Jacksonville Waterways Commission

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 9:30 AM City of Jacksonville 117 W. Duval Street Jacksonville, FL 32202 Agenda - Marked Council Chamber, 1st Floor, City Hall Jacksonville Waterways Commission CM Ken Amaro, Chair CM Mike Gay, Vice Chair CM Jimmy Peluso CM Matt Carlucci, Alternate Jon Michael Barker Robert Birtalan Representative Dean Black Mark Devereaux Andrew Fraden Marc Hardesty - Richard Hartley J. Hobson Matt Jones General Public Rep - Vacant D. R. Repass, Planning Commission Adam Hoyles, Environmental Protection Board Barbara Ireland Hobson, Legislative Assistant II Shannon MacGillis, Office of General Counsel Dr. Gerard Pinto, Jacksonville University Steven Libby, Council Research Jim Suber, Waterways Coordinator

Jacksonville Waterways Commission Agenda - Marked May 13, 2026 COUNCIL RULE 4.505 DISRUPTION OF MEETING Any person who disrupts a regular meeting of the City Council, standing committees, special or select committees, sub-committees or any other public meeting presided over by a City Council Member may be forthwith barred, removed, or otherwise ejected, in the discretion of the presiding officer, from further attendance at that meeting. If necessary, due to the nature of the disruption, the audience may be cleared from the Council Chambers or meeting location in the discretion of the presiding officer. Any person who refuses to leave the City Council Chamber may be subject to arrest. Disruption of a meeting includes the following types of behaviors: 1) Any form of political campaigning or electioneering regarding a specific candidate or group of candidates in City elections; 2) Impeding the orderly progress of the meeting by shouting, yelling, whistling, chanting, singing, dancing, clapping, foot stomping, snapping fingers, cheering, jeering, using artificial noise makers or musical instruments, waving signs of any size, or engaging in any other display of excessive noise, sounds, or movement; 3) Displaying or waving signs of any sort, except where used to support the speaker’s presentation at the podium, and only where the sign is 21 inches by 21 inches or smaller in size and cannot be displayed in a manner which unreasonably obstructs the view of the dais for any member of the audience, regardless of message; 4) Audible noise from cellphones or other electronic devices; 5) Consumption of alcohol or controlled substances; 6) Making vulgar or offensive remarks or gestures, or using threatening language or gestures, including but not limited to pantomiming discharging a firearm, choking, or throat-cutting; 7) Refusing to stop speaking when his or her time has expired or is otherwise directed by the presiding officer to do so due to disruptive behavior as described herein; 8) Returning to the meeting after having been removed or ejected, or attempting to do so. Page 1 of 4

Jacksonville Waterways Commission Agenda - Marked May 13, 2026 1. Meeting Convened: Meeting Adjourned: 2. Attendance 3. Pledge of Allegiance 4. Approval of Minutes April 15, 2026, JWC Meeting Minutes 5. St. Johns River Status Report on Water Quality & Manatees Contact: Dr. Gerard Pinto Jacksonville University 6. Presentation: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office | Intelligence Unit | Hazardous Device Unit | Marine Unit Contact: Police Lieutenant K.B. Kilcoin 7. Announcements: FIND Duval County Outreach Event Invitation - Thursday May 14th, 2026 - 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM *Waterway tour onboard the St. Johns River Taxi departing from the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Dock, 225 E. Coastline Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32202. Please arrive by 5:45 PM, as the vessel will depart promptly at 6:00 PM. FIND Board Meeting - Friday May 15th, 2026, 8:00 AM - Hyatt Regency Jacksonville *Nomination Committee Meeting will begin at 8:15 AM, followed by the Finance and Budget Committee meeting at 8:30 AM and regular Board meeting at 9 AM. Safe Boating Week & Manatee Awareness Press Conference - Monday, May 18th, 2026, at 10:00 AM, at the St. Johns Boat Ramp, 901 Museum Circle on the River Walk west of the ramp. St. Johns River Closure Notice - UNITED STATES COAST GUARD SECTOR JACKSONVILLE IRONMAN JACKSONVILLE SAFETY ZONE ADVISORY - On 16 May, 2026 – A safety zone will be established for the water portion of the IRONMAN JACKSONVILLE Marine Event from 07:00am to 11:00am. Page 2 of 4

