Jax

Melissa RossJanuary 21, 2016

Despite statewide pleas to veto it, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed into law Thursday a water policy bill decried by the state’s environmentalists but loved by agriculture interests. St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman joined the chorus of critics blasting the move as one of short-term expediency at the expense of the long-term goal of protecting […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 21, 2016

On Thursday, Jacksonville City Council members Lori Boyer and Aaron Bowman convened to discuss a piece of cure legislation, intended to resolve Council’s budget night decision to move $330,799 from stormwater to safety officer salaries. Before that meeting, I talked with Fire Chief Kurtis Wilson about the need for safety officers, something that has gotten obscured in the procedural drama […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 21, 2016

Two interesting Jacksonville City Council public notice meetings are slated for Thursday, and both of them have to do with public safety-related legal concerns. At 1 p.m, Councilwoman Anna Brosche meets with Council VP Lori Boyer regarding 2015-783, the so-called Cure Legislation to resolve a controversial budget night allocation of $330,799 from the stormwater budget to salaries for […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 21, 2016

The race to succeed Matt Gaetz in HD 4 saw its first straw poll Wednesday on Okaloosa Island. And Destin Mayor Mel Ponder ran away with it. In a five person race, Ponder took almost 50 percent of the 78 votes cast. Ponder’s 35 votes almost doubled that of Jonathan Tallman, one of three political neophytes in the […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 21, 2016

A fun little #jaxpol fight, reported on by First Coast News: Keith Haring’s Ghost Vs the Man Who Would Be Council Vice President. At issue: the Urban Arts Program, a seeming reaction to local painter Chip Southworth, who under the guise of “Keith Haring’s Ghost,” painted Haring-esque images on the drab exteriors of traffic control boxes. […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 20, 2016

Jacksonville’s Land Use and Zoning committee unanimously approved a bill setting guidelines for cultivation and dispensing facilities for low-THC cannabis on Wednesday. Not before a brief hiccup. Councilman Aaron Bowman commented, “We did this because we thought we’d be one of the approved sites [for cultivation], but we weren’t.” Since Jacksonville isn’t going to be an approved […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 20, 2016

The Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee had an active agenda on Tuesday, highlighted by term limits, texting, and other hot button issues. The most interesting thing on the agenda: a bill they all voted against. Rules came together and downed a measure to increase the statute of limitations on ethics complaints from 2 years to […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 20, 2016

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Naval Air Station Jacksonville is getting ready for two parallel anti-terror training exercises in February. Howard Wanamaker, commanding officer of NAS Jax, informed Jacksonville City Hall in a letter that NAS Jax will participate in Solid Curtain/Citadel Shield 2016. The exercises enhance the training and readiness of security forces to respond against threats to institutions, […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 20, 2016

“Let’s go get ’em!” The always enthusiastic Senator Aaron Bean enthused in a card about Jax Mayor Lenny Curry‘s trip to Tallahassee to sell the pension surtax, intended to address the unfunded liability. “My Senate colleagues are telling me how great you did in talking and framing the issue,” Bean said, before saying “thank you so much […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 20, 2016

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Hemming Park is having its 150th anniversary this week, and a Wednesday meeting revealed that it’s on the right track, yet work remains to improve it regarding sustainable funding and enforcing community standards with more robust security. A meeting between Jacksonville City Council members Bill Gulliford. Lori Boyer and Anna Brosche and Friends of Hemming Park’s Wayne Wood and Vince Cavin […]

Jax
Image via AP.

St. Johns Riverkeeper blasts Rick Scott, Legislature over water policy bill

Jax Safety Officer salary cure legislation moves closer to reality

Interesting public notice meetings in Jax Thursday

Mel Ponder dominates first HD 4 straw poll

John Crescimbeni versus Keith Haring’s ghost

Jax Land Use panel OKs low-THC cannabis bill

Jax Council Rules Committee spikes ethics proposal

Naval Air Station Jax to participate in February anti-terror exercise

Aaron Bean gives Lenny Curry high marks for pension tax pitch

Hemming Park on right track, yet concerns remain