-Sabrina Robertson
County Manager's Office
Welcome to beautiful Nassau County, located in the northeast corner of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and Interstate 95. We are proud to serve as the Eastern Gateway to the Sunshine State. From our historic island, sandy beaches, and championship golf courses to our scenic rivers, green pastures, and majestic timberlands, we truly offer something for everyone.
Good morning Nassau County! These photos were taken at the southend walkover at 9am this morning. We are looking forward to another great day and hope everyone continues their social distancing at the beach.
-Sabrina Robertson County Manager's Office
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5/1/20 @ 10:00 p.m. - These photos were taken at 4pm today at Peters Point. Once again, everyone was social distancing. What a great first day with the beaches reopened.
-Sabrina Robertson County Manager's Office 5/1/20 @ 1:45 p.m. - The mid-day check reveals that everyone is still adhering to the social distancing guidelines. Keep up the great work everyone! The above photos were taken at Peters Point, American Beach and Scott Rd. Each individual photo has a stamp showing the location, date and time the photo was taken.
-Sabrina Robertson County Manager's Office 5/1/20 @ 11:30 a.m. - These are photos of Peters Point shared by a resident at 9:20 this morning. Great job Nassau County residents for social distancing so far!
We will continue to monitor all County beaches throughout the day and will share photos. -Sabrina Robertson County Manager's Office FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sabrina Robertson Public Information Officer (904) 530-6010 [email protected] Opening of County Beaches Nassau County, Florida, April 30, 2020- At yesterday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, the Board voted to reopen County beaches (Peters Point south to State Park) effective beginning Friday, May 1, 2020. Beaches will be open each day from 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Beaches, parking lots, and beach walkovers will close at 9:01 p.m. and remain closed until 5:59 a.m. Most normal uses such as walking, sitting, laying out, swimming, fishing, surfing, and playing in the sand will be allowed subject to following CDC guidelines for social distancing. Please note that beach driving (except for official vehicles used by the Sheriff, Fire Department, turtle patrol, and State agencies), camping and commercial activities such as horseback riding is not allowed at this time. It’s also important to note that lifeguards will not be on duty until Monday, May 4th. There had been previous discussion to limit parking to Nassau County residents, however that specific provision was not approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Parking areas will be open on a first come, first served basis. Emergency Management Director, Greg Foster, participated in the meeting and while he didn’t have concerns about reopening the beaches, he did state, “COVID-19 is still a danger. Residents need to remain vigilant and continue to maintain social distancing guidelines as recommended by the Center for Disease Control”. The Board echoed his comments. Chairman Leeper added, “We are confident that residents will do the right thing and follow those CDC guidelines by remaining six feet apart and limiting groups to 10 or less”. The Board’s first priority is still the health and safety of Nassau County residents. Governor DeSantis provided an update yesterday indicating that the pandemic has not affected Florida as badly as originally expected and introduced phase one of his Florida recovery plan. This was a major factor in the Board’s decision to go ahead and reopen the beaches. Should it be determined that individuals are not following CDC guidelines, the Board may be forced to reevaluate beach use again in the future. Individuals who have concerns and those who are considered to be most vulnerable should continue to shelter in place to the extent possible. Note: The City of Fernandina Beach made a decision yesterday to open their beaches (the area between Ft. Clinch State Park and Peters Point) beginning at 6am on Monday, May 4, 2020. ********************************************************************************** Should you have any questions, please contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sabrina Robertson Public Information Officer (904) 530-6010 [email protected] Opening of County Beaches Nassau County, Florida, April 28, 2020- We have received information that Governor DeSantis may not extend the stay-at-home order which expires at midnight on Thursday, April 30th. In anticipation of this, County staff is developing a new procedure to re-open County beaches for normal activities (excluding beach driving, camping, horseback riding and commercial activities) while following CDC guidelines and other restrictions. This would include requirements to maintain social distancing and to limit groups to no more than 10 individuals, and any other restrictions deemed necessary to protect the health of the residents. In an effort to prevent overcrowding, the County Manager will also be recommending that only individuals with Nassau County registered vehicles be allowed to use the beach access parking areas. Vehicles not registered in Nassau County would be subject to a $500 fine. Please note that this plan will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners at their Special Meeting taking place on Wednesday, April 29th at 11:30 a.m. A separate Press Release will be issued containing additional details should the Board vote tomorrow to proceed with a complete re-opening on Friday, May 1st. The meeting is open to the public with limited seating, however you are encouraged to watch the meeting remotely from the Clerk’s website: www.nassauclerk.com. If you have comments you would like included in the record, please email them to [email protected] no later than 10:30 a.m. the morning of the meeting. Include your name, address and the message you are trying to relay. You may also leave a voicemail at (904) 530-6009. Please note that if numerous emails or messages are regarding the same topic, all may not be read out loud during the meeting, however all will be submitted and retained as part of the permanent record. If you would like an opportunity to speak at the meeting, please email or call as directed above. Include your name, address, phone number and the topic you are calling about. You will be contacted during the meeting. ********************************************************************************** Should you have any questions, please contact the County Manager’s Office at (904) 530-6010. