★ ★ ★PUBLICRECORDMAY 18 2026

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Jacksonville Neighborhoods Committee Meeting - May 18, 2026: Multiple Approvals, Edward Waters University Track Debate, and Jail Resolution Fails

City Council — Monday, May 18, 2026

BodyJacksonville, Florida

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, May 18, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:04:54

Transcript — VerbatimClick a line to jump

0:01

Well good morning and welcome to the Monday, May 18th neighborhoods meeting.

0:08

We'll go ahead and start with introductions to my left.

0:11

Starting with Mr.

0:12

Delaney.

0:13

Good morning, Bill Delaney with the mayor's office.

0:16

Brandon Russell, Council Research.

0:18

Harry Stepopoulos, Office of General Counsel.

0:20

Billy Peterson, Council Iris Office.

0:22

Michael Boylan, District 6.

0:24

Kenamara, City Council, District 1.

0:26

Randy White, District 12.

0:28

Mike Gay, District 2.

0:30

Good morning, Chris Miller, at large group five.

0:33

Ron Salem, group two at large.

0:35

Good morning, Tyrone Clark Murray, District 9.

0:38

Will Lane and District 3 visiting.

0:40

Terrence Freeman at large group one just visited.

0:43

All right.

0:45

Thank the visiting council members for being here.

0:48

We'll go ahead and go to uh public comment.

0:53

You'll be given three minutes to speak to an item uh on the agenda.

1:00

So, when I call your name, please come on up.

1:02

And if you filled out a card, come on forward and grab a seat up front here so we can get through these uh this morning pretty quickly, but give your name and address or say it's on file for the record, and we'll start with Mr.

1:17

Wells Todd.

1:24

I don't see Mr.

1:25

Todd.

1:27

Oh, I'm I'm sorry.

1:30

There he is.

1:32

Come on down, sir.

1:45

My name is Wells Todd with uh Take Em Down Jackson Interrupting Redlining, and uh my address is on file.

1:55

Um of the things that uh some of your ancestors did back in the day was to turn the African American community into a third world country, uh that process uh was called redlining.

2:19

It denied African Americans the right to buy homes, decent jobs, and basically the right to survive without harassment and terror.

2:39

Today you are faced with the remnants, or I should say the continuation of that process.

2:48

The question here is how cheap is land, and we found out from the medical examiner's office and the morgue just how cheap the land is in the African American community caused by redlining.

3:09

Now the question before you is a jail.

3:16

What does that actually mean?

3:20

Not only for the African American community, not only for the community that was redlined, but the city in general.

3:29

A new jail, campus style jail, and the idea of having to find cheap property for it.

3:44

There has been the legislation that you guys voted on unanimously that redlining was an issue.

3:53

The question now is what are you going to do about it?

3:56

The biggest question before the community as a whole, as this city as a whole, is will you be able to justify building it in a black neighborhood?

4:07

In a neighborhood that has suffered for decades upon decades economically.

4:15

So we're here today to speak out against that building of a jail in an already depressed neighborhood area, and um you have to figure out how to move forward on this.

4:35

But once again, you have to figure it out in the parameters of not destroying the community any more than it is.

4:47

All right, thank you.

4:49

Our next speaker is uh Bobby O'Connor.

5:01

Good morning.

4:51

My name is Bobby O'Connor.

4:59

My address is on file.

5:05

I'm here to speak to 2026 0356, which is that the jail or the detention center will not be built in a redlined neighborhood.

5:16

Redlining is something I'm sure most of y'all know about redlining.

5:21

It in the 1930s, it made was made really difficult, if not impossible, for African-American people to get loans, and this has affected accumulation of wealth in a big way.

5:39

My family was able to mortgage our home so I could go to college.

5:43

But for one of my friends who lived in what was called Baptist Bottom, she was African American.

5:48

They didn't have a home because they weren't allowed to more, you know, because of mortgages.

5:53

And we can still see these scars today in our community.

5:57

They're here.

5:59

And I hope that you will not allow the jail to be built in a red line community, because it will just make the scars even worse.

6:09

You know, in terms of scarring how scar tissue builds up.

