Press Release

By Nassau County Board of County Commissioners

07-12-224

Paving the Way to a Better Nassau

In September 2020, the County secured RoadBotics, an enterprise firm specializing in road and infrastructure assessments, to conduct an unbiassed survey of all the County’s existing 437 miles of paved roads and to provide feedback on current conditions. The information gathered was used to develop a robust, Pavement Management Plan that guides the County in preventative maintenance.

The Board adopted the new Pavement Management Plan on August 22, 2021, utilizing a 22-year cycle for ranking, prioritizing, and budgeting purposes. Prior to adoption of the Pavement Management Plan, roadways could only be resurfaced every 86 years. However since adoption of the Pavement Management Plan in 2021, 176 roads have been resurfaced. 

Upon adoption of the Pavement Management Plan, County Manager Taco Pope stated, “This Plan not only improves quality of life by having the roads resurfaced more frequently, the County benefits from a fiscal sustainability standpoint as well. One of the biggest problems jurisdictions face is the inability to maintain their infrastructure. You all (the Board) should be very proud that you have a proactive approach to pavement management. Nassau County is moving in a very positive direction”. 

Below is a short video that explains the process for ranking roads and getting dirt roads prepped and ready for paving. It also includes a testimonial from a resident on Coopers Neck Road explaining how newly chip sealed roads in his neighborhood have positively benefitted the community. Thank you for watching to see all the hard work by men and women of the Road Department and celebrating the progress of the Board of County Commissioner’s Pavement Management Plan. 

NCAS Maintains No-Kill Status, Earns Award

Nassau County Animal Services maintained no-kill status in 2023, according to Best Friends Animal Society’s annual data report. Shelters receiving the no-kill recognition award saved more than 90% of the dogs and cats in their care in calendar year 2023. 

Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters in 2025, recognizes this incredible achievement as one that can be replicated by other shelters in around the State.

“This award represents extraordinary leadership, both within your organization and the broader animal welfare movement,” said Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, “I want to acknowledge and thank the organizations around the country who work tirelessly to save lives, helping move us closer to ending the killing of cats and dogs in shelters in 2025.”

Learn more

Monthly Newsletter

Attached is the May 2024 edition of the Board of County Commissioner’s Newsletter. This monthly publication features a variety of information related to projects and activities for the departments under the Board. It also includes information about road projects, special events, adopted policies and procedures, budget discussions, and more!

Commissioners Huppmann and Farmer Earn 

ACC I Designation

Commissioners A.M. “Hupp” Huppmann and Klynt Farmer were both presented with the Advanced County Commissioner Level I (ACC I) designation from the Institute for County Government (ICG) at an award ceremony held at the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) Annual Conference and Educational Exhibition in Orange County, Florida. 

The ACC I designation is the first level of leadership achievement in the Advanced County Commissioner Program offered by ICG and signifies the completion of 27 hours of coursework

Learn more

New Shade Structures

The Nassau County Parks & Recreation Open Space Master Plan adopted on January 25, 2021, established a set of guidelines (known as the Nassau Package) to bring all existing parks to a minimum standard. Basic facilities and amenities identified included: playgrounds, drinking fountains, restrooms, shade structures, benches, multipurpose lawns and courts, preserved nature areas, pavilions and more. 

As part of this initiative, playgrounds were added to the Bryceville and Hilliard Ballparks within the last 12 months. We are excited to announce that this week, the Parks Department has begun installing shade structures at the Yulee Ballpark. Callahan and Hilliard will follow in the coming weeks. 

2024 Primary Election – Important Dates

Supervisor of Elections Janet Adkins released this graphic regarding important dates for the 2024 Primary Election. The last date to change party affiliation is Monday, July 22nd. Early voting begins August 7 and runs through August 17th. During this time, you can vote at any voting location. On Election Day, however (August 20th) you can only vote at your designated polling place. That information can be found on your voter registration card or by visiting the SOE site. 

Questions? Call (904) 491-7500.

Transit Study Virtual Town Hall

Over the past year, Nassau County and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) have conducted a study on public transportation and gathered input from the community through a series of surveys, open houses and appearances at local events. The purpose of the study was to analyze existing conditions and the changing landscape of the County, in order to develop a plan to enhance transit service within the County, as well as exploring connections to neighboring transportation providers in the region. The outcome of the study will be a set of short-term and long-term recommendations for transportation investments and strategies. 

A presentation regarding the preliminary results and recommendations is available for review on JTA’s website. Please watch the video presentation and provide feedback right there on the website. You can remain anonymous. Your feedback will help shape the future or our transit system. The deadline to respond is Friday, July 26th.  

