Council Member Public Meeting 2026-2027 Priorities At Large Group 4

Council Member Public Meeting 2026-2027 Priorities At Large Group 4 — Jun 9, 2026

>> Rhetoric. I call the order the special meeting to discuss council priorities with Councilman Matt Carlucci and myself Councilman account. And we have an open agenda here. So I'll just say why I wanted to call the meeting. Actually Kuzma Carlucci pretty much ceded. The idea that is there's several members of council who it's their last year of a 2, 4, year terms. And they probably still many of them have parties that they'd like to advance and projects they'd like to see completed. So I figure does is the incoming president now I would have a special meeting with each one of them and talk what those parties might be. So with that we have no agenda other than an open discussion and I will turn over to Mr. Carla's you see if he has some parties for us to discuss. >> Well, I have some some things talk now. I also want Milford what you want to do. But I also, you know, when when I go through it and I'd like to, you know, see what you want to I want to help you capture. >> Because I think this is this is this is at this can be a magical year for you to it. I mean, it really can. And I'd like to see that happen from you. The timing, the things that you touched turned to gold in that can happen. And and I think you're going about everything the right way. Thank you. And it's so so I definitely want to help you accomplish your goals. You know, you only get this chance once right. I had a one time. It was the at some at the air when it came back council. I didn't have any desire to do it again because but at the pulse is enough. Yeah, and let everybody else have a chance if, but but thank you for this opportunity. And so I want to kind of go through and then this is going to be a difficult year and it could be much more difficult or it might be wait and see. But let me just start with this one here. First of all, I have so some more Jones has been one of my mentors for since I started on City Council in 1987. And I've seen him onto the most intense pressure on different issues. He has stood firm watching him under the most intense pressure from black ministers who wanted him to really push through a bill. But even he wanted. But he knew he couldn't get it through. He knew he would have to compromise with with Marin Austin at the time. It was just a tough, tough time for him. But he knew what was the right way to go about it. And I just remember watching him how comfortable he was in this chair and he will be here this expression, be comfortable in your skin. It. But he was comfortable in the chair. He wants Corman, you know, in the heat who have to explain why what and and so forth. And so in the up wound up becoming council president 2 years in a row in the he's a remarkable human being in person. He knows nothing about this. I will. He may do something about this and that his wife does. He doesn't want anything named after him. I was able to get him to agree to having the baseball complex and then park named after him. But I really wanted a park named after him, not just the baseball complex, but we've been talking to him on the phone. So what do you want? He says, you know that we want to baseball complex of him feel named after Ms. And that's one of us will do I 3 years I have looked back and that wall in the back of city council where all the council members are council president. Sir, the pictures are hung. Nothing really identifies. And, you know, we have these conference rooms, this one in the others, one of which I named after Henry Cook. And and so there's no more conference rooms. But I I just and I kind of got the idea for somebody else. But I thought it was great. I just thought it was a good idea. And that was to above those pictures. Name that the war. And Joan, the Warren Jones. >> All of our wall, Nicole Wall of presidents. >> Yeah. Wall making it doesn't air. And I talked to Carla about this and and I thought it would be a neat joint project if you wanted to join in. And I really will Rockman Johnson to be a part of this. If if, if you would join with me on that, is it close with the word? Yes, he's very close with morning. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't bring rockman in on that. But I will say anything about this until I spoke with you because >> I think the have your you're >> support in leadership on this would be important. But and I want to get into the and all that kind of stuff that we have 3 conference room. They're all named after, you know, some significance members in all white. And but we have the longest serving House member in the history of Jackson's consolidated government. It has been a teacher council president twice the second time when she didn't want. But that's another story for another time. Yeah, I'll share with you some time. But but anyway, he's one of the great, I think, beloved statesman, a Jacksonville. He didn't ask for anything. You know, everything counts falls in his lap, you know, because I respected the is so and then he's been chairman of our school board to to term member of our school board. And chairman, I just saw that is what I thought was a great opportunity. And I just envisioning isn't the its name wall up residence in everybody with that or maybe Wall of Council president? Yeah, everyone, everybody within the okay with this. That's the that's the picture of all the council present because of all the way back to Ted Rison. Yes, you probably need to get a another picture take. This is about the fate out. You know it. But he was a 2. He was the first council of president. And so I wanted to ask if if, if you would consider joining me in a partnership on that in with Rob and I have to leapfrog when you think about this. >> I think it's a terrific idea and for sure I would never drop in first, but I would support. >> The legislation. Super thank you. Would you be a code introduced likely? And she wanted to