NewsLine Staff
Q: Why is it important for residents to experience paid parking before the referendum?
A: I particularly feel it is important because there has been so much misinformation about paid parking. In order for a citizen to make an informed decision in August or November, they need to see how it’s going to work for a while. This is a great opportunity to let people touch it, feel it, experience it, and then make a decision at the ballot box based on facts and experience, not rumors and what-ifs.
Q: What are your legislative priorities for 2026?
A: The big challenge is ad valorem tax changes – we’re talking about millions of dollars of lost revenue potentially. There continues to be pressure on home rule issues. The League of Cities is watching efforts to do away with community redevelopment agencies, issues on additional dwelling units and changes to SB 180, last year’s hurricane recovery bill that took away local control.
Q: When will Waterfront Park be completed?
A: Once the pavilion gets finished, landscaping will move really quickly. We just ordered a half-million dollars worth of trees. The timeline is to get it done by the end of March, and the commitment is it’ll be completely open and operational before Shrimp Festival, which is the first weekend in May. We’re also waiting on the final permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to get Atlantic Seafood demolished – that piece of the building sits out in the water just enough that we had to get Army Corps approval.
Q: What process improvements is the city making?
A: We made changes to the approval levels for the city manager, which will take weeks, if not months, out of project timelines. So many things had to come to us, and sometimes it takes a month to get on our calendar. We’re also implementing contract management software – we don’t have any today. We’ve been criticized about not managing contracts properly. Part of the way you fix that is putting tools in place that help you track dates and timelines.
Q: How is City Manager Sarah Campbell’s leadership impacting the city?
A: The city is functioning at a higher level, and I give all the credit to Sarah Campbell. She has inspired the team with a new sense of purpose. Last year in Tallahassee, I cannot begin to tell you the number of people in the state legislature who would stop and say, “Oh my God, Sarah Campbell, it is so nice to see you” and “What do you need?” I said, “I did not know you were so politically connected,” and she said, “Well, nobody asked me that in the interview.” She has been a real breath of fresh air for the city.
Genece Minshew is a City Commissioner for Fernandina Beach. Questions or comments can be directed to her at gminshew@fbfl.city or 904-780-4188.