If you have any questions, please contact Jeremy Norsworthy, Program Manager for the JTA, at (904) 632-5544 or via e-mail at [email protected]. 

Amelia Island Voted No. 2 “Best Island” by Travel + Leisure

Turtle Talk Tuesday

This week for Turtle Talk Tuesday, we wanted to re-share this video of Lynda Bell, Executive Director for Keep Nassau Beautiful, discussing the devastating effects that plastic bags can have on marine life, particularly nesting sea turtles. As a resident or a visitor, you can help keep our marine life safe by ensuring that all plastics are removed from the beach before leaving. You can take one step further by ensuring that your plastics are recycled. Nassau County has FREE recycling bins at three sites in the County: 86200 Gene Lasserre Blvd. in Yulee, 7282 Motes Road in Bryceville, and the Convenience Recycle Center located at 46026 Landfill Road in Callahan. 

Bicentennial & Nassau Vision 2050 Activities

e had a great time celebrating Independence Day at the Callahan Fairgrounds. Thank you to the Towns of Callahan and Hilliard for organizing the event and for allowing Nassau County to be a part of it. Thank you as well to everyone who took time to visit our Nassau Vision 2050 tent to provide feedback that will guide the County in updating policies that will promote and manage growth, protect and enhance key areas of importance, help the County to accommodate future trends, and provide the necessary baseline for an update to the County Comprehensive Plan. 

If you were unable to visit the Nassau Vision 2050 tent, you can still provide your feedback by completing the Community Building Blocks survey on our Nassau Vision 2050 website. Here you can also find information about the timelines of process, project updates, and information about upcoming Nassau Vision 2050 opportunities. 

To view pictures from the event, please click here.

Community Building Blocks Survey

The County launched Nassau Florida Vision 2050, a collaborative 18-month process involving local leaders, residents, businesses, and stakeholders to shape the future of our community.

The project kicked off with extensive community engagement and a review of the County’s plans, studies, and existing conditions. Based on this input, draft “Community Building Blocks” have been developed, outlining core values that will guide recommendations and strategies for the Vision plan. Residents, business owners, and other community members are encouraged to share their thoughts on the Building Blocks through a new survey. The survey asks respondents to:

● Identify which values resonate with them.

● Describe their ideas for what these values could look like in practice.

Once participants take the quick 5-question survey, they will be entered in a raffle to win a local prize or experience in the County.

Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/nassaubuildingblocks.

To learn more about the project, Nassau County Bicentennial events, and ways to get involved, please visit www.nassaufl2050.com.

Upcoming Meetings & Events

The next movie to be featured in our Summer Movies Series is “Grease”, a 1978 classic with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John. Good girl Sandy (Olivia Newton John) falls in love with bad boy Danny Zuko (John Travolta) over summer break. When summer ends, they unexpectedly discover they’re at the same high school and Danny has a hard time living up to his macho image and being a good boyfriend to Sandy.

The movie has a running time of 1 hr. and 50 minutes and is rated PG.

Timeline of Event: 

6:00 p.m.

Event opens with music, food trucks and class cars by Amelia Cruizers

7:00 p.m.

Grease Costume Contest

7:45 p.m.

Music Trivia

8:45

Show time

The event will take place tonight, Friday, July 12, 2024, at Peters Point Beach Front Park located at 4600 Peters Point Road, Fernandina Beach. The event will open at 6pm with food trucks, music, and a classic car display by Amelia Cruizers. There will also be a Grease costume contest and movie trivia.

Budget Workshop

The Board of County Commissioners has scheduled a Workshop for Monday, July 22, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. for a presentation and discussion of the tentative budget for the 24/25 Fiscal Year which begins on October 1, 2024. The meeting will take place in the County’s Commission Chambers located at 96135 Nassau Place,

Yulee, FL 32097.

The public is welcome to attend the meeting. Can’t attend in person? No problem! You can follow along from home at https://www.nassauclerk.com/watch-meetings/. Videos are also available following the conclusion of the meeting so you can watch anytime at your convenience.

In accordance with American with Disabilities Act, persons needing a reasonable accommodation to participate in the proceeding should contact the County Manager’s Office at [email protected], 96135 Nassau Place, Suite 1, Yulee, FL 32097, Phone No. (904) 530-6010, not later than seventy-two (72) hours prior to the proceeding. If you are hearing impaired or voice impaired, please call the Florida Relay Service at 711 or toll free at 1-800-955-8771 (TTY).