Here are some topics from the last Board of County Commissioners meeting. If you want to know more about what was discussed and decided, you can read the agendas and minutes as they get posted here: https://www.claycountygov.com/government/agendas-and-minutes.  You can watch the meeting in full on our Facebook page or website here: https://clayfl.new.swagit.com/videos/206336.

Support for the High Ridge Community Development Initiative – the presentation starts at 6:48

Commissioners approved a resolution supporting the High Ridge Community Development Initiative in Keystone Heights. Pastor Carey Morford updated the commission on the initiative’s progress and explained how residents in this residential community of 500 homes are working with community leaders to make a positive change through surveys, neighborhood cleanups, community dialogues, and steering committee meetings. Commissioners approved the community’s requests related to community safety and appearance, community engagement, and access to essential resources as part of a community service and neighborhood improvement plan.

Approval of Specimen Tree designation to protect historic live oak tree- discussion starts at 2:39:27

Commissioners held a public hearing and approved an ordinance to protect a live oak tree located on Rosecrans Lane in Green Cove Springs that existed during the 1850 – 1870s era when Green Cove Springs was first establishing itself as a community. The trunk of the historic live oak measures nearly seven feet across and the tree is believed to be between 150 and 200 years old. The family who owns the property where the tree is located has cared for it for over seven decades and wants to ensure that it is protected so its grandeur and beauty can be enjoyed regardless of who may own the property in the future. The Specimen Tree designation protects the tree from removal under the Land Development Code.

Approval of funding request for six community-based projects – discussion starts at 4:10:34

Commissioners approved six community-based legislative priority projects that will be sent to the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate in February for funding consideration in the 2023/2024 fiscal year. The selected projects will have a significant impact on the quality of life for our residents and their potential funding will be determined based on support from the Clay County Legislative Delegation. If the county receives the requested funds from the Legislature, they will be used with other funding sources to accomplish the objectives tied to each of these long-term projects.

The projects include:

• SWEAT Juvenile Intervention Program - $250,000
• Fire Station 20 Construction - $750,000
• Substance Abuse Recovery Center - $3,000,000 
• Regional Sports Complex construction - $1,000,000
• NE FL Greenway Trail - $1,000,000
• County law enforcement and emergency management warehouse facility - $750,000

High-priority transportation projects to be considered for funding by the Transportation Planning Organization – the discussion starts at 4:32:01

Each year the TPO requests that local governments submit their list of priority transportation projects for funding consideration in the coming year. Commissioners discussed and approved a list of 15 Clay County priority transportation projects to be sent to the TPO for 2023, and authorized staff to apply for grants related to any of these projects. Priority roadway capacity improvement projects include:

1. CR220 – widen to four lanes from SR21 to Baxley Road
2. SR 16 - widen to four lanes from Green Cove Springs limits to the First Coast Expressway interchange
3. US 17 – widen to six lanes from south of Town Center Parkway to CR 315
4. Feed Mill Road – construct new two-lane road from Sandridge Road to Cathedral Oak Parkway 
5. SR 21 – intersection improvements from Knight Boxx Road to the Duval County Line
6. CR218 – widen to four lanes from Cosmos Avenue to Blue Jay
7. CR 218 – widen to 4 lanes from the First Coast Connector to the Black Creek Bridge
8. Cheswick Oaks – construct new road from Challenger Drive to the existing section of the road
9. SR 21 – intersection improvements from CR218 to Keystone Heights city limits
10. CR 209 - widen to three lanes from Sandridge Road to Henley Road, and sidewalk and bike path improvements on CR209 south of Sandridge Road
11. CR 217 – shoulder widening, safety improvements, and bridge replacement from CR 218 to the Duval County limits
12. Airport Road/Camp Crystal Road – realign and construct Airport Road and reconstruct Camp Crystal Road from SR 100 to the Keystone Heights Airport
13. Canova Road – widen to three lanes from CR220 to Old Hard Road
14. CR 218 – widen to four lanes from Blu Jay Drive to US 301
15. SR 16 at CR 218 – add turn lanes

Some of the non-roadway capacity projects include the Black Creek Trail extension, Northeast Florida Greenway Trail, Doctors Lake multi-purpose train extension, US 17 sidewalk improvements, State Road 16 trail, and State Road 16/US 17 trail.