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

8/8/22 @ 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

4/22/22 @ 11:30 a.m. - The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) is conducting a feasibility study to evaluate the possibility of extending Pages Dairy Road to provide additional east/west connections and alleviate traffic on State Road 200. Two viable segments have been identified. The first segment would extend Pages Dairy Road across Chester to Blackrock Road. The second segment would extend it even further from Blackroad Road to Barnwell Road.

The TPO has created a community survey in an effort to learn more about how residents are currently utilizing Pages Dairy Road and whether there is community support for the project. The survey can be accessed here and takes about 3-5 minutes to complete. At the end of the survey you will be given an option to provide your name and email address to receive updates about the project. Please note that this section is optional. The survey will close on May 7th so don't delay!

If you have any questions, please contact County Engineer, Robert Companion, at (904) 530-6225 or via email a rcompanion@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

4/1/22 @ 2:15 p.m. - The Engineering Services Department hosted a community meeting yesterday evening to share details about the William Burgess Extension Project. This project will extend the existing William Burgess Blvd. across U.S. 17 to Theresa Road and will include a signalized intersection, multi-purpose path with enhanced landscaping and benches, a sidewalk, and improvements designed to reduce congestion on Miner Road at Yulee High and Yulee Middle School. The project will also improve mobility by providing another east/west road parallel to State Road 200.

The meeting began with a presentation by GAI Consultants, Inc., the engineering firm who designed the plan. A copy of the presentation can be found here.

The presentation was followed by a Q&A Session with County Engineer, Robert Companion. The community asked a lot of great questions and it appeared that everyone in attendance was happy with the information received. Thank you to everyone who joined us.

If you were unable to attend and have questions, feel free to reach out to Mr. Companion at (904) 530-6225 or via e-mail at rcompanion@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

12/8/21 @ 3:35 p.m. - Nassau County Engineering Services hosted an Open House on Monday, December 6th to share information about the Amelia Island Parkway Trail, a four-phase project totaling 3.2 miles in length from S. Fletcher Avenue to 8th Street.

About 25 residents were in attendance to hear the discussion which included information about the overall trail which will connect to the existing trail network on the island and eventually extend off-island.

County Engineer, Robert Companion, also shared information about Phase One which will span from S. Fletcher Avenue to Via Del Ray. This phase is anticipated to being in the summer of 2022. Funding is being provided by the Florida Department of Transportation through a Local Agency Program Agreement.

Residents in attendance seemed very pleased with the information that was presented, particularly when they learned that no trees or root systems will be impacted from this phase of the project. The goal is to also ensure that future phases also minimize or eliminate tree impacts wherever possible.

If you have any questions, please contact Engineering Services at (904) 530-6225.

-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer

12/1/21 @ 4:50 p.m. - The Nassau County Engineering Services Department will host an Open House on Monday, December 6th at 5:30 p.m. regarding the Amelia Island Parkway Trail, a four-phase project totaling 3.2 miles in length from South Fletcher Avenue to South 8th Street.

The first segment spans from S. Fletcher Avenue to Via Del Ray, just north of Buccaneer Trail. The trail is proposed to be 10' wide and is intended to provide safe and efficient pedestrian and cyclist mobility along Amelia Island Parkway. Construction is estimated to begin in the Summer of 2022 and funding is provided by the Florida Department of Transportation through a Local Agency Program Agreement.

What: Open House re: Discussion of Amelia Island Parkway Trail
When: Monday, December 6, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Commission Chambers, 96135 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097

If you have any questions, please contact Engineering Services at (904) 530-6225.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

Update:
6/23/21 @ 3:30 p.m.
The traffic cabinet has been replaced the light is now functioning properly.

6/23/21 @ 10:10 a.m. - As you may have noticed this morning on your commute to work, the light at Amelia Concourse and North Hampton is currently out. The traffic cabinet was struck by lighting yesterday evening. Our Traffic Specialist are actively working on replacing the cabinet, with hopes that it will be completed before the end of the business day.

you have any questions, please contact Engineering Services at (904) 530-6225.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

4/6/21 @ 8:45 a.m. - The Nassau County Engineering Services Department will be performing nighttime maintenance/repairs of traffic lights on Thursday, April 8, 2021 from 10pm-6pm. This will require lane closures as noted below:

• State Road 200 and US 17, outside westbound left turn lane (onto east US 17) (10pm-1m)
• US 17 and State Road 200, northbound turn lane (west onto SR200) (10pm-1am)
• 8th Street and TJ Courson, northbound and southbound turn lanes (1am-3am)
• 8th Street and TJ Courson, eastbound and westbound turn lanes (3am-6am)

If you have any questions, please contact Chris Dixon, Senior Signal Specialist, at (904) 753-4238 or via email at cdixon@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

10/21/20 @ 9:40 a.m. - Attached is Engineering Services' monthly newsletter. It includes important updates on MANY engineering projects including but not limited to: transportation (road) projects, the Thomas Creek PAS Study, drainage projects, trail projects, proposed developments and more.

If you have any questions, please contact Engineering Services at (904) 530-6225 or email rcompanion@nassaucountyfl.com.

-Sabrina Robertson
 County Manager's Office