Blog Archives - The County Insider

The County Insider

Emergency Railroad Closure on CR108

2/25/2015

Nassau County Public Works was notified today that CSX will be closing the railroad crossing on CR108 in Hilliard for emergency repairs from 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2015. Traffic will be re-routed to US1, west on 6th street, and then south on Oxford Street. Detour signs will be placed accordingly. Motorists traveling during this time should expect minor delays.

If you have any questions, please contact Zack Johns with CSX at (912) 286-2827.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Road & Bridge Employee Retiring After 43+ Years with County

2/18/2015

On Wednesday, February 18, 2015, the Board of County Commissioners presented a Resolution to Joe "Lemuel" Cooner in appreciation of nearly 44 years of outstanding service. Joe began his employment with Nassau County on September 30, 1971 as an Equipment Operator I for the Road & Bridge Department. He was promoted as an Equipment Operator II in May of 1984 and he remained in that position for thirty-one years providing invaluable knowledge, leadership and guidance to those under his supervision. Employees of the Road & Bridge Department stated that Lemuel is an outstanding employee who often goes above and beyond the call of duty and he can always be counted on to get the job done quickly and efficiently. They also stated that his great sense of humor always brought joy to the work crews and helped them to remain positive under what can be sometimes stressful working conditions.

Lemuel's retirement will be effective on Friday, February 27th and he will be greatly missed by all those who had the privilege to work with him.

Thank you Lemuel for all you have done for the Board, and for the citizens of Nassau County!

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Boots & Badges Celebration

2/18/2015

On Saturday, January 24, 2015, members of Nassau County Fire/Rescue and the Nassau County Sheriff's Office participated in a Boots & Badges Celebration Event at Whataburger in Yulee. The event was created to celebrate our local men and women in uniform and featured family-friendly activities such as face painting and a photo booth, as well as appearances from Sparky the Fire Dog and Whataguy. There were 250 adults and 72 children in attendance and each were given the opportunity to meet first responders and view the inside of public service vehicles such as fire trucks and police cars. All children 12 and under received a free kids meal from What-A-Burger, and 10 lucky kids received new bikes paid for by donations to Nassau County Fire-Rescue Professionals, Local Union #3101 benevolence fund.

Thank you to Nassau County Fire/Rescue and the Nassau County Sheriff's Office for your community involvement and for providing our citizens with an opportunity to meet our local heroes.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

FDOT Plans Major Traffic Shift on SR200/A1A in Yulee

2/13/2015

Traffic is scheduled to shift on State Road A1A (200) from the CSX railroad crossing west of U.S. 17 to Rubin Davis Lane near Felmor Road on February 17. The existing traffic diversion west of the railroad crossing will remain in place.

All traffic will shift south to allow for reconstruction of the existing westbound lanes. Eastbound and westbound traffic will be divided by a concrete barrier with no openings for cross traffic. This shift is planned to be in effect through late 2015 and is part of the reconstruction and widening project on State Road A1A in Yulee that began September 2014. The concrete barrier separating eastbound and westbound traffic prevents left turn access from side streets and driveways, so drivers will be required to turn right and travel to Bobby Moore Circle, U.S. 17 or Felmor Road to make a u-turn. Preventing cross-traffic access through the barrier wall is a safety measure to reduce crashes.

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is widening 1 ½ miles of State Road A1A in Yulee from four to six lanes from west of Still Quarters Road to west of Rubin Davis Lane. The project also includes providing designated bike lanes, constructing sidewalks and redoing the drainage system including adding two new ponds. In addition, the traffic signal at U.S. 17 will be completely re-worked to accommodate the new travel lanes and additional turn lanes from State Road A1A onto U.S. 17.

FDOT hired J.B. Coxwell Contracting, Inc., of Jacksonville to build the project for $18.5 million. Completion is scheduled in Spring 2017. This is the first of three projects to eventually widen the roadway from I-95 to just east of Oneil-Scott Road (County Road 107).

For more information regarding this and other FDOT projects around the Northeast Florida area please contact Ron Tittle at 904-360-5457, ron.tittle@dot.state.fl.us and visit http://nflroads.com. Follow FDOT on Twitter @MyFDOT_NEFL or http://twitter.com/MyFDOT_NEFL and http://facebook.com/MyFDOTNEFL for the latest updates.

www.dot.state.fl.us

Station 30 and Tower 20 Assist with Yulee Middle School Science Experiment

2/12/2015

On Friday, February 6, 2015, Nassau County Fire/Rescue Station 30 and Tower Ladder 20 assisted the Yulee Middle School with their annual Egg Drop Experiment. The purpose of the experiment is to provide students with an opportunity to see Newton's laws of motion in action, and to see if they could defy nature by dropping an egg from the 90 foot tower without it breaking. Students were challenged to build a vehicle that the egg could survive in, and to form a hypothesis about its ability to protect the egg. Many spectators including the students, faculty, parents and members of the general public gathered to watch the experiment. Thank you Fire/Rescue for your community involvement and for providing the students with a location high enough to conduct their experiment.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

FDOT Transportation Visioning Forums

2/4/2015

The Florida Department of Transportation is hosting a series of Transportation Visioning Forums throughout the State. The purpose is to provide residents an opportunity to offer their thoughts about the State's transportation system at all levels - Statewide, Regional, and Local. An event is scheduled in Jacksonville on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will be held at FDOT's District 2 Office located at 2198 Edison Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32204.

