Two weeks ago we sent a summary of the measures being implemented by northeast Florida local governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Below is an update based upon additional inquiries with selected local governments, and additional reviews of relevant information posted on their websites. While the following summary presents the best information available to us at this time (COB April 6), nevertheless, and given the rapidly evolving environment, users may wish to query a particular website for updated formation, and appropriate URLs are included herein.
City of Jacksonville: http://www.coj.net/covid19faqs
- Most of the Jacksonville City Council Committees will begin meeting on their regularly scheduled days and at their regularly scheduled times, via the video conferencing platform ZOOM, starting on April 6th, with the exception of the Land Use and Zoning Committee which will not resume meeting until April 21st. The Committees will not be considering any items which require public hearings at this time and the agenda meetings which usually precede the regular meetings have been canceled. Each Committee meeting will have a different ZOOM meeting number and a different ZOOM password assigned to it. In order to join a meeting, participants will need to check the Committee’s page on the City’s website to obtain the necessary information. It is anticipated that a limited number of items requiring public hearings may be on the agendas starting the week of April 20th, but it is unlikely that any controversial items will be considered until the Council Chambers have been re-opened to the public. All Planning Commission meetings have been cancelled for the month of April.
- Based upon the Mayor’s Safer at Home Executive Order (EO 2020-05), most government employees are now working remotely.
- The Clerk’s Office Official Records Department is closed until further notice. The Clerk's Office is encouraging electronic recording of documents, but has also implemented a drop-box for walk-up customers. The drop box is located in the lobby of the Recording Department in the Duval County Courthouse located at 501 West Adams St. Jacksonville, FL 32202. Please ensure that a transmittal sheet is completed and that a self-addressed stamped envelope is provided for the return of all drop off packages. The Clerk’s Office Beaches Branch is closed.
Atlantic Beach: http://www.coab.us/coronavirus
- Scheduled City Commission, board and committee meetings are canceled through March 31.
- City Hall is closed to visitors. Interactions with City staff must be made by telephone (247-5800) or online (info@coab.us).
Neptune Beach: https://www.ci.neptune-beach.fl.us/coronavirus-information
- Public meetings are canceled through March 31.
- City Hall is closed to the public. City services will continue.
Jacksonville Beach: http://www.jacksonvillebeach.org/
- City Hall and all other City Buildings are closed to the public, but the Department of Planning and Development is continuing to process applications and conduct inspections. Permits are not being issued for work deemed nonessential. Inspections are only being performed for permitted open construction and the outside of occupied structures for residential and commercial properties. The fire marshal continues to perform life-safety inspections, when necessary. While plan reviews continue, the City will not issue permits for nonessential construction until the conclusion of the State of Emergency.
- On April 2nd the City issued a notice to all contractors and private property owners prohibiting all nonessential construction activities. The only construction activities that may continue are those involving emergency repairs necessary to maintain safety, sanitation, and essential operations of buildings and critical infrastructure and open, unenclosed construction sites. Social distancing and infection guidelines must be adhered to at these sites.
Clay County: https://www.claycountygov.com/i-want-to/advanced-components/covid-19-microsite
- All County Commission, Committee and other County meetings are canceled through April 13.
- The Administration Building has limited public access and will be conducting business by appointment only. The switchboard is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at 904-284-6300 to help schedule an appointment with the appropriate department.
- For the Clerk’s Office Recording Department, a drop-box system is now available for public use at the Clay County Courthouse main lobby entrance in Green Cove Springs. Documents and payments placed into these secure boxes will be received, dated, and stamped same day.
St. Johns County: http://www.sjcfl.us/coronavirus/
- The Board of County Commissioners will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Auditorium located in the County Administration Building at 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, for the purpose of receiving an Emergency Management update and considering whether to extend the local state of emergency. The Board may also consider and take action on any other business that may lawfully come before it during the special meeting. The regular board meeting will begin thereafter. St. Johns County has delayed all quasi-judicial hearings noticed until the County can improve its telephonic public communications system for public comment.
- The County posted the following message on its webpage:
St. Johns County Boards and Committees Public Comment Call-in Participation
In accordance with Executive Order 20-69 and St. Johns County Emergency Proclamation 2020-03, St. Johns County Boards and Committees that meet during the COVID-19 health emergency may do so remotely under communication media technology and without a physical quorum of the members present. Members of the community who would like to participate in public comment during these meetings may do so by calling 904.209.1265. The meetings can be viewed on GTV, Comcast cable channel 3, or online at www.sjcfl.us/GTV. While all meetings remain open to the public to attend in person, St. Johns County facilities are under limited public access restrictions. Written or physical documentation for a meeting may be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners at 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, FL 32084, or by email at sjcpublichearing@sjcfl.us. For more information, please call 904.209.0300. - Limited Public Building Access – All St. Johns County facilities continue to operate under limited public access restrictions.
- The Clerk’s Office is closed to the public for non-mission critical court functions; however, several online services are available while the Judicial Center is closed. To record documents in the official records, link to https://stjohnsclerk.com/erecording-vendor/ to use one of the Office’s e-recording vendors. The Office has also partnered with the County to provide recording of real estate related documents at the County’s permitting office.
- Additionally, all St. Johns County Tax Collector offices are closed to the public until further notice. The Tax Collector is encouraging residents to complete eligible transactions online at www.sjctax.us.
St. Augustine: https://www.citystaug.com/812/Coronavirus-COVID-19
- The City of St. Augustine adopted Administrative Order 2020-06 cancelling all public meetings, including City Commission, Code Enforcement Adjustments and Appeals Board, Historic Architectural Review Board, and Planning and Zoning Board, except for emergency meetings as needed, until May 8th. The City also cancelled all non-essential meeting that do not address the immediate operations and function of municipal business.
- City Hall offices are closed to the public.
Nassau County: https://www.nassaucountyfl.com/1021/Corona-Virus-Updates
- The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners continues to meet at least once a week, but most of the Commissioners are attending remotely. The next scheduled meetings are April 8 (10 a.m.), 13 (6 p.m.), 15 (9 a.m.) and 27 (6 p.m.). The public may attend the meetings. The Commission room has been reconfigured to hold no more than 35 people and all attendees must sit at least 6 feet apart. The Planning and Zoning Board meetings scheduled for April 21 and May 5 have been cancelled. The Conditional Use and Variance Board meeting scheduled for April 23 has been cancelled.
- County Planning and Development offices are closed until further notice, and any meetings with staff are being handled using virtual technology. No new land use and rezoning applications are being accepted. No paper submittals for Development Review Applications are being accepted, with the exception of subdivision plats. The Development Review Committee (DRC) continues to meet at 9 a.m. every Tuesday, but the public is not allowed to attend.
- The Clerk’s Office is transacting business at its Yulee location only.
City of Fernandina Beach: https://www.fbfl.us/AlertCenter.aspx
- The city has implemented an online/paperless permitting system for building permits called: EnerGov. The City will hold its first virtual City Commission meeting on April 7 at 5 p.m.; the only people who will be physically present will be Mayor Johnny Miller; City Manager Dale Martin, Director of IT Mr. Dana Whacker and the City Clerk Caroline Best, the rest of the City Commission will attend remotely. The public may not attend in person. Public comments can be emailed to Dale Martin at dmartin@fbfl.org beginning at 5 p.m. that day until public comment time is closed which will be approximately 6:30 p.m. The public comments received during this time will be shared with the City Commissioners and will become part of the permanent record of the meeting. It is unclear exactly how the comments will be “shared.”
- City Hall and other City offices remain closed to the public, but staff is accessible by phone or email.
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