The Amelia Island Tourist Development Council (AITDC) is comprised of nine (9) members who are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The appointments are governed by Florida Statute 125.0104 and Local Ordinance which states the Council shall be comprised of:
- one (1) County Commissioner
- two (2) Elected Municipal Officials, at least one of whom must be from the most populous municipality in the county or sub-county special taxing district in which the tax is levied
- six (6) persons who are involved in the tourist industry and have demonstrated an interest in tourist development; no less than three (3) nor more than four (4), shall be owners or operators of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, or other tourist accommodations on Amelia Island subject to the tax and reside in Nassau County.
AITDC members serve staggered terms of four (4) years. When a potential discrepancy was identified as it related to the terms of AITDC members, County staff was instructed to research the progression of terms to ensure all AITDC members were properly seated. It was found that two seats, an ‘elected municipal official’ seat filled by City of Fernandina Beach Commissioner Chip Ross and a ‘persons involved in the tourist industry’ seat filled by Olivia Hoblit, had expired on December 31, 2020. Unfortunately, the expiration of the two seats were not brought to the attention of BOCC staff. As such, the two seats are currently vacant.
In an effort to reconcile this matter, on June 28, 2021, the BOCC instructed County staff to solicit applications/nominations to fill the two vacant seats.
Elected Municipal Official Seat
As cited above, there are two (2) elected municipal official seats available on the AITDC. One of the two seats must be filled by an elected official from the most populous municipality in the taxing district. The City of Fernandina Beach is the most populous municipality in the taxing district. City of Fernandina Beach Commissioner Len Kreger is currently serving in one of the elected municipal official seats for the term running from 2018 to 2022. As such, the second elected official seat could be held by any elected commissioner or councilman from the three municipalities in Nassau County: City of Fernandina, Town of Hilliard, or Town of Callahan.
As directed by the BOCC, County staff contacted each of the municipalities [via letter, email and phone] to inform them of the current vacancy on the AITDC and request the submission of a nomination, in the form of a Resolution, if a member of their elected body would like to serve on the AITDC. These nominations were due to the County Manager's Office by August 20, 2021.
- The City of Fernandina Beach submitted a nomination for Commissioner Chip Ross
- The Town of Hillard submitted a resolution nominating Councilman John Beasley
- The Town of Callahan did not submit a nomination
Staff respectfully requests the BOCC appoint either Commissioner Ross or Councilman Beasley to serve on the AITDC for a term running January 1, 2021 thru December 31, 2024.
Individual in the Tourism Industry Seat
As cited above, six seats on the AITDC are reserved for persons involved in the tourist industry. Of those at least three, but not more than four, shall be owners or operators of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, or other tourist accommodations on Amelia Island subject to the tax and reside in Nassau County. There was a noticed application period from July 14, 2021 to August 13, 2021 for qualifying members of the public to apply to serve on the AITDC. Applicants were able to submit an application through an online form or apply in person via paper copies that were available at the County Manager's Office. Only one application was received:
- Olivia Hoblit, Regional Manager for Courtyard/ Springhill Suites Amelia Island and Seaside Amelia Inn. Based on her submitted application, Ms. Hoblit meets the requirements to serve on the AITDC and it is within the authority of the BOCC to make such an appointment if that is the desire of the BOCC.
Staff respectfully requests the BOCC appoint Olivia Hoblit to serve on the AITDC for a term running January 1, 2021 thru December 31, 2024.
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