Good morning everyone.

It's 9 30.

I'd like to call together the uh Janksville Waterways Commission meeting for April the 15th 2026 uh tax day.

If I can't have uh roll call for my left, please.

Uh Jerry Pinto, Jacksonville University.

Shannon McGillis, Office of General Counsel.

Yep, Super Waterways Coordinator.

Andy Freyden, Waterways Commission.

City Council District 2.

Kenamara, City Council District 1.

Mike Barker, Water Waste Commission.

J.

Hobson Waterways Commission.

Adam Hoyles, Environmental Protection Board.

DRE Pass, Planning Commission.

Thank you, gentlemen.

If we will uh stand for a Pledge of Allegiance.

One agent on the God.

We have a quorum, so I'd like a motion for the approval of the meeting minutes from February the 11th and March the 11th.

Second.

All in favor?

Any opposed.

Motion passes.

John's River status report on water quality in manatees being delivered this morning by Dr.

Pinto.

Good morning.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Things are still fairly quiet on that front, although manatees are being reported by uh coming into the area by many people.

And in terms of temperature, we are around 70 degrees.

You can see there uh in the report here.

Um salinity is high, uh sort of uh abnormally slightly higher than normal because of the lack of rainfall that we've had.

And um we're at a deficit of about six inches uh for the year.

Um in terms of algae blooms, there's no new data to really report on that, although I anticipate this next week there will probably be a new round of samples, and that data will be forthcoming.

There are some reports of uh microcystin, uh microcystis algae further south from us, so in Crescent Lake and uh Lake George and moving up.

Um so I anticipate that we will start to see that as the water temperature reach reaches uh in the 80s uh as we go into this spring and summer here.

In terms of manatee deaths, we've had two two more deaths since last uh month's report.

One has not been necropsied, it was recovered near Blount Island, actually on quarantine island.

Um and the other one is in Goodbye's Creek, a perinatal death.

Um no watercraft deaths, at least to report yet.

In terms of uh public sightings, there's a link there.

If you have a chance to click on it on your digital copy, you might be able to see the uh latest public sightings of manatees in the area.

And if some of you have loaded up some of that information or have turned it into me, I've actually put it in there.

Um if you have any pictures, they've also been loaded up there.

So that QR code will take you to our website.

Um, and then you can go to the latest sightings page and look for that.

Uh with that, I don't really have anything else to report.

I'd be happy to take any questions.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dr.

Pinto.

Any questions from uh committee members.

None.

Thank you, uh, Dr.

Pinto.

I got one.

Uh I'm not a scientist, so I'm just curious.

Uh this microcystis, if I'm pronouncing that correctly, algae that is moving north.

What are the consequences of that?

So uh microcystis is uh is a blue-green algae, and um it produces a toxin called microcystin.

And microcystin is a hepatotoxin, it's a liver toxin that with repeated exposure can build up in your body over time.

And so we call that a harmful algae bloom, and when we have those, usually the the uh if they're bad, if they're over a certain amount of toxin in the water, the health department will put out an advisory that people stay away from those areas, don't fish in those areas and that kind of thing until it clears up.

Sometimes that appears as green in the water and you can see it.

Uh it's musty smelling, and sometimes it'll give you a sore throat and sore and watery eyes.

Uh, but sometimes the algae subsides and clears out of there, and it looks normal, but the toxin may persist for a couple of weeks.

So that's something to pay attention to as we go forward.

Thank you, Dr.

Penn.

You just paying the picture that it ain't good, period.

I want to acknowledge uh representative being black.

Uh he's been in Tallahassee, and here's he's here with us today.

Thank you, uh sir, for being here with us.

We now have a uh presentation uh from um Eric in reference to uh the city of Jacksonville and J Humanity Protection Program, uh contract extension.

Eric, you have the floor.

Thank you.

Uh Eric Hinton, uh planning department.

I administer the city's vanity protection program.

We contract with Jacksonville University every five years, and it's part of that contract we do we bake in four extensions.

And so this is the second extension to the contract that was signed two years ago.

Um the only significant change in this is gonna be an increase in the rate that we pay technical university.

We've been paying them about 90.

We've been paying them 90,000 for at least a decade.

Uh they asked for an enhancement, and so the new rate is gonna be 103,000 per year.

Uh NBRC is arguing.

Happy to answer any questions.

Uh any questions from committee?

I got one.

What's the source of the funding?

Uh I believe the mayor's office.

Okay.

So it's in the mayor's budget.

Yeah.

Okay.

Um, any questions from any member of the committee?

And can you just expound for a minute, Eric, on uh what is being delivered uh in this program?

Yeah, absolutely.

Um you'll uh see at the end there is a task list.

Task list has remained pretty consistent for as long as I've been administering the program last five years or so.

So uh one of the task one is uh Dr.

Pento's uh contributions to this commission.

Um the uh manatee sightings.

I think Dr.

Pento has talked about that fairly frequently.

It's part of uh what he talks about when he gives the status of the river report.

Um signage is something we work on.

Uh signage specifically is really difficult topic because the uh state is uh the only ones that can state and feds can do the regulatory uh areas, the vanity zones and things like that.

So uh signage is an ongoing issue, but all we can do is really tester the state to uh go ahead and address that.

Um, the education efforts, there are many.

Uh Dr.

Pento uh tracks a lot of these.

Uh uh Captain Suber is involved in a lot of this stuff as well.

Uh Captain Siver, are we talking about the media day coming up next month through the chair?

I'm sorry, uh, through the chair.

May I through the chair?

Yes, sir.

Um I'm looking at May 15th.

Um Friday morning, that is the Friday before the safe boating week starts to um do a multitask press conference for Safe Boating Week as well as the uh season for the manatees kicking in full speed.

So that's what we're looking at right now.

Uh we also receive reports from Texas Sheriff's Office on uh enforcement actions.

We get a quarterly report from them.

Um as far as law enforcement is concerned, uh it's a all hands-on-deck effort of the local, state, and feds work issues.

Um law enforcement efforts, the marine facility inventory that's just looking at all the docs that exist in the county and keeping track of that.

Uh and then the MPP review.

We've already talked to the feds and the state, and they're pretty happy with the status of the manatee protection plan as it stands.

Um so we're aware of that, but at the moment we are not being asked to do any major revision.

Um I think that's that's about it.

Thank you, sir.

Any uh Mr.

Hobson, you're on through the chair.

Is there any other funding that comes into this?

Is there any grant funding from either FWC, the state, or any federal funding that also offsets any more costs?

Yep.

Is that something that would be applied for from JU?

Is that something that's been looked at?

Because I mean, for using taxpayer dollars for this, I'm just curious why we wouldn't if it's going through university where we're not looking for any grants or funding.

Um your question is well taken.

Uh we have not perceived grain opportunities, but um I'll look into that.

It's a great it's a great idea, and uh we'll look into all right, thank you.

