Peter Schorsch
Tuesday’s meeting of the Jacksonville City Council will end up being most notable and best remembered for being the second attempt to finally resolve the zoning for a proposed microbrewery in the Urban Core’s Springfield neighborhood.
The holdup? The microbrewery (to be called “6th and Main”) is within a 1,500-foot minimum distance of several churches and a school.
City ordinance, devised decades ago, prohibits such proximity.
And therein rests the problem.
Even when the bill came up for a second time during Tuesday’s Land Use and Zoning committee meeting, concerns were expressed that, even though those planning the project had tried to get buy-in from those churches, they weren’t able to get all of them.
Some churches were so obscure they were missed when canvassing the neighborhood. Thus, it required a second vote.
The first time the bill was debated, the committee had voted 4-2 for the microbrewery. Objecting to the measure: Springfield’s city councilman, Reggie Gaffney, who seems to believe that if the brewery owners wanted to be good neighbors, they’d give money to the churches.
When the bill was up in front of LUZ Tuesday, though, Gaffney flipped his vote.
Why?
The stream of speaker after speaker supporting the proposed development.
Preachers were nowhere in sight.
Will Tuesday night — in front of the full council — be different?
Smart money would bet on it.
For one thing, proponents of the microbrewery were out in force Tuesday at the council committee meeting, an organized show of strength from supporters.
Opponents of the measure, meanwhile, stayed home.
The LUZ chair noted a preponderance of emails received about the project were for it.
However, the real question going forward is whether preachers and those who support them actually lobby via email, or prefer an in-person approach via public comment.
If the professional moralists make their play, what happens?
Do council members cave? Do they just politely ignore the microbrewery opponents and vote yes anyway?
Those seem to be the two most likely options.
And until the final vote passes, an inherent pliability of council members — more than a few of them, in fact — keeps that question open.
If this project passes, a second microbrewery in the same area will be up for consideration.
If both get clearance and allowed to proceed, then — after decades of trying — the transformation of Springfield is, at long last, possible.
As a neighborhood lagging behind Riverside, Avondale, and San Marco — regarding gentrification and revitalization — Springfield, at long last, may get its day in the sun.
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“Project Mountain already employs 965 locally; more details emerge in legislation” via Karen Brune Mathis of the Jacksonville Financial News & Daily Record – Legislation for the unidentified Project Mountain, whose description closely matches public plans submitted by United Parcel Service Inc., provides more details about the proposed $196 million development … The project surfaced this month but the incentives legislation, including the development agreement, was filed last week. The resolution, 2016-700, will be introduced to City Council. It seeks a maximum $4.3 million Recapture Enhanced Value grant over five years based on 50 percent of the increased real and personal property taxes generated at the site.
Among the new details: The company already employs 965 people. The average salary for the proposed 10 new permanent jobs would be $50,675, plus benefits. The employees filling those jobs must reside in the metropolitan statistical area, comprising Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties. Construction would start on or before Dec. 31 and be completed within three years. The incentives are based on the company’s private capital investment of no less than $100 million. The agreement is fast-track legislation, requesting a two-reading passage. The agreement does not specify the project site, saying it is within Duval County but will be inserted when the document is executed.
What Chris Hand is reading — “Bob Graham’s new book shows how to fight City Hall and win” via Ron Littlepage of the Florida Times-Union – I hear from a lot of people who say that they have lost faith in government, that elected officials only listen to lobbyists and big-money donors. That sense of distrust in government, which has been dangerously high during this election cycle, doesn’t bode well for our democracy. A new book coauthored by former U.S. Sen. Graham and Chris Hand, an attorney who has long been involved in politics and who served as chief of staff for Mayor Alvin Brown, takes that feeling of hopelessness head on. The book is an updated version of one they wrote in 2009 and is titled “America, The Owner’s Manual. You Can Fight City Hall — And Win.” The book’s preface refers to “a long-standing national ailment: limited knowledge of what it truly means to be a citizen in our democracy, including the power to engage government directly and move it in a different direction.” I’m not going to pretend the book is a page-turner like a John Grisham legal thriller that robs you of sleep. Hey, it’s an owner’s manual, but unlike most owner’s manuals, it’s clear and concise in showing how citizens can shape government. And it offers examples “that show what a single person or a group of people can accomplish.”
