10/01/18 @ 10:45 a.m. - Below is a list of public meetings taking place this week:

Planning & Zoning Board Meeting:
Tuesday, October 2, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Agendas can be located on our website.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

9/17/18 @ 1:10 p.m. - Below are public meetings scheduled for this week:

Board of County Commissioner Meetings

• Monday, September 17th at 4:00 p.m. Joint Meeting with Senator Aaron Bean and State Representative Cord Byrd to discuss Stewardship Legislation. Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097.
• Wednesday, September 19th at 9:00 a.m. Regular meeting. Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097.

Planning & Zoning Board

• Tuesday, September 18th at 6:00 p.m. Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097.
  

Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Meeting

• Wednesday, September 19th at 4:00 p.m. Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097.
  

Agendas can be located on our website.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

9/4/18 @ 2:20 p.m. - Below are public meetings scheduled for this week:

Planning & Zoning Board
Tuesday, September 4, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Code Enforcement Board
Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Agendas for both meetings can be located on our website.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/30/18 @ 4:45 p.m. - OMB Director, Justin Stankiewicz, has issued the attached Press Release which contains information on the proposed millage rate increase, the monthly/yearly impact it will have on the average household, and a detailed strategic plan on how these funds will be allocated over the next five years.

The first public hearing for the Board to consider the new millage rate is scheduled for Monday, September 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. The meetings are held in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097. As always, the public is invited to attend and participate in the meeting.

If you have any questions related to the budget, please contact Justin Stankiewicz at (904) 530-6010 or via e-mail at jstankiewicz@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/30/18 @ 10:00 a.m. - The Board of County Commissioners, Senator Aaron Bean and State Representative Cord Byrd will hold a Special Joint Meeting on Monday, September 17, 2018 at 4:00 p.m., to discuss the Stewardship District Legislation and concerns of the Board since its adoption, as well as possible amendments to the Legislation.

The public is invited to be present and be heard. The meeting will be held in the Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097. Individuals with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations to participate in this proceeding should contact the Office of the Ex-Officio Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners at least two days prior to the proceeding at (904) 548-4660, or if hearing impaired, the Florida Relay Service at (800) 955-8770 (v) or (800) 955-8771 (TDD).

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/29/18 @ 10:55 a.m. - Nassau County Animal Care & Control is responsible for promoting and protecting public safety and enforcing county ordinances in all areas of Nassau County, with the exception of the City of Fernandina Beach who utilizes their own agency, the Nassau Humane Society. General duties include responding to requests for help from citizens ranging from wild animals, dangerous animals, to animals in distress, investigating animal cruelty cases, maintaining rabies vaccination records, picking up stray animals, and working to ensure any stray or owner surrendered pet that enters the shelter finds a permanent and loving home.

Working at Animal Care & Control can be a rewarding job, however far too often, staff is exposed to animals who have suffered neglect. Many animals they encounter have lacked basic needs such as flea medication, proper shelter, vaccinations, and food and water. While some of them are abandoned, others are surrendered from owners who love them, but don't have the financial means to properly care for them.

While at the shelter, staff provides the animals with general care such as feeding, cleaning and disinfecting kennels and cages, picking up fecal material, monitoring sick, quarantined or injured animals, and assisting with minor medical treatments. They also provide the animals with plenty of snuggles and playtime to maintain human interaction and keep them comforted while in their care. While playing with the animals and providing their basic needs can be a lot of fun, being exposed to sick animals and having to participate in euthanasia of sick animals can be very difficult. It truly takes a special individual to give these animals the care they need.

Perhaps the most satisfying result of their hard work is when they find forever homes for all the adoptable pets entering the shelter. This is done by hosting adoption events, transferring pets to rescue groups, and being sure the shelter is clean and animals are presentable when potential adoptees walk through the door. Depending on the number of pets in the shelter, the demands to care for them can become overwhelming. Fortunately, there are many wonderful volunteers in our community who are willing to dedicate their personal time to enhance the life of these animals while waiting to be adopted. Thanks to the efforts of each employee and volunteer, Nassau County Animal Care & Control has received national recognition for their programs and service to the community and have maintained no-kill status for the past 5 years. Their statistics are quite remarkable. During the last fiscal year, 2,105 animals were taken into the shelter. Of those, 1,755 left the shelter through adoption, transfers to rescue groups, or returned to owners.

Director Tim Maguire stated, "My job, while difficult at times, is extremely rewarding. It is an honor to work for a County that is so animal friendly and caring. I am very proud of our staff and volunteers who do their very best to help the homeless, mistreated and unwanted animals we encounter every day".

Nassau County Animal Care & Control currently has an operating budget of $1,086,977 and a total of 16 employees including seven kennel attendants, a Veterinary Tech, four animal control officers, two office specialists, a shelter manager, and a Director. The shelter is open to the public Tuesday -Friday from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. For additional information regarding adoptable pets, permits & licensing, and shelter reporting, please visit their website. Be sure to follow them on FaceBook for up-to-date information on adoption events, special programs and pictures/videos of adoptable pets.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/27/18 @ 11:50 a.m. - Below are public meetings scheduled for this week:

Ask the County Manager
Thursday, August 30th at 3:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Conditional Use & Variance Board
Thursday, August 30th at 6:00 p.m.
Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097
Click here for agenda

Just a reminder, the Board of County Commissioner's meeting for tonight HAS BEEN CANCELLED, due to the Elections Office utilizing the Commission Chambers for voting. The next regularly scheduled Board of County Commissioner's meeting will be held on Monday, September 10th at 6:00 p.m.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

9/4/18 @ 4:25 p.m.- One of the questions we receive most often from citizens is about how their tax dollars are being utilized. While nobody wants to pay taxes, they are necessary in order for the County to provide essential services. Examples include fire and sheriff protection, rescue services, ballparks, boat ramps, libraries, beach front parks, roads to get you from one place to the next, and many other services you are receiving that you may not even be aware of.

