Blog Archives - The County Insider

The County Insider

Notice of Railroad Closure on Ratliff Road

7/28/2015

We have just received notification that the railroad crossing on Ratliff Road will be closed for routine maintenance beginning at 8:00 p.m. tonight through Friday, July 31st.

Access to Ratliff Road southwest of the closure will be via US1 North to US 301, southwest to Thomas Creek Road, southeast to Ratliff Rd.

Access for southwest of the road closure will be via Thomas Creek Road, northwest to US 301, northeast to US 1, and southeast to Ratliff Rd.

The attached map contains additional information regarding the detour. There are also message boards and detour signs in the vicinity.

Please contact Chris Whittman of Benchmark Consulting at (864) 546-1942 with questions or concerns.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Boys Missing at Sea Since July 24, 2015

7/27/2015

Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, have been missing from since Friday, July 24th after leaving their homes near Jupiter Florida for the Bahamas in a 19 foot boat. Counties and cities throughout the State have been asked to share important information regarding the missing boys.

The boat was located over the weekend and authorities have reason to believe that the boys created floating devices with items on the boat including the engine cover, white yeti cooler, and life jackets. All boaters and beach goers are asked to be on the lookout for the boys and the items. Please report any and all debris by contacting the Sheriff's Office at (904) 225-5174.

We will continue to provide information related to this matter as it is received.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Notice from FDOT Regarding Traffic Shift on State Road 200/A1A

7/24/2015

The Florida Department of Transportation issued the attached press release regarding a traffic shift on State Road 200 which is scheduled to take place Sunday, July 27th on the east bound lanes between Still Quarters Road and North Harts Road near the railroad crossing.

If you have any questions regarding the construction on State Road 200, please contact Public Information Officer, Debbie Delgado, with Atkins Global at (904) 360-5437 or via email at [email protected].

For more information regarding FDOT projects around Northeast Florida, please 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.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Nassau County Fire Rescue Visits Boys & Girls Club

7/23/2015

Sparky the Fire Dog, Station 70 and Tower 20 visited the Boys & Girls Club in Nassauville yesterday and were greeted by approximately 300 kids who were celebrating their end of summer program. The children learned about fire prevention and had the opportunity to climb aboard the fire truck.

A big thank you to Mr. Bill Gower of the Boys & Girls Club for coordinating the event, as well as to Nassau County Fire Rescue for their participation.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Brief Survey Regarding Healthy Weight Strategies

7/22/2015

The Nassau County Health Department is developing and implementing projects to address weight issues in our community. In order to do so, the Health Department must engage the community so they can have a better understanding of which strategies are most important to the citizens. For example, do you feel that the Health Department should provide more educational programs on topics such as physical activity and nutrition or do you feel they should extend their marketing and community outreach efforts? Help the Health Department by participating in this brief survey.

If you have any questions about this survey or the Healthiest Weight Community Project, please contact Ashley Sobolewski at (904) 548-1853 or via e-mail at [email protected].

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

2016 Calendar Photo Contest

7/21/2015

The Florida Association of Counties is seeking photos for their annual photo contest. This year's theme is "Awesome Weather". We know there are a lot of amazing photographers in Nassau County and we hope you will considering sharing them so we can have our wonderful county featured in the 2016 calendar.

If you have any photos you would like to share, please submit them by visiting FAC's website. Photos should be 2,000 or 3,000 pixels and must be submitted in jpeg format to be considered for the calendar. There is no limit on the amount of photos that can be entered, so submit as many as you wish. You will be asked to include a brief description of the photo including the location of where the photo was taken. You will also be asked to certify that you are the sole owner of the photo and that you are giving FAC the right to use the photo.

Good luck on your entries. We can't wait to see which photo is selected to represent Nassau County!

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Mega Adoption Event This Weekend

7/18/2015

Nassau County Animal Control is participating in a mega adoption event this weekend. If you are looking for a new fur baby, you don't want to miss this event as there will be over 1,000 adoptable pets! All pets come complete with vaccines, spaying/neutering and micro chipping and adoptions are free for military families. Please see the flyer for all other info.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Property Appraiser to Host Two Town Hall Meetings

7/13/2015

According to a Press Release issued by the Property Appraiser's Office, Nassau County Property Appraiser, Mike Hickox, will host two Town Hall Meetings to discuss 2015 property values and the valuation process. He will also answer any questions concerning property assessments and exemptions in an attempt to help property owners better understand their assessments prior to receiving their notice of proposed taxes for 2015. New 2015 preliminary values are now posted on their website at www.nassauflpa.com.

Town Hall Meeting:
Thursday, July 30, 2015 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Hilliard Town Hall Building
15859 County Road 108
Hilliard, FL 32046

Fernandina Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, August 4, 2015 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Amelia Island - Nassau County Association of Realtors
910 South 14th Street
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

For more information regarding the Town Hall Meetings, please contact Justin Taylor at (904) 491-7304 or via e-mail at [email protected].