Jacksonville Waterways Commission Agenda - Marked May 13, 2026 8. Public Comment 9. New Business Legislation 2026-0332 ORD Auth the Mayor & Corp Sec to Execute a 2nd Amendment to the Agrmt with JU to Renew the Agrmt for a 2nd Add’l YR for the Continuing Manatee Protection Studies for FY 24-25 & FY 25-26, & to Increase the Max Indebtedness by an Add’l $193,549 for a New Total Max Indebtedness Not to Exceed $283,549, Pursuant to Approp Funds Previously Auth by Ords 2024 504-E & 2025 504-E; Prov for Oversight by the Planning & Dev Dept (Dillard) (Req of Mayor) 4/28/26 CO Introduced: NCSPHS, F, JWC 5/4/26 NCSPHS Read 2nd & Rerefer 5/5/26 F Read 2nd & Rerefer Public Hearing Pursuant to Ch 166, F.S. & C.R. 3.601 - 5/12/26 Other New Business 2026-0349 RESO Declaring the Week of May 16-22, 2026, as National Safe Boating Week in Jax & Encouraging All Residents & Visitors to Practice Safe Boating Habits (Libby) (Introduced by CMs Howland, J. Carlucci, Salem, Peluso, Lahnen, Gay, Amaro, Arias, Johnson, Miller & Freeman) (Co-Sponsor CM Pittman) 4/28/26 CO Introduced: R, JWC 5/4/26 R Approve 7-0 Discussion on email re: St. Johns Marina Ramp Extension & Public Access 10. Old Business Shad Creek Resolution - Update Contact: CM Gay George Crady Bridge Update Contact: CM Gay 11. Adjournment Page 3 of 4

Jacksonville Waterways Commission Agenda - Marked May 13, 2026 Pursuant to the American with Disabilities Act, accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Please allow 1-2 business days notification to process; last minute requests will be accepted; but may not be possible to fulfill. Please contact Disabled Services Division at: V 904-255-5466, TTY-904-255-5476, or email your request to KaraT@coj.net. Page 4 of 4

>> Good morning. I'd like to call today's meeting of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission for once it made the 2000 and begin with introductions from my left. Good Morning, Gerri Pinto, Jacksonville University. >> that goes opposite general counsel. >> Just waterways. Cordinator. And refrain Waterways Commission. >> Ric Hartley Waterways Commission. My Gay City Council district 2 our City Council district. One. Like Parker Waterways Commission. Jacobson mission. Matt Jones Waterways Commission. >> Thank you, gentlemen. And ladies, let's stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you so much, Sir. First order business is the approval of the minutes from the APRIL 15th meeting. Could I get a motion? Please? Thank you all in favor. Any opposition motion carries. We have the Saint Johns River status report on water quality in manatees by Doctor Pinto, doctor pinned to the floor is yours. We're still in a drought. I'm sure everybody knows that by now. Water management district is declared water shortage we have very high salinity as a result we've had some rain recently in the last few days. It's hardly put a dent in it. So the salinity levels in the river in all areas, a running slightly elevated. We've had a little cool down over to So we're about 77 degrees Fahrenheit because of the rain. In terms of rainfall. We're probably. Inches below normal. Still. Although we've had probably a couple of inches in last few days. Algae blooms. The scene looks pretty good. Going all the way down to Lake George. Mixed algae in the area. But no toxins, no harmful algae blooms. In terms of manatee deaths. We've added 2 since our last meeting. So there was another manatee death at the Queens Harbor Lock. In Duval County. That's the situation we probably need to keep an eye since we've had to now so far. There was an undetermined verified that. Not necropsy Saint Johns River mouth actually knew the Coast Guard station. In terms of Manatee flights. I managed to do a flight APRIL and there's a map attacks that shows you. We had 88 manatees in the area. So they're definitely back. And I'm getting calls from everybody and people are actually using our manatee app take pictures upload their sightings as well. So that's that's going very well. With that. I'd be happy to take any questions. I know we have a a MR. Super will probably talk about this later. The manatee and boating safety press conference. But I let him talk about that. I'll be happy to take any questions. Thank you, doctor. Pin to MISS The free agent. Thank you to the chair 2 one death pretty bad. Queens Harbor just a small little lock. >> Pretty much a tragedy. A s a is that because when it's opening and closing. Her house is happening. >> so manatees used that intercoastal waterways, a travel corridor. So they're coming into our area up the intercoastal and they'll branch off into these various tributaries. And Queens Harbor is one of those areas. They like to take a rest. The lock. Master there. There's 3 folks that operate that lock. Let those animals in and out. They take a lot of trouble to keep an eye out for them. But sometimes when the lock is opening and water is rushing through it, animals will get dragged into into that. If they're close enough and sometimes Lochte will shut on them. As that or as the water rushing into, that helps to close the gate. Sometimes will help to it. They get trapped in that invariably sometimes I get up behind the gate when it's open and they get crushed behind the gate. So there are supposed to be sensors on on gates to alert the law professor about that. It's it's unfortunate. It hasn't happened in a long time. But it seems like we've had a couple now in since the beginning of the year. And so that's little concerning. Is there any other community with locks that has a solution? You know. Well, there