FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
County Votes to Remove Referendum from 2020 Ballot
 
Nassau County, Florida, June 19, 2020-  In 2018, the Board of County Commissioners expressed a desire to establish a conservation land acquisition and management program. The Board subsequently entered into an agreement with the Trust for Public Land to conduct a feasibility analysis to consider funding options for the program. The results of the feasibility study were presented to the Board in August 2019.
 
At a Workshop held on October 16, 2019, the Board approved a Resolution to place a referendum on the ballot of the 2020 Election for the Electors to grant the County the ability to issue up to $30 million in general obligation bonds to implement the program. Due to the impact COVID-19 has had on families and businesses and the challenges residents have faced, the Board approved a Resolution on Wednesday, June 18, 2020, to remove the referendum from the 2020 Ballot.
 
The Board will proceed with creation of the conservation land acquisition and management program, with the intent of adding the referendum to the 2022 Ballot.
 
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If you have any questions, please contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010.
 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Commissioner Danny Leeper Elected to Serve on Florida Association of Counties Board of Directors
 
Nassau County, Florida, June 18, 2020-  Nassau County Commissioner, Danny Leeper, was elected to the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) Board of Directors. Commissioner Leeper will serve in this role for two years.
 
“It’s an honor to be elected and to serve on the FAC Board of Directors. Through the Florida Association of Counties, we are better able to serve not only our local communities, but the entire state on a wide range of important local and state issues before the State Legislature, the Governor and Cabinet.”
 
The FAC Board of Directors is composed of one commissioner from each Florida Senate District, elected to office by commissioners of the counties within the respective Senate District. The FAC President also appoints six at-large directors to serve a one-year term. Together, the Board is responsible for guiding FAC in its mission to preserve and strengthen home rule as well as for setting the legislative policy for the Association and approving an annual budget.
 
“In addition to the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors serve as leadership for the Association,” said FAC Executive Director, Ginger Delegal. “The Board plays a vital role in the strategic vision for the future of FAC, especially in regard to the determination of the Association’s legislative priorities and initiatives.”
 
For more than 85 years, the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) has represented the diverse interests of Florida’s counties, emphasizing the importance of protecting home rule – the concept that government closest to the people governs best.
 
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If you have any questions regarding the FAC Board of Directors, please contact the Florida Association of Counties directly at (850) 922-4300.
 
 
 

6/9/20 @ 11:45 a.m. - The Nassau County Department of Health has issued the attached Press Release urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito and tick-borne illnesses. It includes information on mosquito bite prevention, tick bite prevention and tips regarding use of repellents, including a helpful search tool to help you find the product that best suits your needs.

If you have any questions, please contact the Nassau County DOH directly at (904) 875-6100 or email Michael Godwin at Michael.Godwin@flhealth.gov.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Workshop for Recreation Master Plan
 
Nassau County, Florida, June 1, 2020- On January 2, 2020, Nassau County announced the kick-off of a long-range parks, recreation, and open space master plan for the entire County, with the goal of the plan being complete in the fall of 2002.
 
The County secured the services of the parks planning firm Barth Associates, LLC, to evaluate the existing parks and recreation system; conduct a County-wide needs and priorities assessment; develop a long-range parks and recreation vision; and work with the County to develop a fiscally sustainable implementation strategy for capital improvements, operations, and maintenance.
 
The recently-completed Needs Assessment phase of the project incorporated a number of public involvement forums to make sure that the planning process was citizen-driven, and that every resident had an opportunity to participate.  These included:     

• Two public outreach events, one in eastern Nassau County and one in western Nassau County. The events were interactive and open to all residents, groups and corporate entities to attend.
• A statistically-representative survey of residents’ needs and priorities. To ensure the integrity and validity of the data collection process, ETC Institute, an independent research firm, conducted the survey and complied the data for utilization in the plan creation process. 
• An on-line survey to provide opportunities for all residents to participate in the survey.
• A working session with a diverse group of individuals representing organizations across a wide spectrum of focus and backgrounds. This included representatives from education, social services, organized athletics, outdoor enthusiasts, the arts community, park operations, public & mental health, environmental stewards, and many others.
• A series of roundtable discussions with individuals and organizations who share common interests around particular aspects of recreation, i.e. cyclists, conservation, youth athletics, etc.
• One-on-one interviews with elected officials and key County staff members including budget and operations staff.

