The Marina Blame Game the Primary, Voter Safety, and Precinct Moves
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$1.00 Wednesday, august 5, 2020 / 18 Pages, 2 sections • fbnewsleader.com The primary, voter safety, and precinct moves VICKI CANNON early voting and on by-Mail ballot, if requested, or when vot- the booths; County a “thumbs up.” Supervisor of Elections, Nassau County Election Day. ing in-person during early voting and on • Air purifier machines will be run- By now, all Election Day. ning throughout the day (and evening Accessible sample ballot We are nearing the Aug. 18 primary registered voters during early voting). An accessible sample ballot is avail- election day with early voting that began in Nassau County Health protection and supplies Voters will be provided: able at www.VoteNassau.com. Although Monday, Aug. 3. My colleagues have should have Election workers will: • A facemask and gloves, if request- a local news station recently reported gone above and beyond the call of duty to received a new • Have their temperatures taken and ed, and hand sanitizer before entering that Nassau County was directed to pro- prepare for the upcoming elections. I am Voter Information answer questions upon arrival as recom- the polling room and at various stations vide an accessible ballot as a result of a deeply grateful for the commitment they Card and a Sample mended by guidelines; during the voting process; recent lawsuit, our county had an acces- have to the citizens of Nassau County Ballot in the mail. • Wear face shields or facemasks and • A disposable cotton-tipped wooden sible ballot for the 2020 Presidential and our nation! Likewise, although Cannon It is important to gloves (when needed); stick to sign the signature pad; Preference Primary election and had a many of our election workers are not make sure the • Have hand sanitizer at their sta- • A secrecy sleeve, if requested. contract in place for a new online ballot able to work during the pandemic and voter information tions and will wash their hands and clean Everyone in the polling room will delivery system for persons with disabil- we support their decisions wholeheart- in the official mailings from our office are surfaces regularly; be requested to keep conversations ities (once it was certified) even prior edly, we are also deeply grateful for the accurate and, if not, contact our office • Voting booths will be cleaned to a minimum for the protection of all. to the lawsuit. The new system was election workers and county employees as soon as possible to ensure that you after each use and will have a “reserved” To show your appreciation, give the who have committed to working during have no delays in receiving your Vote- sign to provide social distancing between dedicated election workers of Nassau PRIMARY Continued on 5A TDC mulls The marina blame game MAB JULIA ROBERTS changes to News-Leader wants The city of Fernandina Beach has spent millions of dollars on repairs, Christmas replacements, and upgrades to the to keep city-owned Fernandina Harbor Marina since it was damaged dur- ing Hurricane Matthew in October festivities 2016. City Manager Dale Martin says Westrec the city performed that work after JULIA ROBERTS being assured by Federal Emergency JULIA ROBERTS News-Leader Management Agency officials that if News-Leader the cost to repair damages exceed- This year’s edition of Dickens on ed 50% of the cost of replacement, Marina Advisory Board member Joe Centre, a Victorian-themed Christmas FEMA would pay 75% of the replace- Blanchard said the Fernandina Beach festival held annually in downtown ment cost. In turn, Martin assured City Commission’s decision to award a Fernandina Beach, remains undecided the citizens. contract to Oasis Marinas to manage the due to the limits placed on the size of But in June, FEMA advised the Fernandina Harbor Marina next year is public gatherings due to the coronavirus city it would not cover 75% of the par for the course: the commission made pandemic. cost to replace many parts of the the decision despite MAB members rec- At an Amelia Island Tourist marina because it does not believe ommending letting Westrec continue Development Council Board of those damages required replacement. managing the marina for another year Directors meeting held July 29, TDC Instead of reimbursing the city for after repairs are finished, so the city can Managing Director Gil Langley asked 75% of $6.5 million, FEMA now says see how the company does with a fully the board for input on the three-day it will give the city 75% of a new total: functional marina. event that brings thousands of visitors $1.6 million. The marina is undergoing upgrades and $3 million into the area. How FEMA and the city came to and repairs to damage resulting from The city recently canceled sev- this place is a long, complicated tale of ROBERT FIEGE/NEWS-LEADER Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and does eral public events that were expected a single document that the city says it In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew caused major damage to the not yet have fueling services. The to attract more than 50 people each, never received, yet on which FEMA Fernandina Harbor Marina, much of which has been repaired. A marina’s fuel dock is under construc- the maximum number of people that based the final amount it says it is damage assessment by Applied Technology & Management found tion now. Concerns have been raised should gather under state guidelines. obligated to pay. Dock 1, a wave attenuator, was damaged beyond repair and needed about Westrec’s performance, especially to be replaced, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency is TDC Continued on 3A MARINA Continued on 9A refuting that claim and wants to pay only for repairs. MAB Continued on 6A Lemond focuses on economic development JULIA ROBERTS given him insight into what is needed to brought significant tax revenue to the county’s favorable credit rating does not News-Leader bring diversity to the county’s tax base. county plus 25 to 30 high-paying jobs. necessarily reflect sound financial plan- The county’s Economic Development While the company was ready to ning so much as the fact that taxes are Brent Lemond, running for county Board works to bring industrial projects make an offer on the property, the zon- high enough to fund county government. commissioner in District 3, wants to to the county, which Lemond says give ing change came to the county’s Zoning “When you’re an elected official, the bring more economic development a better return on investment in jobs and Planning Board and was approved for hardest thing to do is to tell people no, to Nassau County. Lemond believes and tax revenue. He points to a decision high-density residential development. especially special interests, because residential development does not pay made during his tenure on the Economic “Laura called me and said they you’re trying to get elected, but if you for itself because the added population Development Board. He says a devel- were going to pull (the Economic have a cap on your budget, you start requires services residential taxes don’t oper approached the board to ask for Development Board’s) funding if we fight looking at opportunity costs and what is cover, and that has put a strain on the support for a zoning change on some this,” Lemond said. “It was frustrating. the best way to spend the money. That’s county’s finances. property that lies along the railroad on I didn’t want to be the one to cost her where my MBA comes in – it’s asset “The biggest problem facing the Harts Road. The property was zoned her job.” allocation. Operating efficiency is very county is our tax base, there is too Industrial, but the developer wanted He said that decision and other important, but what’s more important much residential development,” he said. the county’s Zoning and Planning Board “fishy, irregular” interference made him is deciding what is the most important “Because of that residential develop- to change the zoning to allow him to want to run for the Nassau County Board option for the long-term financial pic- ment, which doesn’t pay for itself, we’ve build townhomes on the property. The of County Commissioners. ture.” raised taxes on average 30% over the Economic Development Board did not “As everything starts playing out, He said, if elected, his priorities are last two years. We have deficits. Our support the effort to change the zoning, and you start seeing the insiders moving diversifying the tax base, financial plan- library system is not good, our park sys- according to Lemond, instead asking and coalescing … I said, I’ve got to step ning, and ending cronyism and corrup- tem is not good, our roads are not kept then-Economic Development Director in here or I’ve got to shut up forever,” tion in county government. up. The reason for that is that we haven’t Laura DiBella to find an industrial project Lemond said. developed in a balanced way.” for the property. DiBella found a com- Lemond believes the county should He said his first move as commis- Lemond says his business education pany that wanted to put a data center on stay with the rollback tax rate, which sioner would be to go through the budget and experience serving on the county’s the property, which Lemond says would identifies “how tight things are” in JULIA ROBERTS/NEWS-LEADER Economic Development Board have have created a minimal footprint and the county’s budget. He contends the LEMOND Continued on 3A Lemond u Stop Wasteful Spending DALE P.