By Dale Martin
City Manager
Fernandina Beach
December 7, 2018 12:00 a.m.
The Nassau County Council on Aging (CoA), under the leadership of Ms. Janice Ancrum, dedicated its new facility at 1901 Island Walkway earlier this week. This large facility, tucked behind McDonald’s on 8th Street and Zaxby’s on 14th Street, reflects the growing role of the CoA to support the growing senior population in Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island, and throughout Nassau County.
The newly-repurposed facility (it formerly housed Rayonier staff) was significantly damaged during Hurricane Irma. The facility has been renovated to provide a variety of services for the CoA clientele, and plans are in place to expand those services. One of the growing services in place is membership classes (the classes are generally open to the public, but CoA members are eligible for a reduced participation fee). I was approached by CoA staff to present a series of classes on local government.
I believe that I have previously described a Citizen’s Academy that I developed during my time in a former community. The intent of the classes was to provide an insight into the organization and operation of local government. Since local governments are often vastly different within a state or even region, it is somewhat difficult to develop a program of instruction within a school system, so local government familiarization is often neglected.
As currently planned, the proposed classes will be conducted on Wednesday afternoons at 3:00 PM, beginning January 9, 2019. For the most part, the planned two-hour sessions will convene at the CoA Island Walkway facility, but on some occasions, participants will either meet or travel to a City facility for an on-site familiarization. In order to facilitate interaction with participants, I have requested that the classes be presented as a complete series rather than several stand-alone sessions, and that participation be limited to twelve to sixteen participants. CoA staff will determine appropriate member/non-member fees, all of which will be used to support CoA operations.
The proposed series will cover six topics, with a different topic presented each week. The first session will familiarize participants will City government organization, specifically the City Charter and the roles and responsibilities of the City Commission, Charter officers, and senior staff.
The second session will offer insight into the City’s financial organization and operation. With the assistance of the City Comptroller, we will illustrate how the City’s annual budget is developed and administered. We will familiarize participants with property taxes and other sources of revenues to the City. If you like numbers, this will excite you!
The next session will illustrate City operations. How are the various City departments organized and what are the missions, roles, and responsibilities of each department? What are the different staff positions within each department? So much of the City’s operational success is because of the people out on the street, in the parks, or in the offices that are unrecognized for their critical place in the complete structure. Those same people are the City staff that are often the first point of contact with the public. Their training and professionalism reflect directly on how residents and visitors perceive the City. We have a great staff from bottom up.
The fourth session is scheduled to provide insight into the most significant portion of City operations (from a budgetary perspective): public safety. With the assistance of the Police and Fire Chiefs, we’ll show you the public safety facilities and equipment and introduce you, again, to the people tasked with protecting your life and property. Again, I expect that you will be overwhelmingly impressed by the women and men that represent and protect Fernandina Beach- I look forward to showing them off.
The City Utilities Department will be highlighted in the fifth session. Utilities are so often taken for granted- we unhesitatingly turn the faucet and drink or push the handle and flush: out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Until something doesn’t work, which is exceedingly rare in our community. The efforts behind the ease of those operations are more extensive and technical than most people realize. Again, this will be an opportunity to meet the key personnel and see the facilities which keep our City safe from a different threat.
The final session will highlight the City’s Airport, Golf Course, and Marina. These three facilities are treated differently in the City budget from other departments and, with the assistance of the respective Directors, we will highlight the opportunities and challenges related to the facilities.
I hope that after completing the series, participants will have a better understanding of how local government is organized and operates, and as important, the people who serve this community. This is intended to be an orientation to government, not politics. For those interested in politics, the City Commission meets on the first and third Tuesdays at City Hall. Admission is free.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE IN TUESDAY’S CITY COMMISSION RUN-OFF ELECTION.
Thank you, Commissioner Roy G. Smith, for your service to the community (we both began our service to Fernandina Beach in December 2015). Best wishes to candidates Bradley Bean and Michael Lednovich on Tuesday. I look forward to working with you in 2019 and beyond.