 
The information received from these events, meetings and surveys – along with park visits and evaluations, a level-of-service analysis, and review of existing reports – provided the data necessary for Barth Associates to project the parks and recreation needs and priorities of County residents.    This approach ensures the parks, recreation, and open space master plan is truly representative of all the citizens of Nassau County and not just a select few.
 
On Monday, June 8, 2020 at 5:00 p.m., Dr. David Barth will present the findings from the Existing Conditions and Needs Assessment phase of the project to the Board of County Commissioners. The Workshop Meeting will be held in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097. The meeting is open to the public with limited seating, however residents can also participate remotely by watching the meeting live at www.nassauclerk.com/watch-meetings and submitting comments to comments@nassaucountyfl.com or calling (904) 530-6009 and leaving a message. Residents can also use these two methods to request a call during the meeting.
 
We encourage all Nassau County residents and organizations to participate in the meeting to hear Dr. Barth’s presentation to the Board regarding his team’s effort to create a world-class parks and recreation system master plan for the citizens of Nassau County.
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If you have any questions, please contact the County’s Planning Department at (904) 530-6300.
 
 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Organized Youth Sports
 
Nassau County, Florida, May 29, 2020 – On Friday, May 22, 2020, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order No. 20-131, to allow for the return of organized youth sports under Phase 1: Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery.
 
County Officials held a telephonic meeting with Recreation Commission yesterday. The group discussed guidelines suggested by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce the risk of disease transmission among participants in youth sports programs. Those guidelines can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/youth-sports.html.
 
It was determined that the County will open their facilities for the leagues to use with the understanding that they would be responsible for ensuring that CDC guidelines are followed. Some leagues expressed concerns, however others indicated that they felt they could comply.  The Recreation Commission is compiling a list of leagues that would like to resume and the location/facility they will be operating out of.

If you have any questions, please contact Facilities Maintenance at (904) 530-6120.
 

​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
 
Budget Workshops for Department Funding Requests
 
 
Nassau County, Florida, May 28, 2020 – On Tuesday, June 2 and Tuesday, June 9, 2020, Departments under the Board of County Commissioners will present their Fiscal Year 2020-2021 funding requests to County Manager, Mike Mullin, and the Director of the Office of Management & Budget, Megan Diehl.
 
The meetings will be held in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097. The meeting will be open to the public with limited seating, however individuals can view the presentations live at www.nassauclerk.com/watch-meetings.
 
Individuals with disabilities needing a reasonable accommodation to participate in this proceeding should contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010, or if hearing impaired, the Florida Relay Service, at 1-800-955-8700 (v) or 1-800-955-8771 (TDD).
 
A complete schedule featuring the individual times for each department will be published prior to the meetings.

STORY EDITED 6/1/20 @ 10:40 a.m. Please click here to see department names/presentation times.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
 
Recreation Commission Meeting to Discuss Reintroduction of Organized Youth Sports
 
Nassau County, Florida, May 27, 2020 – At today’s Board of County Commissioner’s meeting, County Manager, Mike Mullin, provided an update to the Board members regarding Executive Order No. 20-131, issued by Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday, May 22, 2020, which now allows organized youth sports under Phase 1: Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery.  Mr. Mullin indicated that organized youth sports should, in his opinion, “re-start” and the Board concurred.
 
A Special Meeting of the Nassau County Recreation Commission has been scheduled for Thursday, May 28, 2020, at 5:30 p.m., in order for the County Manager and Assistant County Manager to discuss “re-starting” organized youth sports at County facilities while maintaining consistency with the Center for Disease Control’s recommendations.  
 
