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. You can watch the meeting in full on our Facebook page or website.
Meeting the goals of our Clay County Strategic Plan- Clay County is advancing our five-year strategic plan goals with impressive results in the first year. To improve our community’s health and safety, we have installed 101 new AEDs in public locations, making notable progress toward our goal of 250. Additionally, we have integrated 31 new nonprofit organizations into our care referral system, moving closer to our target of 100. Our animal shelter continues to maintain its no-kill status with outstanding live release rates from the previous year. In economic and community development, we added 11 new multi-day tourism events with a five-year goal of 20, and we have streamlined our residential permit review process to just eight days and commercial reviews to 23 days, demonstrating our dedication to efficient service delivery. Our infrastructure efforts are also yielding positive results, including a significant increase in public transportation ridership, adding over eight miles of new sidewalks, resurfacing more than 36 miles of roads, and substantial improvements to our stormwater system. To improve the quality and balance of life for residents we have offered more than 3,300 County-hosted programs at our libraries, parks, agricultural extension office, and through our community services department last year alone. To meet our good governance goals, we increased subscribers in our emergency alert systems by nearly 10% and generated more than 48.8 million in grant revenues last year. For a detailed look at our progress, please take a look at the discussion at the 2:51:27 time stamp.
Determining our local legislative priorities for the 25-26 legislative session - With Federal funds fading, State budgets will be leaner in the coming years. Commissioners are looking at priority projects with strong funding potential to share with our legislators. The appropriation requests we want our delegation to focus on in the coming year include the development of a new public safety complex, enhancements to trails at Moccasin Slough Park, construction of a new Clay County Archives building, replacement of the County Road 217 bridge, safety upgrades to the Orange Park Senior Center, and Keystone Heights lake restoration. The legislative priorities we will ask our delegation to support include monitoring changes to the Florida Retirement System, no expansion of the uses of the Tourist Development Tax, initiatives for solar development on agricultural lands, and supporting Home Rule. Listen to the discussion and learn more about the process of determining our legislative priorities at the 3:18:09 minute mark.
Submitting our transportation planning priority projects for 2025 – Commissioners approved the annual list of priority projects to submit to the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization for consideration in grant requests from the agencies they represent. Staff and Commissioners discussed the most needed projects and those that are shovel-ready or already partially funded and will have the best chance of being considered. A list of 20 projects will be submitted by the January 24 deadline. The top five priority road projects are widening SR 16 in Green Cove Springs and US 17 from Fleming Island to Green Cove Springs, replacing the CR 217 Bridge, widening Cathedral Oak Parkway from SR 23 to US 17, and widening Old Jennings Road from SR 23 to Long Bay. The top priority for non-roadway capacity projects is the Northeast Florida Greenway Trail from Jennings State Forest to Gold Head Branch State Park in three segments. Commissioners also authorized staff to apply for grant opportunities related to any projects on this list. If you would like to learn more about how these priorities are determined, please listen to the discussion beginning at the 4:11:54 time stamp.
Raconteurs, LLC awarded RFP No. 24/25-001 for Tourism Sports Marketing and Sales – As we approach the end of our current sports marketing agreement, the County is working to identify the best company to help elevate our sports tourism efforts over the next three years. Commissioners heard presentations from the top three sports companies who submitted proposals and ranked Raconteurs, LLC as the most qualified company to advance our sports tourism goals and position Clay County as a top sports destination. Through representation at trade shows and other marketing efforts, our enhanced visibility in the sports sector will secure new sporting events that will bring in athletes and spectators from across the country to lease our facilities and support our local businesses. This decision will be finalized following a 72-hour protest period and an agreement with Raconteurs, LLC will be brought back to the Board for approval. For details on their presentations and the Commissioners’ discussions, listen from the 1:00:39 time stamp.
Tourist Development Council welcomes new member Adrian Andrews - Commissioners approved the appointment of Penney Farms Town Council Member Adrian Andrews to fill the rotating elected official seat on the Clay County Tourist Development Council and serve on behalf of the Town Council through 2029. Commissioner John Sgromolo, who also serves on the Council, said Andrews has demonstrated a strong pride in his community and will be a great addition to the Tourist Development Council. Listen to the discussion at the 5:04:34 minute mark.