Um to uh Miss McGillis.

Uh, are we required to do any action on this?

Okay.

All right.

We need uh waterways to approve.

It I was looking at last year, the last time this came up, and whether or not that it was put on as an action item.

It is on as a presentation, not an action item.

So if you would like to take a vote, we would just put it on next cycle uh next month, but I'm not aware that you have any say whatsoever over the mayor continuing the contract.

This is more of an informational bring that up.

I just want to connect.

I'm sorry, Mr.

Hantham.

What were you saying?

I'm sorry.

Uh Chairman, uh, I just wanted to make sure that we were in the right posture as far as do we need to vote on this.

I probably should have cleared this up before this.

Well, and and the weight was delivered.

I I felt that it seems like it's something that requires an action.

That's why I asked.

But if it's an apost or just a presentation right now, I guess you will have to come back in the form of uh actionable item and and we'll take it up then.

Um if it's the chair's pleasure, I'll look into it when we leave today.

And if it needs to come back up, then it can just be an action item vote.

And um whether you have him represent or be here for questions would be you know your discretion.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for your time.

Uh moving through the agenda, we now have a uh presentation from Groundwork Jacksonville, the uh Emerald Trail project, and and the wonderful work that was uh recently um unveiled at McCoy's Creek.

Uh we have Miss Kay Ihaas with us.

Miss Ms.

E.

Good morning, everybody.

Um thank you for having me, Chair Marrow and Commissioners.

Um Kay House, CEO of Groundwork Jacksonville.

Um we are the city's nonprofit partner in building the Emerald Trail, which includes the restoration of McCoy's and Hogan's Creeks.

My presentation this morning will mostly focus on McCoy's Creek.

Our mission is to use green space to promote healthier neighborhoods environmentally, socially, and economically.

The city of Jacksonville sought a groundwork trust to help it clean up its urban land and waterways.

And I believe we are doing exactly that, which I hope you'll see in this presentation.

We'll be we're building 30 miles of trail connecting 14 urban neighborhoods to each other downtown on the St.

John's River.

Uh the two creeks will include six miles of the 30 Mile Emerald Trail.

The map shows you the progress we've made over the past five years.

Yellow is what has been constructed so far, 4.6 miles.

Orange is under construction, 2.6 miles.

Light green is in design, 6.3 miles, and then in dark green is 14.6 miles that are now ready for design.

So 100% of the project is underway within five years.

I think that's pretty good progress in that time frame.

So we have an agreement with the city to lead trail and creek design and community engagement.

We work with neighborhoods on trail planning and design and creek restoration.

They are at the decision-making table.

We see the trail as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization and reinvestment.

We've also completed watershed plans for both the McCoys and Hogan's Creek watersheds that will complement the creek work, help with stormwater runoffs, and improve water quality.

Groundwork Jacks has secured more than 24 million for the Emerald Trail project so far, including 9.4 million for McCoys Creek.

The city has contributed 193 million so far and 124 million for McCoy's Creek.

But the benefits are tremendous.

So McCoys Creek has been the city's number one flood mitigation project for decades, priority for decades.

You may know that most of the city's urban core is an EPA designated brown field.

McCoy's Creek is a prime example of that, and polluted soils are being removed and disposed of during construction.

McCoy's Creek is groundwork Jacksonville's first design project.

The city's plan was to close McCoy's Creek Boulevard, which ran along the south side of the creek, shown in the photo on the right, and just let the creek flood.

And they intended to widen the creek towards the mouth, which with a traditional engineering approach, which would have not, which would not have benefited a natural creek.

So we asked and received permission from the mayor's office to design the project.

We raised private dollars, hired an engineering firm with expertise in natural channel design in Florida Creeks.

We knew many more benefits were possible than just flood reduction by returning it to a natural stream.

And the design did meet the city's flood mitigation goals.

It's reducing flooding by two feet, removing 50 homes and businesses from the hundred-year floodplain or flood events.

The urban core neighborhoods at the Emerald Trail will connect our groundworks key partners.

Residents are the experts on their neighborhoods, and we believe residents should always have a say in what happens in their neighborhood.

In fact, one of our goals is to increase the capacity of neighborhood organizations to lead.

This year we intend to begin a neighborhood revitalization project whereby resident leaders are trained to lead the planning effort in six neighborhoods the trail is connecting.

We formed a McCoys Creek Task Force to guide the design at the beginning of the McCoys Project, and members included residents, the rail yard business improvement district, the St.

John's River Keeper, the North Florida Land Trust, and city staff from Public Works and Parks, and also the St.

John's River Water Management District.

The McCoys Creek Vision and 30% design was a result of this effort.

The city accepted the design, and we worked together to complete it.

There are three different stream types within this project.

The creek's headwaters, shown at the left side of this graphic, will be very narrow, shallow, and meandering, so children will be able to get in there and explore it.

As the creek heads east, it is a series of connected lagoons and wetlands to add more storage capacity because the land is so incredibly low right there.

And then past Stockton Street, it opens up into a wider channel.

John was just John Mooney was just Nuny was just telling me that he recently kayaked all the way up to King Street.

And he has a video to prove it.

The key components of the project are taking it back to a natural creek as much as possible, given the urban constraints.

Natural meandering creeks control flow, deposit sediment along the way so that it doesn't build up and you don't have to dredge.

And natural streams grow stronger and more stable over time, requiring much less maintenance than straightened and hardened creeks.

Expanding the floodplain to contain the water within it so it doesn't flood outside of the land it's been given.

Daylighting the section of the creek that was buried underground, buried creeks cause upstream flooding and are inhospitable to fish and wildlife.

The King and Stockton Street Bridges had to be lengthened to accommodate the wider creek so as not to be constrictions to flow.

And the city also decided to raise them out of the hundred-year flood event.

The creek was fully designed in phases and is being constructed in phases.

So the green area is now under construction, that's the creek, the creek's headwaters that we call the branches.

Phase one restoration is complete, that's the blue section.

The outfall within the red box in the pink area, that restoration is complete, and the rest of phase two is still in design, that's the Brooklyn section.

So this slide was taken during phase one construction, and what is really interesting to me is how narrow the existing creek was, and it had no floodplain.

So you can see the difference in terms of what we're doing.

The next few slides are photos of the restored section of the creek in phase one.

At the bottom of this photo would have been McCoys Creek Boulevard.

As soon as that road was removed, nature took it over.

So you would, I mean, it always wanted to be nature.

The ends of the residential streets were turned into cul-de-sacks.

The cul-de-sacks will be connected to the Emerald Trail.

The Emerald Trail will follow the creek on the south side, so on the residential side of the creek.

And the green space outside of the cul-de-sac will include amenities like swings and benches and grills for the neighborhood residents along these streets to have their own little park spaces.

This is a view from the King Street Bridge looking towards downtown.