For more information or to register for one of these events, visit FDOT's website at http://www.floridatransportationplan.com/.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

LMS Task Force Identifying Ways to Reduce Risk During the Upcoming Hurricane Season

2/3/2015

Planning, Information Sharing, Mitigation, and Community Education are primary roles of Emergency Management during non-disaster days, and can help our residents save money!

As part of the 2015 update to the county’s Local Mitigation Strategy, officials and stakeholders are identifying local hazards and ways to keep their impact at a minimum. Planning for the inevitable and taking action before the hazard strikes makes our community safer and more resilient; mitigation projects can even mean long-term cost-savings for residents. Nassau County Emergency Management is using the 2015 Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) planning process to document flooding issues throughout the county, suggest improvements, and support the county’s application for inclusion in the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS).

The NFIP was created in 1968 to help property owners protect themselves financially since standard homeowners’ insurance doesn't cover flood damage from tropical storms, hurricanes, or even heavy rains. In order to qualify for flood insurance, the home or business must be in a community that has joined the program and agreed to enforce sound floodplain management standards. Homes in mapped “high-risk” flood areas have at least a 25% chance of flooding, but anyone can be financially vulnerable to floods. In fact, a third of all flood damage claims are made by residents outside of high-risk areas.

Flood insurance program rates are set nationally based on age of the structure, building materials, and level of risk. Communities that voluntarily agree to adopt and enforce stricter ordinances to reduce flood risk can enroll in the CRS and earn insurance premium discounts for their residents. In Nassau County only the City of Fernandina Beach currently participates in the CRS flood mitigation program. However, the County is working diligently on obtaining the necessary requirements to become part of the program. FEMA has scheduled a Community Assessment Visit for April 2015 to meet with County Officials and to help the County obtain that goal.

Community Rating System “credit point” activities fall into four categories (Public Information, Mapping and Regulation, Flood Damage Reduction, and Flood Preparedness) and include collecting data and developing new maps, preserving open space, regulating development, improving drainage, protecting flood-prone buildings, and implementing public awareness and education programs. Based on total credit points earned, communities are assigned a CRS classification from nine (500-999 points) to one (>4500 points) which determines the premium discount, from 5% up to 45%, that will be applied to each flood insurance policy in the jurisdiction.

Get involved! You can learn more about hazard mitigation and influence local preparedness and damage reduction activities while improving Nassau County’s CRS classification. Make plans to attend the 2015 LMS & CRS Kick-Off at the Nassau County EOC on March 10th. Program experts will be on hand to explain the mitigation process and ways you can contribute to our five-year strategy to create safer and more resilient homes and neighborhoods.

- Martha L. Wagaman, NCEM Senior Planner
Nassau County Emergency Management

Nassau County Receives 2015 Healthy Weight Community Champion Award

2/2/2015

We are please to announce that Nassau County has been named as one of the 2015 Florida Healthy Weight Community Champions by the Florida Surgeon General due to various programs and policies the County has implemented to encourage healthy lifestyles. Nassau County is 1 of 65 communities being recognized this year, up from 38 last year. Dr. John Armstrong, State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health, indicated that the increase "demonstrates a growing commitment among local governments to make Florida a healthy place to live, work, and play".

The Nassau County Health Department notified the Board of the State's recognition program in October 2014 and encouraged the Board to apply. As part of the submission process, the County adopted a Resolution on November 10, 2014 proclaiming their intention to submit their practices to the Florida Department of Health for consideration of the award. Staff then completed the application which consisted of answering various questions related to physical activity and nutrition and providing an explanation on how the County's programs and policies encourage a healthier lifestyle. A copy of the completed application can be found here, however below are some highlights:

Physical Activity
- Annual funding of $50,000 to the Sidewalk Repair Program provides safe sidewalks and encourages walking and/or bicycling
- The County assumed maintenance of the newly constructed Amelia Island Trail to insure citizens have a safe place for cycling and walking
- The recently approved ENCPA is a mixed-use development which requires every element necessary for living is contained within the development including recreation and transportation (with a focus on bicycle and pedestrian)
- Implementation of various Wellness Programs for the employees including monthly Aetna and Florida Blue Newsletters, Walking Programs, Cardiovascular Screenings, Annual Health Fairs, and flu shots.

Nutrition
- The County Extension Office offers free classes for residents related to small farm topics including growing vegetables and crops
- The County has an Ordinance that allows roadside vending of fresh produce
- The County Extension Office and Nassau County School Board host the "Eat Smart, Be Active" Class series which is designed to teach participants how to plan healthy snacks and meals, portion control, and how to keep food safe while storing

The County will be formally recognized by the Nassau County Health Department at the Wednesday, February 18th commencing at 9:00 a.m. As always, the public is invited to be present for this very special event.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office