LieSubmitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter News – Analyst
The Fernandina Beach City Commission honored three of the city’s finest at the start of its June 18 regular meeting. They also received a presentation on the status of the Airport Advisory Commission’s progress in crafting an airport vision statement and a presentation from City Manager Joe Gerrity on the city’s response to Tropical Storm Andrea.
Recognition of Joey Sweat and Donna Clifton
On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, local resident Joey Sweat found a purse on the side of the road as he rode his bike along South Fletcher Avenue. He took the purse home where he and his caregiver, Donna Clifton, tried to determine how to return it with its valuable contents to its owner. Mr. Sweat was honored by the city for “his commitment to the community by choosing to act in a responsible and honorable manner” and turning the item and its entire contents over to the Fernandina Beach Police Department, where it was reunited with its rightful owner. In presenting the proclamation to Mr. Sweat, Mayor Sarah Pelican said, “Joey Sweat demonstrated to each of us by his noteworthy actions that we must all be concerned for our fellow citizens and neighbors and always do the right thing. Joey Sweat serves as an example to each of us how we can impact our community by being committed to good citizenship.”
After embracing Mr. Sweat during a round of applause from the chamber audience, Mayor Pelican turned her attention to Donna Clifton, Mr. Sweat’s caregiver, who had assisted him in trying to find the owner and taking the purse to the Police Station. She also commended Ms. Clifton for her commitment to citizenship and doing the right thing in her separate proclamation.
retirement.
Recognition of Lieutenant Lloyd Anderson
Lieutenant Anderson, who will retire on June 30, 2013, after 14 years of dedicated city fire and rescue service to the citizens of Fernandina Beach was honored by Mayor Pelican with a proclamation of appreciation. City Manager Joe Gerrity also presented Lt. Anderson with a plaque commemorating his retirement. Gerrity lauded Anderson for his service as union president for the last few years, saying that he has always demonstrated balance in looking out for the interests of both the employees and the city. Lt. Anderson took the opportunity to thank the city for the opportunity to serve. He said that several years ago the Fire Fighters decided that they were going to pursue a goal of becoming the best fire department in northeast Florida. The advanced equipment and training that city EMS people have received outweighs experience of older, larger departments in the area. He said that Fernandina Beach has a young firefighting force and a young chief with passion and determination. He said, “I want them to be the best, I trained them to be the best. They want to be the best. And I hope that attitude will continue.”
Airport Advisory Commission presentation: status report on vision statement
Mr. Dave Dully, Vice Chair of the Airport Advisory Commission (AAC) provided commissioners with a brief update on regarding the AAC’s progress in drafting a Vision Statement for the Fernandina Beach Airport. Dully read from a prepared statement, advising commissioners that their work has broadened to include a statement of vision, mission, supporting guidelines and goals. He said that the end goal will be to present a tool for communicating the value of the airport to the city. He expected the work to be completed in the next few weeks, at which time the AAC will request another joint meeting with the FBCC to present and discuss the document. Manager Gerrity added, “It will be a quality statement.” The AAC will meet at city hall on Saturday, June 22, 2013, beginning at 10:00 a.m., to continue working on this project. The meeting is open to the public.
Presentation on Tropical Storm Andrea
City Manager Joe Gerrity delivered a slide presentation to the FBCC and the public on the efforts of the city to clean up following the tornado that briefly touched down in the city during Tropical Storm Andrea. Gerrity showed photos of damage and clean up efforts in Ocean Sound, Jean Lafitte, Ocean Oaks, Ocean Oaks North and Seaside. He gave special acknowledgement to the work of city departments: Streets, Police, Fire, Facilities/Maintenance, Utilities, and Community Development to include Code Enforcement and the Building Department. He also gave special thanks to:
• Florida Public Utilities
• Nassau County Sheriff’s Office
• Advanced Disposal
• Lowe’s Home Improvement
• Home Depot Store
• Nassau County Commissioner Danny Leeper
• Residents of impacted neighborhoods
June 19,2013 5:48 p.m.