​8/15/22 @ 12:20 p.m.

The bi-annual Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Event and Food Drive will be held on Saturday, October 15, 2022, from 8:00 a.m. - noon (or until trucks reach capacity... whichever comes first).

Examples of items that will be accepted include:
- Aerosol cans
- Household cleaners
- Cooking oil (used)
- Oil, lubricants, oil filters
- Insecticides and pesticides
- Computers
- Radios
- Printers
- Power tools
- Televisions, VCRs, DVD players
- Batteries
- Propane Tanks
- Paints and paint thinners
- And much, much more!

What: Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Event
When: Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 8am-12pm (or until truck reaches capacity)
Where: Nassau County Road Department, 86200 Gene Lassere Blvd., Yulee, FL 32097

Please enter the facility utilizing Courtney Isles Way from Chester Rd.(see map below for details)

This event is FREE to Nassau County residents with proof of residency. Small businesses may also be approved to dispose of items for a small fee, however you must call Keep Nassau Beautiful in advance to register at (904) 261-0165.

Participants are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Barnabas Food Pantry.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

8/15/22 @ 10:00 a.m. - Below are public meetings scheduled for this week:

Development Review Committee
Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Please note that the location has changed due to the Supervisor of Elections utilizing the Commission Chambers for early voting activities. All other regularly scheduled meetings this week have been cancelled and/or rescheduled.

Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

The Board of County Commissioners is excited to announce that at the Florida Engineering Society’s (FES) annual conference held in late July, Deputy County Manager/County Engineer, Robert Companion, was named the FES 2022 Government Engineer of the Year.

The FES is the State’s leading organization committed to supporting engineers and the engineering profession. The FES supports their 3,000+ members by providing educational opportunities, professional licensures, and promotion of ethical and competent practices.

To be considered for this prestigious award, an individual must be able to demonstrate outstanding contributions within their communities, as well as to the advancement of other engineers employed by the Federal, State, County or Municipal Governments in the State of Florida.

Jess VanEyk, Chair of the Florida Professional Engineers in Government, stated, “When reviewing potential award recipients, we look at the applicant’s noted contributions to the engineering practice and how they have improved or enhanced that practice. Mr. Companion’s adaptation and enhancement of capital improvement projects and corresponding mobility projects were the key factors in our vote. Another factor in this vote was Mr. Companion’s development of Nassau County’s first pavement management plan. Mr. Companion’s contributions are a demonstration of meaningful engineering planning and its benefit to Nassau County and its residents”.

As Deputy County Manager/County Engineer, Mr. Companion provides direct support to the County Manager as part of the executive leadership team charged with strategically aligning the County’s goals and resources. He also oversees the County’s Public Works and Community Development Divisions as they relate to community planning, capital improvement projects, stormwater/drainage improvements, and construction/maintenance of roads.

Taco Pope stated, “As County Manager, I am extremely proud of Robert. As a citizen of Nassau County, I am thankful that Robert has chosen to apply his professional talents to making our community the best it can be. Every day, I witness the time, effort and passion he puts into executing his craft on behalf of the residents and visitors of Nassau County”.

Mr. Companion is a life-long resident of Nassau County who is committed to improving the quality of life for our residents. Mr. Companion’s education includes an Associate of Science Degree in Computer Aid Drafting and Design (CADD) from ITT Technical Institute, as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of North Florida.

Companion’s work experience includes over a decade of roadway and development design experience in both the private and government sectors. He has served the Nassau County residents as both the Senior Transportation Engineer and County Engineer before being promoted to Deputy Manager/Assistant County Manager earlier this year. Mr. Companion also serves his community through volunteer efforts which have included the Relay for Life of Fernandina Beach / Yulee and most recently Kairos Prison Ministry.
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In response to receiving the award, Mr. Companion stated, “It is a privilege to serve the residents of Nassau County every day and an honor to be recognized by FES for the good work we have been doing to better serve the citizens”.

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

8/12/22 2 3:45 p.m. - Below are photos from the week of August 5 - August 12, 2022. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

8/11/22 @ 9:00 a.m. - On Saturday, August 6, 2022, the County hosted a community meeting at American Beach to share updates on several initiatives impacting the American Beach Community. Below is a list of topics discussed. Each contains a link to the PowerPoint presentation for each discussion.

Topics discussed: 

• American Beach Community Master Plan update
• American Beach Water & Sewer District project update
• Evan's Rendezvous Structural Assessment Report update
• Burney Park/Beach Harmonization project update

We have also uploaded the video from the meeting which can be found at the link below. You can utilize the attached PowerPoint presentations to view and follow along with the video. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

8/9/22 @ 9:15 a.m. - Early voting for the 2022 Primary Election begins tomorrow, Wednesday, August 10, 2022 and will continue through August 20, 2022, from 9am - 6pm daily, including Saturdays and Sundays. As long as you are registered to vote, you can vote at any Early Voting site that is listed below. This is different from Election Day voting when you must vote in the polling place assigned to your precinct. 

