CM Johnson & CM Gaffney Jr. Council Leadership Noticed Meeting

CM Johnson & CM Gaffney Jr. Council Leadership Noticed Meeting — Mar 24, 2026

>> I would call this meeting to order at 03:30PM. Please. Let's start with introductions to my left. >> Council rather got to join a disarray. >> Councilmember Rockman Johnson District 14 and I want to deviate from the agenda just a bit. I was just a meeting council member and hope you will join me. I am sad because there was a 2 year-old that was shot and murdered a few days ago. And the story really gripped me, but I did not know his name. I now know his name and I want to speak it. I hope that we could all in this room, not just for me and you, but all of us. Take a moment to just think about this little boy. His name is Mary Robinson. He was shot to do completely unnecessary gun violence. Please take a moment. And let's just remember my Robinson. I hope to speak to him tonight. This needless senseless violence in our community must stop. And you see the byproduct of it. This little boy was too. And I finally size picture, right, seen the story. But I finally, you know, is that just a medium-size picture? Yeah, that's all I can say. My heart goes out to his family and this community because this is a statistic that we must stop with that. We're here to talk about the 26 27 leadership of the Jacksonville City Council. As you know, councilmember, I have declared my candidacy for vice president of the Jackson City Council as we did in this room. I am I believe, uniquely positions to be the next vice president of the council and them I wanted to find out or just ask questions more than anything. And I asked everyone for their support, which I will more formally. But to you, what do you think it's necessary of the qualities needed for leader at this point for the council? >> Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity. Think for me or me. That's a great question. I think for one so on who the Brain Council together, okay, some type of bipartisan leadership and bring all the colleagues together. I think that so the you know, just the tone, I guess that environment, you know, the thing lower this man to the current president. But the you know, this past year, you know, a lot of us, you know, this group of mines and and questions because of well, former colleagues. So, you know, the images so the chance to morale and then environment of the current setting, you know, so but this noses bring it together. Colleagues, sage of them around being fair, worse, bad filling the have all of kali's filling her value. All the colleagues in a voice to participate which we have heard everybody gets was an most of all nothing. Well, some of the districts not gonna let you know, we hit it off and that why everything over there and let them in my district, you know, so was a loaded question, hopefully below down South. >> Well, I think it's it's good. I mean, we needed that. I want to know everyone's perspective. And it is interesting. I know we all have respect for the process and her colleagues, but I know I was just a meeting with council member Lehman and one of the term to use. I think that kind of find the best was drama like let's move away from the drama. And I think that's important. You know, I wish we could do more of this. These conversations that we have. Unfortunately, I do. I do believe in the sunshine process, but I do believe that in some ways it hinders us having these real conversations and being closer and will unite as a council. What are some of the things district? 8 is one of the things I want to focus on is making sure that during my leadership tenure, if granted is to ensure that our districts are taking care of what are the priorities that you need that are important to not just you but your constituents and district as a whole? >> Yeah. Well, the court and to plant an apartment outside of district 12 that this 12 and just say this is fast is going to HSUS and Jessica to to the land process process until it. And so, you know, if I'm asked that question, I guess the infrastructure, you know, if a session and sidewalks traffic lights addressing flooding when it rained costly and continually and this building on top of each other on the stand that we have a housing shortage, the stand-in, we have a housing crisis but said thing that we've got a bill small are. I'm not sure as being in one piece of legislation when it comes to building when the constituents have came out on top, you know, versus a build a developer in the last 3 years, you know, so emphasis or, you know, as a trainee and this makes us more growth. Entire areas of the traffic is that Reyes, you know, before ways is stacked 100 homes on top of each other. >> Dealing with the issue. I know you're we we serve easy together. But there's issue my district dealing with this Morrison seaboard is exactly like that. You want to put more homes. I don't have an opinion need to do that. We put that out there, but they want to build more homes. But it's not is the infrastructure there. Can you deal with another 89 homes in the space as that's kind of what our community is addressed? And I've been able to champion at least having the conversation before the decision is made, making sure the developer is in concert in conversation with the community and that's last night was in a meeting and about the neighborhood Bill of Rights. That's one of the main things about the bill, making sure that people are notified and that they're part of the process. No, because in many ways they don't know to even come and say, you know what, let's make sure we're going to do this at walk. We're going to the streets or whatever the case may be. So. >> Yeah, is because they're so that's the biggest things you know, for myself. And I think the district, the constituents in the district. >> Well, I want to do you have any questions for me particular hope I can count on your support for this race, at least while I'm in it, I do plan to be in it for the long haul. But do you have any questions for me that I can answer that Lendl? Well, I appreciate appreciate your friendship and also that the pragmatism you play when it comes to this council in the work you do. I do hope that this will take me into leadership. And I hope that you will be a part of that leadership team to move things forward. And I pray, well, I'm not asking for family with those platforms because I'm reminded some former council members told me that don't mean that they said they could just age and put whatever they want to do so, but I do hope that you will continue to look critically at my candidacy and I hope I can count on your support. So thank you. Thank you. With that, we will call this meeting or courage earned excuse me. It is called