This area between King and Stockton streets is where the connected lagoons and wetlands are located.

Is that not gorgeous, you guys?

You can see the creek meanders in this photo.

On the right will be a parking lot, restrooms, pavilions, seating, and grills.

There also will be spaces with exercise equipment, swings, and two playgrounds.

And the classical academy charter school is on the right off this picture.

We call this the Goodwin Trailhead.

John also told me that he recently caught a red fish that if he was in a tournament, it would have won first place.

So here you see two smaller bodies of water, which are fish nurseries.

The mama fish can go in these pools and have their babies, and the babies can stay in there until they're large enough to swim with the bigger fish and not get eaten.

I love that.

These next two slides show you the relocation of the creek and the fact that it's no longer buried underground.

The trail will be on the left side of the creek, and a new park will be between the right side of the creek and the railroad track.

So this is how we see the work project timeline.

Again, the branches, all of these phases are about one mile each, so it's a three-mile creek.

So the branches is under construction and should be done within a year.

Phase one trail and recreation construction.

The city will be building out very shortly.

The Brooklyn phase design should be complete by the end of 27.

And then groundwork just applied for a grant to implement floating wetlands in the outfall because it's you know it's bulkheaded there because we didn't have enough room to make it a natural stream, and the velocities wouldn't allow a natur um living shoreline to work.

So we're going to be bringing in floating wetlands to they're gonna look like when you're when you're on top looking down or kayaking, they're gonna be placed so that it looks like a meandering creek.

And it'll be great again for small fish to be protected, um, have refuge and also food.

So we started a home.

This is why we think the trail, the trail is more than a trail.

It's really about community building.

So we started the home repair program in partnership with the North Riverside neighborhood as one way to prevent displacement and keep people in their homes.

We will complete 51 home repairs this year in North Riverside.

The program has been privately funded.

United Way is one of our major partners.

Our mutual goal is to have a home repair program in every Emerald Trail neighborhood.

It's resident-based, um, run by the neighborhoods.

It's a way to help them build capacity once again.

Um, case managers are from the neighborhood that get paid.

Um, construction managers are local, the contractors are local.

Um, we will add Robinson's edition in New Town later this year.

So I'm going to end it with a uh short video that I think will kind of bring all of this home.

Oh my goodness, to see us come together more of as a community to really enjoy the nature.

Enjoy the walk.

It means a lot to me.

Having come up in this area and see where we have come from.

And now knowing where we're headed and the direction we're going.

Says a lot.

Our family is wondering that first blacks to move in this neighborhood.

We've been in this neighborhood at least almost 80 years, 750 years.

Just hoping that what they want to bring back to the neighborhood.

If not in the lifetime for my grandkids and my kids.

This is awesome.

We are here at the branches.

This is the westernmost end of McCoy's Creek to celebrate the next milestone in this restoration.

Originally the branches were not part of the city's scope or budget.

However, once again, groundwork tax came through, securing grants and private donations to fund the design and cover the majority of the construction cost for the headwaters of the creek.

The two branches right now are ditches.

And the those ditches replace natural creeks that were here.

They are starting to underperform in terms of their flood objectives.

The idea of the stream restoration we're doing here is to build a system that is self-organizing and resilient.

We can use nature as our guide for the design of what to put here that'll be stable and fully functional in terms of improving water quality and flooding and provide great habitat for wildlife and fish and um a recreational amenity that for the community instead of kind of an enemy that's flooding you with with polluted water.

This section of the creek will be incredibly meandering, as you can see from the board, shallow and narrow, so children and adults can get in it and explore it.

I grew up next to a creek like this, and it was one of our favorite outdoor activities to get in that creek and explore it.

The restoration is phase one of this project.

The One Mile Emerald Trail also has been fully designed and is ready for construction once the restoration is finished.

Now, by restoring the creek and continue the Emirate Trail, the community will not only be reconnected to the nature, but also with our neighbors in Brooklyn and Riverside, the villa and downtown.

What are the results of this effort is a North Riverside Home Repair Program.

Thank you to groundwork Jacksonville.

So far, we have repaired 44 homes.

Now these people are having a better quality of life.

Some of the houses we went into the seniors wasn't able to get in their bathtubs.

Working with them has been the most rewarding part of the McCoy's Creek Project.

Change is stressful.

Giving up a road, McCoy's Creek Boulevard felt like one more amenity was being taken away.

This project is for them.

Just the different things that's going to be taking place out here.

It's gonna just bring a lot to us.

That says a lot to the community that we care about them.

Yeah.

Thank you, Missy.

That was uh that was very nice to be honest.

Um, before I go to the queue, um, if there are any questions from commission members, I uh want to acknowledge uh Commissioner Mark Hardesty who uh arrived as well as City Council member at Jimmy Pelusu uh to my right.

Do I have any questions from uh commission members?

Um let me opine for a second.

I um I remember when this project started as a reporter having conversations with you as well as uh members of the community, and and it's so wonderful to see uh the transformative work that is taking place.

Um what amazes me is when we visit other communities and we see such projects and we become excited and and and we come back and say, why can't we have that?

Yet we're having it, and there's still some in the community who have failed to embrace the work.

So I guess the work will have uh to speak for itself.

And so far it's it's been transformative, and that's what we need.

Uh let me go to the queue.

Uh Adam Hoyles.

Uh through the chair, thank you.

Um, question um in with the home repair program, are you guys also working with LISC to deal with uh air's properties where people don't have clear title to their own home?

Yeah, LISC is actually working directly with the neighborhoods.

The neighborhood organizations are kind of the outreach to the community about those.

Yeah, that's incredibly important work.

Thank you.

Uh Ms.

Pelusa.

Thank you, Chair.

Uh, and to the point of what uh Commissioner Hoyles had said, I mean, to to the body.

I mean, this is this is the kind of work that that other cities wish that they could do when you look at the belt line in Atlanta.

Um, there's so many lessons learned from it, and one of which is you know the concerns of gentrification, and I think what Kay has done and what the we we had two members of the North Riverside CDC in that video.

The CDC is the community development corporation, they're the ones doing the home repair program and and to the and they're working with Liszt directly for Ayres property.

I mean, these are very real concerns, and I think what's important about these incredibly important ecological projects is that they also obviously the parks that are coming with it as well.

But like those parks need to be not just for people wanting from outside the neighborhoods to come in.

It's got to be for the people who live in that neighborhood, right?

To to want to be a part of it.

And I think that was that was part of the point that came in her video.

So very, very grateful for this.

Very grateful to the work that you've been doing on this K.

How long have you been working on this?

How many years?

Yeah.

Back when it was the Emerald Necklace.

Uh, going on eight.

Okay.

All right.

Yeah.

This has been a this has been a long time coming, and we're seeing the real the fruits of a lot of labor.

And uh, and I'm very grateful to you.

And and this checks a lot of boxes, and it's in my district.

So I really like it.

Thanks.

So, if I may, one of the we need to raise 1.2 million dollars in case anybody wants to give us some money.

Um, so where the branches are located at the western end is Hollybrook Park.

And over the years, every single recreational amenity was removed for retention ponds.

That didn't solve the problem.

I mean, they had tennis courts.

So our goal is to, once we get the 1.2 million, is we're pulling together a committee of residents.

We will pay them for their time, and they will work directly with the design firm to design their own park space.

So I think that's another incredibly important project to get done.

Uh Ms.

Freden.

Thank you through the chair.

Um Wow.

Uh this is probably like one of the reasons why I joined the Waterways Commission for projects like this.

Um very impressive.

Uh, during the video, I saw uh walkway overpass at the mouth that was disconnected.

Is that going to get reconnected?

I'm curious.

Yes.

You're talking about the um the river walk?

Yes.

Yeah, that is being put back together now.

But when we relocated the creek, we had to remove it and yeah.

Of course, yeah.

It should be done by June.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Thank you again for your uh presentation.

Uh, my uh simple humble advice is keep your hands on the plow and keep it moving forward.

Uh uh the secret to our success is tenacity and persistence.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you so much.

Uh moving on on the agenda.

We now have a uh presentation from uh Lisa Reineman of the uh St.

John's River Keeper with the uh uh some legislative update.

The uh last time she was here, she was speaking about um uh some of the bills that we're moving through.

So, Miss Reinemann, you have the floor.

Good morning, everyone.

Lisa Reineman, St.

John's River Keeper.

Appreciate the opportunity to be here.

And at the last meeting, it was a couple days before the end of legislative session.

Nice to see you representative here today.

And uh just want to give a couple of feedback from some of the items we discussed at that time.

Also, before I jump right in, I wanted to um underscore what's um uh Dr.

Pinto mentioned about the blue-green algae.

Our team was out in the St.

John's River yesterday in Georgetown, just north of Lake George, about a hundred miles upriver from here, and there was an active cyanobacteria outbreak.

Um, and so we're seeing it, it's coming this way as temperatures heat up.

Not only does that create health problems, as we discussed earlier, it also blocks much needed sunlight to our submerged aquatic vegetation, which is critical to the river's health.

So we'll be keeping an eye on that and reporting back to you all as things develop over the summer.

Um, in that same vein, you know, what the reason the what drives these blue-green algae outbreaks is nutrient pollution, and so we were very pleased that important biosolids legislation, um, which is a permitted source of South Florida's um nutrient pollution coming north.

Um, that legislation prohibiting that practice by 2028 was passed in the final days of session.

In addition to that, there was important regulatory guardrails that were passed regarding class AA.

It's a little bit cleaner, but it still has a nutrient pollution issue, as well as forever chemicals and things that can harm us and our waterways.

That was passed as well to begin rulemaking with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

But now the devil's in the details.

And so we will be working with our colleagues in the headwaters of the St.

John's River to make sure that we have citizens' oversight and participation in the rulemaking effort that results out of that important legislation that was passed.

So again, we'll keep you updated on that effort, but it was really important state policy that will help protect our waterways and prevent unnecessary pollution being shipped into our watershed from South Florida in the form of biosolids and sewage sludge.

Something else that was passed was regular mandatory PFAS or forever chemical sampling at our utilities.

Um claimed water to make sure that there's no contaminants in that that are harder to get out after the fact once they're put in.

So more information to come on that.

A related item that's happening at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is they are building a watershed wide, a St.

John's River watershed wide nutrient pollution model.

Um that's really important to all of us downstream as well as the entire river.

80% of our nutrient pollution in the St.

John's River in Duval County comes from upstream.

And so this modeling effort will look at the entire 8,800 square mile watershed.

So we'll really understand what we need to collectively do counties as well as the state to reduce nutrient pollution and reduce those blue-green algae outbreaks that we're continuing to see in the St.

John's River.

Um, and and that started thinking about that as we're looking at all of these things that impact Duval County.

We are downstream from all of these other counties.

I think that could be a really important role of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission is really looking at these state policies, these decisions that are made by other counties upstream and really reflecting and reporting on what policies we need to weigh in on as the county as a community as a city, and also help with our our departments within the city that are working to reduce pollution in the St.

John's, make sure we're keeping the eye on state policy that has some impacts.

There were two bills that did not make it to the finish line that does have an impact on local decision making.

Um, one good, one bad.

Um there was um the blue ribbon projects bill.

Um if the blue ribbons project bill would have passed, that would have basically taken out local county participation in developments of 15,000 acres or more.

Um so that not only impacts us in Duval County, but our upstream counties as well.

And there was also a bill, a fix-it bill.

It was trying to fix Senate Bill 180 that was passed in the 2025 legislative session, which would not allow for local counties to have more protective decisions made that would help in resiliency efforts efforts.

Um, decisions like more protective comprehensive plan amendments, land development regulations, things that our own resilience plan says we need to do in Jacksonville, but not be allowed to happen if this bill remains in place that was passed in 2025.

So the fix it bill did not pass, and that's already stopped very important protective initiatives in Orange County, Volutia County, Brevard County, and St.

John's County after months and months of local county commissioner work with their citizens to protect those counties.

So those are types of things that will be coming back up in the 2027 lit legislative session, and I think it's never too early to get started having these conversations on how we can all work together to protect our waterways.

So I just wanted to plant that seed that it may be something that the waterways commission could look into, start looking at now and how we can be more engaged and proactive on state policies that are coming down the pike for 2027.

But with that, I want to thank you all for the opportunity to speak and give a short update, and then I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you, Lisa.

Any questions from the Commission?

Adam, go ahead.

Through the chair, thank you.

Um the Oklawaha River Restoration Project, I know that was squashed in the Senate.

Do you have any sense for whether that will be brought up again or whether it might be successful next year?

Because I know that's also a very important restoration project.

Um I know part of the opposition to that is the bass fishermen, but there's still plenty of bass in the river.

Um, but you know that that's a big supplier of fresh water to our river, and clearly now with a drought, we really could use a lot of that water.

So the chairman to to to Mr.

Hoyles that definitely will come back up.

Um we were fortunate to see the House of Representatives pass that important legislation 107 to 3, um, but it did not make it on the Senate floor.

Um, and so it will be coming back forward, and one of the challenges with that bill, it's still perceived in some circles as a local issue for Putnam County because that's where the dam is is located.

However, this is a project of regional, if not statewide significance because the important connectivity.

If you're looking at just a small footprint of the Rodman pool, you can make an argument that it's an independent system, but it's right in the middle of the largest spring that provides freshwater to the St.

John's River historically during droughts.

