JACKSONVILLE
RESEARCH DIVISION
SPECIAL RULES COMMITTEE MINUTES
September 7, 2016
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER
Attendance: Council Members Garrett Dennis (Chair), John
Crescimbeni (Vice Chair), Greg Anderson, Danny Becton, Tommy Hazouri, Jim Love,
Scott Wilson; Deputy General Counsel Peggy Sidman; Heather Reber, Council
Auditor’s Office, Allison Korman Shelton, Administration, Jeff Clements, John
J. Jackson, Council Research Division, Legislative Assistant Juliette Williams.
The Chair convened the
meeting at 1:31 P.M.
The Chair announced that the
Special Committee would be hearing presentations from four Independent
Authorities: the Jacksonville Port Authority, JEA, the Jacksonville
Transportation Authority and the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.
John Allen Newman, Chairman,
JaxPort Board, provided the Committee with an overview of the Port Authority’s
Board and defined the Board’s role in providing policy and oversight for the
Port Authority’s Executive Director. Dr.
Newman described the Port Authority as an economic engine; he said that
Jacksonville’s citizens should fully understand the Port Authority’s
significance in creating jobs and its regional economic impact.
In a PowerPoint, Dr. Newman
reviewed a number of the Port Authority’s
projects and undertakings including the recent delivery of 100 gauge cranes at
Blount Island, the Mile Point project,
berth enhancements and the Intermodal Container Transfer Facility
(ICTF), on-near dock rail facility.
The Port Authority Board’s
Vice Chair, Jim Cintrano, remarked on the significance of Asia trade, the Asian
container trade, in particular. Mr.
Cintrano explained the importance of deepening the river channel for larger
vessels. Deepening the channel was
critical to job creation. Bigger ships
will not call on Jacksonville if the river channel has not been deepened.
Paul McElroy, Executive
Director, provided the presentation for JEA.
He was joined by JEA Board Chair, Tom Petway.
Mr. McElroy explained what
the JEA Board’s responsibilities were.
JEA has a $2 billion annual
budget, 2,000 employees and an $800 million dollar impact on the local
economy. JEA has a Triple A bond rating.
Mr. McElroy lauded and
explained the septic tank phase-out project partnership between the City of
Jacksonville and JEA. JEA felt that it
was imperative to invest in improving the quality of the St. Johns River; the
environmental impact was paramount in the thinking.
Chairman Tom Petway praised
JEA’s leadership and staff. He feels,
however, that the Board should meet every other month instead of on a monthly
basis which is the current practice. As
the meeting time of the Board is in the Charter, Deputy General Counsel Peggy
Sidman was asked to draft a Charter amendment to enable the change of the Board
meeting time to every other month.
The Jacksonville
Transportation Authority’s presentation was made by JTA’s CEO, Nathaniel Ford,
and the Chairman of JTA’s Board of Directors, Scott McCaleb.
Mr. McCaleb explained JTA’S
mission as being a leader in Northeast Florida in providing an integrated
multimodal transportation system. That
system included buses, the St. Johns River Ferry, the Skyway and transportation
for people with special needs. JTA was
also involved with road and bridge building.
JTA has a seven-member Board,
some of whom are appointed by the Governor and others who are appointed by the
Mayor. The Board meets ten times a year.
Accomplishments cited include
modernization of the Skyway, Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center’s
design team now under contract, JTAMobilityWorks and the St. Johns River Ferry
transition. Slip walls for the latter
have been completed with more planned for the coming year. JTA’s Board and leadership were particularly
proud to announce JTA having been honored with a 2016 Outstanding Public
Transportation System Achievement Award (APTA).
The Jacksonville Aviation
Authority’s presentation was led by the JAA Board Chair, Ray Alfred.
Mr. Alfred was joined by
JAA’s Executive Director, Steve Grossman.
Both fielded questions.
Mr. Alfred read from a
prepared statement that explained that the Board is composed of seven members,
four of whom are appointed by the Governor and three appointed by the
Mayor. The Board’s responsibilities
include its fiduciary charge with the oversight of the fiscal management of the
authority and in establishing the strategic direction of the authority.
The JAA Board meets
monthly. Mr. Alfred said that the JAA is
an economic engine for the City of Jacksonville. The authority has a $3.2 billion dollar
economic impact on the City and Northeast Florida.
In reply to one of the
questions, Mr. Grossman said that JAA envisions non-stop flights to the Los
Angeles. It would be an evening
departure from Jacksonville and return flights would be “red eye.”
Mr. Grossman explained that
JAA has great expectations of growth for
Northeast and that growth will result in more air traffic for JAA.
There being no further
business, the Special Committee meeting was adjourned at 3:03 p.m.
John J. Jackson, Council
Research Division (904) 630-1729
09.13.16
Posted: 12:00 p.m.