Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
April 9, 2021
In addition to dealing with the noise ordinance on a First Reading, the Fernandina Beach City Commission passed six other ordinances on Second and Final Reading at their April 6, 2021 Regular Meeting. The first four ordinances passed with unanimous votes; the final two, dealing with modifications to the sanitation contract with Advanced Disposal and the City’s resumption of yard waste collection, passed on a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Bradley Bean dissenting.
No member of the public commented or provided input on any of the proposed ordinances at Second Reading.
Ordinances 2020-40 and 2020-41 approved changes in the City’s Future Land Use Map and Zoning Map for newly annexed Baptist Medical Center properties at 1250 S. 18th Street and 1367 S. 18th Street. The voluntary annexation adds 31.39 acres of former County land to the City, increasing the City’s tax base and decreasing Baptist Medical Center’s water bills.
Ordinance 2021-09 amended the City General Employees’ Pension Plan to comply with the SECURE Act and Internal Revenue Code.
Ordinance 2021-10 amended the City Police and Fire Pension Plan to comply with the SECURE Act and Internal Revenue Code.
Ordinance 2018-10 and Ordinance 2021-12 modified the existing contract with Advanced Disposal to eliminate their responsibility for removing yard waste and returned that responsibility to the City. Commissioner Bean opposed these ordinances, believing that terms of the initial contract should have been enforced, requiring residential property owners to bag and bundle yard waste.