3/29/19 @ 4:20 p.m. - A Boil Water Advisory has been issued for Nassau Amelia Utility Customers at Sailmaker Buildings 5,6 and 7 at Summer Beach.

The water had to be turned off for customer repairs and the notice was issued as a precaution only. The boil water advisory will remain in effect until bacteriological samples are collected and analyzed to confirm there are no coliforms present.

Another notice will be issued when the advisory is lifted.

If you have any questions, please contact NAU Customer Service at (904) 530-6030.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/29/19 @ 9:30 a.m. - Each year, the Nassau County Extension Office strives to offer fun, exciting programs  where kids can learn essential skills and more about the world around them.

Attached is the 4-H Summer Fun Guide for 2019 which includes information on day camps, specialty camps, and the annual trip to Camp Cherry Lake. You are sure to find something that your kid will love! Examples include: Marine Camp, Horse Camp, Food Adventures, Art Camp, Teen Life Skills Boot Camp and more.

Registration for all 4-H Camps has opened. Please call (904) 530-6353 or visit EventBrite.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/29/19 @ 9:15 a.m. - The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission issued the following notice regarding Florida Gopher Tortoise Day which is celebrated annually on April 10th.




FFWC Website

Gopher tortoises may be slow, but Gopher Tortoise Day is quickly approaching! April 10th was declared Gopher Tortoise Day by the Gopher Tortoise Council, so mark your calendars to celebrate one of Florida’s most important species. You can celebrate the gopher tortoise by adopting a resolution proclaiming April 10th as Gopher Tortoise Day or by getting involved in your local community.
You may ask yourself, “Why does this gentle reptile deserve its own day of recognition?” Here are just a few reasons:

• Gopher tortoises are Threatened in Florida and habitat loss is the primary cause for the species’ decline. Land development is expected to continue to increase in Florida, reducing available habitat for gopher tortoises. Help conserve Florida’s threatened gopher tortoise by informing your community about the risks to the species associated with habitat loss and other causes for decline.
• As a keystone species, gopher tortoise burrows provide refuge for more than 350 other species, called commensals. Many commensals are also Threatened, such as the Florida pine snake and Eastern indigo snake. The loss of gopher tortoises and their burrows may reduce populations of these commensal species. By educating your community about the importance of conserving gopher tortoises and their habitat, you can also help protect the hundreds of commensal species that call the gopher tortoise burrow “home”.
• The gopher tortoise is the only native tortoise found east of the Mississippi River, and it has occupied the Southeastern U.S. for thousands of years. Unlike other states in its range, gopher tortoises are found in every county of Florida. Raise awareness for this important native species in your community by proclaiming April 10th as Gopher Tortoise Day.

Visit the Gopher Tortoise Day website to learn how to get involved. This website has information to help YOU make a positive impact on gopher tortoises including: a sample resolution, educational materials, how to get involved or host a Gopher Tortoise Day event, and how to spread awareness through multiple media outlets.

If you have questions about Gopher Tortoise Day, please contact FWC’s Gopher Tortoise Day Coordinator at GTevents@MyFWC.com or call (850) 921–1025.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/27/19 @ 4:15 p.m. - The Nassau County Extension's 4-H Program, along with 4-H Programs from around the State, organize annual camping trips to the beautiful Camp Cherry Lake where children can enjoy a variety of activities including kayaking, swimming, and fishing while making life long friends. Child Development Experts agree that summer camp also fulfills a basic need for belonging, acceptance, and humility while boosting self-esteem. 

Many parents desire to provide their children with the opportunity to attend summer camp, however some can't afford it. Nassau County Extension 4-H has established a program in which citizens can sponsor a local child to participate in their year's trip to Camp Cherry Lake which will take place in July. The cost is $250 for a full scholarship or $125 for a half scholarship.

If you are interested in sending a deserving child to camp, please see the attached flyer or contact Nassau County 4-H Extension Agent, Kelsey Irvine, at (904) 530-6350 or via e-mail at kelseymirvine@ufl.edu. The deadline to sponsor is June 1, 2019.

Note: The Nassau County Extension is a joint partnership between the University of Florida and the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners. For more information related to the County Extension and programs/services they offer, please visit their website.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/27/19 @ 11:00 a.m. - The Nassau County Health Department has lifted the rabies alert that has been in place since January 22, 2019 due to there not being another positive result for rabies within the last 60 days. They remind everyone that even though the alert has been lifted, there is a risk of rabies transmission year round and urges everyone to continue to take necessary precautions to prevent exposure.

Please see the attached Press Release for additional information.

If you have any questions, please contact Jason Miller at (904) 875-6100 or via e-mail at Jason.Miller@flhealth.gov.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/26/19 @ 3:00 p.m. - Important message from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission:

Spring is an active time for wildlife! Be prepared for encounters, do your best not to disturb them.

Springtime is an active time for wildlife in Florida, with sea turtles beginning to nest on beaches, manatees leaving their warm-water winter refuges and gopher tortoises starting to stir outside their burrows.
With warmer weather, a variety of species around the state are following their internal biological clocks that tell them to move, mate, feed and nest. These species include black bears and their cubs, nesting waterbirds and snakes.
Because of heightened wildlife activity in springtime, people are more likely to see and encounter all kinds of animals, both adults and their young. Florida’s residents and visitors can help by being aware of how to avoid disturbing wildlife during the rites of spring.
“Viewing wildlife is one of the pleasures of being outdoors during spring,” said Kipp Frohlich, who leads the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). “It helps if kids and adults know the importance of not disturbing wildlife. Keep your distance, so you don’t startle a sea turtle, gopher tortoise, manatee or nesting bird that you happen to see during your outdoor adventures.”
Tips on how to enjoy and help conserve Florida wildlife during spring:

