Phil Ammann
One thing is for certain with Lenny Curry’s second budget: It’s going to be lean.
FloridaPolitics.com sat in on the vast majority of the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee meetings – the only media outlet with that level of masochism, it should be noted.
The committee, helmed by Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa and CFO Mike Weinstein, went through enhancement requests from department after department, and there wasn’t a lot of wiggle room.
“We’re just not keeping up with our services,” such as “deteriorating” infrastructure and mowing only eight times a year. “We’re not providing the services we used to provide, and the answer is simple. Pension. Pension is eating us alive,” Mousa added.
Curry will make the final call. And his press shop isn’t telling the media anything until Monday … right around the time he’s pushing that budget to City Council.
There are a few variables worth watching; the first one relates to law enforcement.
Curry, on the campaign trail, vowed to hire 147 new police officers and 92 new community service officers.
He got 40 of each in his first budget. But regarding this one, it may be an ambitious expectation.
From the wrap-up session last week, there was a discussion of setting aside an extra $5 million for pension in FY 18 in the new budget. The alternative: to hire 40 new cops and 40 new CSOs. Weinstein also pitched the idea of 30 officers and 10 or 20 community service officers. Mousa said it could be “20 and 20.”
The Sheriff’s Office, meanwhile, could live with “40 and 20.”
The problem is that if 40 new cops and 40 new community service officers are hired, the expected cost is $4.3 million over six months. Meanwhile, pension costs are slated to go up another $20 million.
An $1.9 million upgrade of the fingerprinting system was also discussed. The fingerprint system dates back to 1999; if it were human, it would be almost old enough to vote.
Another issue is Jacksonville’s favorite nonprofit punching bag: Friends of Hemming Park.
They wanted a no-strings-attached $500,000 for next year; Mousa and Weinstein wanted $250,000 without strings and another $250,000 contingent on fundraising to match.
Who will win? Until Monday, who knows?
Another issue of note: a backlog of 800 cases in the Duval court system, with people alleging a mis-administration of justice, including in death penalty cases that might have been decided by simple majority of the jury rather than a unanimous jury verdict.
There aren’t enough lawyers on staff to process them at the leviathan we call a courthouse. So the alternative? Contract lawyers.
What will come of that? Stay tuned.
Beyond all that, there is a budget line item that should worry those interested in growing Jacksonville’s business base.
There was a discussion of reducing the allocation for QTI and Rev Grants, valuable recruitment tools by $400,000. Money earmarked for those purposes in FY 16 wasn’t used this year.
Will that reduction happen? And if so, will Jacksonville be a little less attractive a destination for companies mulling relocation?
Budgetary constraints abound: next year’s Gate River Run will be the 40th anniversary of the event, and the Mayor apparently wants a celebration in the core of downtown.
“With as tight a budget as this is … I can’t see us doing it unless the Mayor explicitly directs it,” said Mousa.
Curry, an avid runner, would like to commemorate appropriately. But can he do that while giving short shrift to other, more essential budget line items, such as the Homeless Day Resource Center, a $900,000-line item eliminated a year ago and never replaced, which has not helped downtown Jacksonville’s homeless population?
Indeed, there was a tone of resignation to tough choices in the budget.
Mousa said, “this may be a balanced budget, but here’s a list of what we’re not doing … we may have an $80 to $90 million CIP, but what we really need is a $400 million CIP.”
Where does Jacksonville get $400 million? And why is this city so pitifully far behind where it needs to be?
