believe the City of Fernandina Beach has an adequate amount of funding from property taxes or do you expect to require additional resources from Nassau County property owners? Please explain.
The City’s economic model is unsustainable. Many City services have been provided to non-city users for free or at the same rate charged to city taxpayers. Tourists and day trippers pay nothing for the use of City services or our infrastructure. Non-city youth (70% of participants) pay nothing for the use of city youth fields and complexes. The city cannot afford to go it alone going forward. The county Bed Tax formula also needs to be changed in order to provide financial support of infrastructure maintenance and improvements.
Infrastructure and Growth Leadership
How can the City of Fernandina Beach balance and pursue both natural environment protection and sustainable economic development?
Acquire and place more parcels into conservation. Stop approving rezoning of commercial parcels for residential development.
Led by the Chamber of Commerce beginning in 2015, the now completed Public Transportation study and recommendations concluded in 2017. What are your specific recommendations to increase the options and availability for public transit?
This needs to be a joint City/County initiative with several approaches (park & ride off island and in the city, increased mobility with additional protected bike paths and improved sidewalks, etc.)
The future innovation economy and efficiency of government is dependent on technology infrastructure. How will you ensure the City of Fernandina Beach continuously improves faster, more stable, and more secure connectivity?
Continued funding of equipment that provides the public with safe, stable and fast connectivity.
Quality of Life and Quality of Places
Land development codes and incentives for workforce housing have not produced the needed inventory for our community. What are you recommendations for access to housing?
Real estate values and escalating increases are problematic within the City. The best opportunities for workforce housing exists off Amelia Island.
Community-based development organizations are vital tot he City of Fernandina Beach. How will you strengthen the role of these organizations?
Funding and recognition are the best avenues for support by the City.
What is the role of the City of Fernandina Beach for underserved communities and their development?
The city supports with funding numerous non-profit organizations that provide services to a wide spectrum of communities.
