In Praise of Government Workers … An Opinion

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
October 14, 2016 2:29 p.m.

Government workers at all levels are unfortunately used to being criticized, ridiculed, under-appreciated and just plain ignored by the people they serve every day. I’d like to do my part to reverse that by recognizing their extraordinary efforts to keep us safe and able to quickly recover from Matthew, the storm that some have dubbed the most disastrous hurricane to hit our area since the Great Hurricane of 1898.

Nassau County Emergency Operations Center

Two days before the storm hit, we began receiving robocalls, texts and emails advising us of the storm and evacuation procedures. These continued through the mandatory evacuation deadline. For those of us who ignored these serious messages, they also sent vehicles into the island neighborhoods with bullhorns repeating the same warnings. Their website provided accurate information throughout the storm, unlike some media outlets. While they took some hits over confusion on bridge reopening, residents who had heeded advice not to return until the all clear had been sounded had little difficulty returning.

First Responders

Thanks to the efforts of city, county and state law enforcement, evacuation from the island went smoothly, despite ongoing construction alterations to traffic patterns. These folks were among the first to return to the island to make sure that conditions were safe for residents and business owners to return. They worked long hours both on and off the island in preparing for the worst of the storm, making sure that both people and property were secure, and helping people return home to a safe environment.

Utilities

Unlike Jacksonville beaches, Fernandina Beach enjoyed uninterrupted and safe water and sewer service during the storm. City workers made sure that in addition to suffering inconveniences that Matthew inflicted, residents did not have to worry about water born diseases from a compromised water system. We could continue to flush our toilets without fear of sewage backing up. After listening to what other communities are dealing with, I will never take flushing my toilet for granted—or the city workers who plan and maintain the systems that make it all work.

Streets and Sanitation

Rex Lester, Jeremiah Glisson and their workers are always responsive, but never more so than this past few days. They made sure that major arteries were cleared of downed trees and large branches before traffic returned to the island. And in a community that has an ongoing love affair with its trees, they faced enormous challenges.

There are those who say that the first line of a community’s defense is the sanitation workers, or what we less politically correct folks call ‘garbage men.’ These are the folks who remove our waste and keep rats and disease from proliferating throughout the city. If you doubt this, just look at places like Haiti. Garbage collection/trash hauling was quickly back on schedule following the storm. And the city had the foresight to contract with an additional operator to speed up removal of storm debris from neighborhoods.

Building Official and City Planners

Many times I’ve heard the moaning and groaning over having to pay fees and wait for permits and inspections before, during and after construction. Yes, those pesky codes seem irksome, but many homes and businesses were spared major damage because of those stricter codes—and because the city staff who approve and inspect building projects, monitor and enforce codes take their jobs seriously. It is thanks to these stricter requirements for windows, roofs, and everything else arising from hurricane experience in South Florida that our city avoided catastrophe. Folks who lived here during Hurricane Dora, a smaller storm, noted much more damage following that storm. So much for the good old days before strong building codes …

City Manager

Fernandina Beach City Manager Dale Martin was on duty throughout the storm at the county’s Emergency Operations Center. He kept the lines of communication open to local media, answering our many questions honestly and quickly. He respected the knowledge and expertise of his staff when it came to critical decision making. His experience as a member of the National Presbyterian Disaster Management Board served him in good stead.

These are not the only public workers who are helping our city recover. The folks in Finance, Human Resources, IT, Grant Writing and many others have also been hard at work.

Sadly, our city did not escape unscathed. The City Marina, Bosque Bello Cemetery and golf courses incurred seriousdamage. Damage to our city marina will probably force postponement of the plans for a waterfront park. Hopefully, with state and federal disaster assistance we can begin to rebuild quickly and put all the workers back to work.

Now, if only I can get my ATT broadband and home phone restored, life will be somewhat back to normal!

Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.