Category Archives: City News
A Challenging Week for Fernandina Beach
By April L. Bogle The Fernandina Beach City Commission considered and ruled on several contentious [...]
May
Tringali Neighbors File Appeal to ‘Stop the Domino Effect’
Neighbors of the Tringali property in downtown Fernandina Beach and their supporters announced yesterday they [...]
May
Knocke Group Gets Bingo Banned, but Pride Event Is Still On
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach Pride has quickly pivoted, replacing bingo with various games for [...]
May
City Commission Votes 4-1 to Approve ‘Tringali’ Townhome Subdivision, Citizens Considering Lawsuit
By April L. Bogle Twelve townhomes are one step closer to being built in a [...]
May
Knocke Group Trying to Halt Pride Bingo Event
By Mike Lednovich Citizens Defending Freedom is attempting to stop a Drag Queen Bingo event [...]
May
Search Committee Agrees on One Thing: No Looking Back
By Mike Lednovich The chairman of the Citizens City Manager Search Committee sparked a conversation [...]
May
Another Major Debate: Townhouses in a Single-Family Neighborhood
By April L. Bogle Tonight’s city commission meeting is likely to include another long debate [...]
May
No Vote Tuesday on Solar Array Proposal
By Mike Lednovich There will be no vote Tuesday by the city commission to amend [...]
May
Solar Farm Proposed on Heavily Wooded Airport Land
By Mike Lednovich The leaseholder of Amelia River Golf Course wants to clear-cut 36 acres [...]
May
Commentary: When is a Public Prayer Out of Line?
By Linda Hart Green “Will you offer a prayer, Reverend?” I have been asked that [...]
May
Future of Sports Fields Is a Stinker of a Problem
By Mike Lednovich Where will kids play soccer? That question was mulled by the City [...]
May
Advisory Board Will Tackle The Downtown Parking Issue
By Mike Lednovich The chairman of the Community Redevelopment Area Advisory Board (CRAAB) wants the [...]
May
Commentary: Mr. Nicklas Has Opinions. Now, Here Are The Facts
By Chip Ross Steve Nicklas writes an opinion column called “Steve’s Marketplace” for the Amelia [...]
May
Hours of Pride Comments, But No Change
By April L. Bogle Mayor Bradley Bean announced at last night’s City Commission meeting that [...]
May
City Attorney: Don’t Cancel Pride Events
By April L. Bogle Fernandina Beach City Attorney Tammi Bach will advise city commissioners against [...]
May
Knocke Pushes to Cancel Pride Parade, Festival
By April L. Bogle Citizens Defending Freedom-Nassau (CDF-Nassau) is asking Fernandina Beach cty commissioners to [...]
May
Commentary: Bad Advice on ‘Special Privileges’ for Developers
By Faith Ross Recently Tammi Bach, the Fernandina Beach City Attorney, gave a workshop for [...]
May
Commentary: The Law Is Clear. Deny the Tringali Townhouses
By Taina Cristner In early 2006, at the beginning of the aughts’ housing bubble, the [...]
Apr
Here’s a Special Way to Love the Beach
By Shari Roan Along with the maritime forest, Amelia Island is best known among nature [...]
Apr
Study Shows Rates for a Self-Supporting Marina
By Mike Lednovich The Marina Advisory Board will discuss rates at its May 22 meeting. [...]
Apr
At First Meeting, Citizens Say Walking and Cycling Safety Is Worse
By Mike Spino At the first public series of meetings this week about walking and [...]
Apr
Election Fraud Speakers Find an Audience Here
By April L. Bogle A former law professor and a businessman turned podcaster preached their [...]
Apr
City Commission Goes Big-Time in Manager Search
By Mike Phillips For several weeks after firing former City Manager Dale Martin, a majority [...]
Apr
Commission OKs Legal Support for Ethics Charge
Fernandina Beach city commissioners voted at Tuesday night’s meeting to approve paying legal fees for [...]