Early Voting Sites:

• Atlantic Recreation Center, 2500 Atlantic Avenue, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
• Hilliard Community Center, 37177 Pecan Street, Hilliard, FL 32046
• James S. Page Governmental Complex, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097
• Walter Junior Boatright County Building, 45401 Mickler Street, Callahan, FL 32011
• Yulee Sports Complex, 86142 Goodbread Road, Yulee, FL 32097

What to Bring to the Voting Site: 
According to the Supervisor of Elections website, you are required to bring one or two forms of identification that include your signature or photo. Without proper identification, you may still vote a provisional ballot, which will later be evaluated by a canvassing board for eligibility. Any of the following forms of photo identification are acceptable:

• Florida Driver License
• Florida ID Card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• U.S. Passport
• Debit or Credit Card
• Military ID
• Student ID
• Retirement Center ID 
• Neighborhood Association ID 
• Public Assistance ID
• Veteran Health ID (issued by VA)
• Concealed Weapon License (issued pursuant to s. 790.06)
• Government Employee ID. If your photo ID does not include your signature, you will be asked to provide another ID that has your signature.

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You should also bring your sample ballot to the polling place with notes on how you plan to vote. By making your voting decisions before going to the polling place, you help keep the lines down.

If you have any questions, please contact the Supervisor of Elections Office at (904) 491-7500 or visit their website at www.votenassaufl.gov. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

8/8/22 @ 3:30 p.m.

Flooding along Thomas Creek has been an area of concerns for many years. Previous efforts to mitigate flooding with structural components, drainage system maintenance, and snag and clearing have been futile.

In November 2017, a meeting was held between representatives of the Army Corps of Engineers, Senator Aaron Bean’s Office, State Representative Cord Byrd, and various County staff to discuss other possible solutions. It was discovered at that time that there are programs available under the Army Corps of Engineers’ Continuing Authority Program (CAP). Subsequently, the Board sent a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers requesting an investigation of the problems under the authority of Section 205 of the Flood Control Act of 1948. The letter was signed at the December 11, 2017, Board of County Commissioner's meeting. 
 
In April 2018, the County was notified that the project would exceed the limitation of the CAP Program and was recommended to seek a Planning Assistance to States (PAS) Study to help the County identify solutions to resolve the flooding issues. The study began in 2019. It entailed extensive modeling with multiple scenarios considered. The Board of County Commissioners approved the final report in June of 2022 with a directive to staff for an Implementation Plan to be presented in six months.

Part of the Implementation Plan includes community involvement.  As such, Engineering staff hosted a community meeting the evening of Friday, August 5th to discuss the results of the (PAS) Study and to determine interest in the different types of grant opportunities (buyout or modification of structures). 

Many in attendance questioned why the County isn't dredging Thomas Creek. To do so would require a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers and at this time, the Army Corps has NOT granted approval. This was discussed in great detail during a presentation made by Senior Stormwater Engineer, Katie Peay. The presentation can be found here. Anyone who provided an e-mail address should have received a follow up e-mail from her this morning containing a copy of the presentation and a recap of the meeting as follows: 

"Dredging did not lower flood waters out of ANY structures. The biggest impact of 8 inches was never in someone’s home. This was mostly wetland areas or the Duval side. We are still looking at options with the Army Corps. Nassau County did install a rain gage and sensor on the Creek to continue to truth the model with actual rain events". (gage link below) 
 
https://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv/?cb_00045=on&cb_00065=on&format=gif_default&site_no=02231284&period=&begin_date=2022-01-27&end_date=2022-02-03
 
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/02231284/
 
Engineering staff was very pleased with the community turnout and looks forward to working closely with the residents as we move forward. Multiple homeowners offered to walk with Engineering staff to review areas with debris and blockages including the stagnation around the railroad bridge and beaver dams. Staff will be reaching out to a few of those individuals to coordinate dates and times in the next few weeks. Staff will also be meeting today with the Army Corps of Engineers to further discussion options. Staff will continue writing the implementation plan with grant cycle information, community input, and gathering partners to team up on this large project. 

If you have any questions, please contact Katie Peay at (904) 530-6225 or via e-mail at kpeay@nassaucountyfl.com. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

8/8/22 @ 8:50 a.m. - Below are public meetings scheduled for this week: 

Development Review Committee
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
Public Services Building, 96161 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Please note that the location has changed due to the Supervisor of Elections utilizing the Commission Chambers for early voting activities. All other regularly scheduled meetings this week have been cancelled and/or rescheduled. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

8/5/22 @ 2:00 p.m. - Below are pictures from the week of July 29 - August 5, 2022. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

8/5/22 @ 9:45 a.m. - At the Wednesday, August 3rd meeting, the Board of County Commissioners approved Resolution No. 2022-152 proclaiming the week of July 30-August 6, 2022 as "Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week". 

Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week began in 2012 and is meant to celebrate the living legacy of Gullah/Geechee history, heritage, and culture of the Gullah/Geechee people. Their extensive history in Nassau County includes both the enslavement and self-determination of the Gullah/Geechee people through the history of Amelia Island, Old Town, Yulee, Nassauville, Franklintown, and American Beach. 

Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, accepted the Resolution. Several individuals attended as well, representing local families who are descendants of the Gullah/Geechees including the Wood family of Nassauville; the Hooper family of Nassauville; the Thomas family of Yulee; the Blue family of Fernandina Beach; the Albertie family of Nassauville;  and the Morris and Simmons family of O'neil. 

The Board of County Commissioners extends their best wishes to the Gullah/Geechee Nation as they celebrate the Gullah/Geechee's living legacy this week. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer