Peter Schorsch
Another legislative session, another heavy lift for the city of Jacksonville.
The 2017 model: $50 million in state money for a project to remove and replace the ramps coming off the Hart Bridge into the sports complex.
The road design, completed 50 years ago, has all the associated problems one might expect. Unsafe ramps, which don’t facilitate pedestrian or bicycle traffic. No emergency lanes.
Back then, there was no Bay Street. The Shipyards were at the river’s edge.
Now? The need is to funnel traffic into the downtown entertainment district via Bay Street, a corridor which includes the Sports Complex, the new amphitheater, and a vista of possibility encompassed by Metropolitan Park and the former Shipyards property.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry sees this funding as a state responsibility.
The Hart Expressway is a state road, after all.
Curry, of course, won an audacious victory in Tallahassee’s 2016 Session, getting authorization for a referendum that funnels future sales taxes to reduce pension debt, pending successful collective bargaining to close and replace one of the existing defined benefit pension plans.
This is a different year, though. And the House may prove a sticking point for Curry’s plan.
While Jacksonville plans on using lobbyists again in Tallahassee, the reality is that the work of the Fiorentino Group, Southern Strategy Group, and Ballard Partners is not going to be quite as well-received in the House as it might have been last year.
Speaker Richard Corcoran said it’s “a disgrace that taxpayer dollars are used to hire lobbyists when we elect people to represent them. The state doesn’t do it and neither should the locals.”
Disgraceful or not, cities will do it. The question is whether or not the House Speaker will object so vociferously during Session as he did as Speaker-designate.
Another factor worth watching: the ultimate effectiveness of the Duval Delegation.
Five of the six representatives on that body are first-term legislators.
Delegation chairman Jay Fant expressed what could be called cautious optimism Wednesday afternoon.
Regarding the cost of the project, “we’re not sure what we’re looking at.”
Regarding experience, “some have less tenure.”
However, Fant said, “we know how to get things done.”
Fant thinks that Curry’s shown an ability to work well with the speaker; the mayor is going to put that to the test in the next few months.
Whether this measure gets through this session or in a subsequent one, it’s worth noting what a significant and radical vision for downtown redevelopment this offers.
The Hart Expressway was constructed at a time when Arlington and the inner ring Southside neighborhoods were destinations, places where people wanted to live and shop.
Curry, from his inaugural address onward, has been aware of the temporal element of leadership — saying that four years are gone before one knows it.
Curry, along with city council leaders such as President Lori Boyer and Daniel Davis of the Jax Chamber, have spoken as recently as this week about the harmonious working relationship between the policymakers and the business community. All have great expectations for the next five years.
And that makes sense. This, right here and right now, is that generation’s moment.
The Hart Expressway exit change will be a heavy lift. But given his winning streak over the last couple of years, it would be unwise to bet against Lenny Curry.
***Southern Strategy Group is Florida’s powerhouse lobbying firm with a dedicated Jacksonville office, as well as locations in Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Tallahassee. Our nearly 25 lobbyists work daily to get our clients and their issues in front of key local and state elected officials. Whether in City Hall, the State Capitol or somewhere in between, we’ll work with you to create and execute a strategy that moves your agenda from the starting point through the finish line. Every industry. Every interest. Powerful advocacy begins here. Call us today at 904-425-8765 or visit www.sostrategy.com to learn more.***
“Jacksonville gets closer to pension deal with supervisors” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics – Negotiators from the City of Jacksonville squared off with the Jacksonville Supervisors Association in collective bargaining. And substantial progress was made on key elements during two sessions. As with the other bargaining units the city is negotiating with in the wake of the passage of August’s County Referendum 1, a considerable gap looms between what the JSA wants and what the city is offering. There is a key difference between positions of the JSA and police and fire unions. Unlike public safety unions, the JSA is not “naive” about (or especially resistant to) the possibility of new hires being placed in 401(k) programs, based on the marketing of the referendum, yet it does take issue with the city’s proposed salary hikes. The proposed 9.5 percent raise and a 2 percent lump sum payment fall far short of what the JSA sees as necessary, and the gap between management and labor on pay levels, which isn’t new, currently seems like the biggest sticking point in negotiations. JSA head Jason Geiger said “the proposal does nothing to address the inequity” created by wage reductions in 2010, saying it was an “insult.” JSA members have “dangerous jobs” as well, such as code enforcement, road construction management, traffic control supervisors and 911 supervisors. The JSA noted the city proposal does not make city employees whole, compared to pre-2010 pay levels, and the city proposal leaves JSA suffering compared to other bargaining units. Regarding the defined contribution plan, the JSA said it “may be lucrative” under favorable market conditions, and did not rule out supporting it. Geiger said the JSA was not “naive” to the potential of a defined contribution plan. As well, a wage proposal was advanced from the JSA.
