8/10/20 @ 4:00 p.m. - The Governor issued Executive Order 20-192, rescinding travel restrictions and reporting requirements for individuals from the New York Tri-State Area and Louisiana. As a result, the County Manager issued Executive Order #21, modifying previous local Executive Orders as follows: 

• Executive Order #10 amended to rescind Sections 2, 9 and 10
• Executive Order # 3 rescinded in its entirety
• Executive Order # 4 rescinded in its entirety
  
• Executive Order # 12 rescinded in its entirety
  
• Executive Order # 13 rescinded in its entirety
  

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/10/20 @ 10:10 a.m.  On July 27, 2020, we shared a Press Release from the Department of Agriculture regarding reports of individuals receiving unsolicited packets of seeds from China. Click here to read it again.

Below is an important update from the Nassau County Extension Office regarding this subject and what to do if you receive any:

From the County Extension Office
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are concerned these seeds are a form of agricultural smuggling and could be an invasive plant. An invasive is any plant or animal that can takeover an area, causing economic loss, ecological damage and even harming human health. Here in Nassau County, UF/IFAS Extension and the City of Fernandina Beach have been removing invasive plant species such as Russian thistle and Mother of Millions on Amelia island.

What To Do: Anyone receiving unsolicited seed packages from other countries should follow these directions:

• Your local Extension office will accept ONLY opened packages.
• Bring seed/plant material packets and their original packaging materials to the Extension office, which should then be placed in a plastic zip bag.
• Fill out form
• OR you can contact your local FDACS-DPI office or contact the FDACS-DPI helpline at 1-888-397-1517 to arrange for pickup of the packages and leave a message.
• Additional instructions for the public are available here: http://www.fdacs.gov/seedbymail

When reporting the seed package to FDACS and USDA/APHIS, please be prepared to provide one’s name, physical address, phone number, and email address for contact purposes.
Other Resources

Here is a recent press release from FDACS on the suspicious seed packets.

Here is a news room post from the USDA.
Information on UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants.

by Justina Dacey

8/10/20 @ 8:00 a.m.

NASSAU CARES CRF FUNDING FOR RENTAL  AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE  GENERAL INFORMATION
 
The Nassau County Commission has approved the use of CARES Act CRF funds to assist in rental and mortgage payments for eligible applicants meeting HUD income guidelines. Any activities (reduction in income, termination/layoff of employment) that occurred between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020 due to COVID-19 are eligible. Applicants must meet the following 2020 income limits:

The application submittal period will be August 10 – 24, 2020. For your application to be considered, it must be received by the Nassau CARES office not later than the 5:00 p.m. on August 24, 2020.  
Application packets can be picked up at the following locations during the normal business hours:  

• Nassau County, James S. Page Governmental Complex, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097
• Callahan Town Hall, 542300 US Highway 1, Callahan, FL 32011
• Fernandina Beach City Hall, 204 Ash Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
• Hilliard Town Hall, 15859 West County Road 108, Hilliard, FL  32046
• Nassau County Council on Aging, Fernandina Beach Life Center, 1901 Island Walk Way, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
• Nassau County Council on Aging, Hilliard Life Center, 37002 Ingham Road, Hilliard, FL 32046-1011

 
Online applications will be available here. To request application packets by email, send your request to cares@nassaucountyfl.com.  To request application packets by U.S. Mail, please contact the Nassau CARES hotline between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday at (904) 530-6800 beginning on Monday, August 10, 2020.

INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE WITH COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION WILL BE AVAILABLE BY CONTACTING THE NASSAU CARES HOTLINE BETWEEN 8:00 A.M. AND 5:00 P.M., MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AT (904) 530-6800 BEGINNING ON MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2020 OR BY E-MAILING cares@nassaucountyfl.com.

In-person assistance with completing your application may be arranged by scheduling an appointment with a Nassau CARES representative by contacting (904) 530-6800 or cares@nassaucountyfl.com.
 For your application to be considered, it must be received by the Nassau CARES office not later than the 5:00 p.m. on August 24, 2020.   

Paper applications and documentation will be accepted at the drop box located at the front entrance of the James S. Page Governmental Complex, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097 beginning Monday, August 10, 2020 or if mailed or FedExed to: Nassau CARES Application, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097 and delivered by 5:00 p.m. on August  24, 2020.   

Electronic submission can be conducted through the CARES Documentation and Upload Form link within this Small Business section of the website.  Nassau County recommends applicants use the encrypted CARES Documentation and Upload Form to submit applications and required documentation as the information may contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII).  The use of email to transmit PII is not recommended; please do not email your application. Your electronic submissions must be complete with all documentation.  Scan and save your documentation in one file and upload as instructed.  If any documentation is missing in your electronic submission, you will need to resubmit all documentation again. Only the most recent electronic submission will be reviewed for eligibility and must still meet submittal deadlines.

Incomplete applications or missing documentation may be deemed ineligible.  Applications may not be reviewed if documents are missing, falsified or illegible.  Upon the review starting August 25, 2020, if your application is incomplete, you will be notified by e-mail or telephone and will be provided an opportunity to submit the incomplete information by 5:00 p.m. the following business day.  The incomplete information will need to be hand-delivered to the Nassau County, James S. Page Governmental Complex, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097 by the deadline.  