6:14

And I really appreciate what y'all are doing in the east side, and also what you're doing in Durkeyville.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural████████████████16%

Economic Development███████████████15%

Community Engagement██████████████14%

Racial Equity█████████████13%

Public Safety███████████11%

Workforce Development███████7%

Engineering And Infrastructure███████7%

Parks and Recreation███████7%

Land Use and Zoning██████6%

Summary of Proceedings

Jacksonville Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee Meeting - May 18, 2026

The Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee convened on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 9:31 AM in the City Hall Council Chamber and adjourned at 12:36 PM. Chaired by Mike Gay, the committee considered 49 agenda items, including ordinances, resolutions, and emergency measures. Key actions included approval of park funding, support for affordable housing bonds, a major debate over the Edward Waters University track improvements, and the failure of a resolution opposing a new jail in historically redlined areas.

Consent Calendar

2026-0312 (Approve 7-0): Appropriated $36,563.20 for two positions to support the Eastside Community Grants Program. Council Member Salem asked about salary ranges; the auditor noted the average salary is $76,200, with benefits $98,190, and the senior position range is $90,000-$110,000.
2026-0313 (Approve 7-0) & 2026-0323 (Approve 7-0): Companion bills reallocating $181,840.50 in HOME grant funding between Downpayment Assistance and administrative costs. Council Member Salem expressed support for downpayment assistance but questioned the reallocation. Staff confirmed it was a budget swap to close out older grants.
2026-0314 (Approve 7-0): Authorized a CDBG-funded position.
2026-0315 (Amend/Approve 7-0): Approved the Harbour Waterway Dependent Special District FY 26-27 budget ($206,500 from 132 parcels) with an amendment correcting budget descriptions.
2026-0316 (Approve 7-0): Approved the Millers Creek Dependent Special District FY 26-27 budget ($80,730 from 29 parcels).
2026-0317 (Amend/Approve 7-0): Established honorary street designation for Pastor Ernie L. Murray on Moncrief Road. Amendment removed one waiver because the honoree met the residency requirement, corrected the roadway description, and placed revised notices on file. Council Members Amaro and Boylan added as co-sponsors.
2026-0321 (Amend/Approve 7-0): Appropriated $1,776,499.27 for pickleball courts at Ed Austin Regional Park and sports lighting at Ed Austin and William F. Sheffield Regional Parks. Funding sources included Solid Waste Class III Mitigation funds ($182,274.74), Cardroom Tax ($1,040,314.02), Autumn Bond earnings ($69,472.00), and reallocated Parks QOL funds ($484,438.51). Council Member Boylan asked about availability of similar funds for other districts; the auditor noted remaining funds in some accounts. Multiple council members requested co-sponsorship.
2026-0324 (Amend/Approve 7-0): Authorized Amendment Two to the economic development agreement with Kappa Alpha Psi Jacksonville Foundation, extending the project completion date to 3/31/28 and reducing the minimum capital investment from $7.5M to $7M.
2026-0327 (Substitute/Approve 6-0): Appropriated $12,599,258 for acquisition of 17 parcels for the Emerald Trail (Hogan's Creek to Riverwalk), including eminent domain authority. Council Members Miller and Boylan discussed the waiver of settlement limits over $50,000; the auditor explained prior similar waivers were used. Substitute included property details and studies on file.
2026-0331 (Amend/Approve 6-0): Extended lease with Fort George Island Volunteer Fire Department to 3/30/29 at $7,400/year, with one remaining 3-year renewal option. Amendment corrected effective date to 3/31/26.
2026-0333 (Amend/Approve 7-0): Extended lease with Mandarin-Loretto Volunteer Fire Department to 3/30/29 at $38,200/year. Amendment corrected effective date.
2026-0334 (Approve 7-0): Authorized MOU with Neptune Beach for disaster debris management at Girvin Landfill at no cost.
2026-0337 (Amend/Approve 6-0): Donated a 1979 Chevrolet Malibu valued at $15,000 to the Brumos Collection. Amendments clarified restricted use period and changed oversight to JSO.
2026-0353 (Approve 6-0): Supported JHFA issuance of up to $23,500,000 in multifamily housing revenue bonds for Treetop Apartments (172 units, all at or below 60% AMI).
2026-0354 (Approve 6-0): Supported JHFA issuance of up to $28,850,000 in bonds for Campbell Cove (240 units, all at or below 60% AMI, previously approved $5M development loan).
2026-0362 (Approve 7-0): Appropriated $5,200,000 from the Youth Empowerment contingency to Kids Hope Alliance for competitive grants for ages 16-24. Council Member Salem noted it is a one-time expense. Co-sponsors added.
2026-0384 (Emergency/Approve 6-0): Appropriated $35,000 for the 2026 Ironman Jacksonville event ($30,000) and Jacksonville Jazz Festival ($5,000). Emergency cited event dates of May 16 and May 21, 2026.
2026-0397 (Emergency/Amend/Approve 7-0): Adopted Second Revised Charter for the Baymeadows Community Improvement District, changing governance structure (reducing at-large supervisors, requiring council member appointment/confirmation, and requiring council approval for property purchases over $100). Emergency to remove Supervisor of Elections involvement before qualification period.

