Jacksonville Bold for 9.25.24: Crane cash

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Jacksonville Bold for 9.25.24: Crane cash

JAXPORT is getting some cash — $23 million.

Per a news release, the money will go to “a new container crane for the port’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal from Germany-based Liebherr Crane Company, as well as the refurbishment of existing cranes at the port’s terminals.”

House Speaker Paul Renner extolled the expenditure as “another substantial investment to update and modernize its system of container cranes.”

“As the largest container port in the state, continued investments in container cranes are important to keep Florida’s ports competitive as a global gateway. This $23 million will secure a new container crane and make critical updates to existing ones,” Renner said.

“This funding shows our commitment to support Jacksonville’s vital role in the global supply chain,” said State Sen. Clay Yarborough. “Container cranes are one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure at a port and ensure the efficient flow of cargo that keep our local and state economies strong for businesses and residents alike.”

“I am thrilled that we are presenting a $23 million check to JAXPORT,” said Rep. Kimberly Daniels. “JAXPORT is Florida’s largest container port and ranks among the nation’s biggest vehicle handling ports. Continuous funding for JAXPORT is vital for the economic stability of our community. When people start talking about ports, we want JAXPORT to be at the forefront of the conversation. I want to personally thank my colleagues in the Florida Legislature for their commitment to funding this great project.”

Budget bonanza

Jacksonville’s $1.9 billion budget passed Tuesday night, and the least happy person in the room was the sole no-vote: Republican Rory Diamond.

“This budget includes DEI, pay raises for politicians, wasteful spending, and deficits in the years to come. Make no mistake, the Deegan Deficits are here, and the Deegan Tax Doomsday is coming,” the second-term Council member from the Beaches said about a budget up more than 7% YOY.

As the Jacksonville Daily Record notes, raises for police and fire are a big reason why.

“This is a very pro-public safety budget,” Matt Carlucci, a Republican Deegan ally, said, per JDR. “Think of what we’ve done for public safety this year, in terms of raises, in terms of an additional 40 police officers, new fire stations. We have done a lot.”

The budget also looks to have resolved Parvez Ahmed’s doubtful future at City Hall. The administration gets an extra FTE that funds his position… but not as Chief of Diversity and Inclusion.

Deegan said, “will work to make Jacksonville competitive with its peer cities and provide data-driven insights about its internal disparities. In his new position as Chief of Analytics and Special Adviser, Dr. Ahmed will continue to ensure all residents of Jacksonville are seen and heard by their city government.”

Clay picks

A Northeast Florida county presumably is on firmer ground after Gov. DeSantis announced two new selections and two reappointments for its development authority.

Dennis “Rick” Dingle, the current Chief Administrative Officer for the Clay County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller’s Office, is headed to the panel.

Also on board: Dell Hoard Sr., the owner of Grumpy’s Restaurant, has hosted the Governor on previous occasions.

Returning to the board: Tina Clary, the Principal and Chief Executive Officer for Clary & Associates, and Tammy “Chereese” Stewart.

“Stewart is the Assistant County Manager for the Clay County Board of County Commissioners. She was previously elected as a Clay County Commissioner and currently serves as a member of the Clay County Cattlemen Association, the Clay County Farm Bureau, and the Florida Planning and Zoning Association,” the Governor’s Office notes.

Temp to perm

Jacksonville’s publicly owned utility is going into Hurricane Helene by resolving its latest leadership issue.

After a Board meeting, Vickie Cavey, chosen earlier this year as JEA’s Interim CEO and managing director, will no longer be interim.

“Vickie has shown incredible leadership. She has gotten in and made significant changes that most interim (leaders) would not have touched,” asserted board member John Baker.

Former CEO Jay Stowe stepped down from leadership in April when Cavey was given the interim spot immediately.

Stowe opened his remarks by stressing that his departure doesn’t mean that “JEA is for sale” before thanking employees and acknowledging the labor union’s “courtesy and respect.” He described the “honor” of serving as JEA’s leader in recent years and accomplishments, such as the “lowest combined utility rates” in a Florida metropolitan area and rebuilding “trust” and reviving corporate values “in a place that had been hurt and broken for too long.”