and I want to see how much it'll cost me guesses and negligible. Well, if it costs the city and the money and we get objections over that, then take the money tree back in my office to help pay for the day. And thank you. Understand that, you know, so we need to get a court. We need to get a of meeting that together with rotten on in the thank you. I really appreciate that. The hearts want to convince to do this. Kobe Warren Jones. Yeah. But I called his wife Vanessa and making have. Yeah, yeah, she's she's tough. But so that's super. So I really appreciate that. Thank you. Okay. In the next 2 things is these are legislation that that I take that may have before the council will be having before the council. The Prudential Building is is now owned by the Haskell Company. And and so they are of in the process of putting his name with the with the letters of there's a God. The crane over there they did in place can be a hassle. Pass cooler has been building up there and so called me and asked if I would consider changing the name over there. Let's let's name that road them. No one knows it was the name of the road. Yes, easy circle with the museum's being torn down is to be there anymore. And there's only 3 address these on that. And one is city. Look at the Southbank your baby much. Yeah. It runs from Main Street to the other. But the main Street bridge to the other bridge in the the roundabout is kind like right there. And the and so did the president have school doesn't know anything about this. They were trying to trying to surprising. And so that's just not much I wouldn't do for Preston Haskell. So I said sure, I'll try to see if I can get there. So it's going through the process right now. I think if you name something after Somebodys got to go through, it's going to kind of vetting. And you know, that actually is the historic commission. Does the vetting lives that right, Bill? And he's still. >> Still what that so it's rolling meeting after we have to do a waiver for 5 year period. It is. I see it as museum circle and that's what you would change the Haskell Circle. That's the way. And then did you say there's another has glitter? That's there's not right now. The building circle becomes ask away. Okay. >> The building, those big name of this is having the Haskell name put on the top of that. Yeah, Neal, Prudential Building. >> And you have that legislation currently running and I hear about. So I want to let you know that's happening and the and back on the bill as story on why the the that the law that says you can't name something after why somebody is live. That was my dad's Lopez. But as Bill Indigo the consolidation, a friendship Bowden used to be named the Dow's Thomas Friendship Fountain Park. And I found this information and the times of of the documents and newspaper articles, stuff that I have going back to the 60's office and found it and downs. Thomas was a city commissioner. The state says I'm still in a big medallion there by the marina in the long steal their commission back in a way that he got caught with all kinds larceny charges he was indicted in and one of them was he bought his wife, some new French provincial kitchen cabinet for her kitchen. Solid burst, by the way. And you had Newt, I'll put in the kitchen new plumbing, 12 pounds and had a bill sent to the agricultural department. That's where I got paid to. And that was one of many things that were happening back. It was the ace got it. And he got indicted and he went he went to prison or jail one of the 2. And so that that early Council took his name off the park and that's when my dad introduced a bill. We'll have that kind of stuff happening. Thank goodness. These days we have some we have Jane deals, but but but people that have to go through their careers like Warren and in the present Preston, I think I think it's it's it's a nice thing to the rows on the lapel. Well, they can enjoy it. And that's just what I think. >> And Martin rookie he passed will have a few new mark or not. >> Martin Little book work for John Delaney. He was a reporter with the Times Union. He worked a long time. He was asked by John Mair Delaney to working his administration in the it to do something completely different market and the advocating. And it was eventually assigned to the preservation project. And by Mayor Delaney, he steered the Preservation Project, which one of the buying, I think 50,000 acres of of art and the fun preserve. And if you ever see, I think it's next council comes in these get acquainted with that. The service is this fabulous weather doing out there. So I've been working with Daryl Joseph and and when when Mark passed away, I really felt something should be named for him out there. And so. >> Daryl Joseph said, well, there's there's 2. What are the what are the 2 preserves of their abilities to Cedar Point reserves it. >> So, yeah, SEC out of here that just because there's too Cyr point preserve would become Middlebrook preserve. And then one reason to that works is theirs to Cedar Point reserves except that. >> One has a little maybe has an extra word in it than the other. >> People getting those 2 preserves mixed up all the time. But they're close to each other out in the 7 creeps that yes, apparently so to Darrell Florida, if we change the Middlebrook preserve, it was all that confusion problem. So I talked to John Delaney. He said, oh, my God, that would be so perfect. Talk to Mark Woods, who is good friends with Mark Middlebrook could both road to the Times Union years ago and he's so Mark Littlewood love that preserve and I talked to the family. Talk to everybody in. This is our good. The resolution honoring marked for his work in this. So this is kind of coming behind going through that same vetting process. And I want to town meeting out with the councilmember gay. He spoke to his constituents out there. >> It black Hammock, Island. >> We're all for it. They're going to they're going to have one more meeting to get back with me to