FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Board Votes to Reduce Tax Rate
 
Nassau County, Florida, September 17, 2021- At the Monday, September 13, 2021 meeting, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to lower the property tax rate and invest in our quality of life by delivering big on road, park and public safety projects.
 
Chairman Thomas Ford stated, “I am very proud of this Board for its in-depth review of the budget. We have worked hard to fund programs and initiatives that improve the quality of life for our residents. We have been given an opportunity to take some burden off the taxpayers by lowering the millage rate, while still having the funds needed to accomplish our goals for the next budget year”.
 
The tentative budget includes a robust, Capital Improvement Plan with $33 million allocated for major projects/initiatives in Fiscal Year 2021/2022, including but not limited to:
 
1) $6.2 million allocation for parks and recreation projects

• Hilliard Ballpark improvements for new playground installation
• Improvements at Holly Point Boat Ramp which includes a parking lot expansion and relocation of communal areas
• Improvements at Melton Nelson Boat ramp which includes a new kayak launch
• Tributary Community Park Phase One development which includes amenities for ballfields, concession stand, walking trails, and playground
• Blackrock Cove Community Park Development for site furnishings such as soccer goals, trash receptacles and parking lot lighting
• Nassau Crossing Community Park Development which includes lighting and landscaping
• American Beach Historic Park (exact activities to be determined)

 
2) $900,000 allocation for the Double Chip Seal Program. Double chip seal is a paving alternative used to treat dirt roads. It is similar to asphalt but about 50% cheaper. Roads designated for Double Chip Seal include:

• DB Hicks
• Sheri Lane
• Ann Drive
• Parks Rd.
• Lance Rd.
• Roy Booth Rd.
• Marlee Rd.
• Midway Rd.
• Hagan Lane
• Plum Loop  
• Pirates Bluff Rd.
• Will Young Rd.
• Durden Rd.
• Winona Bayview Rd.

3) $3.9 million allocation for the Pavement Management Plan that will allow 27 of the worst roads in Nassau County to be repaved. The roads to be repaved, in full or part, next year are:

• Barnwell Rd.
• Bailey Rd.
• Benchmark Avenue
• Dove Rd.
• Roses Bluff Rd.
• Duane Rd.
• Harts Road South
• Harts Lane
• Bill Johnson Rd.
• County Road 121 (from Duval line to SR2)
• Musselwhite Rd.
• Charlotte Drive
• Thomas Rd.
• Will Hardee Rd.
• South 4th Street
• Susan Drive
• South 5th Street
• Magnolia Street
• Clinch Drive
• Ocean Forest Drive
• Bonnieview Rd.
• O’Neil Scott Rd.
• Greenberry Rd.
• Hendricks Rd.
• Ocean Forest Lane
• Cayman Circle
• Arbor Lane

4) $15.3 million allocation for transportation projects:

• Amelia Island Parkway and Buccaneer Trail roundabout design
• Amelia Island Trail design (from South Fletcher Ave. to State Road 200/8th Street)
• Citrona Drive pedestrian safety improvements  
• County Road 108 repaving from Bay Rd. to Middle Rd.
• County Road 108 repaving from Middle Rd. to US 17
• Hendricks Rd. Extension to County Road 107 design and permitting.
• Hendricks Rd. Extension to Amelia Concourse design and permitting.
• Pages Dairy/Chester Rd. Signalization
• Sunberg Rd. paving.
• William Burgess Blvd. Extension design, permitting and early construction from U.S. 17 to Miner Rd.
  

5) $3 million allocation to replace fire Station 90 in Hilliard

The final hearing on the budget will take place on Monday, September 27, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Management & Budget at (904) 530-6010, option 2.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Boaters Urged to Respect No Wake Zones
 
Nassau County, Florida, August 17, 2021 – Due to the excessive rainfall experienced in Nassau County over the last few months, the water level in many of our creeks and rivers are higher than normal. In some areas, high water levels combined with excessive boat wakes, can adversely impact homes along our waterways and exacerbate shoreline erosion.
 
We would like to take this opportunity to request that boaters respect existing no wake zones and be courteous to our friends and neighbors by keeping your wake to a minimum in areas where homes front the river.
 
We appreciate everyone’s attention to this matter and for doing your part to protect our natural resources.
 
********************************************************************************************************
If you have any questions, please contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010.
 

