Board approves tourism contracts, infrastructure grant and multiple ordinances and land-use amendments

Nassau County commissioners on Aug. 25 approved a set of consent and legislative items including tourism-marketing contracts, a request for rural infrastructure funding and multiple ordinances and comprehensive-plan amendments.

The items were taken in two ways: several contract approvals were handled on the consent agenda or pulled briefly for separate voice votes; several legislative items were debated in public hearings and decided by roll-call votes.

Among the actions the board approved were a contract with StarMark International Inc. for tourism marketing worth $5,081,280 and a $170,000 contract with Hayworth Creative Inc. for digital and online tourism services. The board also authorized staff to submit a $300,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund application to pay for a preliminary engineering and feasibility study (PD&E) for a proposed new Interstate 95 interchange; county staff said $300,000 is the maximum allowed in this grant category.

In the meetingpublic hearings the board completed final actions tied to the American Beach Water and Sewer District: it approved the finance package closing out the American Beach project, adopted an ordinance to dissolve the American Beach Water and Sewer District and transfer its assets to Nassau County, and accepted a public-interest statement determining the sale of certain water, wastewater and reclaimed-water assets on Amelia Island is in the countyinterest.

The board also adopted a land-development code revision (Article 25, Planned Unit Development) and approved three future-land-use map amendments (CPA 25-008, CPA 25-009 and CPA 25-012) that change small parcels from residential categories to commercial in Commission District 3. County staff said the three plan amendments are part of a Timber-to-Tides overlay mismatch-correction window.

Votes at a glance - Tab D: Approve resolution and contract CM3244A4 with StarMark International Inc. for tourism marketing in the amount of $5,081,280. Motion recorded on the floor; approved by voice vote (motion mover: Commissioner McCullough; second: Commissioner Martin). (vote method: voice; tally: not specified in transcript)

- Tab E: Approve resolution and contract CM3272-84 with Hayworth Creative Inc. for $170,000 for online/digital tourism marketing. Motion on the floor (mover: Commissioner McCullough; second: Commissioner Martin). Approved by voice vote (tally: not specified in transcript).

- Tab M: Authorize submission of a Rural Infrastructure Fund application for $300,000 to fund a PD&E study for a new I-95 interchange (mover: Commissioner McCullough; second: Commissioner Farmer). Approved by voice vote (tally: not specified in transcript).

- Tab O (Finance package 2025-28): Approve finance package and associated resolutions to close out the American Beach Water and Sewer District project, including budget amendments to allow repayment of SRF loans (motion: Commissioner Martin; second: Commissioner Gray). Roll-call: 5-0 (McCullough, Gray, Farmer, Martin, Chair Heltman - all yes).

- Tab P (Ordinance 2025-030): Adopt ordinance repealing the American Beach Water and Sewer District and transferring its assets, property and indebtedness to Nassau County (motion: Commissioner Gray; second: Commissioner McCullough). Roll-call: 5-0.

- Tab Q (Resolution 2025-111): Accept public-interest statement under Florida Statutes section 125.3401 and determine that sale of county-owned water/wastewater/reclaimed-water assets on Amelia Island is in the public interest (motion: Commissioner Martin; second: Commissioner Farmer). Roll-call: 5-0.

- Tab R (Ordinance 2025-018): Revise Land Development Code Article 25 (Planned Unit Development) and retain a 10-acre minimum site-area requirement; approved (motion: Commissioner McCullough; second: Commissioner Martin). Roll-call: 5-0.

- Tab S (CPA 25-008): Adopt comprehensive-plan amendment reclassifying a 1.32-acre parcel on the west side of Goodbread Road to commercial (motion: Commissioner Gray; second: Commissioner McCullough). Roll-call: 5-0.

- Tab T (CPA 25-009): Adopt comprehensive-plan amendment reclassifying 1.05 acres on PageDairy Road to commercial (motion: Commissioner Gray; second: Commissioner Farmer). Roll-call: 5-0.

- Tab U (CPA 25-012): Adopt comprehensive-plan amendment reclassifying 2.48 acres east of U.S. 17 south of State Road 200 to commercial (motion: Commissioner Gray; second: Commissioner McCullough). Roll-call: 5-0.

Several items were presented as staff recommended and passed without roll-call tallies noted in the transcript; those were recorded as voice votes on the floor and listed above with the motion makers and seconders where given.

Why it matters The adopted measures move forward planned capital projects (the I-95 interchange study), direct county tourism marketing expenditures for the coming contract cycles and finalize the countytransition of the American Beach water and sewer systems from a special district into county ownership and the start of a planned sale process that county staff say is intended to fund immediate capital repairs and long-term operations.

Provenance: transcript excerpts referenced for each item are part of the public record of the Aug. 25, 2025 meeting.