are a lot throughout Florida. You know. If we go down towards Oklahoma, their number locks there that were in across Florida Barge Canal area. Have been operated in the sand the same way they have sensors and they they're they they pay attention to manatees. But invariably sometimes. There there are problems And it's unfortunate we need better. Technology. Hopefully that. >> Is mandated for the tech for centers or is that just on their own? >> I think that's required by state law and the Endangered Species Act that requires them to have that that on there. But sometimes. Those systems break down the malfunction. The you know, they have And sometimes when that happens, these these problems occur. Thank you. Thank you, MR. Creighton, MR. Barker. Threw the chair doctor. >> When you see something like this happen because this could be, you 2 and then 10 years and none. And the averages you sometimes you just get hit by lightning. But when you see something like this, is there any mechanism anywhere whether it's Jay, you are the city. Have somebody run out and just take a look and consult with the lack master. >> When the first one happened, I contacted Usually what happens is fwc is contacted and they go out and they recover the animal and they do a necropsy and they determine cause of death. And then that triggers various things at the state level at the federal level regarding manatee protections. Since the second one is happened. I've make contact with them and I'm going to try to go out there and and and see if there's a better way to monitor the situation. They do keep a log and they do keep good records of it. I just have trouble getting out there being we've had the state go out there and talk to them about manatee protection. When I've approached them about it, they have been more reticent. I would say. So working on that and hopefully I'll get out there and talk to them. >> So through the chair, it's you volunteering to go out there and kinda consult with them. But it is not a formal. Right response right? >> Thank you. MISTER Barker you know, Doctor, Peter, thank you for your report. >> When you're speaking of rain, I circle within myself. I love the rain. Don't get me wrong. But for the first time and I've been around meteorologists for decades for first time. I keep hearing this. Resounding course a beneficial rain, beneficial rain. But it's a terminology that clearly painted pictures to how severe the drought is. So thank you for your report. I want to acknowledge a recognized commissioners, a harness. City council member Palooza board. Now with us. And Matt Jones. This is first meeting, correct? Thank you, Matt. For a stepping up and serving on the waterway commission. We now have a presentation from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office intelligence unit. Floor is yours. And it's going to be more than 3 minutes. >> I >> could go on for a I saw on the clock. I just didn't want you to get scared by >> Good morning. Chair members of the Waterway Commission. My name is Lieutenant Kevin of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Marine unit. It's an honor to speak with you today about the work to bring in officers do on the Saint Johns River and the corresponding waterways throughout the city of Jacksonville. Marine units is responsible for ensuring safety forcing state local voting laws and responsible for answering emergency calls for service across one of the largest most active waterway systems and Florida. Routine patrols port security missions, search and rescue, supporting and integration with state and federal law enforcement partners is crucial protecting the lives keeping the waterway safe and accessible for everyone. Today will provide a brief overview of our operations. Current challenges and how we are working to enhance safety and coordination across our area of responsibility. I appreciate your time and continued support. Before I begin, I'd like to introduce my boss, chief of Homeland Security, Mike Show. Start with a a and overview. The Marine unit itself. Over some statistics which have been printed out for you. We'll talk about the subjects as as we go so personnel were on 11.0 4, 2, our patrol schedule. We have 4 officers on each schedule monitored by Sergeant. We have 2 officers that come in at 06:00am and we have 2 officers. They come in at 12, 30. That way. We have continued coverage. We train once a month for all the officers will come together and train wide variety of subjects alerts telling poor security taking individuals into custody, traffic or vessel stops. So we're responsible for 75 square miles navigable waterways within Duval County. Worst after year-round. There are some positions like the beaches will have positions with officers for their not staffed around the pole into other duties during the wintertime when it it slows down. Most of enforcement comes from 4 states. Statue Chapter 3, 27 3.28 So this is our facility location located in the Arlington area, kind of the dead end of University