JACKSONVILLE CITY COUNCIL

RESEARCH DIVISION

 

 

PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES

 

FEBRUARY 4, 2008

4:00 P.M.

 

CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER

1st floor, City Hall

117 W. Duval Street

 

Attendance: Mia Jones (Vice-Chair), Committee Members Gaffney, Joost, Redman and Yarborough

Excused: Council Members Hyde and Holt

Guest: Council Member Jabour

 

The meeting was called to order at 4:05 p.m.

 

Item/File No.

Title/History

 

 

1.  2007-1348

ORD Amend Sec 191.114 (Attendance & Participant Standards for Public Safety Emerg Med Personnel at Special Events), Ord Code, to Remove Requiremts at Specified Indoor Events within 1 Mile of Jax Fire & Rescue Stations. (Wedner) (Req of Mayor)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 1/8/08

 

1. 12/11/2007 CO  Introduced: PHS,RCD

 

    1/2/2008 PHS Read 2nd & Rerefer

 

    1/3/2008 RCD Read 2nd & Rerefer

 

2. 1/8/2008 CO PH Read 2nd & Rereferred; PHS, RCD

 

 

DEFER

 

2.  2008-28

ORD Amend Chapt 366 (Groundwater Resource Mgmt), Ord Code, to Expand Regulatory Authority of Environmental & Compliance Dept & Environmental Protection Bd Over Surface Waters of the County; Amend Sec 366.209, to include Ticketing Authority; Create New Pt 6 for Mgmt & Regulation of Lawn & Specialized Turf Fertilization Including Lawns on Residential & Commercial Proptys & Public & Private Golf Courses; Ord to be Applicable Countywide; Education, Training & Record Keeping Requiremts for Commercial Landscapers & Fertilizer Applicators; Persons for Hire to Apply Fertilizer to Subject Propty must Successfully Complete Specified Training; Provide Guidelines for FL Friendly Landscaping; Provide Public Nuisance Declaration & Enforcemt; Provide Fertilizer Storage & Maint Requiremts & Inspection Prog. (Teal) (Req of Mayor)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 1/22/08

 

1. 1/8/2008 CO  Introduced: PHS,TEU,RCD,JWW

 

    1/14/2008 PHS Read 2nd & Rerefer

 

    1/15/2008 TEU Read 2nd & Rerefer

 

2. 1/22/2008 CO PH Read 2nd & Rereferred; PHS, TEU, RCD

 

 

DEFER

 

3.  2008-30

ORD Amend Chapt 366 (Groundwater Resource Management), Ord Code, Create New Pt 5 for Local Implementation of Water Conservation Rule for Landscape Irrigation of St. Johns River Water Mgmt Dist; Provide: Jurisdiction (USD-1); Definitions; Landscape Irrigation Schedule & Exceptions; Variances from Specific Days of Week; Applicability of Ord; Enforcement; Penalties for Violation. (Radlinski) (Req of Mayor)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 1/22/08

 

1. 1/8/2008 CO  Introduced: PHS,TEU

 

    1/14/2008 PHS Read 2nd & Rerefer

 

    1/15/2008 TEU Read 2nd & Rerefer

 

2. 1/22/2008 CO PH Read 2nd & Rereferred; PHS, TEU

 

 

DEFER

 

 

4.  2008-52

ORD Approp $3,380 from a United Way/Full Svc Schools in Jacksonville Grant to Purchase Educational Materials for the Stop Teen Underage Drinking Prog. (BT 08-055) (McCain) (Req of Sheriff)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 2/12/08

 

1. 1/22/2008 CO  Introduced: F,PHS

 

 

READ 2ND & REREFER

 

 

5.  2008-59

ORD Approp $186,060 from U.S. Dept of Homeland Security to acquire Anti-Terrorism Equipmt & Devises for use at var sites. (BT 08-063) (McCain) (Req of Sheriff)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 2/12/08

 

1. 1/22/2008 CO  Introduced: F,PHS

 

 

READ 2ND & REREFER

 

 

6.  2008-60

ORD Approp $1,008,509 Grant from U.S. Dept of Justice for JSO & the Police Executive Research Forum will Study Gun Violence & Repeat Offenders with Goal of Reducing Street Violence & Create a Model that can be Replicated in Other Cities; Auth Funds Carryover to FY 2008-2009; Waiving Sec 126.202 (Competitive Sealed Bid), Ord Code. (BT 08-064) (McCain) (Req of Sheriff)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 2/12/08

 

1. 1/22/2008 CO  Introduced: R,F,PHS

 

 

READ 2ND & REREFER

 

 

