8/19/20 @ 10:15 a.m. - As a result of the Primary Election, we will have three (3) new Commissioners serving us this November. Please join us in congratulating John Martin (representing District One); Jeff Gray (representing District Three); and Klynt Farmer (representing District Five). We admire their willingness to serve the residents of this great county and wish them all much success. 

Each new Commissioner will organize their own "swearing in" ceremony in which they will take their Oath of Office and begin their four (4) year term. Information on those dates and locations will be shared as soon as they are determined.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

6/11/20 @ 1:40 p.m.

Contact:
Michael Godwin
Michael.Godwin@FLHealth.gov
(904) 557-9152

[Fernandina Beach, Fla.] — Monday, June 15, 2020, marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, first launched in 2006 to raise awareness on elder abuse and neglect across the globe.

Approximately one in 10 Americans aged 60 and over have experienced some form of elder abuse. Some estimates range as high as five million elders who are abused each year, but an overwhelming number of cases of abuse go undetected and untreated. Abuse can happen to anyone—no matter the person's age, sex, race, religion, or ethnic or cultural background. A caregiver may also be victim of abuse. Older and vulnerable caregivers of persons with dementia are often susceptible to abuse. In many cases, there are ways to address abusive behavior. Caregivers can learn strategies to distance themselves from it emotionally, find support and get respite care.

Elder abuse, including isolation will not stop on its own. Someone else needs to step in and help. Many older people are too ashamed to report mistreatment, or they are afraid the report will get back to the abuser and make the situation worse. The most difficult thing to accept when it comes to the abuse of older adults is how common it is. Knowing how to identify abuse and how to report it can be critical to stopping it and getting that person the care he or she needs.

If you need to report a suspicion of elder abuse, call Florida Abuse Hotline at 1.800.96.ABUSE (1.800.962.2873). Press 1 to report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of the elderly or a vulnerable adult. This toll-free number is available 24/7. It is important to report suspected abuse as soon as possible.

The good news is that we can prevent and address the issue of elder abuse. There are many ways to strengthen our social supports through policies, services, and programs that keep us integrated in our communities as we age.

• We can educate ourselves. “Elder Abuse: It’s More than Just Scams,” is a FREE virtual workshop that will provide an overview of how seniors are targeted for financial, psychological and sexual abuse, as well as important information about how to avoid fraud and scams. This event is held each year in conjunction with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The workshop is presented by ElderSource and the Florida Department of Health - Nassau County and will take place on Monday, June 15 from 12 pm to 1:30 pm using Zoom. Please consider registering and inviting others to join. Please visit this link to register.

• We can design and equip community centers to work as intergenerational spaces that allow older people to build relationships and participate in the work, play, and life of our
neighborhoods. In our community, the Nassau County Council on Aging provides a variety of activities, classes, workshops and presentations at their Fernandina Beach and Hilliard Life Centers. Please visit https://www.nassaucountycouncilonaging.org/ for more information.

• We can think about the role of transportation in reducing social isolation and adjust systems so that we can all continue to move throughout our communities as we age. If you or someone you know needs transportation services, please visit the NassauTRANSIT website at https://www.nassaucountycouncilonaging.org/ to see what services you may be eligible to utilize.

• We can figure out new and better ways to arrange and coordinate the teams, agencies, and programs that work specifically with older people. ElderSource serves a seven-county area across Northeast Florida by identifying the needs of elders and caregivers, developing plans to meet those growing needs, contracting with local agencies to deliver services to clients and providing oversight of the contracts to ensure good stewardship of funds and quality services. ElderSource provides many services, like their recent Empower Yourself workshop which addressed strategies to avoid being scammed. More information on programming and services, for both consumers and partner organizations, can be found at https://www.myeldersource.org/.

Locally, the Florida Department of Health in Nassau (http://nassau.floridahealth.gov) is beginning an Aging Friendly initiative to promote active, engaged, and healthy living for people of all ages. If you are interested in becoming involved, please email Mary von Mohr at Mary.vonMohr@FLHealth.gov or call at 904.557.9133.

About the Florida Department of Health
The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.

Join us on Monday, June 8th at 5pm for a presentation by Dr. David Barth regarding the Needs Assessment Phase of the Recreation Master Plan.

The results being presented were compiled from a series of public outreach events, roundtable discussions, surveys, and interviews with elected officials and key County staff, in additional to a review of current facilities and services. The presentation will provide insight into Dr. Barth's efforts to create a world-class parks and recreation master plan for the citizens of Nassau County.

The meeting is open to the public with limited seating. The meeting can also be viewed live at https://nassauclerk.com/watch-meetings.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

6/2/20 @ 4:15 p.m.

The Board of County Commissioners has a special meeting scheduled for tomorrow at 10am. A copy of the agenda can be click here.

​Meetings can be viewed live from the Clerk's website. Once the meeting has begun, an "view event" button will appear. Please note you may have to refresh your browser until the button pops up.

The meeting is open to the public with limited seating. Residents can participate remotely in several ways.