Apr
Citizens Give Commission Some Jobs to Do on Manager Search
By Mike Lednovich The citizens committee tasked with advising the City Commission on finding the [...]
Apr
2023 Waste Contract: Once-a-Week Garbage
By Chip Ross The first reading of the city’s new agreement with Waste Management will [...]
Apr
Art Auction to Support Police Good Works
The Fernandina Beach Police Foundation (FBPF) is holding a ticketed VIP art auction to benefit [...]
Apr
A Dirty Trick at Le Clos Turned Remodel Into Oblivion
By Dylan Bailey Le Clos has made another official statement on its Facebook page, retracting [...]
Apr
Ethics Charge Filed Against Vice Mayor
By Mike Lednovich Vice Mayor David Sturges is facing an ethics investigation by the Florida [...]
Apr
Beloved Le Clos Abruptly Closes
By Dylan Bailey Le Clos, an iconic Fernandina historic district restaurant since 1996 is no [...]
Apr
City Manager Search: Back to Square One
By Mike Lednovich Executive search firm Strategic Government Resources says it will not provide only [...]
Apr
Walker? Cyclist? Here’s Your Chance to Be Heard
The new Citizens’ Task Force for Safe Walking and Biking in Fernandina Beach invites the [...]
Apr
Walking/Cycling Safety Study Needs Your Ideas
Fernandina Beach citizen surveys reveal that safe and accessible walking and biking is a priority [...]
Apr
Who’s On First? Commission Wrestles With Manager Process
By Mike Phillips The most important item on yesterday’s city commission agenda was billed as [...]
Apr
It’s Almost Time to Build Another City Budget: How That Happens
By Suanne Thamm There is never a good time to be without a permanent, full-time [...]
Apr
A Recognized Tree City Third Time
Fernandina Beach once again has been recognized as a Tree City by the international program, [...]
Mar
Commentary: A Deceit Beyond the Pale
By Mike Phillips Over the years I’ve lost track of how many city commissions and [...]
Mar
Other Proposed Search Advisor is a Mystery Man from 2012 On
By Mike Lednovich Not much was known about the city commission’s appointment of Richard Sala [...]
Mar
Search Committee ‘Advisor’ Knew Nothing About It
By Mike Lednovich A long tenured former city manager who was voted by the [...]
Mar
City Manager Search Group Launched — With Surprise Advisors
By Mike Phillips In a Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting made up primarily of routine [...]
Mar
Commentary: What Will it Take to Be United in Keeping Our Paradise?
By Suanne Thamm Hatfields vs. McCoys. Sharks vs. Jets. Natives vs. Newbies. Isn’t it about [...]
Mar
Why a Mine in Georgia is Our Problem, Too
EDITOR’S NOTE: Many Nassau County residents don’t know that St. Marys Riverkeeper, as part of [...]
Mar
Cement Exodus Update
As of Saturday morning, with the port shut down and no trucks running, there were [...]
Mar
Friend of Sturges Pressured Antun to Terminate Martin
By April L. Bogle William Bailey, a friend of Fernandina Beach City Commissioner David Sturges, [...]
Mar
Florida Main Street Day Is Coming Up
Tallahassee – Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced today, March 15 as this year’s [...]
Mar
News Commentary: Commission’s City Manager Search Gets Off to a Ragged Start
By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach is searching for its most important executive, the city manager. [...]
Mar
The Scramble to Fire a City Manager — And Then What?
By April L. Bogle This article highlights milestones leading up to and following the Feb. [...]
Mar
Commentary: A Good City Manager is Hard to Find — And Too Easy to Fire
Editor’s note: This commentary first appeared in 2015, but it’s as fresh as it was [...]
Mar
Port Commission Will Vote on its Plan March 8
The Ocean Highway Port Authority (OHPA) commissioners are preparing to vote on a final version [...]
