County Council roundup

Realty Builder
NEFBA

Nassau

Proposed Fernandina Beach LDC change: A citizen’s proposal to change the Fernandina Beach Land Development Code to prohibit certain hazardous materials and heavy industrial activities, coal transfer, and passenger ships in excess of 500 passengers is being discussed in workshops by the city’s Planning Advisory Board. The proposal is opposed by several industries in Nassau County, including the Port of Fernandina, RockTenn and Rayonier. One point of contention was the method the proposal was evaluated before it came to the Planning Advisory Board. Industry representatives expressed concerns that the plan was not adequately reviewed and assessed for consistency with the city’s comprehensive plan.

Builders Council: Palmer Kuder [email protected] and (904) 725-4355

Duval

NEFBA’s Government Affairs Committee: The monthly Government Affairs Committee has changed its meeting day to the fourth Thursday of the month. The next meeting is 8:30 a.m. April 23. The meeting is still at the NEFBA offices, 103 Century 21 Drive, Suite 100.

Planning director resigns: Calvin Burney, Jacksonville’s planning director since 2011, resigned his position in late February. The city’s Planning and Development Department was often labeled “overly bureaucratic” by City Council members and customers of the department during Burney’s tenure in office. Folks Huxford is serving as the acting director.

Snipe sign fee increase bill: After months of being deferred, a bill to increase fines on snipe signs has been sent back to the Blight Commission for revision after encountering opposition in the Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee. The bill had several amendments recommended by council members to make the bill more palatable, but the committee determined the bill needed work before it could move forward.

Duval County Issues: Jessie Spradley, [email protected] and (904) 725-4355

Clay

Transportation infrastructure funding: The long-awaited Clay County Transportation Infrastructure Study was presented to the Board of County Commissioners. The study, produced by RS&H, identifies more than $250 million of priority infrastructure improvements that need to be made and identifies several possible sources of income to fund the improvements. Currently the only source of funding for the listed projects is the infrastructure sales tax, which is set to expire in 2019. If extended, the surtax would generate $183 million, leaving the county with a funding gap around $72 million. The county is considering several options to fill that gap, including increasing the fuel tax and removing the moratorium on impact fees. The current moratorium is set to expire in June.

Builders Council: Jessie Spradley, [email protected] and (904) 725-4355

St. Johns

Revenue source search: The St. Johns Board of County Commissioners held a special meeting in February to solicit public input regarding the challenge of balancing available revenues with community expectations. After a brief presentation outlining the county’s current and projected financial environment, the board received public feedback pertaining to the issues related to the funding of future services including transportation projects, the Fire Rescue Department, the Sheriff’s Office, parks, recreational programming, social services, library facilities and programming, beach management and other important community services. The county commissioners have since approved a motion directing staff to explore the feasibility of a new revenue source, and that process is currently underway.

Builders Council: Leona Brown, [email protected] and (904) 725-4355