Please join us on Monday, September 26th at 4:00 p.m. at the Yulee Sports Complex as we celebrate the grand opening of the new football field. Representatives from Nassau County and the Jaguars Foundation will participate in the ceremonial "cutting of the ribbon", representing completion of the project. The project began in February 2016 with the presentation of a $100,000 check from the Jaguars Foundation which was used to match county funds to construct the new field and renovate an existing field.

Nassau County is excited that the children will have an additional place to play football and are very appreciative of the Jaguars Foundation for helping make this dream a reality. We hope that the families in our community will join us on Monday in celebrating this great achievement!

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

At the Wednesday, September 21 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners recognized County employees who assisted during and after the tornado touchdown that occurred on August 4th.

The EF-1 tornado was over 600 feet wide with an estimated 100 mph winds. It traveled over 4 miles and was on the ground for nearly 17 minutes. During that time, the storm flipped over trailers, blew a semi truck onto an occupied car on State Road 200, tore down power lines, and knocked over hundreds of trees onto homes and across roads. The storm damaged approximately 40 homes, several businesses, blocked several roadways, and caused widespread debris and flooding.

The Nassau County Sheriff's Office responded immediately by activating the Emergency Operations Center, setting up command locations to assist in traffic control, removing trees from blocked roadways, and coordinated with local businesses regarding volunteer efforts and donations.

Nassau County Fire Rescue, Reserve Station 3 in Yulee, and Reserve Station 11 in Nassau Oaks, responded to multiples scenes involving live wires down, citizens trapped in their vehicles, and trees on top of homes, all while managing day to day emergency calls.

The Nassau County Road & Bridge Department, County Manager's Office, Engineering Department, and Code Enforcement immediately began to coordinate a response to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the community.

Special recognition was given to Nassau County Road & Bridge employees who spent countless hours during and after the storm removing debris from roadways. Many of these employees went above and beyond the call of duty, working hundreds of hours in overtime picking up limbs, cutting large pieces of tree, and hauling them away. Many people in the community contacted the County to express their gratitude to these employees and said that their hard work and caring demeanor did not go unnoticed. We truly appreciated the positive feedback.

Great job to everyone involved!
 
-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The Florida Department of Transportation has provided the attached monthly status report for the State Road 200/A1A Widening Project. The report gives an overview on activities that have taken place since the project began in September 2014, as well as activities that are expected to be performed this month.

If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Delgado, Public Information Officer for Adkins Global, at (904) 524-3869 or via e-mail at Debbie.Delgado@atkinsglobal.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

Please be advised that FDOT has notified us that their contractors will have the following lane closures on SR200/A1A this Saturday, September 17th:

• The left, eastbound lane from William Burgess Blvd. and Still Quarters Road will be closed from 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. for curb and gutter construction. The work may be rescheduled for Sunday, September 18th if the weather does not cooperate on Saturday.  If you have any questions about this closure, please contact Bruce Boyles, Project Administrator for Eisman & Russo, Inc., at (904) 497-9786 or via e-mail at bboyles@eismanrusso.com.
  
• The right, eastbound lane and the right, westbound lane between Christian Way and Meadowfield Bluff will be closed from 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. for installation of a barrier wall. Questions related to this closure should be directed to Carrie Smithheart, Project Engineer for England, Thims & Miller, at (904) 509-9007. 
  

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The Florida Department of Health has confirmed the first case of travel related case of Zika in a Nassau County resident. The Department of Health Nassau and mosquito control partners have already begun taking  measures to prevent spread in accordance with State guidelines. Please note there have not been any locally acquired Zika cases.

Below is information provided by the Florida Department of Health on various topics related to Zika, including how to prevent mosquitos, tips on enjoying your vacation, and special advice for pregnant women. Please click on the links to review each flyer:

• Drain and Cover
• Mosquito Bite Protection for Overseas Travelers
• Enjoy Your Vacation
• Zika Information for Pregnant Women

If you have any questions, please contact the Zika Hotline at (855) 622-6735.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The Florida Department of Transportation has sent notification that the right, westbound lane of the Shave Bridge will be closed this Thursday, September 15th, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. while they conduct routine bridge inspections. Motorists should expect delays!

If you have any questions, please contact David Fierro, Senior Public Information Officer for FDOT, at (904) 360-5582 or via e-mail at david.fierro@dot.state.fl.us.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

On Tuesday, September 6, 2016, members of Nassau County Public Works assessed County roads and determined that they will not be picking up debris from the storm at this time. Please note that Nassau County does not typically pick up storm debris, however an exception was made following the tornado on August 4th due to the over abundance of large trees. The Board may discuss this issue further at their meeting taking place on Monday, September 12th at 6:00 p.m.

You may contact your garbage company and request a pick up or you can deliver your debris to Sandhill Recycling Center located at 153326 County Road in Yulee. You will need to contact your garbage company and Sandhill Recycling Center directly to discuss any special requirements for bagging and/or associated costs.

If you have any questions, please contact our Road & Bridge Department at (904) 530-6175.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The phone lines for County Offices have been restored. Thank you for your patience while we worked on this issue yesterday.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

Due to inclement weather, County offices will be closed on Friday, September 2nd. Please visit Emergency Management's website at http://www.nassaucountyfl.com/index.aspx?NID=370 for current updates on Tropical Storm Hermine and to sign up for emergency alerts. You can also follow Emergency Management on FaceBook at www.facebook.com/NassauEM.

If you need to speak to someone, please call (904)549-0900,option #1.

Please be safe this weekend!

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office