OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL

 

117 WEST DUVAL STREET, SUITE 425

4TH FLOOR, CITY HALL

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32202

904-630-1377

 

 

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING MINUTES


February 14, 2017

4:00 p.m.

 

Location: City Council Chamber, City Hall – St. James Building; 117 West Duval Street,

In attendance: Council Members Lori Boyer (President), Greg Anderson, Danny Becton, Aaron Bowman, Anna Lopez Brosche, Doyle Carter, John Crescimbeni, Garrett Dennis, Al Ferraro, Reginald Gaffney, Bill Gulliford, Tommy Hazouri, Jim Love, Joyce Morgan, Sam Newby, Matt Schellenberg, Scott Wilson

 

Also: Jason Gabriel, Peggy Sidman, Paige Johnston, Susan Grandin and Stephen Durden – Office of General Counsel; Kirk Sherman and Kyle Billy – Council Auditor’s Office; Carol Owens and Philip Zamarron – Legislative Services Division; Cheryl Brown – Council Director/Secretary; Steve Cassada – Council Staff Services; Jeff Clements – Council Research Division; Lin White  – Public Works Department;   Ali Korman Shelton and Jordan Elsbury – Mayor’s Office; Kirk Wendland and Paul Crawford – Office of Economic Development; Mike Weinstein, Theresa Eichner and Angela Moyer  – Finance and Administration Department

 

Meeting Convened: 4:01 p.m.

 

NCIS Committee: Council Member Wilson reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

TEU Committee: Council Member Ferraro reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

PHS Committee: Council Member Newby reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

LUZ Committee: Council Member Becton reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting,

 

Rules Committee: Council Member Dennis reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

Finance Committee: Council Member Brosche reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

Council Member Hazouri asked that 2017- 76 (resolution confirming the appointment of Mike Annania to the TRUE Commission) be referred to the Rules Committee for further consideration. Rules Chairman Dennis agreed to the re-referral.

 

Council Member Carter requested that 2016-807 (rezoning on Panther Creek Parkway) be postponed in the Council for one cycle, to which the Council President agreed.

 

2017-85 (resolution appointing Maria Mark to the Jacksonville Ethics Commission) is marked for withdrawal at the request of the nominee.

 

2017-3 (ordinance amending the Art in Public Places portion of the Procurement Code) – President Boyer stated that a request has been made to refer the bill to the Rules Committee as well as to Finance; without objection the bill was referred to Rules.

 

2017-15 (amendment of the City’s non-discrimination ordinances): President Boyer explained the rules of procedure for the bill’s consideration this evening. The Finance Committee amendment, as the last committee to act on the bill, will be moved first; depending on the outcome of that amendment, the NCIS amendment and/or additional floor amendments may be moved. Deputy General Counsel Peggy Sidman distributed copies of a proposed scrivener’s error correction that needs to be accomplished; normally such errors are corrected administratively, but given the intense scrutiny generated by this bill, in an abundance of caution the Council is being informed of the proposed change and offered the opportunity to comment on the correction. No objections were offered to the correction, which deletes reference to a Code section (402.209) that was not intended to be, and will not be, amended. Ms. Boyer explained that this bill will be taken up in its normal spot on the agenda in the middle of the third reading ordinances. After the Council has voted on the bill there will be a 15-minute recess in order for visitors to depart the chamber and for any interested council members to speak with the media in the Lynwood Roberts Room. The regular business of the Council will resume thereafter.

 

The subsequent Public Comment period will be open to any topic as usual, but will be ended no later than 10 p.m. so that the remainder of the business on the agenda can be transacted. All City employees attending the meeting (except City Council employees) were asked to sit in the Lynwood Roberts Room to be available if needed. Ms. Boyer announced that Council staff was distributing numbered cards in the atrium outside the Council Chamber and asked that every member of the audience please obtain a card so that the capacity of the chamber is not exceeded by order of the Fire Marshal.  Council Member Gulliford requested that all amendment votes on 2017-15 be conducted by electronic ballot, and the President agreed. She announced that the Council Rules imposing time limits on council members during debate (5 minutes and 3 minutes for first and second comments) would be enforced. In response to a question from Council Member Schellenberg about whether the ordinance, if adopted, would apply to the Beaches cities and Town of Baldwin, General Counsel Jason Gabriel replied that it would not.

 

Special Committee topics for next week’s committees

LUZ: Jason Teal of the General Counsel’s Office will be discussing enforcement of conditions imposed on rezonings, special exceptions and the like.

 

NCIS: regulation of liquor stores and vehicle repair facilities as it relates to community blight.

 

Finance: continuation of discussion of Children’s Commission grant budgeting processes and of the delegation of the City Council’s appropriation authority.

 

PHS: tobacco and opiate addiction

 

TEU: crosswalks and bicycle and pedestrian safety

 

Rules: continuation of the review of the Council Rules, beginning with public hearings and public comment

President Boyer announced that the public hearings on the Bishopgate Lane rezoning (2016-790), Hemming Park historic landmark designation (2016-559) and Ability Housing legal settlement (2017-69) would be opened and continued to the next council meeting. Persons interested in speaking during those public hearings may do so either tonight or at the next council meeting.

 

In response to a question from Council Member Ferraro about whether 2017-110 (closing at-grade railroad crossing on North Edgewood Avenue) would be taken up tonight, Ms. Boyer said that Council Member Reggie Brown had requested a 1-cycle emergency so the bill would be heard in committees next week.

 

President Boyer noted that next Monday, February 20th, is President’s Day, so the committee meetings next week will be pushed back by one day.

 

 

Meeting adjourned: 4:31 p.m.

 

Minutes: Jeff Clements, Council Research

2.14.17     Posted 5:30 p.m.

Tapes:  Council agenda meeting – LSD

             2.14.17