Stowe stabilized the public perception of the power and water company after Aaron Zahn’s tenure. Zahn’s attempts to privatize the utility, which would have brought him and other chief executives a massive windfall, ended in disgrace and led to an eventual conviction on federal charges.

In a media release Tuesday, the utility stressed Cavey’s decadeslong involvement, noting she returned in 2016 as special assistant external affairs to interim CEO Paul McElroy in May 2020 as he dealt with the Zahn aftermath.

She also served as Stowe’s board liaison for a couple of months at the end of 2020 and early in 2021 before returning to JEA in March 2024, weeks before Stowe’s departure, in a temporary role.

Bonus baby

Here’s hoping you do as well in your upcoming compensation negotiations as Mark Van Loh.

According to the Jacksonville Daily Record, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority CEO will likely receive roughly $100,000 in contractual performance bonus money and another $11,000 for the cost of living.

A subcommittee has approved the package, contingent on a full board vote.

“The committee emphasized the need for VanLoh to continue to focus on financial performance; expansion of routes out of Jacksonville International Airport, including the feasibility of flights to Europe; community engagement; and employee satisfaction,” JDR notes.

Jax jobless drops

Florida’s general monthly unemployment rate has remained unchanged throughout the Summer. The latest FloridaCommerce jobless report shows the state holding steady at a 3.3% unemployment rate, while the Jacksonville metro area saw a slight drop in the unemployed compared to July.

Florida has had no change in unemployment since Spring, and the August figures show a stable jobs picture for five months straight. Florida Commerce officials say job growth increased in the state for August.

The Jacksonville unemployment rate for August was 3.7%, a 0.1% drop from the July figure of 3.8%. The August figure, though, was an uptick of 0.3% from the August 2023 unemployment rate of 3.4%.

Still, the number of jobs in Jacksonville expanded in August, according to FloridaCommerce officials.

“Jacksonville area’s total private sector employment increased by 1.5% (+10,600 jobs) over the year in August 2024,” a FloridaCommerce news release said.

Bolles boom

Stellar is announcing the completion of The Frank R. Sanchez & Hope and Dana E. Fender Center for Innovation, a multiuse educational building on The Bolles School’s San Jose campus in Jacksonville.

The $25 million facility, started in 2022, actually opened in August. And it was not without unique challenges.

“Bolles serves pre-K through 12th grade students; we know their education and summer activities are important. In fact, the campus is even busier during the Summer,” said Tim Jenkins, senior vice president of Stellar’s Commercial Division. “Working on an active riverfront site with frequent student drop-off and pickup presented challenges, but our experience coordinating logistics on other campus projects helped us maintain consistency and safety for students while getting our job done.”

The three-story building encompasses math, science studies, and special events.

Housing help

Workforce housing will come to the Urban Core in the next three years.

That’s the good news from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, which is collaborating on two parcels, one with Corner Lot “located at a one-acre parcel at the corner of Montana Avenue and Manning Street and with Gateway Jax at the eastern portion of the Rosa Parks Transit Station, a 1.47 site at 201 West Union Street.”

“With these Transit Oriented Developments, we are helping to make downtown Jacksonville more walkable with better access to jobs, housing and public transportation for people of all ages and incomes,” said JTA CEO Nat Ford.

“Consistent with best practices in transit-supportive urbanism, as a Board, we have learned that among the best ways to leverage our transportation assets is to ensure dense, mixed-income housing surrounded by amenities at the pedestrian level, better ensuring live, work, and play opportunities over the long-term,” stated Board Chair Debbie Buckland. “We are thrilled to support these developments.”

Per JTA, “40% of the Montana Avenue/Manning Street 186-unit development will be workforce housing at 80% of area median income (AMI). 15% of the Rosa Parks 250-unit TOD will be workforce housing at 120% of AMI.”

LAMP lucre

St. Johns County is allocating more funding to purchase threatened lands.

As part of the 2025 fiscal year budget recently approved by the St. Johns County Commission, officials added an “investment” of $2 million to the Land Acquisition Management Plan (LAMP). That program provides the county with capital to acquire more properties to protect them. About 30% of all land in St. Johns County is currently protected land and prohibits development.