You can see a significant saltwater spike because you're not getting that spring water when the Oklawaha used to flow naturally, it could sometimes be up to 80% of the freshwater flow during a drought conditions, and so it's really important it will be coming back, and that's another conversation to have because it is a project of regional significance, and it needs to be all a counties working together and having that conversation.

So thank you for that question.

Thank you, Representative Black.

Thank you, Chair.

Um to your point earlier uh about the need for going ahead and starting substantive discussions about things looking forward into the next legislative session.

I would say that's absolutely wise.

We shouldn't wait until the event is upon us.

Things move much too fast.

And so I'm pleased to be here of service on this board and look forward to working with you and having those conversations.

Let's get to work right away.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Mr.

Black.

Uh, thank you, uh, Miss Reineman for that uh very uh uh detailed presentation.

Uh, my encouragement to you is continue to be the watchman on the wall and and and protect our river.

Thank you, sir, and thank you all.

Uh it's time to uh move to public comment.

Ms.

Hobson, do we have any cards for uh our first uh uh Ulysses Cromedy?

Am I saying that correctly?

Uh would you please come?

Uh you've got three minutes.

And please, as you come to the podium, your name and address uh for the record.

Good morning, everyone.

My name is Ulysses Cromedy Senior, 4625, me and Chris Dry South.

I've been a Jess Mill uh 73 years.

Stayed this year last night.

It's so important for me to stand here before you and you for the George Cradle Bridge that I know of at this at the time I was coming up.

It was the Nassau Sound Bridge.

I love the bridge.

I love my city.

I love to be able to take my grandkids now and my cousin, and like we used to.

I say this is a Nassau Bridge.

Like I say now, we know as George Cradle Bridge.

I'm just this night this morning to ask each and every one of you to help us say that historic bridge.

I remember when I was coming up, we used that used to be a toll bridge.

And then it ended up to be a bridge that we can fish off of.

We don't need a trap through traffic, the heavy traffic to go through with foot traffic.

So each and every citizen wanted to go that bridge and fish.

And fish uh safety.

Have them worry about no traffic.

And very many fishing was to see that bridge restored, and each and every one of us to be able to fix and fish safely.

I'm telling this, and I'll be through with this.

My stepson and I we went fishing.

This was Dunn Creek.

But they refreshed, refurbished that bridge and made it.

So we got we don't have enough parking place at that particular bridge.

But this drunk driver hit my stepson.

He survived.

But now we have no other place where the fish than being truthful with you, um, Fort George Inland and Nassau Sound Bridge.

Nassau Sound Bridge can hold normal fishermen, and we can fish comfortable.

All the years I have fish and seen fishermen fish, and they enjoy it with the family, and that it's this good atmosphere, fresh air, beautiful scenery from a meeting out of back to Jacksonville.

I like Jacksonville side to say on the Duvall side, reprense for the fishermen.

And we can look down at that bridge and think and say this is what we work for.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Uh Miss Latrice Bell.

Beatrice Bell representing the uh George Crady Bridge, Fish and Pierce State Park, bridge crew.

Happy to have Rep Black here.

That's my buddy.

Um want to say that I call him my head drum major because I've seen him in action many times, and I know he can get things done.

Working with uh Councilman Gay and working with the bridge crew, we can get those two bridges reopened safely on the Duval County side, not just for people to fish, people have different reasons for coming out.

After I saw that film, it just excited me because I was the head drummer major at for two years in my school.

So I know what it is to lead, and I'm a leader.

So I have rep black and I have the bridge crew and I have Councilman Gay along with Ken O'Mara.

For years and years, Ken said, don't get mad, just tell Ken.

And Ken is the in the city in the middle.

So with all your help, we appreciate if y'all join the team, do what we can to reopen the Duval County side safely, so we can enjoy it.

The Embry Trail, that is so beautiful.

Could you just imagine if we do that on the Duval County side down at the George Creedy historical bridge?

That means a lot.

It's just not just a plain bridge, like the rest of the bridges.

It's a historical bridge.

Mr.

Crady is 94 years old.

It would be a joy to him if we could restore those bridges, bring it back up to its beauty before he leaves.

We love y'all.

We appreciate everything you do for us, Rep Black.

Once again, it's good to see you.

Thank you for joining the team.

Ms.

Bell, before you leave, would you please name and address for this?

Sorry.

Leatris Bell and my address is on fire.

Thank you so much.

And someone's phone is up.

And thank you for your determination.

Um our next speaker is.

Did she say someone's phone was on the dice?

Uh podium.

Uh maybe it's Miss E.

Hass.

I don't know.

Or it's Mr.

Cromedy.

Our next speaker is uh James Bell.

Good morning.

My name is James Bell, and uh address is on five.

I'm here to represent uh George Crater Bridge, fishing pier state park, and on behalf of the bridge crew, you heard from two of the bridge crew just before I come up.

Our concern is about the doall county side of the bridge.

We would like to have that restored so we can fish again comfortably on that side of the bridge.

Now we fish on the other side, which is the Nessal side, which is getting crowded, real crowded.

But we most of us, we just like a family.

We know we know most of the people there and who comes there, but we need some more space.

Up top of that bridge, they've got a gate crossing with the lock on it.

We would like to see that reopen.

That'll give us some more space to fish.

That's what we're concerned about.

We need your help on that to see if can we get that back restored and open so we can all of us can enjoy fishing without being crowded.

We used to spend the night all night long on that bridge fishing.

We used to do that.

We can't do it no more.

But just like I say, we appreciate what y'all are doing, but we just got to roll up our sleeve and put some more elbow in it.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is uh Brad Huntley.

Morning.

Thank you for allowing us to speak.

My name is Brad Huntley.

I live in Harbor Oak, uh 13927 Shipwreck Circle.

I'm here uh requesting that the council help us with a line item for the upcoming budget to give us some assistance with a watershed study.

A little history to this is that the Sandalwood Canal is one of two things that dump into our creek, Hogpen Creek.

Years and years ago, back in the 80s, when that that area between Beach Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard burnt, and the development started and soon after that with Mr.

Kern and so on.

The cut the canal, of course, has heavy density properties around it now.

As a result, more runoff, etc.

etc.

Years ago in the 80s, I'm told by one of my neighbors that's been there since '82 that the city can the council or the government, City Jacksonville, assisted and placed a catch basin where the canal goes under San Pablo Boulevard.

But on the other side, of course, is where Hogghead Creek, Hog Pen Creek is, and it dumps there.

So they uh assisted and so on, but the understanding was that they would clean on a yearly basis.

Well, that's disappeared years ago, prior to our living there.

So we're looking for a study to be able to get some direction or some results or some options available to assistance at low tide.

Uh probably 50% of the people that live on Hog Pen Creek, they can't use it.

It's nothing but a mud flat.

And it's creeping from the uh Sandalwood Canal toward the intercoastal.

So it's evident that something is happening that's affecting that.

There's also an adjacent community that has their stormwater drains and so on that dump in at a different point, but in the same creek.