“$44M extra pension costs rile city hall” via Chris Hong and Nate Monroe of The Florida Times-Union – The increase came as a surprise to city officials, who are laying blame for the unforeseen spike at the feet of the pension fund’s longtime consultant, Jarmon Welch. They say Welch, whose contract with the pension fund ends this year, appears to have improperly understated the city’s true pension costs for years, until deciding to correct his math this time as he’s heading out the door. “We are an injured party here,” said Mayor Lenny Curry, who has asked the city’s top attorney to investigate the issue. He says it’s clear Welch has not performed his work “in accordance with state law.” Welch, who is based in Atlanta, dismissed any implication of wrongdoing, saying his reports have always been aboveboard and accepted by state retirement-fund regulators. And he turned blame back onto Curry for the increase. Some officials with the Police and Fire Pension Fund are also frustrated with Curry for litigating the issue through the media before trying to first discuss it with the pension fund or understand the nuances. “The mayor needs to deal with facts and not politics,” said Bill Scheu, an attorney and pension fund board member. “We’re called to be reconcilers and not bomb throwers.”
“No News Is Good News” — As it stands now, don’t look for a new medical marijuana moratorium in Jacksonville.
Land Use and Zoning Chair Danny Becton told us Wednesday that, given the work the Jacksonville City Council put into working out zoning requirements last year, there likely won’t be any need for his committee to take up another round of discussions about the zoning requirements for cannabis in the wake of Amendment 2 passing.
Jacksonville did have a tortuous process in 2015, with a moratorium on growing and dispensing of low-THC cannabis passed, then repealed, then passed again early in the summer.
However, that process had a silver lining: the fact that council put in the time it did, including multiple special meetings (including some with the Planning Commission), means that the structural framework for Amendment 2 has essentially been worked out.
According to the current ordinance, one dispensary would be permitted within each planning district, and they must be at least a mile apart from each other. Processing and dispensing would be permitted in commercial and industrial zoning areas, and the draft language of the bill makes no provision for required distance from schools, which is something that was broached in a previous workshop. Cultivation, meanwhile, would be permitted in agricultural districts.
Jacksonville may be ahead of the curve on this issue compared to some of its neighboring cities.
Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Neptune Beach are all mulling moratoria, with Neptune Beach proposing a three-year ban on dispensaries.
Orange Park is grappling with its own regulatory issues. A self-styled “dispensary,” which trafficked in hemp brownies, was raided earlier this week.
Jacksonville, of course, is positioned differently from those places.
The city, which sprawls over 841 square miles, has ample room and zoning categories, including light industrial and agricultural zoning within the city limits.
While there is still work to do on the state level, regarding refining the regulatory framework for medical cannabis, Jacksonville’s workmanlike approach to figuring out zoning issues for low-THC marijuana likely means that most of the work ahead of Amendment 2 implementation is already done.
Of course, this is subject to change.
But it looks like, for a change, that Jacksonville may avoid the kind of alarmist coverage that its suburbs are drawing on cannabis regulation.
“Review, redux” — The on again/off again discussion of citizens’ review boards for police shootings of civilians is back on again, noon Friday in the Lynwood Roberts Room in Jacksonville’s City Hall.
Councilwoman Katrina Brown called a noticed meeting on the subject for Friday, continuing a long quest toward this outcome.
“What I want to do is take a look at all of the options we have,” City Councilwoman Katrina Brown said. “I’m looking to do legislation to create the citizens’ board.”
A meeting in June revealed some problems with the initiative.
Among those problems: the very real possibility that implementing a citizens’ review board conflicts with the city charter, under which the sheriff is a constitutional officer, subject to election.
The sheriff did not show at Brown’s meeting in June.
However, since that meeting, a task force organized by the sheriff to discuss reforms seemed to hint at a way forward toward citizens’ review board type mechanisms.
