Blog Archives - The County Insider

The County Insider

Boil Water Advisory for Certain NAU Customers

8/24/2020

8/26/20 UPDATE: The Boil Water Advisory has been lifted following test results confirming the water is safe for consumption.

8/24/20 @ 4:30 p.m. - As announced last week, Nassau Amelia Utilities conducted fire hydrant repairs today that resulted in water being shut off for the following addresses: 157, 159, 163 Sea Marsh Road; 3301 through 3329 Fairway Oaks Villas; 3201 through 3217 Fairway Oaks Villas; 2 through 18 Sea Marsh Cove; and the OMNI Golf Maintenance Facility on Sea Marsh Road.

As a safety precaution, a Boil Water Advisory has been issued for these addresses while they await bacteriological test results to ensure the water is again safe for consumption.

If you have any questions, please contact NAU Billing at (904) 530-6030 or email [email protected].

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

Public Participation in Tonight's Board Meeting

8/24/2020

8/24/20 @ 12:30 p.m. - The Board of County Commissioners has a meeting scheduled for 6:00 p.m. tonight. A copy of the agenda can be located here.

The meeting is open to the public and measures have been implemented to allow for social distancing if attending in person. This includes use of masks, hand sanitizer, and additional seating, monitors and speakers outside of the Board Room.

Individuals not wishing to attend in person can participate remotely via the following methods.

ZOOM/Webinar:

Join ZOOM meeting here:
Password: 987321
Use the "raise hand" feature within the ZOOM App to notify the Chairman if you would like to speak when your item comes up on the agenda.

By Phone:
Or iPhone one-tap:
US: +13462487799,,82411146045#,,,,0#,,987321# or
+16465588656,,82411146045#,,,,0#,,987321#

Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 301 715 8592
or +1 312 626 6799

Webinar ID: 824 1114 6045
Password: 987321

If participating by phone, hit *9 when your item comes up to notify the Chairman you would like to speak. You can follow along online by watching the meeting remotely on the Clerk's website.

Submitting Public Comment:
Residents can also submit comments for the record by emailing [email protected] or by calling (904) 530-6009 and leaving a voicemail.

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

Public Meetings This Week

8/24/2020

8/24/20 @ 10:25 a.m. - Below are public meetings scheduled for this week:

Board of County Commissioners

Regular Meeting
Monday, August 24, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Special Meeting to consider extending local State of Emergency
Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Development Review Committee
Tuesday, August 25, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Planning & Zoning Board
Tuesday, August 25, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Conditional Use & Variance Board
Thursday, August 27, 2020 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

Back to School

8/24/2020

8/24/20 @ 8:45 a.m. - Today is the first day of school for many Nassau County residents and teachers. As we enter into a year of unknowns, we can feel assured that Dr. Burns and her staff have worked hard this summer to implement as many procedures as possible to ensure the safety of each student and faculty member.

We hope that everyone has a safe and happy school year!

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

4-H Virtual Open House

8/23/2020

8/23/20 @ 1:15 p.m.

A 4-H member is a youth that is enrolled in 4-H Online and has paid an annual membership fee. Members can choose whichever and how many clubs they want to be a part of, compete in events, go on special trips, earn recognition for their work in their project, and are part of a larger network of peers, volunteers, and caring adults.

4-H members are divided based on their age as of September 1st of the current year.

Cloverbuds: Ages 5-7
Juniors: Ages 8-10
Intermediates: Ages 11-13
Seniors: Ages 14-18

Please watch this video to view the 4H Virtual Open House and learn more about this exciting program!

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

County To Accept Applications for Round Two of Small Business Assistance Grant Program

8/20/2020

8/20/20 @ 10:30 a.m. - On August 19, 2020, the Board approved a second round of Small Business Assistance Grant Program funding for businesses affected by COVID-19. The second round of the program has increased the grant award to $10,000 per applicant and expanded the eligibility requirements to allow for more participation.

If you already applied at the previous $5,000 level, you don't need to do anything further. You will automatically be eligible for the $10,000 amount.

Applications will be available beginning on Friday, August 21st at 8:00 a.m. They can be downloaded on the CARES Website or picked up at the following locations:

Nassau County, James S. Page Governmental Complex, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097
Callahan Town Hall, 542300 US Highway 1, Callahan, FL 32011
Fernandina Beach City Hall, 204 Ash Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Hilliard Town Hall, 15859 West County Road 108, Hilliard, FL 32046
Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, 961687 Gateway Blvd., Suite 101-G, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

To request application packets by email, send your request to [email protected]. To request application packets by U.S. Mail, please contact the Nassau CARES hotline between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday at (904) 530-6800.

Only 220 grants are available to anyone interested should act right away! Applications will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 31st.

INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR APPLICATION WILL BE AVAILABLE BY CONTACTING THE NASSAU CARES HOTLINE BETWEEN 8:00 A.M. AND 5:00 P.M., MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AT (904) 530-6800 OR BY E-MAILING [email protected].

In-person assistance may be arranged by scheduling an appointment with a Nassau CARES representative by contacting (904) 530-6800 or [email protected].

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Live Broadcast Event Related to Health and Safety in Schools

8/19/2020

8/29/20 @ 9:30 p.m.