Boulevard right next to the Lions ramp. We have to drive through the boat ramp. We have a secure gate there. The entire facility is secured and we have a corresponding docked right there to the building's about 6200 square feet. We have a boat lifts and 2 floating docks. One of the floating docks is on the outside. One is on the inside. So this is the front of our building. As you can see, there's a roll-up door in the left-hand side. There's a corresponding door on the backside so we can actually pull in a pretty large boat and stored inside to the right of that. You'll have the stand-alone generator. Have 600 gallon tank up there. So during hurricane season will stage jfrd assets. Air will stage, you know, dive team members there. Should they have to deploy in the Arlington area to help out with, you know, swift water operations, flood rescue. We're pretty self-sufficient with the generator system that we have. The officers. One thing, it's a little bit different that building. The officers are responsible for cleaning it. They're responsible for coordinating unit getting the grass cut. The bug guy coming the maintenance of the building. That's a little bit different than your typical patrol officer is not responsible for that guy. You know, a district substation. This boat was seized as part of a narcotics investigation that just shows you like how large the interior of the building is. That's a 32 foot boat. So from, you know, the tip of the trailer all the way back to the outboard motors. You're probably looking at 40 feet so we can store pretty large vessel in there specially that sees as evidence. The property room is not going to have that capability. The building has an alarm and has, you know, cctv. So fits kaliyah criteria for storing of evidence inside there. These are typical patrol boats. So kind of what happens when officers show up in the morning, but come in there for their shift and you notice the boat on the right is about halfway down. So they'll come in lower the boat halfway down Philae course full of iced, make sure their backpacks on their get ready for their shift that way. It provides a quicker response. They can just walk out into the docks. They get a call for service and immediately watch all 3 of these boats in line or purchase through the Port Security Grant. A funding program. This is our largest boat right here. This is what's called a landing craft. Jfrd has a couple of them. You see on the front of the has to needs where it could push up against a structure stabilize and that front door will come down. Utilizes boat for homicide investigations. We put entire teams of homicide detectives on their medical examiner's office gone crime scene units. If we have a death island, we can take everyone out there. It's not really pursuit style of patrol boat. It's more of, you know. Allocating re tons of resources on there. We can also use it for mass rescue operations. We delivered probably put 35 firefighters on there to take him to a barge where the party on fire before. So it's that's been a great tool. Here's a picture of the vote in the parking lot is too big to take down the road, but we can take it from the parking lot to the Lions Club, a ramp that's the great thing about the Marine unit being next to a public boat ramp. Is that we can watch it there immediately. Here's just the next year. Your picture of our dock. Has lifts on there. And this is a 20 ton silver ship. 28 foot. We actually have to these vessels. We have a 2011, but is our workforce to stout If you notice as a soft-sided color. Around the outside, we prefer a vessels with Southside of colors. So it's air and there outsides foam and then you have a protective barrier. So that's really beneficial when you do a vessel, stop you pull up to that boat. You're not having to put out vendors. You can just tie up. But the fiberglass boat, if you pull up to another fiberglass boat and makes a very unique sound that fiberglass starts to crunch and that's an expensive sound, too. So it helps reduce liability and claims of liability on the city. Right behind that boat is a a 30 foot. Silver ship. It's a similar style. The recently added armor to that boat around the Center Council for Port Security missions are taking violent suspects into custody. We do have 2 jet skis. We use these primarily for for George will do deployments out there right behind. That is a It's a typical 15 foot aluminum job vote. We use. That's a great tool use at first very shallow water. Probably once a year twice a year, but roll call as chase a suspect into the water and retention pond. He won't come out. He might be armed. So we'll put that on the back of the pickup truck and go out there and coordinate the response with our swat team. So adding that some printed out calls for service for you. So you kind of look at the calls for service, the volume, the time frames super close to 1000 calls for service a pull the last 3 years. And then if you notice on the days of the week. Were typically busy