The city of St. Augustine is dealing with its own budget squeeze –– “Fire service fee may double for non-residential property owners” via CJ Redd of Historic City News – How does a city of about 14,000 residents deal with the fact that fully 30 percent, or more, of its property – such as colleges, churches and nonprofits – are exempt from property taxes? … City commissioners in St. Augustine take up, for a final reading and public hearing, a proposal to change the method used to calculate future fire service fees collected from taxable and non-taxable property owners alike. At issue is whether or not residential structures create the same burden on the city’s fire systems and resources as other commercial structures. Currently, everyone is assessed 6¢ per square-foot, but that is likely to change. Being proposed is a suggested rate increase from 6¢ per square-foot to 7¢ per square-foot for residential property, with commercial, institutional or other nonprofit, non-residential property owners facing an increase from 6¢ per square-foot to 12.7¢ per square-foot. City management says that, as it sits today, the fees collected only cover about 35 percent of the actual tab for fire service costs. They are hoping to increase revenues from fire service fees to about $1.68 million per year which may cover closer to 50 percent of the actual cost. The balance will be paid from ad valorem property taxes.
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Spotted at ‘Yes for Jacksonville’ young professional event – John Barnes, government affairs manager for Veritec; Matt Brockelman, SSG partner; Josh Cockrell, economic development director at Infinity Global Solutions; Carlo Fassi, campaign manager for Melissa Nelson for State Attorney; Joshua Garrison, CEO of Miranda Contracting; Nelson Greene, candidate for Soil & Water District 4; Chris Hagan, government relations adviser for Akerman Senterfitt; Trent Morse, development associate for Florida East Coast Industries; Patrick Murphy, manager of workforce development at Jax Partnership; Ashley Rogan, a senior member of MCurry’s campaign team last year and her husband, Joe Rogan, an attorney with Smith Hulsey Busey; City council aides Katie Schoettler and Jenny Busby, who are organizing a forum next week for the Mayor to again speak with young voters about his pension referendum proposal; Jessie Spradley, government affairs director for the Northeast Florida Builders Association, and his wife Nicole, aide to City Council President Lori Boyer; Will Tutwiler, manager of financial planning and analysis for the Jacksonville Jaguars; Chris Warren, director of governmental affairs for University of North Florida.
“Amid dredging fight, first ship through new Panama Canal docks in Jacksonville” via Ryan Benk of WJCT – The first large freighter to pass through the new, larger Panama Canal arrived at JAXPORT … The landing punctuates an ongoing controversy over intentions to deepen Jacksonville’s channel to accommodate modern mega ships. Massive cranes are pulling shipping containers from the MOL Majesty and loading them onto big rigs. Last week, the Majesty offloaded much of its cargo in Miami since there was no way a fully-loaded ship of this size could previously dock in Jacksonville. “Definitely scraping the bottom if they came in fully loaded,” said JAXPORT CEO Brian Taylor. “So … they go offload at ports that have deeper depths.” The port is currently 40-feet deep. Taylor hopes to start deepening the harbor next year, reaching 47 feet by 2021. But environmentalists are worried about the impact to the St. Johns River. They accuse JAXPORT of inflating that return on investment. The St. Johns Riverkeeper is suing to block the dredging.
“Jacksonville manufacturing industry promising for young workers” via Pressly Pratt of WJCT – Florida State College at Jacksonville hosted a manufacturing job fair to invite workers to join the field. FSCJ Advanced Technology Center bustled with folks looking for jobs. June was the fourth consecutive month of manufacturing growth nationwide, according to the Institute for Supply Management. The First Coast is home to 1,500 manufacturing companies, and many are expanding, according to the First Coast Manufacturers Association. Matt Jeffs, workforce education director with the association, said those jobs are also changing: A college education is increasingly important, even for workers below the management level.
“Westside Jacksonville Park receives land donation” via Allie George of WJCT – The North Florida Land Trust recently facilitated the donation of 33 acres to expand Jacksonville’s McGirts Creek Park. The Trust usually functions as more of a middleman, purchasing or accepting property donations and managing them until a state or federal agency chooses to purchase them, said executive director Jim McCarthy. In this instance, however, the city is in a better position to hold on to the land, he said. “It helps expand their preserve, and won’t require more management dollars from their standpoint so they don’t end up having any expense,” he said. “The bottom line is: They added some additional lands for conservation purposes next to an existing preserve at no cost.”