8/11/21 @ 5:05 p.m. - Keep Nassau Beautiful has issued a press release regarding seeking volunteers to assist with maintenance of pollinator beds recently installed along the Amelia River to Sea Trail near Simmons Road and Oak Ridge Drive. See below for full details.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

Contact:
Lynda Bell
Keep Nassau Beautiful
(904) 261-0165
knb@keepnassaubeautiful.org
​
Planting Nassau’s Future
Media Release
 
Community Volunteers Needed for Pollinator Garden
 
300 flowering plants were installed by more than 20 local volunteers to create a pollinator garden along the Amelia River to Sea Trail.
 
Amelia Island, Florida, August 11, 2021. – Earlier this year Keep Nassau Beautiful (KNB) coordinated the planting of 300 plants along the Amelia River to Sea Trail near Simmons Road and Oak Ridge Drive.  This project was the result of many groups working together.  The 1-gallon and 3-gallon plants were provided under a new KNB program, Planting Nassau’s Future.  The Law Office of Tomassetti & Prince donated to KNB for restoration and expansion of a pollinator garden at this specific location.  Members of the Florida Native Plant Society, Ixia Chapter (FNPS), suggested the right plants for the location.  The Dune Science Group sourced the plants, and plants were stored and watered at the Fernandina Beach Recreation Center until the planting day.
 
KNB members moved the plants from the Recreation Center to the Simmons Road location, where more than 20 community volunteers received training from the FNPS experts on the species and proper planting method.  Within 1 ½ hours all plants were in the ground with evidence of bees, caterpillars and butterflies enjoying the new garden.  Nassau County Road Dept. finished up the day’s work by watering in the new plants.
 
The site has been adopted under KNB’s Adopt A Spot program by the Florida Native Plant Society, Ixia Chapter.  Several events have been completed with volunteers assisting in the maintenance of the beds.  With recent rainfall levels the beds have been particularly impacted by the growth of non-flowering plants in the pollinator beds.  We need volunteers to help with weeding and dead heading of the pollinator beds.  Our next planned maintenance event is Saturday, August 28, 9am – 11am.  Please register: https://keepnassaubeautiful.org/news-and-events/
 
The Amelia River to Sea Trail is a winding path that is used by residents and visitors for bike riding, walking and running.  Many sections of the trail have way points for resting and enjoying nature.  These newly restored pollinator beds include a designated Monarch Waystation and a Gopher Tortoise burrow.  Come visit, identify some of the native plants and wildlife, and help us maintain this natural environment.  For information and to get involved in Planting Nassau’s Future: www.KeepNassauBeautiful.org or 261-0165.
 
About Keep Nassau Beautiful 
Keep Nassau Beautiful, Inc. is working to inspire, educate, and equip individuals, groups, businesses, and governments to take action to make Nassau County a place where residents, visitors and wildlife can thrive and experience the beauty of Nassau County.    www.keepnassaubeautiful.org   

 

8/6/21 @ 11:15 a.m. - Keep Nassau Beautiful shared this Press Release regarding Callahan Girl Scout Troop 336's initiative to plant trees at Ewing Park in Callahan. Though this is not a County-owned facility, we support the work of Keep Nassau Beautiful and are appreciative of all beautification efforts made within the County.A big thank you to the Callahan Girls Scouts Troop 336 for all their hard work!

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
County Extension Office Welcomes New Director
 
Nassau County, Florida, August 5, 2021 – We are excited to announce that the County Extension Office has a new Director, Dr. Taylor Clem. Dr. Clem brings with him extensive knowledge in agriculture, horticulture and planning and we are excited to have him join our team.
 
Dr. Clem’s work history includes a Graduate Teaching & Research Assistant Position at the University of Florida; Parks Planner for the City of Farmington, New Mexico; and most recently, an Environmental & Community Horticulture Agent II and Master Gardner Volunteer Coordinator for UF/IFAS Extension Office in Gainesville.
 
Dr. Clem has two degrees in landscape architecture: a Bachelors Degree from the University of Kentucky and a Master’s Degree from the University of Florida. Dr. Clem also has a doctorate in Horticulture Services from the University of Florida. In addition, Dr. Clem has numerous certifications including, but not limited to: Certified Florida-Friendly Landscaping Professional; Green-Industries Best Management Practices Instructor Training; and Teaching and Learning in Agriculture and Life Sciences.
 
Dr. Clem stated, “My family and I are excited to move to Nassau County and I am grateful to join UF/IFAS Extension Nassau County. Our goal is to continually bring science-based recommendations to every citizen of Nassau County regarding agriculture, natural resources, and horticulture through our education and 4-H youth development programs. I look forward to working with all our community stakeholders to address Nassau County’s social, environmental, and economic needs through the lens of extension.”
 
