Blog Archives - The County Insider

The County Insider

Splash Pad Update

9/30/2025

9/30/25 @ 9:20 a.m.

The contractor worked on the splash pad all day yesterday, and we’re happy to share that it is up and running today. An electrician will be on-site later to replace a wire, so the system may need to be turned off briefly during that time. Otherwise, we expect the splash pad to remain open and operating throughout the day until its normal shut-down time of 7:00 p.m. 🤞

If you notice any concerns, please contact Nassau County Parks & Recreation at (904) 530-6120 before 5:00 p.m., or the on-call number after 5:00 p.m. at (904) 430-3156.

Thank you again for your patience as we work with the contractor to make sure the splash pad operates safely and consistently.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Turtle Talk Tuesday

9/30/2025

9/30/25 @ 6:00 a.m.

It's Turtle Talk Tuesday! It's also the last day Tuesday in September and the last day of September. Now that the nesting season it winding down, all nests have been laid and females sea turtles have returned to the ocean to prepare for future nesting cycles.

The activities of the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch will now switch completely from nest locating to assisting hatchlings once they emerge after the 60 day incubation period. Volunteers will continue to visit and document the remaining nests each day, watching for signs of hatching, and to help disoriented hatchlings find their way safely to the sea.

AISTW volunteer Ronda Bokram provided this short update:

The AISTW excavated the last loggerhead nest last week
There were a total of 16 green turtle nests this year, a record number on Amelia Island beaches
As of Saturday, September 27, 2025, there were still 4 remaining nests, all of which were green turtle nests
One of the 4 final green turtle nests hatched early on the morning of Sunday, September 28, 2025, leaving 3 final nests (see tracks in photo).

AISTW also reminded us that updates on remaining nest activities will be reported on their official website and FaceBook page.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Volunteer Opportunity

9/29/2025

9/29/25 @ 7:00 p.m.

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is currently seeking a volunteer for fill a vacancy on the St. Marys River Management Committee.

The St. Marys River Management Committee is a quasi-judicial advisory panel established by an interlocal agreement between Baker and Nassau counties in Florida and Camden and Charlton counties in Georgia to facilitate the conservation and wise use of the St. Marys River. The Committee is comprised of five voting representatives from each County: one County Commissioner and four appointed members.

The Committee seeks a volunteer who owns property along the St. Marys Watershed. This includes any riverfront landowners, as well as individuals residing in Wildlight, west of I-95, north of County Road 108, on either side of County Road 121 (within the St Marys Watershed). Also, anyone who works for a company owning property along the St. Marys River would be considered eligible to serve.

Anyone wishing to volunteer is invited to submit a resume to [email protected]. All applications will be provided to the BOCC for review, consideration and final approval at an upcoming BOCC Meeting. The deadline to apply is the close of business on Monday, October 20, 2025.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Plant Sale

9/29/2025

9/29/25 @ 11:00 a.m.

Calling all plant lovers! The next Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Sale has been scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 9am-12pm. During this event, you can find a variety of flowers, plants and shrubs to fit your landscape needs, all of which are native to the area and were carefully propagated, grown and maintained by our master gardeners. Look closely and you'll likely find unique plants that aren't often found at local stores and nurseries and are bound to make your neighbors green with envy.

The event will take place at the Nassau County- UF/IFAS Extension Office located at 58531 Miner Road in Yulee. Please note that they will only be able to accept cash and checks for payment (no credit or debit cards). All proceeds will benefit the Master Gardener Volunteer program.

Questions? Call (904) 530-6350.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Tropical Storm Imelda

9/29/2025

9/29/25 @ 10:30 a.m.

Tropical Storm Imelda, passing well offshore, will cause dangerous beach and boating conditions for NE FL and SE GA through the week.

Local impacts are:
-high risk of rip currents
-high & rough surf
-breezy winds
-locally heavy downpours
-minor tidal flooding

Follow Fernandina Beach Ocean Rescue flags and guidance. When in doubt, don't go out! Stay informed and stay safe, Nassau! #OneNassau

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Public Meetings This Week

9/29/2025

9/29/25 @ 9:15 a.m.

Below are meetings scheduled for the week of September 29, - October 3, 2025. Agendas can be found at http://nassaufl.co/agendas.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Splash Pad Update

9/28/2025

9/28/25 @ 9:00 p.m.

We want to let the community know that the splash pad at Nassau Crossing Park will not be running tomorrow morning. The subcontractor who installed the system will be on-site troubleshooting the ongoing issue that has been causing the splash pad to shut off intermittently.

We sincerely apologize for the continued inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work closely with the contractor to get the splash pad running consistently for everyone to enjoy.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Splash Pad Issues

9/28/2025

Update:
As of 2:30 p.m., the splash pad is still shutting off intermittently. The contractor is on the way out again, and the subcontractor that did the original install will be there tomorrow.

Again, we regret that we are experiencing issues but have appreciated everyone's patience thus far. This is definitely not the experience we were hoping for.

12:30 p.m.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience residents have experienced with the new splash pad at Nassau Crossing Park. While the splash pad is programmed to run daily from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., a safety feature has been activating erroneously, causing the system to shut off unexpectedly.
The contractor was on-site late into the night and thought this issue was resolved. Parks and Recreation staff were there again at 9am to ensure it was working and ran through several testing cycles successfully, only to find out that now, as of 12:30 p.m., it is off again.

We understand how disappointing this has been for families who have been looking forward to enjoying the new amenity, and we want to assure you that we are working diligently with the contractor to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through these start-up challenges and remain committed to providing a safe and fun experience for all.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Goffinsville Fishing Pier to Close for Repairs

9/27/2025

9/27/25 @ 9:00 a.m.