ferment. But if they do a ferment, then I wanted to introduce that legislation is so I just want to give you a heads up. So that's the background on that. >> All 3 seemed pretty reason why there's hope that there's things to for other council members. >> They know I I made mention in in the one committee that I'm in, you know, why could that look, I'm I'm I've been doing this long time. And there's a lot of people I know that you all don't know. >> And that I feel like, you know, so I will be naming a few things after some folks. Some just give me a heads up. So all 5 people that were there was a low. Yeah, I thought that, you know, bus here they go. Thank you. But yeah, I don't mean to be taken up some in doing so many things. But but I I got a year and 2 months left or so in. These are people that I've moved for years. And Mark Middlebrook passed away. And I've been working with us on some of these parks and him. The next one that I have an interest in a noise have is Laura Street trio and in the U.S. has now the I'm sure you've met him if you haven't, you need 2 things. Holly Yan it. So he owns the the the the note on the trio. And I think that's going to one of the foreclosure. And and so when it does it probably in July, and then I think he'll be the one that wasn't buying it. So then when he was a buying it, the begin to put term sheets and they're all this together. But they're going to be like everybody else, including Publix. Yeah, and we're going to be facing a November referendum in the pending what happens is with the referendum in November. It's going to depend on, you know, what happens with a lot of these >> development projects. So just let you know, I understand that an issue. Yeah, but but this is a really important one to me. And that has a long story of of John Delaney and I working with the community and downtown and the historical society and so forth making that happen. But it will be one of the being of compromise that loud the city by the Laura Street trio. That was about 2 months from meeting the wrecking ball into the German ownership that they had John Delaney with sticks and a bond issue. They were doing different definitely back in those days. But John also wanted to put the library where it's at now. But there are some historic buildings on the property. So this storm a society despite all that. So I had to work with the historic society. Look, we can save everything, but he wants a library here and actually adding to the right spot if we can work with him all that and then I can get the trio in the bond issue and then we can save the most significant architectural corner in Jacksonville. So that's the compromise. And we have the library. And then the trio is like Moby D*** still out there swimming. Yeah, but the harpoon cause panic. So I just let you know, that's an important one to me. Okay. Sometime in the fall, I thought it would be it would be well to have a consolidation lunch and learn 4 council members. But if we could even extend it out to any of the candidates that are running for office, but if we wanted to and I'm willing to pay for the launch and I thought we could set aside maybe a couple hours fort in have Rick Mullaney and Earl Johnson would be too great speakers for that. And I don't know what day would be an and October November, but traffic and a day that it would work well and see who would come. But my concern, Nick, is I I just want to make sure that that this council in the next council coming in and they might need to be done with new the new council coming in the the some of the maxim, some of the foundational pieces of consolidation that that that need to stay in place to make this government work the way it's supposed to work. A lot of a lot of the newer council members coming in. They don't know about. Yeah. And so the it leads them to wanted. I had no idea. And then people bandwagon on to the idea of going to be you're going down a bad path. But then I'm told I've been around a long time. It gave way. He just, you know, we do things differently and I just see it going the wrong direction. And and I'm not against change, but but there are times consolidation. The foundational parts of a foundation of consolidation are tried and true. And and some of them are like the glue that holds this government together and they should be respected. And in just a minute overall, a luncheon learned might help people understand some of that. >> Do you think this should be done in November? She do it in May after the second election when we know that next sitting council members. But I think it was there was a university that Rick Mullaney ran. We started a year case. You talk about after the council elections yet. You know, that's a good question. Let me think that through their or I think it should be done. But I mean, I wonder whatever you think is most efficient. It's a volunteer. You know, we will notice it, but we will make everyone come. It's I think we did it in May. We might get. >> The better tennis because newer councilmembers, probably more side of the ball comes my that yet. >> Let's definitely get it done. I think a parodic reminder of the reason for consolidation is always good. Okay. So let's think about okay, okay. >> I was thinking November because we be passed a budget. Yeah. Right. And I think we will talk about again. Yeah. Okay. And then northwest investment. I think I haven't seen this. And but >> from what I understand is this going to be in the mayor's budget? There's going to be some real investment in the northwest quadrant for it infrastructure. And that's as this super important to me. And so I will I will be supporting that and that in the budget process, once I see that the next one doesn't have any cost to the city. But >> I I. >> You know, I think it's important for it at the time when we have maybe a ribbon cutting perhaps for the council that might want to come to it peace Memorial Park. That's right across the street from Will Branch library yet in the