The “transparency task force” likewise had suggestions, including a transparency officer and body cameras, which are already being planned on a trial basis (to audition vendors) starting next year.
As well, the task force sought to mitigate “mistrust,” by opening up closed committees to citizen participants.
While there is a “relative calm” in Duval County already, the task force allows that after “police-involved shootings,” there is a “public call” for “civilian review boards.”
Worth watching: Whether these come up in the current (and increasingly contentious) negotiations between the city and the Fraternal Order of Police.
FOP Head Steve Zona has gone on record saying the union would discourage members from participating in civilian review boards.
“Council to decide future of airport CRA” via Dave Chapman of the Jacksonville Financial News & Daily Record – A plan crafted in the early 1990s to revitalize North Jacksonville has been a success — so much so that some believe it should be ended. Creating jobs and economic development were a main way to combat blight in the 14,245-acre Jacksonville International Airport Community Redevelopment Area. A consultant’s report updated last month concluded the defined blight conditions that provided the CRA’s foundation were no longer present and suggested options for winding down operations. City Council member Reggie Gaffney, who represents the area, acknowledges the “outstanding” economic development efforts that have brought thousands of jobs to the area. But he isn’t ready to pull the plug just yet. Gaffney said he’s heard outcries from residents in the area who say they haven’t benefited from the tax dollars generated within the area and diverted to bringing businesses and jobs to the area. He and council President Lori Boyer heard that firsthand at a recent community meeting at Highlands Library in the district. “It was crowded,” said Gaffney. “There were 140 people there. … It was the biggest community meeting I have ever had.”
“Affordable housing project back on track” via Max Marbut of the Jacksonville Financial News & Daily Record – One of Jacksonville’s newest affordable housing projects had to take a detour, but three foundations are planned to be poured in December near Edison Avenue and King Street. After a few months of preliminary discussions, followed by negotiations and then planning, City Council in August approved legislation to transfer three parcels of surplus property to Kairos International Development Inc. for affordable housing sites. The lots, in the Eastside neighborhood near Springfield, are included on the Affordable Housing Property Inventory List. It’s a collection of about 430 properties the city took over when the previous owners failed to pay the ad valorem taxes. Most are valued at less than $5,000 but the total assessed value of the parcels is nearly $3.8 million. The lots are available for donation to private entities that agree to build housing for low-income residents. The detour came when Kairos tried to take ownership of the property and discovered doing that would involve going to court. “Those properties didn’t work,” said council member Bill Gulliford, who introduced the transfer legislation.
“Beach renourishment paused until spring” via Jacob Rodriguez of The Florida Times-Union – The beach renourishment program intended to restore the protection features of Duval County beaches will be suspended Dec. 3and pick up again in the Spring, according to a news release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Called the Duval County shore project, 7 miles of eroded beach is being restored with the sole goal of rebuilding the dunes devastated by Hurricane Matthew back in early October … The Jacksonville city council voted earlier this month to provide $7.5 million to repair the dunes; $6.5 million to the Army Corps of Engineers to repair the dunes and an additional $1 million for dune maintenance … Dredge work on the beaches will not be able to begin until Spring due to the contractor’s full schedule, according to the Army Corps.
“Obama, Hillary backers ‘novelty voting,’ claims Duval GOP” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics – A postelection infographic from the Republican Party of Duval County raises more questions than it resolves about what happened on Election Day. The most provocative assertion: supporters of Hillary Clinton and, in the two elections before that, Barack Obama, were guilty of “novelty voting.” Clinton and Obama, centrist and corporatist Democrats by many reckonings, were apparently not supported by nearly half the voters in Duval County for their policy bona fides. Parenthetically bolstering the “novelty voting” charge: descriptors of Obama as “(1st Black Presidential Candidate)” and Clinton as “(1st female Presidential candidate).” “Despite the #NeverTrump movement, and the novelty of 1st female [SIC] running for president, we topped our vote for Romney and McCain,” the infographic asserts. Clinton lost by roughly 6,000 votes in Duval, and the local Republicans claim to have “robbed her of victory,” despite the “Super PACs and Hillary” having “canvassed our conservative voters as never before.”
