Nassau County Ordinance No. 2016-06 prohibits and regulates personal property left unattended on Atlantic Beach oceans within the unincorporated areas of Amelia Island. Beginning May 30, 2016, any personal items left unattended on the unincorporated area of the County beach from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. will be declared a public nuisance and will be removed and destroyed. Attached is a map showing which portions of the beach are in the unincorporated area.

Personal property includes but it not limited to: tents (including tent frames), cabanas, umbrellas, and other shading devices, beach chairs, and other furniture such as picnic tables, tiki huts, volleyball nets, hammocks, floats, sailboards, surfboards, kits, jet skis, sailboats, water cycles, and other watercraft, beach toys, grills, nets, coolers, canoes, kayaks, and general items for beach recreation.

Persons with disabilities may apply for a permit at no charge by filling out the attached form and returning it along with verification of their disability from their State of residence. Applications will not be accepted without documentation of your disability.

Please note that completed applications must be submitted at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance to issuance of permit.

Applications can be returned to the County Manager's Office by any of the following methods:

Mail: 96135 Nassau Place, Suite 1, Yulee, FL 32097
Fax: (904) 321-5784
E-mail: beachpermits@nassaucountyfl.com.

You will be notified when your permit is ready. It can be picked up from the County Manager's Office Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. If you are arriving on the weekend or on a holiday, please notify the office so that your permit can be mailed to you prior to your arrival.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The last day of school is tomorrow and as we all know, it's important for children to continue reading during the summer to they don't lose any of their skills. In fact, research shows that children who don't read during the summer can lose up to three months of reading progress!

Encourage your children to learn, read and have fun this summer with many of the Summer Reading Programs offered by the Nassau County Library System. Each participant will be given a bag of supplies including a reading log and stickers. For each book read, they will place sticker in their reading log and visit the library each week to receive a prize.

Age groups are as follows:

• Ages 0-6
• Ages 7-11
• Ages 12-18

There is also a reading group for ages 19 and up so adults, set a good example by participating in your own summer reading program!

Register now through the Library's website. For more information, please contact Youth Librarian, Michelle Forde, at mforde@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

According to the May 23, 2016 Construction Report from the Florida Department of Transportation, the following lane closures will occur this week:

State Road 200/A1A in Yulee
Nighttime lane closures are scheduled Tuesday, May 24th through Thursday, May 26th from 7:00 p.m.to 5:30 a.m. between North Harts Road to Felmor Road while the contractor builds a temporary barrier wall.

US 1 in Callahan
Motorists traveling on US1 from 5th Avenue to North Brandies Avenue will face lane closures from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for sidewalk repairs.

If you have any questions, please contact David Fierro, Public Information Officer for the
the Florida Department of Transportation at (904) 340-5582 or via e-mail at David.Fierro@dot.states.fl.us.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

A Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 18th, in celebration of the new 911 Call Center which will be used for 911 Dispatch Operations.

The new call center consists of a 5,000 foot addition to the existing Emergency Operations Center where Emergency Management personnel are located. The call center will house all 911 Dispatchers, the 911 Coordinator, and the the Nassau County's Sheriff's Office Civil Division. The new center is complete with the newest technology and will allow all emergency responders to be in one location and to utilize one unified dispatch system, providing the best service possible to the citizens of Nassau County.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

Lane Closure announcement from the Florida Department of Transportation for this Saturday, May 21st:

Time: 6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: The right, eastbound lane from Meadowfield Bluff Road to Mt. Zion
Purpose: Set low profile barrier wall and asphalt

Drivers should anticipate minor delays or take an alternate route.

If you have any questions, please contact Project Engineer, Carrie Smithheart of England, Thims & Miller at (904) 509-9007.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The Florida Department of Transportation has issued the attached Construction Report which contains information on lane closures in the Nassau County area the week of May 16 - May 22, 2016.

Motorists traveling north on SR200 between Mt. Zion Loop and Chester Road will face daytime lane closures this Saturday, May 21st, while the contractor continues construction on the low-profile barrier wall.

Motorists traveling on Interstate 95 over the St. Mary's River will face daytime lane closures from May 16-May 20, 2016, from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. while FDOT conducts routine bridge maintenance and inspections.

In Callahan, motorists traveling on US1 from Fifth Avenue to North Brandies Avenue will face lane closures from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. May 16-20, 2016, for sidewalk construction.

Follow FDOT on Twitter @MyFDOT_NEFL and on FaceBook at http://facebook.com/myFDOTNEFL for current traffic conditions and travel times.