• You can submit comments via email at comments@nassaucountyfl.com or by calling (904) 530-6009 and leaving a voicemail. Your comments will be read at the meeting and included in the record.
• You can also request to be called during the meeting by emailing comments@nassaucountyfl.com or calling (904) 530-6009 and leaving a voicemail. Provide your name, address, phone number, and topic you wish to speak about and we will call you during the meeting.
  

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/6/20 @ 11:30 a.m. - The Fernandina Beach Library Branch will host a Spring Festival on Saturday, March 28th from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

The event will feature music, dancing, games, balloon art, face painting, petting zoo and more. There will be special appearances by Smokey Bear, Sparky the Fire Dog and other fun characters your children are sure to recognize and love. Be sure to catch the butterfly release hosted by your County Extension Director, Rebecca Jordi, for a unique and exciting experience to kick-off the spring season.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Fernandina Beach Library and is free for Nassau County residents.

If you have any questions, please contact Youth Librarian, Michelle Forde, at (904) 530-6506 or via e-mail at mforde@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/5/20 @ 1:20 p.m. - Read Across America Day is celebrated annually on March 2nd. Across the Country, schools and libraries hold special events to encourage the love of reading in children. To celebrate, employees from Nassau County Fire Rescue visited the Bryceville Elementary School to spread the message that reading is fun and that it is important in every career.

The personnel that attended were: Firefighter, Luke Davis; Engineer Brad Pierson; Engineer Tony Griffin; Engineer Sean Babbick; Lt. Pat Cauley; and Battalion Chief Kelly Gunnell.

Thank you to Bryceville Elementary for letting Nassau County Fire/Rescue be a part of this day!

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/21/2020 PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS EVENT IS BEING POSTPONED DUE TO THE COVID-19 HEALTH CRISIS


2/22/20 @ 11:30 a.m. - It's that time of year again! Begin your spring cleaning and bring all unwanted hazardous items to the Annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event.

Date: Saturday, April 18, 2020
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.or until the truck is full (whichever comes first)
Location: Nassau County Convenience and Recycling Center, 46026 Landfill Road, Callahan, FL 32011

This is a FREE service for all Nassau County residents. Types of items that will be collected include:

• Pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers
• Paints and paint thinners
• Oil filters, used oil, and lubricants
• Pool chemicals
• Fluorescent lamps
• Electronics
• Batteries
• Household cleaners
• Corrosives
• Propane tanks
• Aerosol cans
• Used cooking oil

Please see the attached flyer for more details.

No items from commercial businesses will be accepted without prior approval. Please call (352) 334-0440 in advance for pricing.

A food drive for Barnabas will also be held in conjunction with this event. Please consider bringing non-perishable canned food items for donation.

If you have any questions, please contact Nassau County Solid Waste at (904) 530-6700 or Keep Nassau Beautiful at (904) 261-0165.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

2/20/20 @ 3:45 p.m. - In celebration of National Puzzle Month, the Nassau County Library System will be holding a Lego Building Fun Event on Tuesday, February 25th from 3:00-4:00 p.m. at the Fernandina Library Branch.

For additional information, please contact Youth Librarian, Michelle Forde, at (904) 530-6506 or via email at mforde@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

2/20/20 @ 9:45 a.m. - At yesterday's meeting, the Board of County Commissioners presented Resolution No. 2020-17 to Henry Green, commending him for this service to the community.

Mr. Green is a life-long resident of Fernandina Beach who faced adversity and challenges throughout his childhood and later turned to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. After finding himself jobless and homeless on many occasions, Mr. Green finally hit rock bottom in July 1988 and made the decision to get sober. Since that time, he has used his experiences to help others who struggle with addiction. He took a job as an Addiction Specialist at Charter by the Sea and became a regular speaker at universities and conferences throughout the southeast, sharing his story of addiction and recovery. He started the first Narcotics Anonymous meeting in Fernandina Beach and hosted the first Narcotics Anonymous Luau which remains a popular community event to this day.

In 2014, Mr. Green founded and incorporated the New Found Freedom House and opened three homes to help recovering addicts get back on their feet. He provides them with food, clothing and shelter and uses his knowledge to help them overcome their own addictions. Several current and past participants of Mr. Green's program were in attendance at the meeting and spoke about the love and compassion shown to them by Mr. Green. It was a very touching moment to see the impact he has made on residents right here in Nassau County.

The Board of County Commissioners commends Mr. Henry Green for overcoming adversity and using his personal experiences to help others. We extend our best wishes to Mr. Green and his mission to help addicts "find freedom, restore dignity, and live life".

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

2/18/20 @ 4:25 p.m. - Keep Nassau Beautiful is seeking volunteers for a road side clean up event taking place on Saturday, February 29th, along Amelia Island Parkway between 8th Street and Amelia Road. Interested volunteers should meet at 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot located at 9900 Amelia Island Parkway.

Gloves, totes, safety vests, and trash grabbers will be provided. Volunteers are asked to dress appropriately with closed toe shoes and should bring bug spray, sunscreen and water.

You can register in advance here. If you have any questions, please contact Keep Nassau Beautiful at (904) 261-0165 or email knb@keepnassaubeautiful.org.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office