Downtown: Jacksonville’s donut hole” via John Burr – The Southbank is hot. Brooklyn is en fuego. Riverside/Avondale is cosom chic. San Marco is prosperous and smug. Springfield is on a steady upward arc.
But the prospects for Downtown Jacksonville are, at best, treading water, but more accurately, slipping.
The development darling right now is the Southbank. The news this week: The Strand, the 28-story, 295-apartment unit overlooking the St. Johns River, was sold for $64.6 million, believed to be the highest per-unit price for an apartment building ever in Jacksonville. Nice.
About a half-mile to the east is the site of The District, Peter Rummel‘s $800 million residential, and retail destination project, set to break ground in six months or so. Two weeks ago, plans for the Broadstone River House were announced, with construction expected to start later this month. That’s a 265-unit luxury apartment complex on the river, just west of the Duval County School Board building. And speaking of the school board building, don’t be surprised when Rummel buys it and tacks that site onto the west boundary of District.
Meanwhile, the city’s Downtown has taken steps backward after some promising improvements earlier in the decade. The core city on the Northbank of the St. Johns is bedeviled by a recent bleeding of jobs to the city’s suburbs, closing of popular spots in the entertainment district, and bad optics – mostly long-gutted historic buildings on Laura Street and homeless people on the prowl for spare change.
City officials won’t appreciate the observation, but it’s difficult not to notice that the area which has been the target of much city money and effort and civic hand-wringing, namely Downtown, is the same place where developers fear to tread.
And the neighborhoods surrounding Downtown, which have received relatively little government help or promotion, are booming.
Maybe if the city stops trying so hard to revitalize Downtown, the private sector will get interested and see that there is money to be made. That’s a counterintuitive thought for some, but common sense that seems to be in play in the neighborhoods surrounding Downtown.
“New Zika case reported in Duval; total up to 6” via Jacob Rodriguez of WTLV – Eleven new travel-related Zika cases were reported in Florida Wednesday, including one in Duval County, state health officials said. This brings the total number of local cases in the county up to 6, the Florida Health Department reported. The other 10 new cases include two in Broward, one Collier, three in Miami-Dade, two in Orange, one in Pasco and one in Pinellas counties. Forty-three pregnant women have contracted Zika, the Health Department said. The CDC said Zika illness is general mild – coming with a rash, fever and joint pain. Zika can also cause birth defects, including microcephaly. There have been 293 people affected with the disease in Florida. Symptoms last generally anywhere between seven and 10 days.
There’s a Jax angle here — “Top medical cannabis director takes the hot seat in licensing dispute” via Daniel Ducassi of POLITICO – A lawyer for Loop’s Nursery, Jon Moyle, spent hours questioning Christian Bax, the director of the Office of Compassionate Use at the Florida Department of Health, but didn’t quite finish … Moyle sought to bolster his argument that Loop’s was best qualified to earn the medical cannabis license. Perhaps one of the more damaging answers Moyle elicited from Bax was that he stands by his evaluation scores that had ranked Loop’s the highest of the applicants in the Northeast region. Moyle also asked questions of Bax about his evaluation notes, hoping to expose weaknesses in the two companies that were awarded licenses in the region with the director’s own words. At times that meant trying to point out flaws in the approved companies’ financial statements. In other instances, that meant noting the shortcomings of a company’s greenhouses, particularly compared to the space Loop’s already has in operation, or challenging the practicality of a company’s distribution system. Moyle also continued to pursue the Charlotte’s Web angle. Moyle has played up the Loop’s Nursery’s connections with Charlotte’s Web, the non-euphoric cannabis strain that catalyzed the passage of the 2014 bill that launched the licensing program – a bill many had dubbed the “Charlotte’s Web bill.” Bax conceded that the fact that a company has the right to use the trademarked Charlotte’s Web is a positive, “but it’s not a slam dunk if you have Charlotte’s Web.”