From Emergency Management:

NassauEM will be hosting a one-hour live broadcast this FRIDAY at 1600 hours (4 PM) - it will be an opportunity for you to ask the experts (from the school district and public health) your questions about health and safety in the schools!

Please send your questions to [email protected] so we can make sure they all get answered! Questions submitted during the broadcast will be answered as time allows.

Planned Water Outage for Certain Nassau Amelia Utilities Customers

8/19/2020

8/19/20 @ 4:00 p.m. - Nassau Amelia Utilities will be conducting fire hydrant repairs on Monday, August 24th which result in a temporary water outage for the following addresses: 157, 159, 163 Sea Marsh Road; 3301 through 3329 Fairway Oaks Villas; 3201 through 3217 Fairway Oaks Villas; 2 through 18 Sea Marsh Cove; and the OMNI Golf Maintenance Facility on Sea Marsh Road. The work is expected to take place between the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Following the repairs, a Boil Water Advisory will be in effect for approximately two days while waiting for bacteriological water tests to be conducted by a lab.

If you have any questions, please contact NAU Billing at (904) 530-6030 or email [email protected].

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Congratulations New Commissioners

8/19/2020

8/19/20 @ 10:15 a.m. - As a result of the Primary Election, we will have three (3) new Commissioners serving us this November. Please join us in congratulating John Martin (representing District One); Jeff Gray (representing District Three); and Klynt Farmer (representing District Five). We admire their willingness to serve the residents of this great county and wish them all much success.

Each new Commissioner will organize their own "swearing in" ceremony in which they will take their Oath of Office and begin their four (4) year term. Information on those dates and locations will be shared as soon as they are determined.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Election Day

8/18/2020

8/18/20 @ 11:40 a.m. -

Today is the last day to vote in the primary election!

Don't forget that you have to vote at your assigned polling place today. Click here to find your polling location. All voting locations will close at 7:00 p.m.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Public Meetings This Week

8/17/2020

8/17/20 @ 10:15 a.m. - Below are public meetings scheduled for this week:

Development Review Committee
Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
Public Services Conference Room, 96161 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097
Click here for agenda

Board of County Commissioners
Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
Emergency Operations Center, 77150 Citizens Circle, Yulee, FL 32097
Click here for agenda

Essential Housing Advisory Committee Meeting
Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097
Click here for agenda

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Reminder: Presentation Tomorrow Regarding Conservation Land Acquisition and Management Program

8/14/2020

8/14/20 @ 3:30 p.m. - Just a friendly reminder the there will be two presentations tomorrow regarding the Conservation Land Acquisition and Management (CLAM) Program.

Please see flyer for additional info.

Also, for anyone concerned about social distancing, a radio station has been established to allow residents to listen from the comfort of their your own car. You just need to be within 1,000 feet of the event tent.

If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Planning & Economic Opportunity at (904) 530-6300.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Back-to-School COVID-19 Testing

8/14/2020

8/14/20 @ 11:15 a.m. - The Nassau County Department of Health will host FREE Back-to-School COVID-19 testing for students, ages 5-17, this Saturday, August 15th from 9:30-11:00 a.m.

This drive-through testing will be held in the Journey Church Parking Lot located at 95707 Amelia Concourse, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034.

100 tests are available on a first come, first served basis. Youth or parent guardian ID required.

Please see flyer for additional information.

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Executive Order 21 Issued

8/10/2020

8/10/20 @ 4:00 p.m. - The Governor issued Executive Order 20-192, rescinding travel restrictions and reporting requirements for individuals from the New York Tri-State Area and Louisiana. As a result, the County Manager issued Executive Order #21, modifying previous local Executive Orders as follows:

Executive Order #10 amended to rescind Sections 2, 9 and 10
Executive Order # 3 rescinded in its entirety
Executive Order # 4 rescinded in its entirety
Executive Order # 12 rescinded in its entirety
Executive Order # 13 rescinded in its entirety

-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office

Did You Receive Mysterious Seed Packets From China?

8/10/2020

8/10/20 @ 10:10 a.m. On July 27, 2020, we shared a Press Release from the Department of Agriculture regarding reports of individuals receiving unsolicited packets of seeds from China. Click here to read it again.

Below is an important update from the Nassau County Extension Office regarding this subject and what to do if you receive any:

From the County Extension Office
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are concerned these seeds are a form of agricultural smuggling and could be an invasive plant. An invasive is any plant or animal that can takeover an area, causing economic loss, ecological damage and even harming human health. Here in Nassau County, UF/IFAS Extension and the City of Fernandina Beach have been removing invasive plant species such as Russian thistle and Mother of Millions on Amelia island.

What To Do: Anyone receiving unsolicited seed packages from other countries should follow these directions:

Your local Extension office will accept ONLY opened packages.
Bring seed/plant material packets and their original packaging materials to the Extension office, which should then be placed in a plastic zip bag.
Fill out form
OR you can contact your local FDACS-DPI office or contact the FDACS-DPI helpline at 1-888-397-1517 to arrange for pickup of the packages and leave a message.
Additional instructions for the public are available here: http://www.fdacs.gov/seedbymail

When reporting the seed package to FDACS and USDA/APHIS, please be prepared to provide one’s name, physical address, phone number, and email address for contact purposes.
Other Resources

Here is a recent press release from FDACS on the suspicious seed packets.

Here is a news room post from the USDA.
Information on UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants.

by Justina Dacey