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sabrina Robertson Public Information Officer (904) 530-6010 [email protected] Opening of County Beaches Nassau County, Florida, April 23, 2020- The Board of County Commissioners held a Special Meeting yesterday which included a discussion related to the beaches in the unincorporated area (Peters Point south to the State Park). During the meeting, each member of the Board expressed a desire to have the beach opened as soon as possible to provide residents with additional outdoor space to enjoy and to stimulate the local economy. Many individuals have suggested that the beach just be opened to County residents. However, legal counsel has advised that the Board cannot legally open the beach to some and not others. As a tourist destination, opening the beach will increase tourists to the area and there are still concerns about individuals coming here from areas where COVID-19 is widespread. After some discussion, the Board determined that they will re-open portions of County beaches beginning Wednesday, May 6, 2020, from 6am-noon to allow for activities such as walking, running, exercising and fishing. No stationary activities such as sunbathing and sitting will be allowed at this time. The May 6th date was selected to coordinate with the State (Ft. Clinch and south Amelia Island) and the City of Fernandina Beach as to their opening. The County will coordinate with both and install signage with the rules that have been implemented and coordinate deputies needed to monitor activities on the beach. Additionally, the City of Fernandina Beach has been unable to begin lifeguard training due to social distancing requirements. They have indicated that they can begin training right away and are optimistic that the training will be completed by May 4th. (The City provides lifeguards for County beaches through an interlocal agreement that is in place) The Board indicated that they would like to see all beaches on the island open simultaneously. Should the City of Fernandina or the State open their beaches prior to May 6th, the Board will consider opening their beaches sooner as well. It’s important to note that should beaches open prior to the lifeguard training being finished, water activities such as swimming and surfing will not be permitted immediately. The Board realizes that many residents were hoping for a full opening of beaches right away, however they believe that a systematic opening is important to ensure we don’t have a surge of visitors and that social distancing is maintained until COVID-19 cases begin to decline. They trust that having a date set will give residents confidence that things will return to normal soon. PUBLIC INFORMATION RELEASE
Contact: Sabrina Robertson Public Information Officer (904) 530-6010 [email protected] Update on County Beaches Nassau County, Florida, April 20, 2020 –The Board of County Commissioners has scheduled a Special Meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, to extend the local State of Emergency. The Commissioners are also adding a discussion of County beaches to its agenda. Nassau County beaches were closed on Sunday, March 22nd in accordance with Executive Order No. 2. While beaches have remained closed, the County has continued to discuss specific ways to allow some limited use of the beaches without impacting the health and safety of residents. County Commissioners still have concerns about public health and enforcement if beaches are reopened. The County has received hundreds of emails and phone calls from residents on both sides of the issue; approximately half wanting the beaches reopened now and approximately half wanting them to remain closed until the pandemic passes. Government officials are attempting to make decisions in the best interest of residents. Officials had originally hoped other regional counties would work in concert to open beaches to prevent a surge to one area. County officials were taken by surprise last weekend when Duval county opened without communicating their plans to surrounding county governments. This process added to the frustration for local residents who want our beaches opened now, in spite of the fact that COVID-19 cases in Nassau are still increasing. Nassau County's main priority is the safety of its residents. Officials will continue to consult with health care professionals and members of the medical field until there is confidence that opening the beaches will not cause adverse effects to the community and that appropriate resources are available to monitor usage. Opening the beaches, even for limited use, will likely increase visitors to the area and could increase the risk of spreading COVID-19 in Nassau County. Wednesday’s special meeting is open to the public with limited seating. You are encouraged to watch the meeting remotely from the Clerk’s website: www.nassauclerk.com. If you have comments you would like included in the record, please email them to [email protected] no later than 9:00 a.m. the morning of the meeting. Include your name, address and the message you are trying to relay. You may also leave a voicemail at (904) 530-6009. Please note that if numerous emails or messages are regarding the same topic, all may not be read out loud during the meeting, however all will be submitted and retained as part of the permanent record. If you would like an opportunity to speak at the meeting, please email or call as directed above. Include your name, address, phone number and the topic you are calling about. You will be contacted during the meeting. 3/27/20 @ 5:30 p.m. - Yesterday, we conducted a Question and Answer session with County Attorney/County Manager, Mike Mullin. The questions used consisted of frequently asked questions we've had from residents since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Topics discussed included: beach closures; outdoor recreation; lodging establishments; monitoring of individuals arriving to the County from the New York Tri-State area; and simulated gaming establishments We hope that you find this information useful. -Sabrina Robertson County Manager's Office FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sabrina Robertson Public Information Officer (904) 530-6010 [email protected] Discussion Regarding Beaches in the County Nassau County, Florida, March 27, 2020 –On Monday, March 30, 2020, a discussion will be held regarding the beaches within the City and the unincorporated areas of the county. Those participating will be: County Manager/County Attorney, Mike Mullin; Assistant County Manager, Taco Pope; Danny Leeper, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners; City Manager, Dale Martin; City Commissioner, Dr. Chip Ross; Sheriff Bill Leeper; Emergency Management Director, Greg Foster; and Health Director, Dr. Eugenia Ngo-Seidel. As many of you know, the beaches were closed on Saturday, March 21, 2020, after portions of the beaches became overcrowded and concerns were expressed about the threat to public health due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We realize that this is a huge inconvenience to the public and we are exploring options to provide some limited access. During Monday’s discussion, the members will share thoughts from both the medical and enforcement aspect of how we can systematically address the beach including thoughts of amending current closure orders. The discussion topics will be provided to the City and County for their separate considerations. We appreciate your patience as we work through this unprecedented event. |
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