“NE Fla. Senators to be a force on Appropriations” via Florida Politics – Northeast Florida Senators Aaron Bean, Rob Bradley, Audrey Gibson, and Travis Hutson all have new committee assignments … Bean will be one of three First Coast Delegation Members on the Appropriations Committee, with leadership roles on two subcommittees: the chair of Criminal and Civil Justice, and the vice-chair of General Government … will also sit on the Community Affairs, Criminal Justice, and Ethics and Elections committees … Bradley likewise retains a presence on the Appropriations Committee, chairing the subcommittee on the Environment and Natural Resources. Bradley will be the vice-chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection and Conservation, befitting the largely rural nature of his district, which runs south from Orange Park through 11 counties. Bradley will also be on Rules, Criminal Justice, and a committee with an unwieldy title: Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security … Gibson will join her two Northeast Florida colleagues on Appropriations, potentially creating a bloc that could bode well for regional interests. She will also be on the Appropriations subcommittee for Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development. Other committee assignments for Gibson: Commerce and Tourism, Judiciary, Regulated Industries, and the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee … Hutson … will chair the powerful Regulated Industries committee, a key role. Hutson will also sit on the Appropriations subcommittee for the Environment and Natural Resources. Additionally, Hutson will have seats on three committees: Commerce and Tourism, Environmental Protection and Conservation, and Health Policy.
Aaron Bean reads to children at San Marco branch library — Get ready for story time with Sen. Bean. The Fernandina Beach Republican is scheduled to read to children at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the San Marco Branch Library, 1513 LaSalle Street in Jacksonville. But that isn’t the only event on Bean’s schedule next week. He is also scheduled to speak to the Southside Men’s Club on Wednesday. The men’s club meets at 11:45 a.m. at the San Jose Country Club, 7529 San Jose Boulevard in Jacksonville. On Thursday, he’ll get in the holiday spirit with the Republican Women’s Club of Duval Federated. The club will host its annual Christmas Extravaganza at noon at the Lexington Riverwalk Hotel, 1515 Prudential Drive in Jacksonville.
“Jay Fant to lead Duval Delegation” via Florida Politics – Stepping down from the chair: Mia Jones, who reminded the new members that “home is where the rubber meets the road,” and to not fall into the trap of putting state issues over local concerns. Selected as chair: Rep. Fant, who was voted chair by unanimous vote. Fant noted that Jones “will be missed,” especially as an advocate for education. “When Rep. Jones is in the debate, you can count on her to be civil … courteous,” Fant said, noting the delegation has “leaned on her the last couple of years.” Selected as vice-chair: Sen. Aaron Bean.
Experts to address ‘The New Political Landscape’ at JAXPORT 2017 Logistics & Intermodal Conference— JAXPORT announced this week a panel discussion called “The New Political Landscape and Its Impact on the Maritime Industry” will be part of its annual Logistics & Intermodal Conference scheduled for March. The panel is expected to discuss how the political landscape could impact U.S. trade and trade deals; help or hurt declining and emerging world markets; affect funding for transportation infrastructure projects, and potentially transform the industry. Panelists will include Kurt Nagle, the CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities; Tom Feeney, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida; Reynolds Hutchins, the associate editor of JOC.com; Darrell Wilson, the assistant vice president for government relations at Norfolk Southern Corp.; and Tim McNamara, the managing partner and global head of transportation and infrastructure development at Boyden. The three-day event is scheduled for March 20 through March 22 at the World Golf Village Renaissance Resort in St. Augustine.
JSEB program awards more than $13.8 million to small businesses — The Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business program gave out more than $13.8 million in funding to member businesses in fiscal 2016, according to the city of Jacksonville. The program helps small businesses grow through workshops, management training, technical assistance and education programs. The city reported there were 228 active members enrolled in the program in fiscal 2016. The city said in a recent news release the businesses had used the program to “develop, grow and become stronger than ever.”
“More planes, more noise for NAS Jax during December training exercise” via First Coast News – The Navy warns residents living around Naval Air Station Jacksonville they’ll likely notice a noise increased from Dec. 2 to Dec. 18 as training exercises are conducted at the base. The training schedule will bring carrier-based jet fighters and other types of aircraft to NAS Jax during those days. Aircraft activity is expected to pick up in the surrounding areas. Noise complaints can be emailed to [email protected]. The training exercises are in support of USS George H.W. Bush and embarked Carrier Strike Group 2. CSG 2 left Naval Station Norfolk back Nov. 28 to being their own tests. Rear Admiral Kenneth Whitesell, the commander of CSG 2, said via an emailed statement that the training will build confidence CSG 2 is a superior force against any potential enemy and could be deployed anywhere in the world.
