City Mulls How It Can Safely Conduct Hearings JULIA ROBERTS Been Canceled
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OUR Food Help by Online museum COMMUNITY assistance phone programs CARES PAGE 2 AND 9 PAGE 2 PAGE 2 $1.00 FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 / 14 PAGES, 1 SECTION • fbnewsleader.com City mulls how it can safely conduct hearings JULIA ROBERTS been canceled. In some cases, their News-Leader rescheduled meetings of the future will involve proceedings that are quasi-judi- The Fernandina Beach City cial in nature, where sworn testimony Commission continues reacting to new is taken. Examples of quasi-judicial situations created by the coronavirus. At hearings are variance requests heard Tuesday’s regular but remote meeting, by the city’s Board of Adjustment and all commissioners scrapped a city refer- Historic District Council cases. Without endum on land conservation, discussed the approval of those boards, some proj- how to accommodate public input dur- ects cannot move forward. ing restricted meetings, and agreed to At this week’s City Commission reopen beach parking at the Sadler Road meeting, City Attorney Tammi Bach beach access. discussed a resolution outlining the Since Gov. Ron DeSantis’ stay-at- procedure for boards to hold remote home order took effect April 1, City meetings. Bach said the resolution was Commission meetings have been held written quickly to get it on the agenda, remotely, and the city’s various board so she added an amendment regarding and committee meetings, such as the testimony in a quasi-judicial proceeding. Planning Advisory Board, Airport Apologizing for what she said was a res- ROBERT FIEGE/NEWS-LEADER Advisory Commission, and Parks & The short stretch of beach at the dead end of Sadler Road where the city of Fernandina Beach permits on- Recreation Advisory Committee, have CITY Continued on page 4 beach parking is scheduled to reopen at 6 a.m. today, according to City Manager Dale Martin. CRUISING NOWHERE COVID-19 officially claims first victim in Nassau County KATHIE COLGROVE COVID-19, according to Hester. Community Newspapers Inc. “At this time, all residents in the facility are doing well, and our associ- Since COVID-19 erupted in Nassau ates – the true health care heroes – are County in March, four employees and in good spirits,” he noted. “We are so five residents at Life Care Center of proud of the amazing work they do day Hilliard have tested positive as of the and night. Our associates are properly beginning of this week. trained on the usage of (personal protec- Additional information about the tive equipment) and have the supplies patients or their current condition was they need to care for our residents. As not provided by parent company Life what we know about COVID-19 evolves, Care Centers of America. we continue to provide ongoing educa- “Out of respect for our patients’ and tion to our associates – and represen- associates’ privacy, we do not release tatives from the state department of information about age and gender for any health have also provided additional of our patients or associates,” Director training.” of Public Relations Leigh Atherton Guests and family members of wrote via email Monday. residents are prohibited from visiting According to a statement from Les the center until further notice. Family ROBERT FIEGE/NEWS-LEADER Hester, Life Care Centers of America members have been urged to contact The 735-foot cruise ship Seven Seas Explorer, owned by Regent Seven Sea Cruises, enters the Port of interim executive director, “Initially, the facility to schedule a virtual session. Fernandina on Thursday morning. The luxury, all-suite ship will dock here without passengers, but with we did place 53 residents on a 14-day “We encourage family members some crew staying onboard. According to the ship’s web page, she can take 750 guests and 552 crewmem- precautionary isolation to reduce the to continue to take advantage of the bers on a normal voyage. The “parked” ship could be here for several months as the cruise ship industry chance of a possible outbreak.” FaceTime or Skype capabilities that takes up a slack demand for cruises in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. More information on the The Department of Health in Nassau ship is available at https://bit.ly/2zfpzbR. County tested all residents and staff for COVID-19 Continued on page 3 When will BOCC hearings be back ‘live and in person’? PEG DAVIS News-Leader When will county commissioners return to their boardroom and begin again to hold formal public hear- ings? That was one question County Manager and Attorney Mike Mullin JOHN SCHAFFNER/FOR THE NEWS-LEADER tried to answer Wednesday at a special Volunteers with Nassau Habitat for Humanity work to complete the meeting of the Nassau County Board of outside of 601 Calhoun St. County Commissioners. Mullin said it could be two, three, or four weeks before commissioners meet again in person depending on Despite crisis, volunteers which phase Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state is in. Referencing the gover- nor’s “Phase One” plan for the state work on Habitat house