Public Comments & Testimony

Wells Todd (Take 'Em Down Jax/Interrupting Redlining): Opposed construction of a new jail in historically redlined African American communities, citing the earlier placement of the medical examiner's office in Brentwood and urging the committee not to perpetuate systemic discrimination.
Bobbie O'Connor (Interrupt Redlining Coalition): Spoke in favor of resolution 2026-0356, emphasizing the lasting impact of redlining on wealth accumulation and the need to avoid building the jail in redlined neighborhoods.
Nancy Murrey-Settle (Interrupt Redlining Coalition): Expressed support for 2026-0356, arguing that placing the jail in redlined areas perpetuates systemic discrimination and costs taxpayers; she questioned the need for a large centralized jail and suggested smaller, rehabilitative facilities.
Marshall Adkinson (towing business owner): Spoke on item 2026-0358 (towing regulations). He explained the rewrite aimed to align with state statutes, improve definition clarity, and close legal loopholes. He opposed the auditor's recommended insurance increase from $100K/$300K/$50K to $1M/$2M/$1M, stating it would burden businesses without evidence of problems and that state sovereign immunity limits already provide protection.

Discussion Items

2026-0356 – Resolution on Jail Location in Redlined Areas (FAILED 1-6): Council Member Peluso introduced the resolution recommending that any future pretrial detention facility not be located in areas designated "Hazardous" (Grade D) on historic HOLC redlining maps. He argued it would reassure communities and prevent mistakes. Council Member Lahnen, liaison for the jail project, opposed, stating the process (with consultant CGL) should not be preempted, and that site selection is one of several deliverables expected in early 2027. Council Members Salem, Boylan, Miller, and Amaro agreed, noting the resolution could invite similar requests from other districts and that the eventual site will be several hundred acres, unlikely to fit in the designated areas. Council Member Clark-Murray urged support, citing community fears and prior failures (e.g., Success Park). The resolution failed 1-6, with Clark-Murray the only yes vote.
2026-0336 – Edward Waters University Track Improvements (Extensive Debate and Amended Approval 6-0): The committee considered an ordinance to redirect up to $2,000,000 from a previously approved Living Learning Community Center to planning, design, and permitting of an NCAA-compliant 400-meter track on the EWU campus. The bill included a Grant-Related Programmatic Use Agreement. The discussion centered on the term of the use agreement (filed at 5 years), public access, and recording with the Clerk of the Court. The Auditor's Office recommended a 20-year term, a 10% retainage, repayment if not completed by 9/30/28, designated public hours, insurance flexibility, specific performance remedy, and recording of the agreement. EWU representatives (Jason Gabriel, Luz Narcisse) proposed 10-year term with no recording, arguing it was proportional to the grant and consistent with other city agreements. They offered 36 hours of community access per week (M-F 6-9 AM & 6-9 PM, Sun 12-6 PM), increased from 4 to 6 annual wellness events, and partnership with local schools/organizations. After multiple amendments, the committee adopted: a completion deadline of 12/31/28, a 10-year term subject to automatic one-year renewals unless terminated by the City Council, removal of the recording requirement, but retained other Auditor recommendations (retainage, clawback, specific performance, designated hours, insurance flexibility). The amended bill passed 6-0.
2026-0358 – Towing Regulations (Deferred): The committee discussed an auditor's recommended amendment to update insurance requirements from amounts set in the 1980s ($100K/$300K/$50K) to amounts determined by Risk Management (potentially $1M/$2M/$1M). Towing operator Marshall Adkinson objected, noting state statutes set minimums and that increasing insurance would harm small businesses without evidence of past problems. Council Members Salem and Clark-Murray expressed concerns about a 1000% increase without data. The committee deferred the bill to work on aligning insurance language with state statutes or Risk Management recommendations.