For questions related to the above projects, please contact David Fierro at (904) 360-5582 or via e-mail at David.Fierro@dot.state.fl.us.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

Governor Scott has issued the attached memorandum ordering all flags in the State of Florida to be lowered to half-staff on Sunday, May 15, 2016, to commemorate Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Peace Officers Memorial Day was created in October 1, 1961 when Congress asked President Kennedy to designate May 15 to honor peace officers. President Kennedy signed the bill into law on October 1, 1962. Citizens are encouraged to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and to voice appreciation for all those who currently serve on the front lines in the battle against crime. 

On behalf of Nassau County, thank you to all of our local law enforcement officers, both past and present. We appreciate all you do to protect the citizens of this great County!

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manger's Office

The national 4-H organization was formed in 1914, when the United States Congress created the Cooperative Extension Service of the USDA by passage of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. Early programs and clubs focused on agriculture, home economics, and related subjects and even though different activities were emphasized for for boys and girls, 4-H was the first youth organization to provide equal attention to both genders.

By 1924, 4-H adopted their logo, the four leaf clover which represents four personal development areas of focus for the organization: head, heart, hands, and health. Though most people know 4-H to be a program that focuses on agriculture, today's organization focuses on citizenship, healthy living, science, engineering, and technology programs. There are currently over 6.4 members in the United States, from ages 5-21, and approximately 90,000 clubs.

In May 2015, Nassau County celebrated the 100th Anniversary of Cooperative Extension in Nassau County which includes a myriad of services and programs for Nassau County residents, including the local 4-H Program. Project areas for Nassau County's 4-H includes animals, forestry, marine science, cooking, sewing, plants and gardening, robotics, leadership development, public speaking, healthy living, photography, shooting sports, and astronomy. They also offer a summer camp at the beautiful Camp Cherry Lake where program participants will enjoy many activities such as kayaking, swimming, archery, and much more.

Attached is a flyer that provides information on Nassau County's 4-H Program. You may also visit the County Extension's website for more information about Cooperative Extension services and programs offered to our community. Lastly, here is a link to a short video about the importance of 4-H, brought to you by the Florida 4-H Statewide Youth Development Program.


-Sabrina Robertson
 Nassau County Manager's Office

Next week, the County will host a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the completion of the 911 Call Center. The new call center consists of a 5,000 square foot addition to the existing Emergency Operations Center where emergency management personnel actively evaluate and update strategies related to a variety of emergency situations including but not limited to: how to respond to natural and man-made disasters; how to evacuate the county quickly and efficiently; where to establish emergency shelters during inclement weather; and how to handle dangerous situations such as bomb-threats and disease outbreaks.

The 911 dispatch employees currently work in the dilapidated Sheriff's Administration Building on SR200/A1A in a 2,000 square foot room with no windows and leaky roof. The tiny, outdated room lacks space for employees to complete important paperwork, has no place to hold training, no break room, and no room for growth. 911 Dispatch employees are specially trained to answer and dispatch 9-1-1 calls received in Nassau County, including those related to Fire & Rescue. County Officials saw the need for a modern facility that is both safe and functional and felt that the citizens would be best served if 911 Dispatch and other emergency personnel were located in one facility where they could utilize one unified dispatch system. The County sought bids for construction of the facility and ACON Construction was awarded the bid on July 28, 2014. The project is now complete and 911 Dispatch personnel are ready to move in.

Please join us in celebrating this milestone on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. The 911 Call Center is located at 77150 Citizen's Circle in Yulee, FL.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

A rabid fox was recently reported to the Nassau County Health Department so health officials have   issued the attached Press Release urging residents to avoid contact with wild and stray animals. Rabies is a potentially fatal disease so it's important to keep pets vaccinated against rabies and to avoid contact with wild animals and animals who are acting strangely.

The following steps can help protect you and your loved ones against rabies:

• Keep rabies vaccinations up to date for all pets
• Keep your pets under direct supervision so they do not come in contact with wild animals. If your pet is bitten by a wild animal, seek veterinary assistance for the animal immediately and contact Nassau County Animal Services at (904) 530-6150.
• Call you local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood
• Spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be property cared for or regularly vaccinated
• Do not handle, feed or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or litter
• Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home
• Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, domestic or wild, even if they appear friendly
• Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools, or other similar areas where they might come in contact with people or pets

If you have any questions related to the attached Press Release, please contact Ronnie Nessler with the Nassau County Health Department at (904) 530-6825 or via e-mail at ronald.nessler@flhealth.gov. Unusaul acting animals should be reported to Nassau County Animal Services at (904) 530-6150.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office