“Duval considering school for teens in substance abuse recovery” via Lindsey Kilbride of WJCT – Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the district has programs for students struggling with addiction to drugs and alcohol, but a recovery school would go deeper, with on-site counseling in order to keep kids on grade level. “We know that substance abuse is prevalent in all communities and there is a point where parents are extremely frustrated and at a loss of how to support their teenagers and I think that this could be a way to do that,” Vitti said. He said the location wouldn’t be in a traditional school to ensure students are given confidentiality. The school is expected to open by the end of the year, with 15-20 students to start, he said.
“Duval is becoming a focal point for Hillary Clinton campaign as Bill visits for fourth time in 18 months” via Andrew Pantazi of the Florida Times-Union – Former President Clinton stopped in Jacksonville — his fourth time here in 1½ years — to raise money and to inaugurate his wife’s local headquarters with a 20-minute broad speech about race, the economy and the differences between his wife and Donald Trump. A campaign headquarters opening isn’t usually attended by a former president or spouse, but it shows the commitment former Secretary of State Clinton’s campaign has to Duval County, said Steve Schale … Much of Bill Clinton’s speech at the headquarters on University Boulevard South focused on explaining the election in analogies. “What this election is about is defining the terms of our togetherness. Do we believe we can build a broadly shared prosperity that will reduce inequality, increase upward mobility and carry us all into the future?
“John Delaney talks Angela Corey, Corrine Brown, Donald Trump” via Florida Politics – Jacksonville Mayor Delaney explained why he thinks Corey is getting a bad rap, talked about the 4th Congressional District campaign, spoke about Brown and what the media’s missing there, and opined on the pension-tax push. “We know Angela,” said Delaney, “the chief assistant state attorney when she began her career.” So why the gap between how public officials — past and present — regard Corey, and the regard in which media seems to hold her? Part of it, believes Delaney, is perception. “She does not view as part of her job explaining to the public [or the] newspaper.” The conversation then turned to the race in Florida’s 4th Congressional District, one Delaney had briefly considered in the immediate wake of Ander Crenshaw deciding to stand down for re-election. “I long ago wrote off Washington D.C.”
“Corrine Brown’s troubles could lead to some struggles for our city, too” via Ron Littlepage of the Florida Times-Union – There’s no joy in having someone who has represented Jacksonville in Congress for 12 terms to stand accused of fraud by taking money from a sham charity that was little more than a personal slush fund for her. I’ve been critical of Brown and have written more than once that it was time for her to move on. That’s not because she’s been ineffective in Congress. She hasn’t been. Just ask one of our Republican mayors who have relied on Brown, a Democrat, to get things done in Congress even with the Republicans in the majority. No. Her failure has been to cry racism at the drop of a hat … if she loses to her top challenger, former state Sen. Al Lawson, of if she is convicted and removed from office, Jacksonville will miss having a veteran member of Congress who knows how to get things done. Also not helping Jacksonville to have some clout in Congress is the retirement of Ander Crenshaw, who has represented the 4th Congressional District since 2001. Whoever wins the Aug. 30 primary in this heavily Republican district, whether it’s John Rutherford, Hans Tanzler III or Lake Ray, it will be another rookie representing Jacksonville.
“Brown campaign pays for flight that allowed felon to violate probation” via Clark Fouraker of WTLV – When Congresswoman Brown was first subpoenaed earlier this year as part of federal investigation against her, she was sitting with Siottis Jackson. While Jackson is not part of the federal investigation, he’s had criminal issues of his own. Court records show he was on probation after pleading guilty to felony charges in 2015. Investigators say Jackson used bad checks to withdraw crash. They also say Jackson used his boss’s account to pay bills electronically. After pleading guilty, Jackson went back to work for Brown’s campaign … Jackson earned $6,000 in 2015 for consulting. The campaign also paid $267 for an airline ticket … for a trip to Washington, DC. Jackson was one of Brown’s representatives at the Congressional Black Caucus Boot Camp. However, probation records say Jackson wasn’t allowed to leave Duval County without approval from his probation officer.