starting on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and then the calls will slack off. You know, during the week. So we structure the maintenance of the building, the structure, the maintenance of the boats, the boat lift themselves for during the week. Ensuring those officers are spending time on Manus during the week that they're out on the water being more visible on the weekend to the right of that. If you look at the calls for service by hour. You know, that covers our tires, not a lot of calls for service in the middle of the night. They really start to roll in at 06:00am really 07:00am is when they they start to pick up. We do have officers on call. When we get a request in the middle of the night, which does happen from time to time. So the next pull the the top. 25 addresses. If you notice the correlation there, a lot of bridges. So we got a lot of jumpers, not everyone that goes up on the bridge jumps. You know, luckily we have good officers trained that they can talk him down. But that does happen. You'll see. Addresses with bridges and then boat ramps but ramps and bridges of the 2 common themes where a lot of our calls for service generate from. And then boating statistics for 2024. That's the latest information on fwc website. The 2025 report is not public yet. So I cleaned surrounding counties because a lot of voters, if you take for George, for example, we get a lot of people that come from Nassau County, a come south and to the county go to for George. Get a lot of people are going for George from Saint Johns County. So they'll go North Clay County. Get a lot of people come out of Clay County coming to Duval so that our total areas about 65,000 votes. Saint Johns County ranked number 9. As far as most boating accidents. Our numbers are going to come up for 2025 because we had the boating accident where the family left the Lions Club a ramp. They rent went towards the Dames point Bridge. There's an accident there where they lost 4 family members, others for deaths that just just that one incidents, that number will come up for 2025. Here's some more key findings. The one that I would really highlight is lack of voter education remains a major concern. 65% operations involved fatal accidents had no formal training. And then we'll kind of get into more of why that is. So I provide each one of you with a pamphlet. You know, education is really important to us. I really encourage the guys, you know. Not to sit out there and do stops all day long. Just right. Take its unit, educate the voters of the water when the waterways really are marked. As far as speed zones, Manti zones like the roadways, arts when you're operating a boat. It's sometimes it's hard to read the sign. So that's where the education part of that comes in. We also are very fortunate that the the Jacksonville Bush showed provides us with a free booth during the boat shows will share that with fwc. We brought our jso recruiters there before. So will constantly engaged the public as far as education. These pamphlets, which are in front of you. All right. Every single boat officer's hand these out daily to stop that they make we'd rather hand out something like this explained to him what they're doing wrong, then hand them a citation. And then we just have more information. We have the map on inside. So things that have a change in affected us is obviously the Boater Freedom Act of 2025. To now we have to have probable cause to do a vessel. Safety stop. Another issue that was kind of buried in that that a lot of people don't catch on to you we have to have probable cause to do a marine sanitation equipment inspection. And that's a fancy word for checking a toilet. But that's over 26 feet that at a dock to make sure that y valve. Is turned off and then they're not dumping their waste overboard. So we used to do that a lot. All officers have these green tablets to make contact with the They go onto the vessel. They dumped a tablet in the toilet. They flush. And if you look to the outside of this picture right here, the water is bright. Green. If you go to the next picture, the entire marinas. Pretty much green. This is Trout River. Vessel safety. So. There's a lot laws under vessel safety in Chapter 3.27, of the 2 of them. Get asked about the most is what's the deal with life jackets for kids? So under 6 under 26, you got to have a life jacket for a kid. Where that comes into play is let's take, for example, the 32 foot contender. I showed you a picture of. It was in the Bay. That bodes right down the river. And you've got a 4 year old sitting in the cedar now required to have a life jacket. To not be able to stop. The Coast Guard's role is 13 and under unless they're in a birthing area with inside the vessel. It's kind of strict. Rule. With age, you know, the state statute is 26 feet. So really boats have gotten a lot larger. A lot bigger, a lot faster. And the months since the covid area. So 26 boat used to be a pretty decent sized boat. I would say it's probably average if