So we're looking to the council to get us or to assist us or give us some direction about getting the watershed study to give some direction as to where it's really occurring from, what's affecting it, how we can get some help.

That's what I'm here for.

Any questions about this phase, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll get to you in a moment, Commissioner.

Uh, Mr.

Charlie Bender.

My name is Charlie Bender.

I live at 13834 Windscourt, Holiday Harbor in Jacksonville, Florida.

Uh, I wanted to stand to thank this commission for your uh underlying purpose, which uh, as I've seen from these presentations, is to protect uh the resources for this community, uh, the Emerald Um Trail and the Manatee projects that you guys oversee are uh fantastic.

I want to thank you for that.

And in like source, I hope that you will take a look at the hog pen creek issue that the gentleman before me, Brad just discussed.

Um I my family has lived on Hog Pen Creek since 1968.

It is a natural waterway, and it is uh very beautiful.

However, in the last many years, because of the Sandalwood Canal and the proliferation of the uh areas of about 11 square miles of uh Hodges and Kernan Boulevards, and all of the water runoff that comes from the Sandalwood Canal into and all spills into the Hog Pen Creek.

We see sand debris and other things that aren't natural to our uh waterway.

The creek, as again, the gentleman before me said, is filling in from the west side to the east side.

So we're not only seeing natural uh fill-in from the intercoastal, we're actually seeing it in reverse.

Uh the community is uh now not seeing the natural wildlife that we've seen in the past.

We're not seeing uh the fishing uh charter fishermen used to come in and be right off of my bulkhead.

That that doesn't happen anymore because the waterway is uh not navigable and uh largely because of the Santa Wood Canal.

So I would urge uh this commission to um do what it needs to do to urge the city council to put in a line item budget to have an independent uh survey done as to what the damage and destruction of the Sandalwood Canal and the lack of maintenance from the city of Jacksonville in that sandalwood canal has done to Hog Pen Creek, so that we can again enjoy the beauty of a natural waterway, things that you guys are protecting through the through uh McCoy's Creek and other things that you've been a part of, and I'd like to see that for Hog Pen Creek as well.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Uh Mr.

Philip Feller.

Am I saying that correctly?

Hello, my name is Philip Reed Follier.

I live at 1423 Pine Island Drive, Jacksonville, Florida, 3224.

You're gonna have two's in there.

Um I'm live off of excellent job by these two speakers.

Um picked back in on essentially what they're saying.

However, we have uh accumulated some actual photos of the actual work that has been done off of Atlantic Boulevard, Jack's Beach Boulevard, and the amount of drainage that has accumulated over the years and years in a slow sediment that, as he said, went west to east and is filling in the uh uh the canal, Hog Pen Creek.

Uh it is significant, and I think I would like to give this uh present this to the uh photos, the backs of uh houses, the docks, people sitting on their docks, uh feet hanging over their docks, uh into the mud.

Um they in addition to that, they're you know paying deep water access and property taxes as well.

That's a separate concern.

The main concern is to what we would like to see is direction, guidance, a plan to dredge Hog Pen Creek and put it back to its original state before all of the uh extent uh expansion of uh San Pablo Road, Beach Boulevard, Atlantic Boulevard, and so on and so forth.

So could we have a study?

Can we proceed in a direction of having the area dredged?

Please review the package that uh we are presenting, and I greatly appreciate your time and your consideration as you know.

That's a lot of people live back there.

Uh the dream to live on the water, it's a dream to live on the canal.

Uh a lot of the people are able to do that in Florida, and uh we need your help with the dredging.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

John Nooney.

Uh, we'll get to the uh commission after uh Mr.

John Noone Hello, I am John J.

Nooney, Jacksonville City Council Resolution 2023 0819.

I'm in District 4, Carico, CPAC, Planning District 3, Rosemary Wiselowski and School Board, District 3, Cindy Pearson Charter School Public School Public Park on Pottsburgh Creek, 2025, 0867, Duval County Public Schools and City of Jacksonville CIP collaboration.

And I got to give a special shout out to uh KE Haas.

This is McCoy's Creek.

I missed the ribbon cutting ceremony.

That's the train.

And then right before that, here's the 10-spot red.

You know, that would have been first place in a fishing tournament.

And so anyway, just uh had to you know share that.

Um also, you know, with this hog pen thing, you know, guys.

You know, uh Ernest Smith is here.

He's the chair of the Urban Core CPAC.

And the reason I mentioned that is, you know, with your dredging thing, you know.

Um, let me just say, and this is gut wrenching, but you know, we have six C PAC.

You know, I went to the ethics commission meeting and asked.

We have six CPACs representing the entire city of Jacksonville.

We have the mayor's disability council, uh, the wheelchair gang, council on elder affairs, senior citizen.

Why is OGC, the Office of General Counsel, not represented at these meetings?

I'm just down a minute 34.

And uh the reason it, I'll tell you, you know, it's it's really kind of like the wild west.

But um what I also want to do is also do a playoff.

This is FWC.

It's playoff the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

It's the state of Florida, it's tourism.

And so FWC, fishing with Crady, George Prady, you know, um, you know, that has to get opened up immediately.

You know, fishing with council, FWC, fishing with Chris uh Miller, the next vice president of the Jacksonville City Council, FWC, fishing with Congress, FWC, fishing with Clara.

That's 2026 0024.

I'm down to like 49 seconds.

But getting back to the C Packs, let me just say, you know, uh, you know, uh again, each CPAC has like a hundred grand that can be used for whatever they decide.

And I think you know, with dredging, that could be a consideration.

And uh let me say, you know, just 20 some seconds.

But here's the the other thing too, the true commission taxation revenue utilization of expenditures.

This is where the minutes come in, and here's how it was reflected in the minutes public comment, John Nooney and Cody Marks.

That's it.

Wendy Kahn, Office of Economic Development.

She is over CIP, Capital Improvement Projects.

Look into that.

That's money right now for everybody.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs.

Noni.

Our next speaker is Jake Jacobs.

Uh good morning.

My name is Jake Jacobs, 1415 Pine Island Drive.

Um, there's uh an obvious sediment problem in the Hog Pen Creek.

Uh and there are three factors that uh I believe are contributing to that sediment buildup, but to what extent we don't know.

And for that reason, uh, I really believe we need to have a uh comprehensive watershed study uh completed to determine what is contributing to the sediment.

Yeah, the three factors in my opinion are at one the Sandalwood Canal, which was created by the city in the 1970s, maintained by the city, and it drains 11 square miles from 295 to uh hog pine just uh San Pablo, uh, and it's a massive canal.

Um, and uh uh it connects directly to Hog Pen Creek and uh Hog Pine Creek by default is an extension of it.

Uh this is not usual.

There are no other uh canals like Hog Pen Creek that are connected to the stormwater system uh of Jacksonville.