“Feds link Carla Wiley case to Brown” via Florida Politics – Brown and Chief of Staff Elias Simmons plead not guilty to 24 federal counts related to One Door for Education. Now, the feds are seeking to link the charges against Brown and Simmons to the related federal case against Carla Wiley, who ran One Door for Education … To that end, a pendency claim was filed in federal court … Wiley’s sentence was postponed to Dec. 12. The continuance was provided, prosecutors say, because Wiley’s “cooperation is ongoing and that the government wishes to conclude the cooperation before sentencing.” The charges against Brown and Simmons include wire fraud, misrepresentation, false financial disclosures and false tax returns.
— “Brown campaign office to open by late July” via Steve Patterson of the Florida Times-Union – … but still has to find a manager for her re-election effort … The office is expected to open July 25 … Although Brown has habitually bested rivals since her first election to Congress in 1992, this year’s campaign includes important new challenges.
“FOP endorses Al Lawson” via James Call of the Tallahassee Democrat – The Florida Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed Lawson’s candidacy for the 5th Congressional District. The local chapters in the eight-county district running from Gadsden into downtown Jacksonville interviewed the candidates and recommended the endorsement to the statewide organization of law enforcement officers … The endorsement comes as Lawson kicked off a three-day campaign swing through the district’s eastern counties. When asked if he was introducing himself to Jacksonville’s voters, he said there was no need to because for years he had worked on Duval County issues in the Florida Legislature. He cited the St. John’s River, support for Jacksonville’s higher education institution and banking and insurance issues. “I feel like Jacksonville’s my own,” said Lawson, who was the Democratic Leader in the Florida Senate and chaired banking and insurance committees in the Florida House.
“Hans Tanzler amasses $550,000 so far in congressional bid; former Sheriff Rutherford about $175,000 behind” via Nate Monroe of the Florida Times-Union – Former Jacksonville Sheriff Rutherford has raised $373,570 in his 4th Congressional District campaign … with money coming in from local law enforcement a and well-known Jacksonville Republican donors. Meanwhile, Tanzlersaid in a campaign announcement last week that he has raised $550,000 so far, with most of the money originating from within the congressional district. Rutherford has $255,856 cash on hand … Some of his notable donors include former Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, businessman Ed Burr, Florida East Coast Industries executive Husein Cumber, consultant Michael Munz and longtime Republican donor and activist Mike Hightower. Less is clear about Tanzler’s fundraising so far, but his campaign says it has surpassed its internal goal of raising $450,000 by the end of June.
— “L.J. Holloway’s congressional campaign is in the red according to latest filing” via Florida Politics
“Sheri Treadwell releases TV ad” – Treadwell’s campaign released “Conservative,” its first TV ad of the election cycle. With her husband and two young daughters in the background, Treadwell addresses the viewer directly to make the case that illegal immigration and overspending must be addressed to protect the country’s future. She is seeking house District 11 seat … “The importance of this year’s election can’t be overstated,” said Treadwell. “There is no question that President Obama’s out-of-control spending and immigration policies are hurting our economy and putting the future of our nation in jeopardy. It is vital that we fight back in Florida so that our children have a stronger, better America.”
Treadwell makes ‘Women to Watch’ list” – The Florida Federation of Republican Women (FFRW) has named Treadwell to their “Women to Watch 2016” list. The list includes candidates running in federal, state, and local offices across the state. Treadwell is seeking the House District 11 seat … “Sheri Treadwell is a conservative who brings a fresh perspective to her race for the Florida House,” said Dena DeCamp, FFRW President. “She is a lifelong Republican who is deeply committed to our founding principles of limited government and individual responsibility and liberty.” The Florida Federation of Republican Women was founded in 1950 and is made up of 50 clubs around the state. Its goal is to strengthen the Republican Party by educating members on the political process and current issues as well as actively working to elect Republicans to office.