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

In Case of Emergency (ICE) System

7/8/2015

Last month we provided tips for planning where to go and what to take with you when an evacuation is ordered. Do you have a plan for how family members who are separated will stay in touch with each other during or immediately after a disaster? Do you have a “cordless” or a “corded” phone in your home? Phones with cordless handsets need more electricity than they can get from the phone jack, so they won’t work during power outages. If you only use a cellular phone, do you have a car-charger in case of a power failure? If you are hurt and can’t communicate clearly, first responders and hospital staff may not know how to contact your family right away. But if you have a cell phone with you, the In Case of Emergency (ICE) system is now being used nationwide to easily provide the phone numbers for your emergency contacts.

Create a new contact in your cell phone.
Name the contact ICE (or add ICE- to the beginning of an existing contact’s name).
Enter all phone numbers for the person you would like to have notified in a medical emergency.

EMS personnel can then easily scroll to ICE in your phone’s address book and quickly reach out to your emergency contact. Don’t forget to let your emergency contacts know that they are in your phone under ICE and provide them with any important medical information they should know if you are unable to communicate (e.g. your blood type, allergies, metal implants, etc.).

It is important for all residents and visitors to be prepared, have an emergency contact, and maintain situational awareness, especially during Hurricane Season.

Find the Evacuation Zone for ANY property address in Nassau County:

Go to www.nassaufl-em.com and click “Evacuation Zones” (or go directly to maps2.roktech.net/nassauflpa/), then
Click on the “Map Layers” tab at the top of the mapping webpage and
Check the “Public Safety” box to turn on that layer, then
Enter an address in the “Search By” box next to the little binoculars icon.

More emergency preparedness information can always be found at www.floridadisaster.org

-Martha Wagaman, Senior Planner
Nassau County Emergency Management

Update from FDOT Regarding SR200 Widening Project

7/6/2015

The Florida Department of Transportation has provided the attached project status update regarding the State Road 200 Widening Project. The report includes information on activities that took place during the month of June, as well as activities anticipated to take place during the month of July.

Questions or comments should be directed to Debbie Delgado, Public Information Officer for Atkins Global, at (904) 524-3869 or via e-mail at [email protected].

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Commissioner Pat Edwards Earns FAC Advanced County Commissioner Designation

7/1/2015

Dr. Nick Place, Dean & Director of UF (left); Commissioner Pat Edwards (middle); and Janet Taylor, Commissioner from Hendry County (right)

The Florida Association of Counties (FAC) presented Nassau County Commissioner Pat Edwards with the Advanced County Commissioner (ACC) designation following his completion of a comprehensive study program developed by the association. Commissioner Edwards received the designation along with 25 other county commissioners during an awards ceremony held at the FAC Annual Conference in St. Johns County, FL.

Upon completing the Advanced County Commissioner Program, Pat Edwards stated, “I highly recommend the Advanced County Commissioner (ACC) program to any Commissioner who wants to gain a better understanding on ethics, the Sunshine Law, and how to provide their citizens with the services they desire while keep taxes low. This program has also provided me with superior leadership skills and has given me the knowledge I need to effectively represent my district, as well as Nassau County”.

Launched by FAC in 2006, the Advanced County Commissioner (ACC) education program, "The Florida Forum for County Leaders," is an advanced leadership program designed for graduates of the Certified County Commissioners (CCC) program. This year, the program has been held in Alachua County and saw 26 commissioners graduate in June with a total of 171 graduating since the inception of the program in 2006.

“This certification allows our citizen electorate to become experts in county government improving their communities,” said FAC Executive Director Chris Holley. “Through FAC’s education programs we are able to teach commissioners how to advance their policies through the complexities of government bureaucracies.”

The ACC program is organized as a series of three seminars, with 27 hours of course work. The course content focuses on leading within Florida’s counties. Participating Commissioners must commit to fully participate in all three seminars in order to graduate. Seminars include: Tough Policy Choices in Florida During Tumultuous Times; Leading Your Communities During Turbulent Times; and, Understanding and Working with Stakeholders and County Decision Makers during these Turbulent Times. The University of Florida/IFAS Extension has sponsored this program for the last eight years in Alachua County.

Following are the names of the county commissioners who received their ACC designation in 2015: Earl Arnett, Marion County; James Brooks, Highlands County; Alan Bush, Washington County; Al Butler, Sumter County; John Dailey, Leon County; Ken Doherty, Charlotte County; Pat Edwards, Nassau County; John Haddox, Martin County; Don Hahnfeldt, Sumter County; John Hall, Polk County; Greg Harris, Highlands County; Diane Hutchings, Clay County; Rick Knight, Hardee County; Colon Lambert, Hardee County; George Lindsey, Polk County; Frank Meeker, Flagler County; John Meeks, Levy County; Bob Miller, DeSoto County; Walt Pellicer, Putnam County; Cecil Pendergrass, Lee County; Gabriel Quave, DeSoto County; Barbara Revels, Flagler County; Timothy Stanley, Glades County; Ralph Thomas, Wakulla County; Bill Truex, Charlotte County; and Tim Zorc, Indian River County.

For more information about the ACC program and courses, visit the FAC web site at www.fl-counties.com.

For over 80 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.