Weekly comments from Dale Martin

Dale Martin
City Manager
Fernandina Beach
January 4, 2019 12:00 p.m.

With 2018 now officially closed, I would like to offer a few comments on several issues that came before us last year.

I believe the most significant issue that confronted our community last year was the increasingly hostile role of the State Legislature toward local governments. Numerous bills were introduced in the most recent session to strip or significantly limit the home rule authority of local governments. Proposed legislation- fortunately all of which eventually failed to pass indicating some sense of final sanity by legislators- included the elimination of local tree ordinances, the abolishment of Community Redevelopment Agencies, the imposition of mandatory election days, and the usurpation of control over short-term vacation rentals. Although the intent of those efforts is very clear (wrest control from local governments), the most confusing legislation passed last year was commonly referred to as SB (Senate Bill) 631, which complicated public/private beach access throughout the State. With the Legislature’s next session scheduled to begin next month, don’t be surprised if more of these issues are resurrected. It is imperative that the efforts of home rule cities continues to be successful.

Despite those challenges from the Legislature, Sen. Aaron Bean and Rep. Cord Byrd did continue to provide successful leadership in securing additional State funding for the City. The City received nearly $500,000 to stabilize the riverfront shoreline (following a nearly $1,000,000 State appropriation the previous year for stormwater improvements). City officials presented this year’s priorities (additional shoreline and stormwater assistance as well as beach access and restoration funding) to Sen. Bean and Rep. Byrd yesterday.

Another local accomplishment was the completion of the new terminal building at the City’s Airport. The uniquely-designed building admittedly cost more than originally anticipated, but funding for the facility was provided by the Federal Aviation Authority, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, and internal Airport funds (revenues from hangar rentals and ground leases). If you have not visited the terminal, I encourage you to go up to the second-floor observation deck and watch some of the activity at the Airport. If you or your organization are looking for space for an event, the observation deck and adjoining conference room offer a new venue for consideration.

Based solely on luck and other scientific weather factors, we avoided tropical storms and hurricanes for the first time in three years. With 2016’s Hurricane Matthew and 2017’s Hurricane Irma, the uneventful 2018 season was a welcome respite.

The long-awaited permits from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) were finally received to begin the reconstruction and repairs at the Marina (damaged in the aforementioned Hurricane Matthew over two years ago). Contractors are now on-site rebuilding the facility. Additional projects, unrelated to Hurricane Matthew, ongoing simultaneously at the Marina are the dredging of the southern basin and, following the dredging, the realignment of the docks in the southern basin. This realignment (envisioned in the Fernandina way nearly twenty years ago) will hopefully reduce- not eliminate- the need for future dredging efforts. A dilapidated City-owned building (purchased in 2016) has been demolished also as part of these projects.

Several significant annual events continued their success last year: the Concours’ d’Elegance, the Shrimp Festival, the Fourth of July Fireworks, the petanque tournament, Dickens on Centre, and this week’s Shrimp Drop. All of these events require an army of volunteers to administer, organize, and execute. Our community is blessed with several battalions of volunteers. Without those often unrecognized volunteers (and leaders such as Gil Langley and Harry Harrison and Arlene Filkoff and RJ Sicre), those events would be different. Thank you to all who work and support those wonderful events that help define Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island.

The City welcomed several new employees, either as additions to the staff or as replacements for those who departed. While I truly appreciate the efforts of all City staff and the role that they play in our quality of life, two key positions warrant special attention. After a longer than expected process, the City welcomed Ms. Pauline Testagrose as its Comptroller. She is the successor to lead the City Finance Department following Ms. Patti Clifford, who will officially retire later this month. Mr. Bronson Lamb is the second critical addition. Mr. Lamb, with his extensive marina experience, is the Project Manager at the Marina during the extensive and technical repair process. He has provided invaluable insight and guidance to the project and his efforts will provide immeasurable benefits to not only the Marina but, due to the relationship of the Marina to the City, to the entire community.

All-in-all, I believe 2018 was a good year. I look forward to serving you for another year and think that 2019 will be an even better year. Thank you.