On June 17, the Fernandina Beach Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board (CRAAB) met for a “debriefing” after a work session with the City Commission and Carol Westmoreland, executive director of the Florida Redevelopment Association. Individuals attending the Monday afternoon meeting were board members Mike Zaffaroni (chair), Andrew Curtin, Lou Goldman, Debra Stephenson, Marla McDaniel, and representatives from the Nassau County Economic and Development Board; Steve Reich,executive director and David Emmons, director of business expansion.
Zaffaroni, opened the meeting and asked for comments on the workshop where Westmoreland educated board members and commissioners on the value of CRAs. Curtin said Westmoreland’s Wednesday CRA training session in Jacksonville and her board presentation in Fernandina resulted in a “clear understanding among everybody [commissioners and CRAAB] as to what CRA’s can and cannot do.” He sensed a “more positive attitude toward CRAs among some of the commissioners that were skeptical before.”
Responses from commissioners were more positive according to Zaffaroni. “I think we saw Pelcian and Gass very involved in the conversation where in the past they seemed unsure.”