Eligible applicants will be selected for an award by an independent contractor.  The process for selection will be to sequentially number all submittals on Tuesday, August 25, 2020 (but not in date/time order of submittal).  After all applications have been numbered, the contractor will use a Random Sequence Generator to establish a review sequence.  The applications will be reviewed based on random sequence until the maximum number of eligible applications are processed.   

Applicants will be notified of their award beginning September 8, 2020 by e-mail or phone call.

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions

VERY IMPORTANT:  Because of CDC Guidelines about social distancing, please do not plan to complete your application at the County offices.  If you need assistance with completing your application, you can schedule an appointment with a Nassau CARES representative by contacting (904) 530-6800 or cares@nassaucountyfl.com.

8/9/20 @ 11:50 a.m. - Last week, we sent out a Press Release regarding $372,504 in Coronavirus Relief Funds the County received through our partnership with the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.

Beginning tomorrow, our CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) Consultants will begin accepting applications for rent and mortgage assistance for Nassau County residents affected by COVID-19 (loss of income, reduction of hours, loss of employment) during the period of March 1, 2020 through this December 30, 2020. Below are income guidelines established by HUD.

Applications will be available to download from our CARES website by 8:00 a.m. on Monday, August 10th. You can also pick one up at the following locations: City of Fernandina Beach (City Hall); Town of Callahan (Town Hall); Town of Hilliard (Town Hall); Nassau County Council on Aging; and Barnabas Center. Applications will be accepted until Monday, August 24th.

Because of CDC Guidelines about social distancing, please do not plan to complete your application at the County offices.  If you need assistance with completing your application, you can schedule an appointment with a Nassau CARES representative by contacting (904) 530-6800 or cares@nassaucountyfl.com. They are available Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

8/9/20 @ 11:15 a.m. - The Nassau County Department of Health will have a drive-up testing for COVID-19 on Monday, August 10th, at the Callahan Health Department.

Testing will take place between 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Participants must be over 10 years of age and is available on a first come, first served basis.

If you have any questions, please contact the Health Department at (904) 875-6100.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/7/20 @ 4:10 p.m.

On July 10, 2020, we provided notification of a road closure and detour on County Road 115 due to replacement of a concrete culvert. We were just notified that the project is complete and that the roadway is now open to thru traffic. All detour signs have been removed.

Thank you to the residents for the patience shown while Anderson Columbia made these improvements on behalf of the County.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/7/20 @ 10:45 a.m. - Please see the important message below from JEA related to lane closures on Amelia Concourse next week:

JEA and Williams Industrial Services Group LLC, have completed an important project to install infrastructure to better connect the Nassau Regional Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to the Nassau grid which will help sustain water distribution system pressure during peak demand season. 

The scope of this project included the construction of approximately 1,400 Linear Feet (LF) of 24-inch water main from Nassau Regional WTP to an existing 16-inch water main located near the intersection of Piedmont Drive and Amelia Concourse. 

The project also included construction of approximately 240 LF of 12-inch raw water main on the Nassau Regional WTP site, as well as a new backup well and approximately 2,500 LF of 12-inch raw water main from the new well site crossing Amelia Concourse near the Journey Church to provide water to the Nassau Regional WTP.
 
Our contractor is returning to complete the final phase of milling and resurfacing of the below areas from August 9th to August 10th* (weather permitting):

• Piedmont Drive – Sunday, August 9th* (Daytime Hours)
  • 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Amelia Concourse – Sunday, August 9th to Monday, August 10th* (Overnight Hours)
  • Sunday 6:00 p.m. to Monday 5:00 a.m.

*Dates and times are approximate and depending on weather are highly subject to change.

This paving operation will require temporary road and/or lane closures that will shift while paving is being completed. Please plan ahead for traffic delays.  

We request that residents within the paving boundaries remove all vehicles, equipment and trash receptacles until the paving operation is complete. Residents in the immediate area will have limited access to their street and driveways during paving operations.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this work and appreciate your continued patience throughout this important infrastructure improvement project. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact JEA Project Outreach at (904) 665-7500 or projectoutreach@jea.com.

8/7/20 @ 10:15 a.m. -

Today at 4pm, a Roundtable Discussion will take place to provide information on how the County is preparing for hurricanes in the pandemic environment. Participants will answer questions about the pandemic's impacts on actions taken before, during and after a tropical cyclone.

The discussion will be live-streamed on the Nassau EM Facebook Page and then posted afterward on Emergency Management's webpage.

In addition, WJXT (Channel 4) will air live and then post the footage on their website and Facebook page as well.

If you have any questions, contact Emergency Management at (904) 548-0900.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/7/20 @ 9:15 a.m. - Next Saturday, August 15th is the next Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event. That means that you only have one weekend left to get ready!

The event will be held at the Nassau County Road Department located at 86200 Gene Lassere Blvd. Participants should access the site using Eric Oliver Way (roadway to the left of Target), to Courtney Isles Way, to Gene Lassere.

The event will be held from 8am-noon (or until trucks reach capacity) and is FREE to Nassau County residents. Proof of residency is required.

See flyer for a complete list of items that will be accepted.

You are also encouraged to bring a non-perishable food to be donated to Barnabas.

If you have any questions, please contact Keep Nassau Beautiful at (904) 261-0165.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/6/20 @ 5:15 p.m.

Please watch this short video to learn more about the Road Department's handy new jet-vac vehicle which can be used for a variety of jobs including removal of water from ditches, vacuuming up debris, and cleaning culverts thoroughly. It can also be used by our water utility department to locate leaks and clean pipes.