Local

A.G. GancarskiOctober 20, 2015

Tuesday’s agenda meeting of the Jacksonville City Council Land Use and Zoning committee shows that the latest iteration of Charlotte’s Web legislation, establishing post-moratorium parameters for the cultivation and dispensing of low-THC cannabis, is in draft form and on track for that committee’s Nov. 3 workshop with the Planning Commission. A sign of the times: […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 20, 2015

Jacksonville City Council chambers was largely empty Tuesday afternoon, except for those proposed for appointments to Jacksonville boards and commissions, a smattering of reporters, political junkies, and a TV camera. The latter parties were there to document the moves that Mayor Lenny Curry contends are necessary to execute his vision, moves that opponents – most prominently Councilman […]

Melissa RossOctober 20, 2015

In an email to supporters and media outlets, the Jacksonville Coalition for Equality reminds stakeholders that “10 is the magic number.” And the message goes on to name-check this website in its campaign to press Jacksonville City Council members to update the city’s human rights ordinance to cover LGBT citizens. “It will take the votes […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 20, 2015

In this brave new multipolar world, what once seemed unthinkable is the new normal. An example of such: China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Naval forces coming to Mayport, and before that, meeting with Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry in City Hall. On Monday, an email went to the mayor’s office from Michael Chan, the protocol officer of […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 20, 2015

A time-honored tradition: the anonymous whistleblower letter. A recent one here in Jacksonville led to a shakeup in the Animal Care Division, which had the ancillary effect, as revealed in Monday’s NICE Committee meeting, of leading to (according to one local) an epidemic of dead dogs decomposing in the streets of Northwest Jacksonville. Now, someone […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 20, 2015

Hot on the heels of a scathing dispatch on the sketchy financing of the Section 8 slum known as Eureka Gardens comes an internal email from Jacksonville Fire Marshal Kevin Jones regarding a “gas odor incident” at the same property. In related news, the email documents a pilot light problem in a unit that posed danger to […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 20, 2015

The situation at Eureka Gardens, the blighted Section 8 apartment complex on Jacksonville’s Westside, has become an embarrassment that has even been addressed by both of Florida’s United States Senators at this point. However, no commentary, up until now, has addressed the spurious nature of the complex’s financing. That changes now. And the blame is […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 20, 2015

The Jacksonville Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety Committee had a light agenda Tuesday morning. The big bill on the agenda was an amended and restated golf course lease and management agreement with Comstock Golf Management’s financially struggling nine-hole golf club at Blue Cypress in Arlington. Councilman Matt Schellenberg pointed out that “if you don’t […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 19, 2015

One of the interesting things about the current permutation of the Jacksonville City Council’s Neighborhood Improvement and Enhancement Committee is how many complaints there are about it from the regulars. Not enough items on the agenda. They don’t do anything anymore. If you scratched the surface, you might hear similar complaints from those on City […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 19, 2015

One of the interesting developments of Lenny Curry as mayor is how easily the mainstream media has been sold. Part of the reason: He’s done a great job reaching out to media on its own terms. From the sports people at First Coast News, who prepared a feature on his coaching his son’s youth football […]

Local

A look at Jacksonville’s Charlotte’s Web legislation, in draft form

Tensions flare as Jax Rules Committee spikes Democratic planning commissioners

Email insights: Jax Coalition for Equality says bipartisan HRO support “is growing”

In historical move, Chinese Navy will come to Jacksonville

Jax whistleblower drops the dime on wayward motor vehicle inspectors

“Gas odor incident” at Eureka Gardens spotlights even more neglect

Jax Housing Finance Authority chair blames Eureka Gardens bond issue on Alvin Brown

Jax recreation panel backs Blue Cypress golf course deal

Jax NICE Committee, against all odds, passes a bill

Florida Times-Union lauds Lenny Curry’s first 100 days