“HD 14 candidate Kim Daniels claims ex-husband stole $50K from her church” via Florida Politics – Mr. and Mrs. Daniels once worked together, under the aegis of Spoken Word Ministries; however, the marriage went south, and so did the business partnership, with Ardell being removed. Spoken Word Ministries alleges Ardell Daniels stole funds from the church toward the end, and seeks an action for civil theft, conversion and breach of fiduciary duty. Daniels’ alleged offenses? He “abused his authority and position of trust,” claims the Spoken Word filing, by removing $50,000 from the SWM account, using $13,750 of “corporate funds to pay his personal credit card bills,” using the corporate card for personal expenses, and selling a GMC Savanna owned by SWM to a dealership, so he could get a new vehicle. Ironically, Ardell Daniels made similar claims about Kim Daniels commingling personal and church finances during their divorce proceedings last year. Ardell Daniels asserted his wife “does not respect corporate formalities and routinely uses the assets of the corporations as her alter ego, to pay regular bills,” and that there was a “complete blending” of their personal and corporate property.
Tweet shot:
Tweet chaser: @TIAreports: More signs of life in Fullwood campaign. He also reported fundraising finally.
Happening today: “Candidates for State Attorney will debate at Tiger Bay” via Larry Hannan of the Florida Times-Union – State Attorney candidates Angela Corey, Melissa Nelson and Wesley White will debate each other during a lunchtime meeting … The lunch meeting is 11:30 a.m. at the University Club, 1301 Riverplace Blvd., Jacksonville. Cost is $25 for people who are not members of the Tiger Bay Club.
“Charles Cofer breaks $150K barrier in public defender race” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics – New contributions of $13,535 brought Cofer’s total up to $150,045. Of that, he has roughly $67,500 on hand. Of the 61 contributors between June 25 and July 8, a lot were retired law enforcement members, along with the Fraternal Order of Police, which has issued an emphatic endorsement of the challenger to fellow Republican Matt Shirk. Former Jacksonville sheriff’s candidate Jimmy Holderfield, the most notable name on the list, gave $200 to Cofer.
Scenes from the Campaign Trail
Pleasure to be back in St. Aug at the @sjgop monthly meeting! Thanks for having me! #TeamRutherford pic.twitter.com/toJXUb0Siy
— John Rutherford (@JRutherfordFL) July 14, 2016
Walking in Nassau & met Al & Patricia Philipp. Al is a 90 yr old WWII vet & loves Vet Court #NoVeteranLeftBehind pic.twitter.com/YY4zF2zniB
— Matt Shirk (@mattshirk4) July 13, 2016
Great camaraderie at tonight’s Filipino American Republican Club meeting! #sayfie #flapol #jaxpol #ilovejax pic.twitter.com/ZxdH6FTetT
— Terrance Freeman (@TFreemanJax) July 9, 2016
“Aaron Bean addresses workers comp, ‘Blue Lives Matter’ bill” via Florida Politics – Bean, who had attended an Associated Industries of Florida “town hall” in Jacksonville … said it didn’t look good for those who want a special session to address a proposed 20 percent hike in workers’ comp rates. “The logistics aren’t there to make that happen,” Bean said … “by the time those are wrapped up,” committees will begin. In addressing the group, Bean quipped that “you probably wish you could spend all day” talking about workers’ comp issues, before laying bare his position. “In 2003,” Bean noted, the “broken system” in Florida saw the burden imposed on businesses comparable with that of California. After reforms were passed in 2003, characterized by Bean as “putting workers first,” imposing “limits and caps” on attorneys’ fees, “premiums dropped 58 percent.” Regarding the “Blue Lives Matter” bill, which is slated to be considered by the Florida House, Bean stressed that, while he “love[s] police” and “believe[s] all lives matter,” he’s “always hesitant to give special protections to anybody.”