• Sea turtles – Help sea turtles by keeping beaches dark at night and free of obstacles during their March–October nesting season. Bright artificial lighting can disturb nesting sea turtles and disorient hatchlings, so avoid using flashlights or cellphones on the beach at night. Turning out lights or closing curtains and shades in buildings along the beach after dark also will ensure nesting turtles aren’t disturbed as they come ashore and hatchlings won’t become disoriented when they emerge. Clear away boats and beach furniture at the end of the day and fill in holes in the sand that could entrap turtles.
• Manatees - Look out for manatees when boating. Chances of close encounters between manatees and boaters increase in the spring, as manatees leave their winter use areas and travel the intracoastal waterways along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and other inland waters. For boaters, it is a critical time to be on the lookout for manatees to avoid collisions with these large aquatic mammals. Boaters should follow posted speed limits as many areas have seasonal zones in spring that reflect manatee migration patterns.
• Gopher tortoises - Spring days are a good time to spot a gopher tortoise, as Florida’s only native tortoise becomes more active, foraging for food and searching for a mate. If you see gopher tortoises or their half-moon shaped burrow entrances, it is best to leave them alone. You can help a gopher tortoise cross a road by picking it up and placing it in a safe location along the roadside in the direction it was heading. But only do this if it is safe for you to do so, andRemember the tortoise is a land animal, so never attempt to put it into water.
• Nesting birds - Keep your distance from birds on the beach or on the water. If birds become agitated or leave their nests, you are too close. Disturbance can cause birds to abandon their nesting sites, which exposes their eggs and chicks to predators, sun exposure and other harm. Because shorebirds and seabirds build well-camouflaged shallow nests out of sand and shells on beaches, their nests, eggs and chicks are vulnerable to being stepped on unless people look out for them. Wading birds, such as herons and egrets, and pelicans also are nesting now on mangroves and tree islands.
• Bears - As spring temperatures warm, bears become more active, increasing the opportunities for conflicts with people. Don’t give bears a reason to stay in your neighborhood. Remove anything that might attract bears, such as unsecured garbage or pet food. If they can’t find food, they’ll move on.
• Snakes - Watch out for snakes in your yard or when hiking. What should you do when you come upon a snake? Just stand back and observe it. Snakes don't purposefully position themselves to frighten people. They'd much rather avoid encounters and usually will flee.
• Injured and orphaned wildlife - If you find a baby animal, it is best to leave it alone. Baby animals rarely are orphaned; a parent may be nearby searching for food or observing its young. Instead, report wildlife you think may be injured or orphaned to the nearest FWC Regional Office.
  

It’s illegal to disturb or harm wildlife, so if you see someone not following the rules – or spot an animal in distress – call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on a cell phone.

3/25/19 @ 2:00 p.m.  Below is a list of public meetings taking place this week:

Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Monday, March 25, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Development Review Committee
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 9:00 a.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Beach Community Working Group
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Western Nassau Heritage Preservation Committee
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.
Callahan County Building, 45401 Mickler Street, Callahan, FL 32011

William Burgess Corridor Outreach Event
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
FSCJ Nassau Room, 76346 William Burgess Blvd., Yulee, FL 32097

Ask the County Manager
Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Conditional Use & Variance Board
Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 6:30 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Agendas can be located on our website.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/25/19 @ 12:30 p.m. - The Board of County Commissioners has issued the attached Press Release, notifying the public that Resolution No 2019-24 was approved and will become effective April 20th, 2019, establishing regulations for waste materials accepted at the Convenience Recycle Center located at 46026 Landfill Rd Callahan, FL 32011.

• Residential construction, demolition debris and yard waste will not be accepted
• No more than two (2) loads of waste materials in a seven-day period will be accepted
• No rental or foreclosure clean out allowed
• No oversized trailer loads (nothing over 6x10, no double axle trailers)
• Only in-county residential waste delivered by Nassau County residents shall be accepted

 
Attached is Resolution No. 2019-24 which includes a complete listing of items accepted and load/size limits.

If you have any questions, please contact Becky Diden at (904) 530-6700 or email bdiden@nassaucountyfl.com

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/22/19 @ 3:00 p.m. - On Saturday, March 30, 2019, the Fernandina Beach Library Branch will be hosting a Spring Festival. In addition to the fun, family friendly activities and character appearances listed on the flyer, the branch will be showcasing many Local and State Organizations to educate families about the wonderful services and programs offered by each organization.

This event is free and open to everyone!

What: Spring Festival
When: Saturday, March 30, 2019 from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Where: Fernandina Beach Library Branch, 25 N. 4th Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

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

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

3/21/19 @ 2:00 p.m. - Don't forget that the Spring Household Hazardous Waste Collection has been scheduled for Saturday, March 30, 2019 at the Nassau County Convenience Center. Examples of items accepted include hazardous waste such as aerosol cans, batteries, fertilizers, pesticides, paints, paint thinner, propane tanks, oil filters, household cleaners, and fluorescent light bulbs, as well as electronics such as computer monitors, cell phones, cameras, radios, computers, and more. For a complete listing of items accepted, please see the attached flyer.

This event is free with proof of Nassau County residency. No commercial loads will be accepted.

In conjunction with this event, there will also be a food drive for Barnabas. Please consider bringing a non-perishable canned item to donate to the Barnabas pantry to help feed Nassau County residents in need.



What: Spring Household Hazardous Waste Collection and Food Drive Event
When: Saturday, March 30, 2019
      8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (or until trucks reach capacity)
Where: Convenience Recycle Center, 46026 Landfill Rd., Callahan, FL 32011

This event is brought to you by Keep Nassau Beautiful in sponsorship with the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Alachua County.

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

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office