The County Extension Office is a Joint Partnership between the University of Florida and the Board of County Commissioners made possible by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 which established land-grant institutions at Florida A&M University and the University of Florida. As such, Dr. Clem is a faculty member for the University of Florida and was ultimately selected for the position by Dr. Eric Simonne, Director of the Northeast Extension Office in Gainesville.
 
Dr. Simonne stated, “Taylor has a unique combination of perspective from his doctoral training at UF, his government experience in New Mexico and his successes as an environmental horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator in Alachua county. Taylor has been keen in taking a multi-facet approach to teaching the principles of Florida friendly landscaping to homeowners, HOAs and elected officials through the recruitment, training, and retention of Master Gardeners. Taylor’s vision will be an asset in a developing county like Nassau County. Three candidates applied to the Nassau County Environmental Horticulture and Master Gardener Coordinator and County Extension Director position. The screening process identified one suitable candidate who was interviewed at the state and county levels. Taylor accepted our offer”.

If you have any questions, please contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010 or email contact@nassaucountyfl.com.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

8/4/21 @ 10:00 a.m. - Below is a Health Department issued by the Florida Department of Health-Nassau.

August 4th, 2021

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RECOGNIZES WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK

Contact: Amber Lee
amber.lee2@flhealth.gov
904-557-9164

Tallahassee, FL.— The Florida Department of Health (DOH) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 2021 during August 1-7, 2021. This year’s theme is Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility.

The World Breastfeeding Week 2021 theme encourages everyone to support breastfeeding mothers, babies and their families through creating a breastfeeding-friendly environment.

Protecting breastfeeding ensures:

• Good health and prevents malnutrition, including under and over nutrition. Breastfeeding has positive lifelong health effects on infants, children, and mothers such as lower incidence of respiratory infections and ear infections for infants and children and reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer for mothers. Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of childhood overweight and obesity compared to formula feeding.
• Food security even in times of crisis. Breastfeeding provides food security to infants from the very beginning of life, contributes to food security for the whole family, and ensures food security for babies even in times of household or widespread disasters, such as hurricanes.
• Improved Economics and Reduced Inequalities. Breastfeeding can help break the cycle of poverty for families, which impacts hunger and malnutrition. Breastfeeding provides an equal start for everyone. With no additional burden on household income, breastfeeding is a low-cost way of feeding babies and contributes to poverty reduction. Breastfeeding can also reduce costs to the health care system and employers by decreasing costs of hospitalizations, medications, and reduced absenteeism.
• A positive impact on the health of the planet in several ways:

      ✓ Breastmilk is a sustainable and environmentally friendly resource.
      ✓ Breastfeeding is readily available without needing other supplies.
      ✓ Breastmilk production does not require the use of energy for manufacturing and does not create
        waste or air pollution.

To protect breastfeeding:

• Promote the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.
• Provide access to skilled breastfeeding counseling. Studies have shown that breastfeeding promotion interventions increases exclusive and any breastfeeding rates at 4-6 weeks and at 6 months.
• Encourage employers and communities to promote and protect breastfeeding, through posting signs “Breastfeeding Welcome Here” and providing private areas for breastfeeding if that is a breastfeeding family’s preference.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for infants for the first year of life and beyond, with the addition of appropriate complimentary foods when the infant is developmentally ready, around 6 months of age. For more information about the Florida WIC program, call 1-800-342-3556 or visit www.FloridaWIC.org. To learn more about breastfeeding initiatives in Florida, visit www.flbreastfeeding.org.

About the Florida Department of Health
The Florida department of Health, 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 Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook.

For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com

Nassau County Implements New Software to Streamline Procurement Process

Nassau County, Florida, July 27, 2021 – We are excited to announce that the Board of County Commissioners has implemented PlanetBids to streamline our procurement process and improve transparency.

PlanetBids is a web-based procurement company that assists organizations with securing qualified vendors quickly and efficiently while reducing processing time and paperwork. Prior to partnering with PlanetBids, the Board’s Procurement Department maintained a spreadsheet of vendors and would notify them via email and/or SharePoint of bidding opportunities. PlanetBids’ vendor management tool allows the County to quickly identify and notify vendors that a product or service is needed and can even help the County to better identify local vendors, as well as minority, woman and veteran-owned businesses. The County is encouraging all vendors to visit the new site and register their businesses for notifications and bidding opportunities.

