The Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition is hosting the second annual City-wide Baby Buggy Walk in the Park and Health Fair in honor of National Infant Mortality Awareness Month on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. beginning at Unity Plaza, 220 Riverside Avenue, in Jacksonville.

The event is designed to bring together families, health care agencies, and other members of the community to participate in a 2 mile walk with babies in an effort to encourage pregnant and postpartum women and their families to participate in healthy activities. Following the walk, there will be a health fair featuring information on various health issues, as well as free health screenings. The first 1,000 families will receive a free book and all participants will have an opportunity to win other fabulous prizes including:

- A Moe's Southwest Grill gift card
- Free passes to the Hands on Children's Museum
- Dinner for Two at the 4 Rivers Smokehouse
- And much, much more.

There will also be a musical festival, food truck vendors, and other activities taking place at the Unity Plaza during the same time, so bring the whole family for an evening of fun in support of healthy babies.

To register for the event, please click here. For questions, please contact Jennifer Gornto, Executive Director for the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, at (904) 723-5422 or via e-mail at jgornto@nefhsc.org.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

We are pleased to announce that Nassau County Public Works Director, Scott Herring, has graduated from the Florida Engineering Society's Leadership Institute Program (FELI).

The Florida Engineering Society's Leadership Program is a unique, 10 month program that enhances leadership skills of its participants and teaches them how to utilize those skills in their profession, as well as in the community.

The program ran from November 2014 through August 2015 and consisted of six sessions held in key cities throughout Florida. One of those sessions was held in conjunction with the Professional Engineers Legislative Days in Tallahassee so that participants were able to see Florida government in action and were given an opportunity to meet State Representatives. The final session was held concurrently with the FES/FICE Annual Seminar Conference and Exposition where graduation was celebrated during the opening general session. Overall, the program provided students with a greater understanding of the State of Florida, its government, and its policies, as well as current concerns pertaining to the economy and the future.

Scott Herring is a graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and is qualified as both a Florida and Georgia Professional Engineer. He has held various engineering positions in both the public and private sector and has experience in development review, land development, road construction, and traffic safety. Mr. Herring began his employment with Nassau County in August 2009 as the Director of Engineering, and was promoted to Public Works Director in September 2010.

Mr. Herring's employment history with Nassau County and his educational background made him an excellent candidate for the FELI Program. Nassau County Manager stated, "I congratulate Scott on completing the Florida Engineering Society's Leadership Institute Program. Scott is an outstanding engineer and completing this program has further demonstrated that he has the skills necessary to manage the County's Public Works Division".

We commend Mr. Herring for his dedication to professional development and wish him continued success.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

Note: To view the entire Press Release regarding Mr. Herring's graduation from the FELI Program, please click here. For questions or comments, please call Nassau County Engineering Services at (904) 491-7330 or e-mail Mr. Herring at sherring@nassaucountyfl.com.

The Northeast Florida Regional Council and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are offering a FREE workshop regarding hazardous waste regulations and used oil storage requirements. This workshop is recommended for any business owner, operator, facility manager, or employee that handles, stores and/or disposes of hazardous waste materials or maintains records related to these materials. 

Topics include information on how to manage your hazardous waste in a cost-effective and legal manner. Common regulated wastes include: use oil and filters, anti-freeze, solvents, paint, lead-acid batteries, dentist amalgams, and fluorescent tubes and light bulbs containing mercury.

Though the workshop is free, registration is required. You can register online at https://nassaucountyhazwasteworkshop.eventbrite.com. The workshop will be held in the Nassau County Emergency Operations Center located at 77150 Citizens Circle, Yulee, FL 32097.

Please contact Eric Anderson at the Northeast Florida Regional Council for more information. He can be reached by phone at (904) 279-0880 ext. 178 or via e-mail at eanderson@nefrc.org.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

We are currently seeking players and sponsors for the 3rd Annual City of Fernandina Beach vs. Nassau County Charity Golf Tournament taking place on Saturday, September 19th. The tournament will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will consist of a shot-gun start and scrambled format. Team entry is $300 and includes 18 holes of golf, lunch, and prizes.
 
Sponsorship opportunities:

- Hole sponsorship is $400 and includes entry for 4 into the tournament, recognition at the tee box, recognition on the tournament sign, and a personalized flag to be located at your sponsored hole.

- You can also become a sponsor by contributing prizes and/or gift cards and gift certificates to be used in our raffle. Golf balls, golf clubs, certificates for store merchandise, and restaurant gift certificates all make wonderful prizes and are greatly appreciated!