end, that's the one where Wayne Weaver called me and asked if I would help steer that project through. He wanted to very touching. He wanted to dedicate. You can change the name of the park but he was dedicate some really beautiful improvements in plan. A lot of flowers in that park to his mom. Okay. That's right. If you know and didn't we we did legislation few months ago with that. And yes, we did it. And so I don't know if we have any more legislation come through on that. But at some point, there will be a groundbreaking in and then there's a flag that's going to be placed there in honor of veterans and that some veterans Park anyway, a veterans Memorial, Ty Park, his father was a a veteran. So he was on his father. But really my thing with tugs is is heartstrings is month. Yeah, and it's very sweet conversation we had. So I want that to be something that's going to be really big trouble for the weavers. And it's it's hard to believe he's he's 91 and he'll be 90 2 January. I think the park will be ready. Probably sometime in the fall is my guess. And it sounds like a great November in early November thing. Yeah. And then riverfront parks, something that I've been working on since I've been back on the council. And so those are important to me and hopefully we can keep funding those the non help things come about. But I know with the budget coming up, we're going to be concerned about what's happening in November. So it's going to be somewhat of a we're gonna be like a stuck in the yellow light in a way, you know, and we're going to be careful, you know, with with our spending not to overspend, to be ready in case it passes and all that I just to want to go overboard one way or the other. Yeah. And in so there's one particular council person here at that talks are just kind of banishing all parks pension. The Emerald Trail mentioned this banshee that it and I just it just goes right through the club thinking. And you know, he he's got his opinions. He's entitled to. But but, you know, these are quality of the distant past and part of life in our city. Yeah. And I drove through downtown this weekend just to see with my own eyes what was going on in Jacksonville's downtown and 90 degrees. And I want to see in the coming few people down there. People in the parks today, a South Bay, the River Front Plaza drove all around busy downtown's busy and then, you know, would love to have ongoing sunshine meetings with you if need be okay in the and then there's one of the project and I talked to Josh Parr do about this and I love the building and look for him. But again, with the until November until we know what the budget's going to be like, I don't know what we do is to Springfield Lofts. It's a area there on the on the north side of Incluso park where the old Jackson, a Jewish center used to be it. And you know, if if you can go with their redevelop all that and it could be really cleaned up nice. It would be it would be great project Urban planning project would be great. 85 a probe units 10, which would be horrible to have affordable housing area and but he needs about 60 Bucks. Yeah, which I would have to I guess at this point. But my idea was taken 6 out of reserves. He would have to pay back 3, 3, would be a completion rant. I have talked to Johnson told him, look, I do what I can do with this right now there. But it would really clean up an area where there's a lot of, you know, prostitution lot of a petty crime, property crime. It's it's a mess that that I just kind of added on there. So tell me what and should any questions from, you know, what kind of healthy? >> Well, I got one minute. And then we also I don't know if that's alright, my. >> And it will meet again. Yeah, my focus, of course, will be on. >> The budget imminently and with us financial uncertainty we have in the fall, it means it gives a certainty for what we need to do for the budget. And I think that is really go over with a fine tooth comb. Some of the projects like you are talking about parks and and the trail to a great extent. They're protected because the capital projects and the operating budget only suffered some in so much as the deputy was involved. But that's a big chunk of our of our money. So what I don't want to do is leave the next president with the full austerity risk of having to cut 200 million dollars in his or her. Yeah, you know, years. So what we what were actually have been talking about or I've been talking about with Mary and the CAO is potentially we look at making some cuts and putting them below the line. So if there's depending on the results of the November referendum, we can adjust again in a December meeting us to get them. >> So we're we're looking at all of that. And then, of course, you know, I guess a streak like that. You you'll hear a lot of an Diego much to say, yeah. >> If you have, if you're out there, just hold on, buddy, that you'll hear a lot of the detail of >> kind of my agenda in the next year during the installation, but jobs figures pretty properly. And then it's what was behind my very first piece of legislation. It's what was behind. It has been my my pushing Jacksonville Aviation Authority was Cecil Field in particular, which the charter just got changed. Governor signed into law that responsibility for Cecil to build economic development or day to build economic development in Cecil and for them to come to us with a plan which they will do in in the budget hearings and a look at some other things. And, you know, one thing I don't want to do is health development downtown. You know, we have a lot of great projects that that we could fund if we have the money to fund it. If we don't have the money, we have to look at some creative things that I've been reading over some ideas that the folks in town at the chamber and the developers and some other every week we would have to get creative to different sort of way, find other pockets of a van in the ways to do it. So you'll hear a lot about the election, but tha