addressing local government meet- ings, he said the “in-person quorum PEG DAVIS/NEWS-LEADER JOHN SCHAFFNER that the volunteers building the latest for a local government body to meet The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners held a special Special for the News-Leader Nassau Habitat for Humanity house in should remain suspended and the use meeting via videoconference Wednesday morning. Fernandina Beach – a volunteer work- of technology and video conferencing During times of major local and force of which virtually every member is for local government meetings should national crisis – such as the coronavi- a senior male – have continued to work be encouraged.” Adding that specific public who want to participate live, here IT department can figure out a way to rus pandemic that has halted life as we through the coronavirus crisis to deliver dates would be set by executive order, in the boardroom, we are going to have do it from outside, he said. have known it and paused our country on the organization’s commitment to Mullin continued: “In Phase Two, the to have a plan.” “I suspect, given what’s backed – it is easy for the most part to push complete the house by May. quorum by being in the boardroom Mullin said the restricted room up in the pipeline so to speak, (those aside commitments made to others dur- That commitment was part of the would resume and restrict no more occupancy for meetings is currently meetings) will be lengthy, and the pub- ing easier times. That can be especially agreement between Nassau Habitat for than 50 people in attendance as long at 35 people, and a 50% occupancy of lic deserves to be heard and we have true when the keeping of those commit- Humanity and the major sponsors for as the social distancing guidelines can the room would be 60, so county staff to make every accommodation, and I ments relies primarily on the efforts of this particular house, the Jacksonville be maintained. ... To try to resume the envisions an outside area with tents, know you would anyway, to accommo- volunteers. quasi-judicial and legislative hearings equipment and TVs. People could pos- I recently was amazed to discover HABITAT Continued on page 5 that will accommodate members of the sibly be rotated in to speak, unless the COUNTY Continued on page 6 Keep up with the latest local news online at fbnewsleader.com or at https://www.facebook.com/fernandinanewsleader/ INDEX 2020 Nests: 1 CLASSIFIEDS, 11 RELIGION, 9 First nest of the season was on May 6. COMMUNITY, 10 SCHOOL NEWS, 8 ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com EDITORIAL, 7 SERVICE DIRECTORY, 11 OBITUARIES, 2 SUDOKU, 10 2018 Nests: 142 Hatchlings: 12.031 SPORTS, 12 2019 Nests: 356 Hatchlings: 24,002 Please turn off or redirect lights News-Leader, 166th year. No. 38, Copyright, 2020 shining directly on the beach. NL Friday 05.08.20.indd 1 5/7/20 7:09 PM 2 FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020 NEWS News-Leader ElderSource specialists are trained to Energy (LIHEAP) benefits amounts have listen to callers’ concerns and to help them increased as follows: WEEKLY UPDATE access local agencies, services and programs, • Home Energy Assistance: Up to $600 according to Linda Levin, CEO of ElderSource, with an additional $75 benefit for elderly and a local nonprofit organization designated by the disabled household members and an addi- state as the Area Agency on Aging and Aging tional $100 benefit for children age 5 and Barnabas updates assistance info Financial assistance and Disability Resource Center for Northeast under. Utility bill does not have to be past due; • Short-term payment assistance with rent, Florida. The agency provides information and assistance is provided once per year to reduce As a major safety net organization for mortgage and utilities payments (electric, water, referral resources for caregivers and seniors in energy burden. Nassau County residents in need, Barnabas gas). Northeast Florida’s seven-county area. • Crisis Assistance: Up to $750. Utility bill Center is on the front line of helping residents • Assistance in applying for public benefits ElderSource HelpLine counselors work must be past due. in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Services programs, i.e. food stamps and Medicaid. with callers to explain what resources are • Eligibility is based on household income offered to Nassau County residents with low to • Referrals and information for additional available and to help them enroll in the pro- and family size. moderate incomes include food and financial services. grams for which they are eligible. The service assistance and urgent medical and dental care. Urgent medical and dental care is part of the federal Aging and Disability Free meals for Nassau seniors Food assistance Services are available to qualified adults Resource Centers program, which addresses Since Nassau County seniors cannot A short-term supply of food is provided that who are uninsured and do not have a primary the frustrations many older adults, people come to Nassau County Council on Aging’s may include produce, dairy, meat, and nonper- care doctor or a regular dentist.