John C. Blanchard

The Board discussed various departmental updates, including the appointment of new fire administration staff, the status of the Choose Baker program, and infrastructure projects like the SAFER grant application and FDOT time extensions for road improvements. Additionally, the Board considered a collection site hours of operation change, awarded a pest control services bid, reviewed FEMA project statuses, and addressed rezoning and mobile food vendor ordinance requests.

The board discussed and took action on several items, including the approval of a proclamation for Child Abuse Prevention Month, authorization of financing terms for a solid waste truck, and updates on the Sanderson Center renovation and rental rates. The board also approved revisions to the CDBG applicant and contractor lists, provided an update on FEMA projects, approved an invoice for inmate medical services, and authorized several resolutions related to FDOT infrastructure and bridge replacement agreements. Additionally, the board held public hearings regarding land use amendments and rezoning requests for several properties.

The Board meeting included presentations from new county personnel and the Baker County COAD team. Key actions involved the approval of a change order for the Station 50 project, the awarding of the RFP for the Shoals Park FEMA project, and a change order for the Boat Ramp FEMA project. The Board also held discussions regarding New River Solid Waste tipping fees, the status of several ongoing infrastructure and appropriation projects, and the scheduling of an audit presentation. During the public hearing, the Board approved several ordinances related to small-scale land use amendments, rezoning requests, and an update to the property rights element in the comprehensive plan.

The board conducted a regular session where they addressed several key business items. Key topics included approving new award limits for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program and passing the Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) resolution. The board discussed the upcoming community resource fair and the public engagement charrette for the comprehensive plan update. They also approved several funding agreements for railroad crossing improvements funded by the Florida Department of Transportation. Furthermore, the board reviewed and established new rental fees for the Agricultural Center Auditorium and authorized the scope for a comprehensive financial audit.

The agenda for the Regular Session included approval of the agenda and consent agenda items, which covered minutes from previous meetings (February 3, 2026, and February 9, 2026), expense reports, and contract extensions for services including FEMA assistance and library renovation. New Business items featured presentations on vulnerability assessment results, grant acceptances for AEDs and Lifepaks, updates on the CDBG Program, awarding design/engineering for CR229S, adoption of an LMS resolution, an emergency management update concerning Turner Cemetery Bridge, approval of a Watershed Planning Grant application, and discussion of an OPEB Proposal (Actuary Report). Prior business involved discussions on the operational audit action items, pending business report, and the grant application and acceptance policy.