8/16/21 @ 10:20 a.m. - In accordance with the memorandum issued by Governor Ron DeSantis, flags at County facilities will be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset today in honor of resident Marilyn Bailey Evans-Jones.

Ms. Jones served on the Florida House of Representatives from 1976 until 1986 and worked on Legislation inspired by her family, including the Florida Clean Air Act and issues such as child safety, restraints in automobiles, and handicapped parking. She was also instrumental in the opening of Nassau County's only certified domestic violence center, Micah's Place.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

7/30/21 @ 9:45 a.m. - The Florida Department of Revenue's Sales Tax Holiday begins at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 31st and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, August 9th. During this time, Florida law directs that sales tax or local option tax shall NOT be collected on:

• Purchase of clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item; 
• Purchase of certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item; and
• the first $1,000 of the sales price of personal computers and certain computer-related accessories, when purchased for non-commercial home or personal use.
  

The sales tax holiday does not apply to:

• Any item of clothing selling for more than $60;
• Any school supply item selling for more than $15;
• Books that are not otherwise exempt;
• Computers and computer-related accessories purchased for commercial uses;
• Rental or leases of any eligible items;
• Repairs or alterations of any eligible item;
• Sales of any eligible items in a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishments, or airport

For a complete list of exempt clothing and accessories, please click here.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

7/13/21 @ 1:45 p.m. - On June 29, 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis approved Senate Bill 60 which no longer allows code enforcement officers appointed by boards of county commissioners to investigate anonymous complaints. The new Bill went into effect on July 1, 2021. All code enforcement reports must now include the complainant's personal information including name and address.

The new law does outline an exception which states, "This does not apply if the person designated as a code inspector has reason to believe the violation presents an imminent threat to public health, safety, or welfare or imminent destruction of habitat or sensitive resources".

To approved Senate Bill can be viewed here.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

6/10/21 @ 8:20 a.m. - The County has just received notification from the State that there will be periodic lane closures on SR200 at Harper Chapel from 9:00-11:00 a.m. today while their contractor performs overhead utility work.

If you have any questions, please contact the Florida Department of Transportation at (904) 360-5482.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Governor Approves Funding for County Road 121 Repairs
 
Nassau County, Florida, June 4, 2021 – County Road 121 (formerly State Road 121) is a 40-mile long roadway connecting US Highway 1 near the Florida-Georgia border, south to US Highway 90 in Duval County. Due to the amount of traffic, the current roadway conditions are fair to poor, depending on the segment. It is anticipated that it will cost approximately $18.9 million to make all necessary improvements to this road.
 
In an effort to lessen the burden on County taxpayers, District 4 Commissioner and current Chairman, Thomas Ford, suggested that the County meet with the Florida Department of Transportation to see if they would be willing to take the former State road over again since it connects with two State highways and supports the goal of the State’s Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) to provide interregional connections across the State and close key connectivity gaps.  
 
Commissioner Ford and other professional staff met with FDOT District Two Secretary, Gregory Evans, in early 2021. It was ultimately decided that the State would not be taking back over the road due to the cost and budgetary constraints.
 
However, while in discussions with FDOT, the Board simultaneously declared this road as a priority project to be considered for Legislative funding during the 2021 Legislative Session. The County submitted the required appropriations request to the Florida House of Representatives and a Funding Request to the Florida Senate, asking for funds to assist with this project.
 
Before the Legislative Session began, Chairman Ford met with the President of the Senate, Wilton Simpson, and Senator Aaron Bean, who is currently serving as the Senate President Pro Tempore, to express the importance of the project and its impact on the residents of Nassau County.
 
The 2021 Legislative Session ended on April 30, 2021. On Wednesday, June 2, 2021, we were notified that the Governor has approved a total of $9 million for this project and has placed it in next year’s budget which begins on July 1, 2021.  
 
Chairman Ford stated, “County Road 121 has been a priority for me since I was elected in 2018 and I am excited to hear that the State sees the importance of this project as well. Knowing that the State has included funding in their budget to assist the County provides promise that this project will finally come to fruition”.
 
So, even though the County was not successful in having County Road 121 turned back over the State, we were successful in obtaining funding to assist with the costs to repair the road, thanks to the outstanding negotiations led by Chairman Ford and Senator Bean.
 
The County won’t be able to begin any work until we receive a funding agreement from the State and that likely won’t be until January 2022. However, in the meantime, the County will begin preparing the necessary documents so we are ready to advertise bids for an engineering firm to begin the design process as soon as the funding agreement is signed.
 
We appreciate the efforts of Chairman Thomas Ford, Senator Aaron Bean and State Representative Cord Byrd for championing this project on behalf of the citizens of Nassau County.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

6/1/21 @ 4:00 p.m. - Today is June 1st and that means, we are officially in hurricane season. Start preparing today by determining your evacuation zone, reviewing/updating insurance policies, and assembling an emergency supply kit. Tips to help you prepare can be located on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website.

Also, in case you're not already aware, this week is 2021 Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday. Through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 6th, qualifying items related to disaster preparedness are exempt from sales tax. Below is a graphic containing a list of qualifying items. You may also find additional information on the Florida Department of Revenue website.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer
(904) 530-6010
srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com
 
Traffic Light Timing on State Road 200
 
Nassau County, Florida, May 21, 2021 – Nassau County is aware of concerns expressed by many residents regarding the timing of traffic lights on State Road 200/A1A, particularly those between U.S. 17 and Nassauville Road. These lights are not owned by the County and we are not authorized to make changes to the timing with approval by the State.
 
After reporting our concerns about the timing on numerous occasions, the State has hired Albeck-Gerken, a traffic engineer/operations consultant, to do a complete review of the timing of the lights along the SR200 corridor and to recommend changes as they deem necessary. At this time, we do not have information on when the review is expected to be complete, however they will begin their analysis on Monday, May 24, 2021.

If you have any questions related to the traffic lights/timing issue, please contact the Florida Department of Transportation directly at (904) 360-5643 or email their Traffic Operations Engineer, Glenn English, via email at glenn.english@dot.state.fl.us.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

4/15/21 @ 9:15 a.m. - The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Greenways and Trails, is seeking input from the public about how the pandemic has influenced our use of recreation spaces in Florida.

Below are links to two surveys. One is specifically for Florida residents. The other is for residents from other States who visit Florida for recreational opportunities. The survey will take about 5-10 minutes to complete and it's available in English and Spanish.

Click here for the Florida Resident Outdoor Recreation Survey.

Click here for the Florida Visitor Outdoor Recreation Survey.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

12/7/20 @ 10:00 a.m. -

Governor DeSantis has issued a Proclamation ordering all flags in the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff through sunset today in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

December 7, 2020 marks the 79 anniversary of this tragic event which took the lives of more than 2,400 U.S. citizens and injured over 1,000 more. Today, we remember those heroes who lost their lives, as well as the survivors who were forever shaped by the events that took place that day.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

11/20/20 @ 2:30 p.m. - Nassau County Legislative Delegation Chair, Representative Cord Byrd, issued the attached Press Release regarding the next Legislative Delegation Meeting taking place on Monday, December 7, 2020 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. in the Nassau County Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL.

According to the Press Release, the purpose of the meeting is to elect the incoming Delegation Chair and Vice Chair for FY 20/21, and to receive public input. Citizens wishing to be placed on the agenda shall contact State Representative Byrd's Office at (904) 424-3495, prior to the close of business on Thursday, December 3, 2020.

Please note this is not a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners. All questions and inquiries shall be directed to Representative Byrd's Office. His office will also be issuing an agenda prior to the meeting.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office