Happening today – UNF trustees discuss goals – The University of North Florida Board of Trustees meet at 2 p.m., UNF Student Union, 1 UNF Drive in Jacksonville.
“Flagler College names new president” via Jessica Bakeman of POLITICO Florida – The retiring superintendent of a high-performing school district will soon lead Flagler College. Joseph Joyner, who will retire at the end of the year from his post leading St. Johns County school district, was named the next president of Flagler, a private school in St. Augustine. Joyner will replace William Abare, who will retire at the end of the academic year. In other college leadership news, Randy Hanna is the new dean of Florida State University’s Panama City campus. He has been interim dean since August.
“Can this season get any worse for the Jags?” via Gary Shelton – Right now, a turnaround season is far from reality. For the Jacksonville Jags, the question is … can this season be any worse than the last one?
The Jags fell to 2-9 Sunday. That means the Jags would have to win two of their final five to even equal last season’s 5-11 nightmare.
They fired the offensive coordinator. The quarterback has lost his positives. The head coach seems doomed.
Oh, yes, and the defending Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos are coming to town with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.
“I don’t think they go into it — I think they know it, they see it, they watch it on tape, but when they’re in the game, I don’t think you can think like that,” said Jaguars’ coach Gus Bradley. “I think you take your steps; you take your drops. If you’re supposed to hit you’re two hitches, you do it; you go through your progression, and you go. I don’t think just my conversations with him too because as far as a defensive-minded coach saying, OK, how much does that affect you and you realize they don’t think much about that and they can’t really.”
So far, the Jags have won one game in England and one in Chicago. Bradley thinks it’s time they won at home.
“I think when you get to that point you should be able to say it at the beginning of the season, all right, these games at home, we can take care of business and then the challenge is on the road,” Bradley said. “That’s why it’s so important to win at home.”
The Jags must fight the urge to be conservative against an aggressive defense.
“I think you always want to go into a game with that mindset,” said offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. “Not necessarily being conservative, but more you want to protect the ball. Even when you get in that mindset with a defense like this of going against good defenses, if they are a really good defense they are going to find a way to mess you up somehow. I think it is about concentrating on what you do well and giving our guys confidence to be able to attack a good defense. I think when you start trying to go out of the box too much then the guys kind of know you are searching and I think that it is about having confidence in our guys and doing what those guys do well. What A-Rob does well.
“What Blake throws well. That always is yet to be seen. You are always thinking about that, but especially in this situation. You want to attack them and attack them with the things you are good at. Not protect, but that is always going to happen. I don’t want them to go, ‘Oh gosh it is a really good defense, let’s not go play football.’ I want them to get excited for the opportunity to measure themselves with the Super Bowl Champs. With some of the best players, we have seen across the board. It is an exciting opportunity.”
Bottles said handling the pass rush will be vital.
“We have to find ways to handle Miller, Ware and (Denver LB Shane) Ray when they bring him in. There is going to be a lot of Kelvin Beachum and Jermey Parnell to do that. It is not on them; it is on everybody. It is on the backs and tight ends to get chips. It is on receivers to get open quick. It is on me to get the ball out quick. It is going to be a team effort in trying to keep those guys from ruining the game.”
Game time is 1 p.m. for the Jags and Broncos.
“Happy Birthday, Jaguars” via News4Jax – This sleepy northeast Florida town that sports reporters once laughed off proved its gridiron grit after a yearslong quest to land an NFL team culminated in the NFL awarding its 30th franchise to the Jacksonville Jaguars Nov. 30, 1993. Earlier this year, former Jaguars owners Wayne and Delores Weaver told News4Jax why they almost ended the quest to get an NFL team, and that in the angst-ridden moments after they won the team that he thought he had been mistaken. Three-time Super Bowl winning coach Tom Coughlin remembered his nerve-wracking first impressions of working for a brand-new franchise and two-time Super Bowl winner and five-time Pro Bowler Jimmy Smith and other NFL players explained why they playing for the inaugural Jaguars team, despite the low expectations, was a high point in their careers.