“A divided Jacksonville greets Bill Clinton” via Florida Politics – It was a tale of two narratives. The fans — and haters —were both “ready for Hillary.” The scene was set outside before and after the rally, with protesters of the left and the right making their grievances known. From the left, a protester representing the local Kemetic Empire group, with a placard saying “genocide in the Congo in the name of Bill Clinton.” From the right, a rip-off of the Shepard Fairey picture of Barack Obama with “Hope” underneath it; however, the Clinton variant had the word “rape” under it. As well, people in passing cars yelled old reliables: “Hillary for Prison” and “Lock her up.” … The situation calmed down, and Bill Clinton — who has been called everything one could call a politician — was unruffled. He proceeded through a workmanlike stump speech, entirely unexceptional and lacking local detail beyond the requisite name-checks of local dignitaries in the crowd. Clinton spoke of the need to “live together and work together across the lines that divide us,” noting that one can “build all the walls you want, it can’t keep social media out.”
Clinton spoke of Islamic extremism, though not by name, noting the mass murderers in San Bernardino were “converted over social media” and that in Orlando, Omar Mateen didn’t even have “contact” with external jihadists, but was “sort of turned on by it.” Clinton, realizing he may have been too colloquial, qualified his statement by saying that he’s “not trying to be flippant.” … “We can rise together again,” Clinton said later. “Like in the ’90s, except better.”
“Fighting cancer, Hillary Clinton staffer from Jacksonville makes weighty recommendation” via Sebastian Kitchen of the Florida Times-Union – Clinton campaign worker Tyrone Gayle was at war with colon cancer, in his sixth week of chemo, when he sent her an email she said influenced one of her most important decisions. Gayle … wrote Clinton an email to update her on his health, but also urge her to select his former boss, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, as her running mate. “During the 2012 campaign cycle, I traveled all across Virginia with him spending upward of 15 hours each day for 15 months on the road as his special assistant,” Gayle wrote to Clinton. “I can personally attest to his incredible character, integrity, competency and ability to get things done. I believe he would be a great choice, and be an effective governing partner.” A few days after Gayle’s email and just before the Democratic National Convention, Clinton chose Kaine. “It meant so much to me, because that’s a bird’s eye view,” Clinton later told People magazine. “That’s somebody sitting in a car with you, hour after hour, and I’m very grateful that the people who worked with me and for me over the years have been so positive and supportive of me and then to hear from one of them, ‘Hey, this is the guy you should pick,’ I found that very much positive information that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.”
“Florida campaign manager Susie Wiles says the Donald Trump she knows is not the one critics rip” via Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times – What’s a genteel, chamber of commerce, establishment Republican like Wiles doing on a campaign like Trump‘s? Longtime admirers of Wiles, the daughter of legendary NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall, lately have been asking themselves — and Wiles — that question a lot as she steers Trump’s tumultuous and divisive campaign in must-win Florida. “I actually tried to talk her out of it. I didn’t think it would be good for her,” University of North Florida president John Delaney said of Wiles, his chief of staff when he was mayor of Jacksonville in the 1990s. “I said, ‘Susie, I don’t think this is who you are.’ But she has an uncanny nose for the mood of the people and she saw that he was going to win” the primary, said Delaney, who is so turned off by Trump he wrote in House Speaker Paul Ryan’s name on the mail ballot he has already cast. “Bringing on Susie is one of the few smart decisions that I’ve seen the Trump campaign make this year,” said Democratic consultant Chris Hand of Jacksonville. “Frankly, if Donald were running as a Susie Wiles Republican — reasonably conservative, pro-environment, pro-investment — he might have a real chance of being elected president Nov. 8.” This is not her first candidate to challenge the political establishment. She worked for her political idols, Jack Kemp and Ronald Reagan, who also bucked the GOP establishment in many ways. But they also offered warmth and optimistic views of America that could hardly be more different from Trump.
Tweet, tweet:
“Rick Scott, Lenny Curry less than emphatic in stretch run support of Donald Trump” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – Both men … have invested significant political capital in the candidacy of Donald Trump for president, and most expectations are that Trump will lose “big league.” Scott runs a Trump Super PAC, and Curry, a former Republican Party of Florida chairman, served as master of ceremonies for a Trump rally in Jacksonville in August. Both the Jacksonville mayor and the Florida governor also have something else in common. When Trump [campaigned] in St. Augustine … both Scott and Curry [were] elsewhere. Scott, when asked about his potential participation in that St. Augustine rally by a reporter, noted “today I’m here,” and then he’s headed back to Tallahassee for pre-scheduled events. When asked about his relative lack of presence beside Trump at rallies, the governor noted that he has to “focus” on where he should spend time, noting a variety of concerns this summer, including the terrorist attack in Orlando and the two hurricanes, Hermine and Matthew, that have impacted the Sunshine State in the last two months. Curry’s support for Trump, meanwhile, seems to be moving closer to pro forma territory than it might have been earlier in the campaign. When asked about Trump, Curry noted that “I’ve said numerous times that I am a Republican … I ran as a Republican.” While “on a national level,” Curry’s “philosophy is conservative,” his focus is not on the national campaign at this point.
“Despite Reggie Fullwood plea, his friends, colleagues stand behind work he’s done” via Steve Patterson of the Florida Times-Union – Colleagues still think highly of Fullwood, understanding the plea forced him to resign from both the Legislature and his job. “He’s done a really good job for the community,” said Jerome Crawford, chairman of Metro North’s board of directors. “I am 100 percent behind him.” Despite that, Crawford said there was no way Fullwood, who resigned from the Florida Legislature with a letter apologizing “to all of the people of this state,” could stay at the nonprofit. Metro North’s board met once about the conviction and will talk further next week about finding a replacement, Crawford said. An interim executive took over following Fullwood’s April indictment. “The hope was, I think, that Reggie would be exonerated,” said Greg Matovina, a real estate developer and accountant who said he checked Metro North’s finances before agreeing to the interim role. Matovina, who has held nonprofit roles including board chairman for Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, had been involved with Metro North earlier and said Fullwood has done a good job.
“Federal prosecutors file motion to collect Fullwood forfeiture funds” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – Federal prosecutors filed a motion to collect “$60,552.80 … the amount of proceeds he obtained as a result of the offense to which he plead guilty.” The indictment, asserted prosecutors, stated the “United States would seek forfeiture of any property, real or personal, which constitutes or is derived from proceeds traceable to the offense.” The motion reiterates previously stated assertions that Fullwood secreted over $60,000 from his campaign account for personal expenses, filing “false or fraudulent campaign finance reports” to conceal the graft. In the plea deal struck in late September, Fullwood agreed to the forfeiture money judgement, the feds also stated. “Because the United States could not locate specific property constituting or derived from the proceeds the defendant obtained as a result of the scheme to defraud (wire fraud),” prosecutors contend, “it seeks a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $60,552.80 against the defendant.”
“Bipartisan backing finds Tracie Davis, but Mark Griffin holds HD 13 money lead” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – Davis’ latest campaign finance report, spanning the gap between Oct. 8 and Oct. 14 … Davis raised $5,200 in that week, including from political action committees that make a habit of supporting Republicans as much as they do Democrats. The “Citizens for Principled Leadership” political committee gave Davis $1,000 Oct. 10 … “North Florida Citizens for Justice” gave Davis $1,000 Oct. 12 … The “Florida Justice” political action committee likewise maxed out for Davis. This committee is a frequent donor to the Florida Democratic Party, but also has been known to give money to Republican Party of Florida chairman Blaise Ingoglia. All told, Davis has just under $8,000 on hand for the stretch run of her campaign … Griffin, both raised and spent more than his Democratic opponent in the same week … raised $5,710 and spent $10,343 … just over $23,500 on hand. Among Griffin’s donations: $1,000 from Swisher International, a notable donation in light of his remark during a debate with Davis Friday that the Jacksonville cigar company has outsourced some operations to the Dominican Republic. Of the $10,343 of expenditures Oct. 8-14, $9,973 went to IHeart Media for campaign ads, ensuring Davis and Griffin will have dueling radio spots in the Jacksonville market for the balance of the campaign.
“HD 13 Tiger Bay debate isn’t presidential — and that’s a good thing” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – The highlight of the program was a debate between HD 13 candidates Republican Mark Griffin and Democrat Tracie Davis. It was a well-reasoned and reasonable discussion between two people who were friends before they ran against each other … and hopefully will be after Nov. 8. Griffin kept his opening remarks anodyne, calling himself a “community leader and an advocate for change,” before saying a “mentor” of his, a Democrat, told him that he “could provide the leadership needed in HD 13.” The Republican pastor also remarked on his work with the Eureka Garden Tenant Association, crediting Lenny Curry and Marco Rubio with spurring positive change, noting “there are multiple Eureka Gardens throughout the city.” Davis, for her part, spoke to the need for a “strong legislator” who’d respond to the needs of the entire district. Among her policy priorities: “wealth building” for the district, and ensuring public safety. Davis advocated increasing small businesses in the economically embattled district.
“Rummell family lines up behind Democrat Kim Daniels in House District 14” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – Though the most famous Rummell in Jacksonville (Peter) did not give Daniels a donation (yet), three other Rummells lined up behind the former Jacksonville City Councilwoman … Lee Ann Rummell, Harry Rummell, and Mahala Rummell all gave Daniels, a well-known charismatic minister, $1,000 each Oct. 11. Those donations were the only monies that came into the Daniels campaign between Oct. 8 and 14. Daniels spent $1,500 during the same period. All told, Daniels — heavily favored in the largely Democratic district — has about $2,500 banked. However, the primary showed her approach to campaign finance is unique, with tens of thousands of dollars moved into and out of her campaign account via personal contributions and subsequent refunds.
Sneak peek at Paul Renner’s latest campaign commercial:
“Duval’s School Board race pits educators with similar values against each other” via Denise Smith Amos of the Florida Times-Union – At least there’s one voting booth choice that isn’t stressing out Marcie Scott. The Mandarin mother of two Duval school students said she hasn’t made up her mind yet between two education leaders running for the open District 7 School Board seat, but that uncertainty is less disturbing than any over national and state candidates. Scott will choose between Lori Hershey and Barbara Toscano in the only contested race for Duval School Board Nov. 8. Toscano has taught in Duval public schools for 12 years, most recently at Douglas Anderson School for the Arts, while Hershey has taught and volunteered at public and private schools in Northeast Florida for two decades and currently works at the Jacksonville Children’s Commission … the Duval School Board has grown increasingly fractious this year. Two board groups have frequently debated matters affecting the district’s most disadvantaged students, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s performance and, most recently, the declining performance of some International Baccalaureate programs. Toscano and Hershey both said they believe that the board should work with Vitti, not replace, that he has not failed in ways which would merit a switch at the top.
“Meet the Candidates: Duval Soil And Water Conservation Board Group 2” via Kayla Davis of WJCT – Hunter Anderson and James Joseph Morton are competing for the Group 2 position. Anderson is a 22-year-old University of North Florida political science major. He says the board’s primary purpose should be educating the public about conservation. He wants the board to spread its message at public schools and college campuses, telling students what they can do to help the environment. His opponent, Morton, has run unsuccessfully for a spot on the Soil and Water Conservation board at least twice … His campaign’s Facebook page has information copied from the St. Johns Riverkeeper website and from a Wikipedia article about fracking.
“Rick Scott, Lenny Curry talk Hurricane Matthew response, recovery” via Florida Politics – In the fourth floor of Jacksonville’s Emergency Operations Center, Scott and Curry met along with a panoply of other state and city stakeholders … the governor discussed the logistics of collaboration, with an eye toward “anything we can help do better.” … “What can we do better as a state? The mayor’s in the same position,” Scott said. Curry spoke of the importance of “accountability” during the storm, and credited the governor’s office with helping with the logistics of Jacksonville’s phased evacuation of 456,000 people. “You and I were talking before I made those calls,” Curry noted. Curry also emphasized the importance of “get[ting] our dollars back” from D.C., speaking of being “aggravated” and “frustrated” with the glacial path of FEMA procedures. Curry also spoke to dune restoration at the beaches, saying “we believe tax dollars sent out of the city should come back to the city,” noting that timely federal money to help restore the dunes that prevented cataclysmic flooding at Duval County beaches is a must. There is a contractor, already enlisted for beach re-nourishment, ready to do the work; “if we wait,” Curry said, “we lose that contractor.”
“Hurricane Matthew disaster recovery center opens in St. Johns County” via Bakari Savage of News 4 Jax – The center, which will be open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday, is at: St. Johns County Wind Mitigation Bldg. 3111 Agricultural Center Drive, St. Augustine … The center will be closed on Sundays. Disaster recovery centers serve as one-stop shops for eligible storm survivors seeking one-on-one help, FEMA officials said. Representatives from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration and various state agencies will be at the center to answer questions … FEMA’s top flood insurance official, Roy Wright, was in St. Augustine to help residents find help. The National Flood Insurance Program is pre-authorizing thousands of dollars to go out almost immediately for residents who had flood insurance. “People, in terms of checks, often begin to see their next check happen two to three weeks later,” Wright said. “And then, the next increment comes based on the insured. If they want to get actual estimates from contractors and the like, we’ll take the time to wait with them.”
Assignment editors: The office of U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis joins the Florida Division of Consumers Services for a post-hurricane recovery assistance event Wednesday in Ormond Beach. On hand will be representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Housing Administration, Florida Department of Children and Families, Florida Department of Elder Affairs, United Way and the American Red Cross will be in attendance among others. Event will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST at the Nova Community Center Gymnasium, 440 N. Nova Road in Ormond Beach.
“Recent trip to Nantes, France, has Jacksonville business leaders excited about possible leads” via Drew Dixon of the Florida Times-Union – Jerry Mallot, president of JAX USA Partnership, and Paul Astleford, president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville, were part of a contingent that traveled to the city near the west coast of France in early October following their trip to London. The original trip to London involved an even larger contingent of Jacksonville business and government leaders seeking to piggy back off the Jacksonville Jaguars game there Oct. 2. Mallot said he managed to land a “substantial” meeting with an aerospace company in France that is currently considering expanding operations to the United States. Mallot said negotiations are still in a delicate phase and he declined to name the manufacturing company. “There are many reasons that are taking them a while to make the decision to enter the U.S. marketplace. But the reasons that they want to do it for are only getting stronger,” Mallot said. “We’re going to compete for it with two other [U.S.] locations. But we’ll have an opportunity to compete for an outstanding facility option that they’ll build in the United States.”
“Why UNF’s business school is among country’s best” via John Burr of WJCT – They do several things very well … But what stands out is their small classes and their connections with the local business community, which has made their graduates especially valuable to two large industries in particular: the logistics and transportation industry and the financial services industry. Something like 700 logistics companies have set up shop in Northeast Florida, from CSX down to small, family-run operations. UNF made logistics a focus of its business curriculum in 2006, and now graduates about 80 business undergrads a year who specialize in logistics … Financial services and finance majors find ready employment with companies like EverBank, Deutsche Bank and Fidelity National Financial. Overall, the Coggin College has done an excellent job over the years tailoring its curriculum to the needs of the Northeast Florida economy. And UNF’s business school also has strong connections with the business community. For example, when Dean [Mark] Dawkins arrived in at UNF 16 months ago, he reached out to businesses to ask them what they needed. “And the companies were telling us that there’s a need for middle-level management talent, and so we created a Master of Science in Management program,” he said.
“Bold Bean opens third Jacksonville location” via Alexa Epitropoulos of the Jacksonville Business Journal – The San Marco location, located at 1903 Hendricks Ave., first announced it was opening the third location in July. At the same time, it announced it would be closing its standalone bakeshop on Edgewood Avenue in Murray Hill, Knead, as well as the small coffee shop it operated in front of its roastery. Its roastery remains in operation. The third location comes just two years after it opened its second location in Jacksonville Beach on 3rd Street North. Although it had previously announced another location in the EverBank building in Downtown, plans for That location have been put on hold for now.
“Jaguars giving up on Blake Bortles?” via Gary Shelton – Are the Jacksonville Jaguars about to give up on quarterback Bortles?
Bortles, who threw two interceptions and played poorly in a 33-16 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders, has opened to the door to critics. He’s 17th in the league in passing yards, and only 38th (in a 32-team league in quarterback ratings. He’s tied for third with nine interceptions.
Monday, the Florida Times-Union compared Bortles with Byron Leftwich and Blane Gabbert, for busts for the Jags.
In particular, Bortles looked poorly compared to the Raiders’ Derek Carr, who was drafted 33 spots after Bortles in the 2014 draft.
“I’m not going to sit here and protect every throw he makes, but you are right, there are throws we’d like to be better, and we’d like to have more accuracy,” said Jaguars coach Gus Bradley. “But you see that in the league. I just saw a quarterback the other night, an NFL player, and he threw two balls behind and in the dirt. Some of those are going to come up. When we are in a situation where we aren’t doing what we want offensive, those things get more magnified. He understands that part. Accuracy is important – timing, accuracy, decision-making, catching the balls that are thrown to you. All those things – staying in games, making plays in the end zone. Julius Thomas makes a great play in the end zone. We’ve got to continue to build off those things and gain confidence with every drive that we have out there.
“We had some dropped passes to today. I know it’s going to go right to the quarterback, but we all take responsibility for that.”
Bortles talked about the way he is playing.
“No, I’m obviously not playing good,” he said. “I couldn’t tell you. I wish I knew…I would fix it. It’s just a continual thing and we will hopefully find a way to turn it around and solve some problems.”
Bradley said the Jags lost their poise in the game, despite their two-game winning streak and being at home.
Bradley was asked what he would say to the fans.
“Well, I feel for our fans,” Bradley said. They show up and they cheer and they’re supportive and we just didn’t play very well in front of them today.”
The Jags play the Titans Thursday night.
“Jags receiver buys $1.1 million house after cashing in during offseason” via Derek Gilliam of the Jacksonville Business Journal – Allen Hurns has paid $1.1 million for a house in Jacksonville just north of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. The purchase comes after Hurns signed a four-year contract extension this year that’s reportedly worth $40 million over four years with $20 million guaranteed. The 5,800-square-foot home was built in 2009. It includes a boat dock on the Clapboard Creek that’s navigable to the St. Johns River. There’s also an in-ground pool on the property.
Tweet of the weekend (re: the Jags):