The PlanetBids system also allows all documents related to the bid to be accessible by the public so anyone can see the original bid and all documents associated with the bid, including submitted bid packets, bid opening minutes, and similar documents to help the user see why a particular vendor was selected. This not only improves transparency, it also makes procurement operations more efficient having these documents easily available to the public in lieu of collecting documents and responding to individual requests for information.

The new PlanetBids program makes doing business with Nassau County easier than ever by improving user experience and adding expanded features to register as a vendor and review opportunities as they become available. To view current bid opportunities for the Board of County Commissioners, please visit https://pbsystem.planetbids.com/portal/49083/portal-home. If you have any questions, please contact Procurement Manager, Brian Simmons, at (904) 530-6040 or via e-mail at bsimmons@nassaucountyfl.com.

7/26/21 @ 3:50 p.m. - The Florida Department of Health in Nassau County has issued a Press Release notifying residents of an increase in mosquito-borne disease activity areas of Nassau County. Residents are encouraged to take basic precautions to limit exposure such as draining standing water on personal property, covering skin with clothing, and utilizing bug repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, 2-undecanone or IR3535 for extra protection.

To view the Press Release, please click here. Anyone with questions should contact the DOH-Nassau at (904) 875-6100 or email Amber Lee at amber.lee2@flhealth.gov.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Commissioners Aaron Bell and Thomas Ford Presented with FAC Presidential Advocacy Awards
 
Nassau County, Florida, July 20, 2021  – The Florida Association of Counties (FAC) presented Nassau County Commissioners Aaron Bell and Thomas Ford with Presidential Advocacy Awards for their work during the 2021 Legislative Session at its recent Annual Conference in Orange County, Florida.  
 
Commissioner Aaron Bell stated, “It is an honor to have received this award. As an Elected Official, I strive to ensure that the leaders in Tallahassee are aware of our needs here in Nassau County and I look forward to continuing in these efforts. I also appreciate the Florida Association of Counties for encouraging commissioners in all Florida counties to work together to achieve goals that benefit the residents in which they represent”.

Commissioner Thomas Ford echoed Commissioner Bell’s statements, adding, “I am very humbled to be recognized by the Florida Association of Counties. The actions taken during the 2021 Legislative Session reflects a collective effort by the Board of County Commissioners and I am proud to have been a part of that. I also want to thank the Florida Association of Counties for providing an avenue for Commissioners can come together and advocate for the counties they represent".

The FAC Presidential Advocacy Award recognizes county commissioners who have shown exceptional leadership in advocating with FAC during the 2021 session to advance counties’ legislative agenda and preserve home rule.
 
“Every day, our Commissioners work hard to tackle complex challenges and respond to the unique needs of their local area,” said FAC President and Palm Beach County Commissioner, Melissa McKinlay. “Their consistent drive and dedication for their constituents is the reason we’re able to sustain our communities, and those that take the extra mile to advance the counties’ legislative agenda play a leading role in improving quality of life for all Floridians.”
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. The Florida Association of Counties helps counties effectively serve and represent Floridians by strengthening and preserving county home rule through advocacy, education and collaboration. 

If you have any questions, please contact Cragin Mosteller at (850) 294-9307 or via email at cmosteller@fl-counties.com.
 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
County Awarded Historic Resources Grant for Historical Resources Survey
 
Nassau County, Florida, June 25, 2021 – In May 2020, the Board of County Commissioners submitted an application to the State of Florida for a Historic Resources Grant to assist with Phase Two of a county-wide historic resources survey.
 
The purpose of the historic resource survey is to identify historic sites and structures within the County and submit the findings to the State of Florida for inclusion in the Florida Master Site File. The Master Site File is a form developed by the National Park Service that provides specific architectural, cultural, and historic information about each historic site and structure. Examples of historic sites include archeological sites, historic homes, commercial buildings, churches, barns, railroad beds, and bridges. County Master Site Files are several decades old and a new survey will determine which sites still exist and also identify historic sites and structures that have achieved historic significance in recent years.
 
The first phase of the project consisted of surveying areas in unincorporated Nassau County including 558 historic resources, each of which was recorded into a Master Site File. The second phase will consist of surveying an additional 1,200 – 1,300 structures in late 2021/early 2022. The last part of the project will be to complete the survey and recommend future historic preservation strategies for the County.
 
If you have any questions, please contact the Nassau County Planning Department at (904) 530-6300 or email planninginfo@nassaucountyfl.com.