Please be advised that the fishing pier at Goffinsville Park will be closed from October 6 - October 17, 2025 for refurbishing. The improvements will include replacing damaged wood along the deck, beams and handrails to ensure safety and longevity. We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding while these improvements are made. Your support allows us to keep Goffinsville Park safe, enjoyable, and well-maintained for everyone.

If you have any questions, please contact Nassau County Facilities Maintenance at (904) 530-6120.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Residents Join Us for First Splash

9/26/2025

9/26/25 @ 2:45 p.m.

Thank you to everyone who joined us today for the first splash at the grand opening of the new splash pad at Nassau Crossing Park!

We are thrilled to see so many families and children enjoying this exciting new amenity, and we look forward to it being a place where our community can continue to gather, play, and make lasting memories for years to come.

The splash pad will be open until 7pm this evening and all day Saturday and Sunday from 10am-7pm.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Week in Pictures

9/26/2025

9/26/25 @ 4:00 p.m.

Below are pictures from the week of September 19 - September 26, 2025. We also slid in a few photos from Solid Waste that were accidentally omitted from last week's post.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Splash Pad at Nassau Crossing Opening Today

9/26/2025

9/26/25 @ 9:00 a.m.

The Board of County Commissioners is excited to announce that the brand-new splash pad at Nassau Crossing Park will officially open for public use today beginning at 1:00 p.m.

While we regret the delay in opening later than anticipated this season, we are confident the wait will prove worthwhile. This new amenity enhances the quality of life in Nassau County by creating opportunities for children and families to gather, play, and make lasting memories together.

Hours of Operation:
Every day from 9am-7pm

The Board of County Commissioners sincerely thanks the community for your patience while we worked to bring this new feature to our parks system. We are thrilled to share this new amenity with you and look forward to seeing families enjoy it for many years to come.

About Nassau Crossing Park
Nassau Crossing Park is located at 77480 William Burgess Blvd. in Yulee and features two enclosed playgrounds, 2.5 miles of multi-use trails, restrooms, picnic areas with gazebos, open green space, a small dog park with agility course and an abundance of beautiful trees and greenery.

Notice of Road Closure

9/25/2025

9/25/25 @ 8:45 a.m. - Pike Engineering, on behalf of Florida Public Utilities, is conducting ongoing transmission line and pole replacement for the utility. From October 3 - October 31, 2025, work will occur on Bailey Road between Cashen Road and Simmons Road which will require a complete road closure with detours as follows:

Drivers traveling south on Bailey Road will be diverted west onto South 8th street and south onto Amelia Island Parkway
Drivers traveling north on Bailey Road will be diverted north to Amelia Island Parkway and east onto South 8th Street
Bailey Road will be closed from the Cashen Road intersection to the Amelia Island Parkway intersection
Access to local businesses and residences will remain available.

Traffic will be maintained in accordance with FDOT standards. If you have any questions, please contact Florida Public Utility Company at (800) 427-7712 or the Traffic Supervisor at (352) 276-1538. Additional information may also be found at www.fpuc.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Friends of the Library Book Swap

9/24/2025

9/24/25 @ 4:00 p.m.

Are you looking for something new to read? Join the Friends of the Fernandina Beach Library for a Book Swap on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 between 4:30-6:30. Bring up to 5 books to tread and take home the same amount of books to enjoy.

The event will take place at the Principal's Office - Amelia Schoolhouse Inn at 914 Atlantic Avenue, Fernandina Beach.

The event is FREE to Friends of the Library members. Non-members are $5, or you can join the FOL at the door. Snacks will be provided by the FOL. There will also be a cash bar available.

Questions? Please contact the Fernandina Beach Library at (904) 530-6500, Option 1.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer

Investing in Public Safety: New Collective Bargaining Agreement with Nassau County Fire Rescue Professionals

9/24/2025

County Commissioners and representatives from Nassau County Fire Rescue - Local 3101 at the Monday, September 22, 2025 meeting following the ratification of the new Local 3101 Bargaining Agreement

9/24/25 @ 10:30 a.m.

Over the past several fiscal years, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has been making critical investments into the County’s fire stations and equipment. Recent improvements include two new stations in 2025 including Station 70 on Nassauville Road and Station 10 on Edwards Road, as well as the replacement of Station 90 which is currently under construction in Hilliard and is anticipated to open before the end of 2025.

Continuing the commitment to strengthen fire and rescue services, the BOCC is proud to announce that they have reached a new agreement with the Nassau County Fire-Rescue Professionals Local Union #3101 International Association of Firefighters. The new three-year agreement, approved on Monday, September 22, 2025, will extend through September 2028 and accomplishes a key priority of both parties to increase the starting firefighter pay from $14.7601/hour up to $19.2858/hour.

BOCC Chairman A.M. “Hupp” Huppmann stated, “Our firefighters place themselves in harm’s way every day to protect and serve this community, and they deserve the best compensation and resources we can provide them in the execution of those duties. I'm grateful to the leadership of Local 3101 for coming to an agreement that not only not only supports our first responders but also ensures that Nassau County can continue to attract and retain highly qualified professionals to keep our residents safe.”

This new agreement was made possible through increased efficiencies in other operations, which have allowed the County to prioritize Nassau County Fire Rescue without compromising its commitment to taxpayers. In fact, the Board recently approved its fifth consecutive millage rate reduction for Fiscal Year 2025/2026, balancing fiscal responsibility with essential public safety needs and further demonstrating the BOCC’s commitment to a safe, resilient, and thriving place for families, businesses, and future generations.

The BOCC extends its appreciation to the leadership and members of Local 3101 for their partnership throughout this process, as their collaboration was instrumental in reaching an agreement that strengthens both the fire service and the community it serves.

-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer