Category Archives: City News

City Manager’s Comments – Service Awards

By Dale Martin, City Manager The city work staff has not been immune to the [...]

City Manager’s Comments – Christmas

By Dale Martin, City Manager From the time that I first visited Fernandina Beach as [...]

A Dozen Questions for the Runoff Candidates: Genece Minshew

Editor’s note: After seeking questions from quite a number of thoughtful citizens, we boiled their [...]

City Manager’s Comments – Thanksgiving

By Dale Martin, City Manager November offers two significant days for me. One is singularly [...]

City Manager’s Comments – Election

By Dale Martin, City Manager Another biannual general election has closed. We can now pause [...]

Dear 15%: Come on in With the Rest of Us!

By Mike Phillips Observer Editor I learned two new words this election: undercount and overcount. [...]

City Races Go to Runoffs

Two Fernandina Beach City Commission runoffs are coming coming Dec. 13. Incumbent Mike Lednovich, who [...]

Fernandina Beach Voters Elect Bradley Bean New Mayor

By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Fernandina Beach, with a median resident age of 55, isn’t [...]

City Manager’s Comments – Flood Risk Ratings

By Dale Martin, City Manager The City Commission, through Resolution 2021-20, established a series of [...]

City To Manage Golf Course Three More Years

By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics The Fernandina Beach City Commission has committed the city to three more years managing the [...]

City Manager’s Comments – The Riverfront

By Dale Martin, City Manager An interesting facet of working at City Hall is the [...]

City Commission Essay by Candidate Staci McMonagle

Editor’s note: The Observer invited Fernandina Beach City Commission candidates to write an essay about [...]

City Backs County Land Conservation Bonds

By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics A bond plan to kick-start Nassau County’s land conservation, amid [...]

OHPA Does the Right Thing! Mayor is on Board

By Tammi Kosack October 25, 2022 It’s been a while since we’ve seen agreement between [...]

Matthew Federal Marina Money Finally Coming Through

By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Not every city has a collectively owned marina, but Fernandina Beach [...]

Candidate Essay by Darron Ayscue: Common Sense, Not Nonsense

Darron Ayscue for City Commission Seat 5, Fernandina Beach EDITOR’S NOTE: A few weeks ago, [...]

Candidate Essay by Mike Lednovich: Preserving Our City’s Quality of Life

Mike Lednovich for City Commission Seat 4, Fernandina Beach EDITOR’S NOTE: A few weeks ago, [...]

The Myth of City-County Discontent

By Dale Martin, City Manager In the midst of the current campaign season for two [...]

Candidate Essay by Genece Minshew: Better Ways to Get Things Done

Genece Minshew for City Commission Seat 5, Fernandina Beach EDITOR’S NOTE: A few weeks ago, [...]

City Manager’s Comments – Storm Assessment

By Dale Martin October 7, 2022 One week after Hurricane Ian (a tropical storm when [...]

Welcome to Fernandina Beach: A Kerfuffle Over the Sign

By Wes Wolfe Florida Politics Those wanting to turn Amelia Island into the sort of [...]

Garbage Service to Resume

Waste Management has announced that it will resume residential garbage pickup in Nassau County  on [...]

Evacuation Order Zones A and D

The Following is an Evacuation Order for Zones A and D – Hurricane Ian As [...]

A Wednesday Morning Update From the City Manager

Morning Update from Fernandina Beach City Manager By Dale Martin Fernandina Beach City Manager As [...]

Serious Nassau Advice from the Weather Service

Issued by Jacksonville – FL, US, National Weather Service Affected Area: Coastal Nassau County LOCATIONS AFFECTED [...]

City Emergency Declared

Fernandina Beach declares city emergency ahead of Hurrican Ian Joining the governor and the county, [...]

City Manager’s Comments – Front Street

By Dale Martin September 23, 2022 Although the most significant highlight of Tuesday evening’s City [...]

Commentary: Time for a New Bike at City Hall?

Editor’s note: The Observer has invited all seven City Commission candidates to submit an essay [...]

City Manager’s Weekly Comments – Trees

By Dale Martin September 16, 2022 As the current fiscal year nears its conclusion (Sept. [...]

City Manager’s Weekly Comments – National Community Survey Results

By Dale Martin September 2, 2022 The data from the City’s recent National Community Survey [...]

Bosque Bello Cemetery Gets New Landscapers

City of Fernandina Beach August 26, 2022 The rumors are true. Starting Monday, Aug. 29, [...]

City Manager’s Weekly Comments – Staff

By Dale Martin With the hiring of Ms. Catherine Vorrasi to lead the Parks and [...]

City Manager’s Weekly Comments – CRA Update

By Dale Martin At the joint meeting Monday evening between the City Commission (acting as [...]

City Manager’s Weekly Comments – City Streets

By Dale Martin   As the 2022-2023 budget process continues, a topic of significant discussion [...]

City’s Water Tower Takes on New Look

City of Fernandina Beach July 28, 2022

The City of Fernandina Beach 2022 Community Survey – Open to All CITY Residents

July 19, 2022 ~15 min survey Expires on 08/03/2022 Thank you for participating in the [...]

Weekly Comments from Dale Martin: Status Report on the Seawall

Submitted by Dale Martin Fernandina Beach City Manager July 15, 2022 As I work with [...]

McMonagle announces candidacy for Fernandina Beach City Commission Seat 5

Staci McMonagle, Candidate Fernandina Beach City Commission Seat 5 July 13, 2022 Staci McMonagle, a [...]

Update: Fernandina Beach Police Terminates Employment of Officer Accused of Date Rape

Fernandina Beach Police Department Jeff Tambasco, Deputy Chief Press Release July 7, 2022   On [...]

City of Fernandina Beach Qualifying Period for 2022 Commission Election: July 11-15

  Fernandina Beach City Clerk Caroline Best reminds City residents that the Qualifying Period for [...]

Weekly comments from Dale Martin – ” . . . let us enjoy one day of our togetherness.”

By Dale Martin City Manager Fernandina Beach July 1, 2022 Trivia question: Where was the [...]

Fernandina Beach Commissioners dive into tree protection controversy

By Wes Wolfe FloridaPolitics.com June 24, 2022 ‘Remember, our canopy’s 37%. We’re never going to [...]

Fernandina’s city beaches on path to smoking ban

By Wes Wolfe FloridaPolitics.com June 24, 2022 There is the cigar and pipe loophole, however. [...]

Weekly comments from Dale Martin – Capital Improvement Budget

By Dale Martin City Manager Fernandina Beach June 24, 2022 As City staff moves through [...]

Are We Losing Our Island Paradise? – An opinion

By Gerald Decker June 22, 2022 There is that danger for many, as local property [...]

Weekly Comments from City Manager Dale Martin: 13 ways to kill your community

By Dale Martin Fernandina Beach City Manager June 16, 2022   At the annual Florida [...]

Opinion: Serving no whines before their time

By Suanne Z. Thamm June 14, 2022 “Today we have reason to take heart. Fernandina [...]

Fernandina Beach tackles rising cost of garbage

By Wes Wolfe FloridaPolitics.com June 10, 2022 The city will open up a competitive bidding [...]

Weekly comments from Dale Martin – A Trashy Report

By Dale Martin City Manager Fernandina Beach June 10, 2022 Mr. Greg Huntington, Waste Management [...]

City Crafts Anti-Port Expansion Bill

By Mike Phillips June 9, 2022 Relationships between Fernandina Beach and the Port have been [...]

Fernandina Beach Police Officer Fired After Sexual Battery Arrest and Investigation

Fernandina Beach Police Department Jeffrey Tambasco, Deputy Chief June 6, 2022 On May 30, 2022, [...]

City’s re-do of Wolff Park showers saves taxpayer dollars

City of Fernandina Beach May 26, 2022   From Public Works – Operations Director Jeremiah [...]

Fernandina Beach High School Class of 2022 Awards

Fernandina Beach High School May 20, 2022     The following students received awards at [...]

Weekly comments from Dale Martin – Upcoming meetings and conferences . . .

By Dale Martin May 20, 2022 As the most threatening aspects of the covid pandemic [...]

Weekly comments from Dale Martin – City Park’s & Recreation Master Plan

By Dale Martin City Manager Fernandina Beach May 13, 2022 “Mr. Mikelson, [interim Park & [...]

Fernandina Beach stirs controversy with proposed Central Park redo

By Wes Wolfe FloridaPolitics.com May 12, 2022   The idea generated blowback on Facebook before [...]

FBCC meets new FO editor Mike Phillips

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm Reporter – News Analyst May 9, 2022 Outgoing Fernandina Observer [...]

2022 Preservation Award recipients recognized

By Susan Hardee Steger May 6, 2022 Editor’s Note:  We encourage you to click here [...]

Fernandina Beach Police Department ‘Spotlight’ – Barb Rathmell

‘Fernandina Beach Police Department May 9, 2022 Editor’s Note:  I have always wanted to post [...]

Business of golf: Final remarks

By Alan Prescott May 9, 2022 “I would like to challenge the City Commissioners to [...]

Sea Turtle Nesting Season

City of Fernandina Beach By Mary Hamburg Digital Communications Specialist May 6, 2022 Sunday, May [...]

Weekly comments by Dale Martin – In honor of Mother’s Day

By Dale Martin May 6, 2022 With Sunday as Mother’s Day, I’d like to share [...]

Long term slip holders at City marina will see rates increase to $25 per linear foot

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm Reporter – News Analyst May 5, 2022   At the [...]

FBCC Dog of the Month for May 2022: Louie

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm Reporter – News Analyst May 5, 2022 Louie made his [...]

FBCC honors Peace Officers

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm Reporter – News Analyst May 4, 2022 At their May [...]

The value of tourism and the hospitality industry to Nassau County

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm Reporter – News Analyst May 4, 2022 The City of [...]