All donors will receive a confirmation letter and receipt for tax purposes. All donations must be received prior to September 11th in order for your name to be included on the recognition signs displayed at the tournament. If you have any questions about becoming a sponsor, please contact Sabrina Robertson at (904) 530-6010 ext. 6003 or via e-mail at srobertson@nassaucountyfl.com. 

The tournament is open to any and everyone, not just City and County employees. So if you like to golf, please considering joining us for what is sure to be an exciting game. You can sign up by contacting the City Golf Course at (904) 310-3175.

All proceeds will benefit the United Way of Northeast Florida.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

On Monday, August 3, 2015, two employees of Nassau County Animal Services held a dog bite prevention training for approximately 22 postal workers of the Yulee Post Office. The hour-long training focused on a myriad of bite prevention techniques such as how to approach a house with a dog and how placing an object such as a clip board between you and the dog can eliminate the chance of harm if a dog should try to bite.

If your place of employment could benefit from a similar training, please contact Nassau County Animal Services to schedule your session at (904) 530-6150.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

The County has received notification from Florida Power & Light that they will be conducting preventative maintenance line-clearing in the areas outlined in the attached map. This work consists of trimming tree branches and limbs from electrical lines and equipment to help improve the overall quality of electric services. FPL will only prune or trim branches and limbs that can potentially cause safety hazards or power outages by brushing up against or falling upon power lines during windy weather.

Anyone with questions should contact Troy Townsend, North Florida Arborist for FPL. He can be reached at (904) 824-7619 or via e-mail at Troy.Townsend@fpl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

Friday, August 14th is the final day that the Florida Association of Counties will be accepting photos for the annual calendar photo contest. We know there are a lot of amazing photographers here and we need your help insuring that Nassau County has a chance to show off its "Awesome Weather" 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 provide 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.

We understand that there have already been a few entries made for Nassau County, so thank you to everyone that has participated so far. If you are interested in participating but have yet to do so, you have approximately 24 hours left!

Good luck everyone! We can't wait to see which photo is selected to represent our wonderful county.


-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office 

Do1Thing in August:  Get Involved!

Make your community stronger by getting trained and getting involved.

Connect with an isolated individual in your neighborhood or champion a neighborhood organization.  Isolated individuals are more vulnerable during and after a disaster; they are less likely to ask for help or follow emergency instructions.  Establish contact now, before disaster strikes.  Then make it your mission to check on that person when an emergency arises.  Help them prepare for a tropical storm, pick up some extra supplies for them, make sure they have a safe place to weather the storm, and contact them after the event to see if they need help.  Promote emergency preparedness in your community.  Scout troops, service clubs, residential associations, communities of faith — almost any organization you belong to can become a partner in emergency preparedness.  Follow Emergency Management’s postings on social media (look for NassauEM on Facebook, Twitter, and GooglePlus) and “share” or “re-tweet” official emergency messages so more people will be reached with accurate information when time to take action is critical. Become an active volunteer!  There are many places to volunteer locally (CERT, Citizen Corps, Neighborhood Watch, etc.)  Emergency Management, police, and fire departments often use volunteers to help with special projects, events, and community programs.  If you have a few hours a month and think you would like to help at the Nassau County Emergency Operations Center, contact Stephanie.Jerrell@nassauso.com or call 548-0900 and ask for the Emergency Management Volunteer Coordinator.  We have lots of ways you can get involved before and after a disaster. Next month is National Preparedness Month – the theme is “Don’t Wait.  Communicate!  Make your emergency plan today.”

Now is the time to be sure you can communicate during emergencies.  Have up-to-date contact information for those you may need to get in touch with during or after a disaster.  Establish alternate methods of communication in case traditional means are not available.

Making a family emergency communication plan is a great way to prepare for disasters, but testing your plan is even better!  Make certain everyone is familiar with how to respond.  It’s one of the 10 Ways to Participate in America’s PrepareAthon!

In addition to the overall theme, each week in September will address a hazard preparedness topic:  Flood, Wildfire, Hurricane, and Long-Term Power Outage.

Individuals, families, organizations, and businesses are encouraged to use America’s PrepareAthon! materials, available at www.ready.gov/prepare

The Florida Department of Transportation has provided the attached monthly status report for the State Road 200/A1A Widening Project. The report gives an overview of activities that have taken place since the project began in September 2014, as well as activities that are expected to be performed this month.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Debbie Delgado, Public Information Officer for Adkins Global, at (904) 524-3869 or via e-mail at Debbie.Delgado@atkinsglobal.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office