“We are excited about this investment in land conservation,” said Ryan Mauch, environmental supervisor in the Environmental Division and Growth Management Department. “It will allow us to protect and preserve more natural lands for future generations of St. Johns County residents and visitors to enjoy.”

The LAMP program was established about 25 years ago in St. Johns County.

Jags in a jam

The Jaguars are broken, perhaps beyond repair.

For this season, at least.

Before the start of the season, Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan said this of his team: “Make no mistake: this is the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever. Best players. Best coaches. But most importantly, let’s prove it by winning now.”

It’s one thing for an owner to be optimistic about a team; it’s another to call a team the best in franchise history.

Especially considering the first three games of the season. The Jaguars have played two good quarters of football through the first dozen quarters of the season. The first half in Miami looked like a team ready to fulfill the owners’ praise. Instead, they lost on a last-second field goal, then couldn’t get out of their way in a home loss to Cleveland before Monday night’s debacle, where they gave up more points in the first half than any game in franchise history.

Best team ever assembled?

There are some extenuating circumstances. The schedule has been demanding with the first four games of the season against playoff teams from last year. Injuries have been an issue, including tight end Evan Engram missing two games and a rash of injuries in the secondary.

Those are facts, but not excuses for what’s happening with the Jaguars.

After Monday night’s game, head coach Doug Pederson spoke like a man without answers.

“You hate to say it, but this is the reality of it. This is who we are right now, and we’re not a very good football team,” Pederson said. “We have got to get it fixed. Got to come up with some answers and do it in a hurry. “We’ve got to look at the tape and decide this week on a short week. I don’t know some of those answers.”

Blame can be placed everywhere in the organization — from the players not performing up to expectations to the assistant coaches and coordinators coming up short to Pederson, whose leadership has led the Jaguars to eight losses in the last nine games dating back to last season. The general manager, Trent Baalke, and, yes, the owner all must share in the blame for the continuation of last year’s collapse.

It wasn’t built. It didn’t get fixed. It’s a mess.

So, how can the Jaguars turn it around?

Some issues will not likely be solved without an overhaul of the roster. The offensive line was terrible last year. Ironically, the Jaguars added one player from the Bills this offseason, center Mitch Morse. While Morse has been solid, the line has been one of the worst in the NFL. On Monday night, the Bills sacked Trevor Lawrence five times. The running game was non-existent. Travis Etienne didn’t have a significant gain on the ground until a nine-yard run late in the third quarter. Thirty-six of Etienne’s 68 rushing yards came on two fourth-quarter carries after Lawrence was pulled from the game. It was already over.

The failure to address the offensive line, an area nearly every Jaguars’ observer knew was a weakness last season, is at best a terrible oversight. At worst, it’s a way to get fired.

Poor line play and unimaginative play design have both contributed to offensive struggles. Lawrence is not without blame. He has missed too many open receivers because he has sped up his processing due to a lack of faith in the offensive line. He has missed too many passes, most of them thrown too high. After signing the richest contract in franchise history—and one of the biggest deals in the NFL—Lawrence has reverted to the form of his rookie year.

Watching Lawrence’s body language, it’s clear how frustrated he is.

“It seems like everyone takes their turn on making a bad play at the wrong time, including myself,” Lawrence said. “Seems really difficult to go forward. Can’t find that rhythm right now. We all have or share in it. It takes us making the plays out there. Players play, coaches coach and when we step on the field we’ve got to make the plays. So, we have to take all the accountability, all the criticism, scrutiny because we’re just not doing that right now and that’s our job, is to go make the plays. I know that I’m not playing as good as I can play, just point-blank.”

And then there is the defense. The Jaguars’ defense played well enough for the team to win in the first two games. On Monday night, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen toyed with them, torturing them like a cat torturing a mouse.

With a short week to prepare for a road game in Houston against the defending division champions, the Jaguars will have to do something unexpected to break out of the doldrums.

Will Khan make a bold move this week? His history of patience with coaches (see Gus Bradley and Doug Marrone) would indicate that he likely will not. The season probably isn’t salvageable at this point.

Changes are coming. The question is when.