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A.G. GancarskiOctober 4, 2016

On Tuesday morning, one Jacksonville City Council panel issued a rebuke to the Florida Environmental Regulatory Commission fast-tracking a decision to weaken water quality standards, to where increased amounts benzene and other carcinogenic chemicals can be released in Florida waterways. On Tuesday afternoon, the Rules committee unanimously approved Councilman Jim Love‘s resolution asking the EPA to consider Jacksonville, in a […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 27, 2016

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville City Council passed a $1.18 billion budget that will add more and better-equipped police officers to city streets. However, the big talkers were swimming lessons, travel budgets, and special events allocations … adding up to a picayune $115,000 out of the council contingency budget. And another big talker: a failed but audacious […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 19, 2016

In the Jacksonville City Council Neighborhoods, Community Investments, and Services Committee Monday, a measure was approved to rename a local park as a memorial to the El Faro victims. The renaming of the Dames Point Park was described by bill sponsor Al Ferraro as “so much more than the renaming of a park.” Tote Maritime […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 14, 2016

Jacksonville has well-documented blight issues: so well documented, in fact, there was a city council special committee to deal with that issue alone. Though legislation was passed earlier in 2016 regarding the city’s inventory of 436 tax-reverted parcels, the reality is that the number of properties with active liens on them dwarf that. Liens can be imposed […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 9, 2016

A historic Jacksonville landmark looks slated for preservation, and some long-delayed road and bridge projects are being prioritized, after Tuesday’s Jacksonville City Council meeting. Meanwhile, a discussion of housing funds led to an exegesis on public housing related to the problem-plagued Fairway Oaks development, built by Habijax on bad foundations, leading to structural damages. The Council […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 1, 2016

On Monday, Jacksonville’s Director of Blight Initiatives Denise Lee tendered her resignation from the Lenny Curry administration. However, she will be helping to market the pension tax referendum as part of “Yes for Jacksonville,” Lee told FloridaPolitics.com Monday. Lee, a Democrat on Jacksonville’s City Council until 2015 who notably counter-messaged advertising from Mayor Alvin Brown as “race baiting,” […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 18, 2016

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After a budget presentation that saw draconian cuts imposed on the Friends of Hemming Park, with $250,000 of new money allocated in Lenny Curry‘s new budget, the Jacksonville City Council took some whacks at the pinata. A new council auditor’s report on FOHP detailed lots of incidental spending, including on coffee and meals that members of […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 21, 2016

The passage of the revamped Public Investment Policy (PIP) was the big news to come out of Tuesday’s meeting of the Jacksonville City Council Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety Committee. This was the final meeting of the combined RCDPHS committee, which will be split up and given sharper individuation and focus under incoming Council […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 21, 2016

For the Jacksonville Neighborhood Improvement and Community Enhancement ad hoc committee, Monday afternoon was “closing time.” As the song goes, “every new beginning is some other beginning’s end.” And this is especially true for the NICE committee. Council President-Designate Lori Boyer noted last week that NICE would not return for another year, with its concerns rolled […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 3, 2016

City Councilman Tommy Hazouri is the only former Jacksonville mayor on the 19-member legislative body. During his tenure, he dealt with issues in low-income housing at Blodgett Homes. A quarter-century later, Hazouri is dealing with issues at properties owned by Global Ministries Foundation, such as Eureka Garden and Washington Heights. Eureka Garden has gotten national […]

Tag: Garrett Dennis

Second Jacksonville City Council panel rebukes state for lax surface water standards

Jacksonville City Council passes big budget after robust discussion of small details

Jax poised to re-dedicate Dames Point Park to honor El Faro crew

Jacksonville considers ‘batch foreclosures’ to solve residential blight

Jax Council approves transportation plan, money for fort preservation

Denise Lee takes leave from Lenny Curry administration to work for ‘Yes for Jacksonville’

‘Frivolous’ Hemming Park spending raises Jax Council concerns

Public Investment Policy clears final Jax Council committee

Jax Neighborhood Improvement and Community Enhancement committee wraps

Tommy Hazouri: ‘Hold a stick over HUD’