So this, in my opinion, is not just the private citizen issue.

The second factor is the runoff from the developments nearby, most recently the sand um San Pablo Road.

Um, the deck that I have for each of you um will shows photos of uh of the sludge that has been pumped into Sandal uh to Hog Pine Creek from that road construction.

And the third factor, in my opinion, is the utility work that has been done by JEA in 2013 through 2018 and in 2023.

They repaired seven towers that are in the hog pen creek.

They did a terrible job.

They left barges that created a huge rift in the sand.

It is a uh uh uh hazard if for boaters that are not familiar with the area.

They left construction materials in the water, they destroyed a retention wall.

Uh, and there is documented proof in the stack from uh JEA acknowledging that the project took much longer than expected, and they should have moved that barge and they will move that barge.

Um these photos speak for themselves.

First Coast News came out to my house uh about a week and a half ago and covered this story.

I've emailed um all of the council members uh because I feel like I am not getting proper representation from my district manager uh about this topic, and despite years of trying to get a hold of him and speaking uh trying to get um anyone's attention.

I feel like this is falling on deaf ears.

I don't think it's fair.

I'm asking for a study so that we can determine the cause and then uh step forward in the right direction.

Thank you, Mr.

Jacobs, for your comments, and now moving to uh the dias, Mr.

Hardesty.

You've been waiting.

Thank you, Chairman.

Um I I first would like to comment on the public comment.

I think this has been some of the most uh impactful meaty comments that we've we've heard in a long time for a variety of issues.

Uh Hog Pen Creek uh clearly an issue, uh, along with the shoaling and the shoaling committee that we have in place uh where I will tell you they are very complex, costly, and difficult things to tackle.

We have been dealing with one now for about two and a half years or so easily, and it's been like pushing a semi-tractor trailer.

It's it's been rough and a long road.

And so I feel your pain, and these are certainly issues that that we must deal with because they are becoming more and more prolific as we move on with development and that sort of thing.

So thank you for the group that's come in and talked about that.

I want to jump into the George Crady Bridge and tell you that you guys are spot on.

And let me tell you why it's spot on more than ever right now is because uh the Florida Department of Transportation is coming in to replace the Browns Creek Bridge.

What that is going to do is it's going to impact uh several businesses.

It's going to impact the Browns Creek Fish Camp that's been there since 1943, 83 almost 84 years.

And it's it's the jury's still out on whether or not that's going to be able to be viable uh during the, and you're not going to believe this, seven and a half years to build a bridge as little as the Browns Creek Bridge.

But that's our plan.

They're also planning to obliterate uh chowder Teds across the street and uh to take out a legacy restaurant on Heckshire Drive.

The reason I bring those two things up is the next whammy that's coming is that the land that was donated for the Theba Doe Sisters Landing right across the Browns Creek Bridge is going to be completely taken away.

There will be no kayak access, there will be no parking, there will be none of that that the citizens of Jacksonville have embraced and used incredibly uh throughout the years that it's been there.

And the amazing thing is FDOT is gonna take that land from the city of Jacksonville without any compensation and take away our park because that's the way eminent domain works on the city level.

So these people donated their land to the city to see it be a park, and guess what?

It's being stolen by the state.

That's the bottom line.

That's why the George Crady Bridge project is so incredibly important because now you're taking away all the access for the citizens for fishing and that sort of thing.

The gentleman that talked about his son being hit while fishing on one of the bridges.

That's a real issue.

And what I wanted to do was simply let you all know that some of the best fishing in Northeast Florida is that entire corridor that's going to be impacted by this project very negatively in Councilman Gay's district, the district where I live.

And uh I'll tell you, we we really need to visit with the state and figure out why they're doing this to us for seven and a half years and get a better plan together than what is being proposed at this point in time.

Um I just wanted to kind of the these comments that came out today are very pertinent, and they all come together in one thing, and that's an horrendous impact to our area of Jacksonville and some of the most ecologically and recreationally important uh areas that we have of this entire city that impacts not only private business, but also residents enjoying it, and it takes away city property and city access on what we've all been fighting for so long.

The Emerald Creek or the Emerald Trail Project, thank God that's being given created and given back to the citizens of Jacksonville, but on the other hand, the state's taking it away.

Thank you.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Hard.

Let's go to Adam and Adam Hoyles, and he'll be followed by uh Jimmy Peluso and uh State Representative Black.

Uh through the Chair, thank you.

Um yeah, so George Crady Bridge.

Um I want to address that really quickly before anybody gets the impression that this is like somebody's pet project.

That property is actually managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection through the Park Service.

And basically, based on their data, for fiscal year 2022 and 2023, 203,029 visitors contributed 24.4 million in direct economic impact to the local economy.

Okay, that's not nothing.

Okay, and that's with that's half the bridge.

Okay.

That's supported directly in Duval and Nassau counties, 342 jobs.

Just that one park.

And now for 2025, this is Florida State Parks Foundation data.

39.3 million in direct economic impact with 327,000 visitors, and now 551 jobs supported.

That's just last year.

That's basically about a thousand people a day.

They're buying lunch, they're buying bait, they're buying fishing tackle, they're buying fishing licenses, they're paying the park fees.

What they're asking for is supporting economic development that's really important in this county.

So I want our city council members to realize that like this is not a small problem that they're talking about.

Like they're clearly personally attached to it, but that's real economic impact.

And I think if we talk about that project in those terms, it'll be a lot easier for our state legislators to appropriate money to make it happen.

And I'll leave it there.

Thank you, Sal Mr.

Pelusa.

Thank you, Chair.

To the point of what uh Mr.

Wiles just said, I was gonna I was gonna bring up a lot of that, and I know uh State Representative Black, who's the representative for that area is gonna speak next.

I assume he's gonna speak to some of that with the crowd.

Uh City of Jacksonville does have a um the Duval delegation that that the city of Jacksonville asked appropriations request for, and the Duval delegation votes on it, and they try to carry it up to Tallahassee through the appropriations process and the budget.

Um this is something that we can collaborate with, and I'd be happy to do it.

I know Councilmember Gay has been intimately involved in this, and and I'm grateful to you, sir, for doing that.

We we've heard enough, we've heard a lot from the from the uh uh the the bridge advocates over the past several months.

And and for many of them it's a livelihood issue.

For many of them, it's uh it's a uh quality of life issue, and I and I think that is important.

So we should be discussing that.

As for those who came to talk about Hog Pen Creek, we've heard about Hog Pen Creek a lot over the past year and a half.

Um I will say every council member this past year has received a million dollars via the community benefit agreement.

Every council district is able to use those dollars as they see fit.

I cannot promise you that that it would be uh wise to put it towards a study for for Hog Pen, but the council member can make that request.

To that end, I do not know if if Hogpen area, I mean that the district that was created a couple of years ago was a really good solution for that that I understand was probably created because of interesting reasons.