The Board of County Commissioners want you to know how your tax dollars are being spent. Did you know that we have a tool on our website that will tell you, down to the penny, how your tax dollars are being allocated? To the left is a example of this document that provides a complete breakdown of how taxes for property with the average taxable value of $139,400 is distributed.

Depending on the location of the property, the Board of County Commissioners would assess $1,357.35 if you reside in the unincorporated (County) area or $1,035.44 if located with a municipality (city/town). These fees do not include property taxes assessed by the School Board, City, Towns, St. Johns River Water Management District, Florida Inland Navigation District, or other taxing authorities that are reflected on your tax bill.

Now lets look at how that money is allocated. In the attached example, a property located in the unincorporated area of the County with a taxable value of $139,400, is contributing $1,357.35 to the Board of County Commissioners. Of that, you will see over half is allocated to public safety, with $404.11 to the Sheriff and $294.03 to fire/rescue. The other half is allocated to many other departments/services of the Board of County Commissioners including:

• $19.91 for operation of 5 public libraries
• $9.98 to Parks & Recreation for 4 ballparks, 7 boat ramps, 5 beach front parks and walkovers, and several playgrounds and recreational spaces
• $18.58 for monitoring and maintenance of the public safety radio system which is used for 9-1-1 dispatchers and emergency personnel to communicate
• $113.92 to Road & Bridge for general road and right-of-way maintenance and construction of new roads
• $11.93 to Engineering for services such as issuing driveway permits, sidewalk design, road design, review of development plans, and more
• $6.34 to Code Enforcement to address violations such as overgrown grass and accumulation of trash, litter, and debris on private property
• $23.05 to Animal Control to assist in pickup of stray animals, adoption programs, vaccinations, shelter supplies, etc.

These are just a few! In addition to the above services, there are many other departments shown in the  example that provide administrative services to the Board of County Commissioners and residents. Also included in the $1,357.35 paid to the Board of County Commissioners are allocated tax revenues to fund operations of other constitutional offices in accordance with Florida Statute (Sheriff, Clerk of Courts, Supervisor of Elections, and Property Appraiser) and certain State mandated services such as Medicaid, Department of Juvenile Justice, and Medical Examiner.

If you are interested in learning more about how your tax dollars are being utilized, grab your 2018 TRIM notice, find your property's taxable value for 2018, and download the attached interactive form. You may be surprised to see how many services your assessment supports and how far that money is spread out.

If you have any questions, please contact our Budget Director, Justin Stankiewicz, at (904) 530-6010 or via email at jstankiewicz@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/22/18 @ 1:35 p.m. - As many of you are aware, on August 13, 2018, the Board of County Commissioners approved an Ordinance that would allow for collection of an additional $.05 per gallon of unleaded gas sold in Nassau County. (As set forth by law, local option fuel taxes are not applicable to diesel fuel) This tax will generate approximately $1.9 million in revenue Countywide, with $1.7 million going to Nassau County and the remaining $200,000 being split among the City of Fernandina Beach, Town of Hilliard, and Town of Callahan, based on history of road expenditures. While a portion of ad valorem taxes the County collects from property taxes is allocated to the road and engineering departments, the current level provides funds needed for basic maintenance of existing roads, leaving very little left over for capital road projects such as construction of new roads, paving dirt roads, or major resurfacing projects.

While not an easy decision, the Board moved forward with the Local Option Fuel Tax because it would provide a guaranteed funding source that can used annually to address the many road issues throughout the County. Florida Statute, Chapter 336.025, mandates that funds collected be solely used for construction of new roads, the reconstruction or resurfacing of existing paved roads, or the repaving of existing roads to increase road capacity. It cannot be used for routine maintenance, or to cover any other type of service or debt of the Board.

Additionally, the Board was looking for a funding mechanism that wouldn't fall solely on property owners through an ad valorem tax. Though not everyone is a property owner that contributes to the tax base, every person residing here utilizes the County roads and contributes to the wear and tear of the surface. To this point, by passing this local option Fuel Tax, the Board lowered the proposed millage rate increase in attempt to shift the financial burden so it doesn't fall solely on taxpayers. Furthermore, a large portion of gas sold is purchased by visitors to Nassau County. According to a document from Visa Vue Travel obtained by the Tourist Development Council, 441,426 visitors spent $17,163,295 on fuel east of I-95 in 2017. This does not include gas purchased on the west side of the County or purchased by other methods such as cash, American Express, Master Card, etc. Through this tax, the County will receive  revenue from tourists that don't contribute to the tax base, but contribute to the breakdown of the road surfaces.

To put the results of this ordinance in context, a 20 gallon tank vehicle, that was completely empty at the time of fill up, would cost the average user an additional $1 at the pump. If you assume this vehicle is filled up once per week, then the total approximate annual cost to the average user would be $52 for the year.

Should you have any concerns or questions, please contact the Office of Management & Budget or the County Manager's Office at (904) 530-6010.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office

8/13/18 @ 9:00 a.m. - Below are public meetings scheduled for this week:

Board of County Commissioners

• Regular Meeting(s): Monday, August 13th at 6:00 p.m. and Wednesday, August 15th at 9:00 a.m., Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097
• Recreation Workshop: Wednesday, August 15th at 9:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter as matter may be heard, following the regularly scheduled meeting. Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097
  

Ask the County Manager Meeting

• Tuesday, August 14th at 3:00 p.m., Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Code Enforcement Board

• Tuesday, August 14th at 6:30 p.m., Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Meeting

• Wednesday, August 15th at 4:00 p.m., Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

Agendas can be located on our website.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office