7.  2008-62

ORD Approp $4,492,828 Dept of Health & Human Svcs Continuing Grant for HIV Related Health & Support Svcs to HIV Persons in the Jax Transitional Grant Area; Auth Funds Carryover to FY 2008-2009; Auth Addnl 10% Approp if Addnl Grant is Secured; Apv Position Changes in Rec & Community Svcs Dept; Auth Oversight by said Dept. (BT 08-066) (RC 08-305) (McCain) (Req of Mayor)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 2/12/08

 

1. 1/22/2008 CO  Introduced: F,PHS

 

 

READ 2ND & REREFER

 

 

8.  2008-64

ORD Approp $223,760 from Sheriff's Federal Forfeiture Trust & Public Works Capital Projs for Renovations to the Juvenile Assessmt Ctr; Auth Interagcy Agreemt with Fla Dept of Juvenile Justice on Behalf of JSO for said Ctr; Auth Public Works Dept to oversee Consideration of Future Assessmts & Oversee the Proj. (BT 08-079) (McCain) (Sidman) (Req of Mayor)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 2/12/08

 

1. 1/22/2008 CO  Introduced: F,PHS

 

 

READ 2ND & REREFER

 

 

9.  2008-65

ORD Auth a Memo of Understanding with Fla Div of Emerg Mgmt for Disaster Recovery Ctrs. (McArthur) (Req of Mayor)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 2/12/08

 

1. 1/22/2008 CO  Introduced: F,PHS

10.  2008-72

ORD Auth a Tower Lease Agreemt with T-Mobile South, LLC for Constrn of a Communication Tower at the Lion's Club Boat Ramp; Waiving Sec 122.455, Ord Code (Towers Camouflaged); Auth Oversight by Planning & Dev Dept. (Reingold) (Req of Mayor)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 2/12/08

 

1. 1/22/2008 CO  Introduced: R,PHS,TEU

 

READ 2ND & REREFER

 

 

Dan Kleman, Director of Fire and Rescue, made a presentation to the committee on the latest update to the Tri Data fire department planning study.  The original study was commissioned by the City Council in 2000 and completed in 2001.  The Ordinance Code requires updates to the study at 5-year intervals.  This presentation covers the update commissioned in 2006 and presented to the City in early 2007.  The city elections in spring 2007 brought numerous new council members to office who have not yet been briefed on the Tri Data process and findings.

 

The latest update shows that calls for fire and rescue service are rising more rapidly than Jacksonville’s population growth, and the city’s population is projected to grow another 30% over the next 20 years.  The national standard for fire/rescue response time is within 4 minutes or less, 90% of the time.  Jacksonville’s average response time at the 90th percentile is is approximately 7 minutes, and the 4 minute response time is achieved in only 40% of calls.  The City has 54 fire and rescue stations across the city, but the key to response time is the number and availability of apparatus (fire trucks and rescue units).  When a call for service come in and the unit assigned to that area is already in service, the next closest available unit is called.

 

The Tri Data 2006 update recommends the construction of 8 new fire stations (engine company and rescue unit), 4 additional rescue units, 4 additional ladder companies, 2 additional marine units, and additional staffing to bring all new engine companies and 23 existing engine companies up to a personnel complement sufficient to have 4 firefighters on each engine.  The additional personnel will allow the City to meet the state mandated and nationally-recommended “2 in - 2 out” standard.  The “2 in - 2 out” standard provides that, except in extreme emergencies where likely loss of life is imminent, firefighters shall not enter burning structures except in pairs, and pairs of firefighters shall not enter a burning structure unless there are 2 additional firefighters remaining outside to effect a rescue should one become necessary.  Jacksonville’s engine companies typically carry 3 firefighters and therefore firefighters do not enter burning structures for firefighting purposes (the most effective way to fight a fire) until a second unit arrives on-scene with additional personnel, and rely on the state law exception for life-threatening emergencies to enter burning buildings with less than “2 in - 2 out.”  Committee members asked the Fire and Rescue Department to gather information from comparable Florida cities and counties about their response times and their compliance with the “2 in – 2 out” state mandate.

 

Mr. Kleman did not offer a funding mechanism for meeting the multi-million dollar cost of the recommendations over the next 5 years, but such a proposal is being prepared by the administration and should be complete within the next 30-60 days.  He talked about the rationale behind dispatching both fire engines and rescue units to rescue calls, and explained that the current rescue units are heavily used.  It is not unusual for more than half of all units to be in service simultaneously, so the use of fire engines is the quickest way to get trained responders on-scene as rapidly as possible.

 

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:54 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Jeff Clements, City Council Research

630-1405