Um but that that was a solid solution that you know kind of fell apart.

The the city of Jacksonville might have a really tough time rationalizing working on that creek vice that of others to that end, a study can be funded.

And we do have state representatives up here as well.

We had state representative Kyan Michael, who's been a member of this body.

She's also the representative for the beaches area and and somebody you could also speak to about going to Tallahassee for for support with a study.

Um that that's something that they could potentially do.

So those are just options that I want to make sure people were aware of.

Thank you.

Mrs.

Black Thank you Chair and um and thank you members for all of your comment and for the comments from the public.

We really appreciate you being here today.

It's only through you that we know what the priorities are and what your concerns are so that we can act upon them.

In no particular order I'm an eighth generation resident of North Florida and since earliest childhood I fished on the George Crady Pier and I know that our citizens need access to the deep waters there.

There's nothing else like it and for quite some time now I've had discussions with councilman gay councilman Peluso happy to work with you on this I'll also say that Councilman Matt Carlucci reached out to me recently on this issue and we're looking at what options we can have to make sure that the George Crady fishing piercing lives out its namesake and provides that access to those waters.

And sir to your point earlier it is a mystery to me why it would take seven and a half years to build a small bridge my staff is here Cam Brown and we will look into that we'll open a file on that and we'll see what we can't do to expedite that and uh hopefully have some answers when next we meet.

Thank you Chair.

Mr Gay Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I'll go ahead and uh uh move move forward to the uh update on the George Crady uh fishing pier I appreciate the community coming out as always and and the tentativeness of of this commission to understand the the the seriousness of this scenario out there.

You know that this it is in district two which is my district uh but this is a city full wide city problem because so many patrons that go out there from all over the city uh you know other counties other states and all as well as you heard about how the the visitors come in and to that point that in 2025 what uh Mr Holidays said 327,000 people came into that bridge I mean to that fishing pier this parks department has recorded over 400,000 that visits Huguenot Park and you just take those two items there plus everything else that goes on out there and then you put the Browns Creek Bridge construction in in the mix there.

This is all critical items that really need attention and to be addressed because we've got some of the biggest attractions that it's well it's well over a million people are going in this corridor to fish live work out there so it it's really critical that that we get the attention on it that that we need um I appreciate Representative Black and his uh willingness to and his continued efforts to uh uh help with this situation on the uh George Crady Bridge um I'm looking at the latter part of May of having a a big uh meeting notice meeting on this to uh look at what options that the DEP has come up with and to keep the ball uh rolling moving forward that we need um I don't have any big update promises other than the uh we've got a new uh director with DEP I believe that that's over this now so we we do have a dialogue uh with that so uh we're going to keep on trying to find solutions to get the Duval side which is a saw pit corridor open uh for that access uh there are challenges that they've presented with me of the the why they're not open so we just got to keep having that discussions because it's there there's got to be a solution for restorational replacement so that that that's what we're that I'm gonna be pushing for as the this being in my district uh to get this open back up but it's a labor uh process uh it's when when we got so many different agencies involved it it's hard to uh really get everybody crowd and the funding we all know what the restrictions that we're all facing coming up with shortfalls so um I'm you know pushing as hard as I can and but I looked to have that meeting and get as many uh state

of the why they're not open so we just got to keep having that discussions because it's there there's got to be a solution for restoration or replacement so that that that's what we're that I'm gonna be pushing for as the this being in my district uh to get this open back up but it's a laborsome uh process uh it's when when we got so many different agencies involved it it's hard to uh really get everybody crowd and the funding we all know what the restrictions that we're all facing coming up with shortfalls so I'm I'm you know pushing as hard as I can and but I look to to have that meeting and get as many uh state players in here representatives as as I can and as well as the departments and I do encourage all the uh George Crady and the hog penek group to come to the Duval delegation and speak openly to them when they're here because what I'm hearing on some of the hog pen is the Atlantic Boulevard is 295 these corridors that are projects that are draining into the uh the canals and into the creek that that is coming from state state projects so it it's a there again that's a discussion that everyone needs to be uh tuned in into as well so that's kind of my in a nutshell on the George Crady as well thank you chair uh thank you mr gay before before we uh move to a new business I uh uh I'd like uh just for a minute uh got a question for general counsel um uh is it within the purview of this uh commission to uh pursue a study of any sort uh regarding the uh the silk buildup and and all those issues with Sandalwood canal and Hawkesman Creek etc and if it's not within the purview of the uh waterways commission who who would best if you're able to answer who would best be the ones to steer uh that effort to the chair and through the chair to the commission subject matter you're directly on point funding is another question um captain super and I were actually just discussing the layers um no untoward pun intended of um potential liabilities and potential um bad actors if there are any so the second part of your question is to whom the question should be directed um that is something we're discussing I think that that's kind of what I'm hearing is is one of the big questions but uh your first question is it is subject matter yes subject matter purpose of this commission but the second is a funding question I'm happy to look into it thank you so much I look forward to what you uh what you uh discover are you getting ready to jump in the queue Mr.

Suber I I see you okay if you're not let's move on to new business we have ordinance 2026 02 through six uh Melissa long to uh give us uh uh some information on the uh ordinance vote so we can take action I'm Melissa Long Chief of the environmental quality division this is legislation that's going through to award a grant that we got from the Fish and Wildlife for four the removal of four vessels um one of those vessels is on the Rebalt River uh on the shore near um a home at rebault river scenic drive another one is in the Trout River near bill dock bill diet marina we have another one that's just north of Heckshire where Clatboard Creek and Cedar Point Creek meet and then another one right off of uh JU campus.

Can I get a motion on the bill approved second second all in favor?

Aye any opposed motion carries.

Thank you.

Thank you Melissa Old Business Shad Creek resolution update from Mr.

Gay Thank you Mr.

Chair um we we're I guess working with the OGC to come up with a plan to uh go back to the state uh with they've they I believe y'all all seen their their response uh so we we're looking to uh with the assistance of Captain Suber uh get get some information put together so we can potentially move some legislation forward um I'm I'm holding some money back in for my CBA money to be able to uh comes to comes down to it to fund the uh the signage to go in there so I'm uh I'm gonna hold that back and hopefully we get the blessings from FWC on this and we can move forward with with the getting some signage in there so thank you.

Um, I'm I'm holding some money back in for my C BA money to be able to uh comes to comes down to it to fund the uh the signage to go in there.

So I'm uh I'm gonna hold that back and hopefully we get the blessings from FWC on this, and we can move forward with with uh getting some signage in there.

Um, to come before the waterways commission this morning.

Any any comments or just want to acknowledge Mr.

Matt Jones, he's gonna be uh a new member of the commission.

He's in the audience here.

He was approved uh by council last night.

So uh welcome, sir.

We look forward to you, serving on the commission.

Any other business?

If not, we stand a drop.