The meeting will be held remotely via phone conference, therefore there is no meeting location to share. Individuals wishing to submit comments for the meeting should email them to parkcomments@nassaucountyfl.com by 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, or call (904) 530-6120. If you would like a phone call during the meeting, please send an email or call the number above and provide your name and phone number.
 
A summary from the meeting will be issued as soon as possible.
 
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Should you have any questions, please contact Parks & Recreation directly at (904) 530-6120.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Budget Workshop for Non-Profit Budget Requests/Presentations
 
Nassau County, Florida, May 22, 2020 – On Thursday, May 28, 2020, County Manager, Mike Mullin, and the Director of the Office of Management & Budget, Megan Diehl, will hold a Budget Workshop for Non-Profit Organizations to present their funding requests for the 2020/2021 budget year.
 
The presentations will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will continue until each non-profit has presented.
 
The meeting will be held in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097. The meeting will be open to the public with limited seating, however individuals can view the meeting live at www.nassauclerk.com/watch-meetings.
 
Individuals with disabilities needing a reasonable accommodation to participate in this proceeding should contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010, or if hearing impaired, the Florida Relay Service, at 1-800-955-8700 (v) or 1-800-955-8771 (TDD).
 
A complete schedule featuring the individual times for each non-profit will be published prior to the meeting.
 
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Should you have any questions, please contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Driving on County Beaches
 
Nassau County, Florida, May 13, 2020- At today’s Special Meeting, the Board of County Commissioners approved Executive Order No. 7 which provided a plan to reintroduce driving on certain County beaches to allow for greater utilization of beach areas.
 
Based on the limited space available for vehicular parking and driving, and due to the continued need for spacing and reduction of gatherings, it has been determined that during this initial phase, only Nassau County residents and active military personnel will be allowed to drive on the beach.
 
Effective at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, May 15, 2020, vehicular traffic may access designated areas at Peters Point and Lewis Street (American Beach) between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. each day. The Scott Road vehicular access will remain closed for the term of the declared emergency but shall be open for pedestrian access.
 
Each beach driving access point will have a representative available to check that the driver has a Nassau County Drivers License or State I.D., or an active military identification card. The Board realizes that there may be individuals that have property in Nassau County but do not have an I.D. reflecting Nassau County as their place of residence. At this time, the County does not have the ability to review other types of documents to verify residency. However, a method is being established and will be presented to the Board for consideration at a future meeting.
 
All individuals may continue to access the beach, subject to social distancing requirements outlined by the Center for Disease Control, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. each day.
 
Additionally, the Board has approved a plan to allow horseback riding on the beach between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., subject to certain restrictions outlined in the Executive Order.  

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
 
Plan for Beach Driving Being Developed
 
Nassau County, Florida, May 7, 2020- County beaches were reopened on Friday, May 1, 2020, for most normal activities. Social distancing is still being recommended by the Center for Disease Control so in an effort to prevent overcrowding, beach driving has been temporarily delayed.
 
County Officials met on site today with the Sheriff and members of his department to discuss a plan to reintroduce cars to Peters Point and American Beach. The plan includes designated driving lines for safety of beach users and designated parking areas to maintain social distancing.
 
The initial plan also includes keeping parking areas open for everyone to utilize, but to limit on-beach parking to Nassau County residents only. This would require attendees to be present at each access point to check identification to ensure those driving onto the beach are Nassau County residents.
 
The scheduled time for beach use would remain 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. each day as previously set. This would include the use of the beach, walkovers and parking lot areas.  
 
Please note these are initial plans and that no decision has been made yet by the Board of County Commissioners. The County Manager hopes to have the plan finalized for Board consideration on Wednesday, May 13th.  
 
So far, it appears that everyone has been adhering to the CDC guidelines and maintaining social distancing. Great job everyone! The Board appreciates everyone’s patience thus far.