“AIF sounds alarm on workers comp changes in Jacksonville” via Florida Politics – Associated Industries of Florida held the last of three planned town hall meetings to discuss the impact of the state’s workers’ compensation system on employers and employees. This is a timely initiative for AIF: the insurance industry seeks a nearly 20 percent hike in rates for employers, one which could negatively impact the state economy. It was pointed out the vast majority (16.8 percent) of this increase would benefit trial lawyers. Tom Feeney, president of AIF, noted that in 2003, Florida had the highest workers’ comp rates in the country. AIF and others led a reform that cut rates by 60 percent; now, however, things appear headed in the other direction given recent Supreme Court decisions. “The system has worked extremely well until now,” Feeney said, adding that “five of the seven Supreme Court members are extremely hostile to business.” Terming the ruling a “calamity that is about to befall the business community,” Feeney introduced a variety of speakers to provide insight.
“CSX shares rise 4 pct as surprise Q2 results beat expectations” via Berkeley Lovelace of CNBC – The company reported earnings of 47 cents per share, compared to Wall Street expectations of 44 cents, according to a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate. CSX posted revenue of $2.7 billion for the quarter, slightly above expectations for $2.69 billion. “CSX continued to drive strong customer service and network efficiency in a challenging market, which is expected to persist throughout this year,” Michael Ward, chairman and CEO of CSX, said. “In this environment, the company continues to right-size resources while making strategic investments to transform the company and capitalize on market opportunities to drive long-term value creation.”
“Frontier Airlines will suspend St. Augustine service” via Sheldon Gardner of the St. Augustine Record – Frontier Airlines service in St. Augustine for flights to and from Chicago and Philadelphia will end in October … The planned suspensions are seasonal and are happening at both large and small airports, officials said. Philadelphia and Chicago flights make up all of Frontier’s service to St. Augustine … officials are confident service will resume in the spring … Frontier hasn’t built its spring schedule yet, so officials don’t have a date for when service would resume, said Ed Wuellner, St. Augustine-St. Johns County Airport Authority executive director. Of the discontinuation, he said, “We’re disappointed. We believe ourselves to be a year-round market. … What they’ve seen this market give them is encouraging.” Wuellner said the change is not because of a lack of business in St. Augustine. The route changes are seasonal adjustments, said Frontier spokesman Jim Faulkner. The decision on which flights will return next spring has not been made yet. “We look at market performance, and look for the best places to put the assets,” Faulkner said.
“Tony Bernados promoted to publisher of The St. Augustine Record” via the Florida Times-Union – Bernados, vice president of revenue for the Savannah Morning News has been named publisher of The St. Augustine Record … Bernados will report to Mark Nusbaum, president of The Florida Times-Union and group publisher for the Morris Florida Division. Bernados, a 17-year veteran of the media industry, spent the last nine years with Morris Communications in key advertising and revenue roles including vice president of revenue at the Savannah Morning News, corporate vice president of Digital Media and Revenue at Morris Publishing Group, classified director, Times-Union Media and vice president of sales and marketing at The Augusta Chronicle. Before joining Morris Communications, Bernados held positions with Scripps Howard, Evening Post Company and Block Communications.
“jaguars RB Denard Robinson cited for careless driving after crashing into pond July 3” via Joe Daraskevich of the Florida Times-Union – [Robinson] was found asleep at the wheel … The officer who issued the citation, M.T. Borgert, is the same one who determined Robinson was not impaired the morning of the crash. A citation was not issued that morning, according to a Sheriff’s Office crash report. Robinson’s lawyer, Hank Coxe, said he accepted the citation Sunday after he was approached by the Sheriff’s Office about it late last week. Robinson, 25, drove a Chevrolet Impala into the pond near Beach and Southside boulevards shortly after 4 a.m. July 3, according to the crash report. Robinson and his passenger, Marissa O. Staples, 29, of Cincinnati, were assisted out of the vehicle by authorities. Robinson was asleep at the wheel and Staples also was sleeping when an officer responded, according to the report. Borgert later screened Robinson at the scene and determined a citation should not be issued, according to the report.