Feb
Commentary: More Questions than Transparency in Firing
THAMM-O-GRAMM By Suanne Thamm When Vice Mayor David Sturges showed up at the City Commission [...]
Feb
As Expected, City Manager Fired
By Mike Phillips Was it a done deal? Of course it was. Well before the [...]
Feb
City Manager’s Comments – Capital
By Dale Martin, City Manager In last week’s recap of the city commission’s annual goal-setting [...]
Feb
Why the Tringali Townhouse Proposal Was Taken Off the Table
By Tammi Bach Fernandina Beach City Attorney I have reviewed application materials, engineered plans, emails [...]
Feb
City Manager’s Comments – Visioning
By Dale Martin, City Manager Earlier this week, the City Commission convened for its annual [...]
Feb
Port Decisions Coming into the Final Weeks
By Mike Phillips What was expected to be a conclusive port commissioners meeting last evening [...]
Feb
Commentary: A Voice of Reason from Suanne Thamm
Dear Readers: Some of you may remember that before I wrote for the Fernandina Observer, [...]
Feb
Late Commission News: a Move to Fire the City Manager
By Mike Lednovich Citing a litany of mismanagement and lack of communication, Vice Mayor David [...]
Feb
Big, Mysterious Surprise on Townhouse Proposal
By Mike Phillips City Hall was packed last night. Standing room only of citizens, many [...]
Feb
Commentary: Eminent Attorney Challenges City Attorney on Important Land-Use Case
Editor’s note: The following piece of advice to the Fernandina Beach City Commission was written [...]
Feb
Worldwide, Cement Dust is a Serious Issue
Editor’s note: I’m very liberal about reader comments. So long as you aren’t calling [...]
Feb
City Manager’s Comments – Projects
By Dale Martin, City Manager Included in this year’s budget are several capital projects. Here [...]
Feb
Huge Concrete Dust Bags Rupture at Port
By Mike Lednovich Residents of the historic downtown neighborhood near the Port [...]
Feb
Commentary: Does This City Want to Lose $500,000 a Year on its Marina?
By Chip Ross Ten years ago, when former Commissioner Pat Gass asked when the city [...]
Feb
It’s a Non-Partisan City Government — But Are You Sure?
By April L. Bogle I don’t know anyone who wants the political battles being fought [...]
Jan
Cruise Ships Top Concern at Port Authority Open House
By Mike Lednovich French mathematician Narges Obaid famously said: “Don’t trust everything you see. Even [...]
Jan
City Manager’s Comments – Nate Coyle
By Dale Martin, City Manager Next week, the city will lose one of its most [...]
Jan
Calling All Port Questioners – Final Open House
If you have any questions, concerns or fresh ideas about the Port of Fernandina Beach, [...]
Jan
Commentary: Townhouses in a Neighborhood That Cherishes Its History – and the Law
By Julie Ferreira The Fernandina Beach City Commission is poised to make a significant decision [...]
Jan
Commentary: A Rebuttal of a Rebuttal on Waterfront Plans
By Bob Allison I read with interest Commissioner Chip Ross’s rebuttal to my article about [...]
Jan
City Manager’s Comments – Henry
By Dale Martin, City Manager Henry Centrella was released (supervised) from prison earlier this week. [...]
Jan
A Starring Role for Trees at City Hall
It was a good evening for trees at this week’s Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting. [...]
Jan
Commentary: Much Ado Over an Old Waterfront Plan
Editor’s note: It’s unusual, I know, for one news organization to publish a rebuttal to [...]
Jan
COMMENTARY: A Proud and Fearless Day, 45 Years Later
By Alexandra R. Lajoux Yesterday in Fernandina Beach, our community hosted the biggest local parade [...]
Jan
COMMENTARY: Why the Rush to Change City Elections?
By Genece Minshew Well, that did not take long. Less than a month in office, [...]
Jan
Port-City Meeting Worked in More Ways Than One
By Mike Phillips The city commission and port executives and commissioners had a mutually respectful [...]
Jan