not small. Now. The next question or the next issue that we are eyes a lot. It's a boater safety education. So if you're born before JANUARY, 1st, 1988. You can literally go your boat dealership. Very Amex platinum down and walk out with the $40500,000 Boat. Quad Motors, you know, some of these motors are up to 600 horsepower. Each. And there's no formal education. So that can create problems on the waterways. You know, it's different than a car yet have a license drive a car. You got to take a motorcycle class to drive a motorcycle. All the training is required to go through to fly an airplane. But for some reason, we have a date birth date for vessel. Issue that we get a lot of Bauer writing in 2016, they took the bow writing language out of the careless operation. So we get people that those persons about writing, you need to stop them. We can't do that anymore. This is about righting. So they're sitting on the front. The boat's going fast in motion. That person falls off the front. There are no brakes on boats. So the operators pretty much going to run over. So that's, you know, definitely a safety issue that we still see a lot to see. A lot of kids riding up on balance. So that's another challenge that we face. Force a statue 3.28 Does a lot with the titles and members transfers of ownership. Registrations. We did a lot of that cry for 5 years ago when we were doing a lot of shop inspections when the whole boat theft ring was was really popular. You get these groups that come up from Miami, you know, they were stealing boats, taking them back down to Miami repping, the motors off of them. So we're you know, we're doing inspections on the serial numbers of the motors, the hands, you know, transfers of ownership through the Department of. Or through our David program where we look drivers licenses and titles and all that, that's kind of slowed up. A lot of those theft rings have moved more towards just ripping out the electronics and the vessels will go up. Some of these boat Barnes and though they'll walk the middle literally, you know, $5,000 gps units, 4 screws and just some plug in the back and they some of these boats have 4 or 5 of them on there. Now they can just wipeout area pretty quickly. So they don't really are going after Ford Motors in the hull boats themselves like they were 5 years ago. Port security is a a it's a big mission for us right now, especially. Since the wars popped off. We work with the Coast Guard. A lot. We're working with Jack Sport. We're trying to ensure that we have a multi layered approach to the threats in areas that that come up. You know, we're working with the area Maritime Security Committee doing those tabletop exercises, talking about mess mass rescue operations right now at the request of the Navy. Officers twice a day are going down to Nas Jacksonville looking at the security zone. At the end of the runway, making sure there's no suspicious persons down there and then we're also doing ship escorts through a Nas not every single ship that comes in will provide ask or 4. But if there's a threat, if the ship was involved with high-profile recently, 2 boats will go out there. They'll meet the boat, the ship at the Cboe. We'll ask or demand they move pretty fast. So it's not like it's a an all day, the event. And then we also have officers. Going out to jaxport checking on sensitive ships that are coming in and then the cruise terminal as well as a sensitive area for us. Here's a picture of ship escort. They move like I said, move pretty quickly about 2025 miles an hour. So we'll just go out. Make sure there's no suspicious vessels on their way here's another one with the the cruise ship just going around the cruise ship, making sure no one's talked in there underneath the doctor between between the cruise ship in and the dock. Waterborne response team. Is a critical mission that we train a lot. As for we the for active shooters, we use it for taking suspects into custody on boats. You know, that's kind of more of a dynamic. A platform than typical on the road warehouse. So right here you have swat members. It's a training scenario they're working with trying to take the guy the front of the boat. Off. They're making sure he's not armed. But in the background, you look, there's a big way coming, right? So that's gonna throw those those guys out there. They're not used to that. So that's kind of why we do the training. We have a boat operator on there that's communicating with those guys in the swat operators got to figure out how to get that guy off the boat. You know, typically it will make them sit on the gun. All the boat. You just kind of bear hug him and pull him straight back and take him into custody. This is why we train for that to this call came in. This was a 9-1-1 call the female on a sailboat. Out in front of Atlantic Beach. Probably a mile off the beach. Said my boyfriend told me hostage he's got a rifle to my head. Of course, Atlantic Beach. They don't have a marine unit. So they're going to call us. I of