Key Outcomes

Approved: All consent calendar items (listed above) as amended where noted.
Failed: Resolution 2026-0356 (1-6) opposing jail construction in historically redlined areas.
Deferred: Items 2024-0966, 2025-0361, 2026-0227, 2026-0318, 2026-0319, 2026-0320, 2026-0335, 2026-0358, 2026-0364, and 2026-0419 (requested by sponsors or due to process).
Second reading items: Several ordinances (2026-0377 through 2026-0396, excluding those acted upon) were read 2nd time and rereferred to other committees.
Next steps: The Edward Waters University track funding agreement will proceed with the amended use agreement requiring council approval for termination. The towing ordinance will be revised to address insurance thresholds. The jail site selection process continues with CGL consulting.

Meeting Transcript

Well good morning and welcome to the Monday, May 18th neighborhoods meeting. We'll go ahead and start with introductions to my left. Starting with Mr. Delaney. Good morning, Bill Delaney with the mayor's office. Brandon Russell, Council Research. Harry Stepopoulos, Office of General Counsel. Billy Peterson, Council Iris Office. Michael Boylan, District 6. Kenamara, City Council, District 1. Randy White, District 12. Mike Gay, District 2. Good morning, Chris Miller, at large group five. Ron Salem, group two at large. Good morning, Tyrone Clark Murray, District 9. Will Lane and District 3 visiting. Terrence Freeman at large group one just visited. All right. Thank the visiting council members for being here. We'll go ahead and go to uh public comment. You'll be given three minutes to speak to an item uh on the agenda. So, when I call your name, please come on up. And if you filled out a card, come on forward and grab a seat up front here so we can get through these uh this morning pretty quickly, but give your name and address or say it's on file for the record, and we'll start with Mr. Wells Todd. I don't see Mr. Todd. Oh, I'm I'm sorry. There he is. Come on down, sir. My name is Wells Todd with uh Take Em Down Jackson Interrupting Redlining, and uh my address is on file. Um of the things that uh some of your ancestors did back in the day was to turn the African American community into a third world country, uh that process uh was called redlining. It denied African Americans the right to buy homes, decent jobs, and basically the right to survive without harassment and terror. Today you are faced with the remnants, or I should say the continuation of that process. The question here is how cheap is land, and we found out from the medical examiner's office and the morgue just how cheap the land is in the African American community caused by redlining. Now the question before you is a jail. What does that actually mean? Not only for the African American community, not only for the community that was redlined, but the city in general. A new jail, campus style jail, and the idea of having to find cheap property for it. There has been the legislation that you guys voted on unanimously that redlining was an issue. The question now is what are you going to do about it? The biggest question before the community as a whole, as this city as a whole, is will you be able to justify building it in a black neighborhood? In a neighborhood that has suffered for decades upon decades economically. So we're here today to speak out against that building of a jail in an already depressed neighborhood area, and um you have to figure out how to move forward on this. But once again, you have to figure it out in the parameters of not destroying the community any more than it is. All right, thank you. Our next speaker is uh Bobby O'Connor. Good morning. My name is Bobby O'Connor. My address is on file. I'm here to speak to 2026 0356, which is that the jail or the detention center will not be built in a redlined neighborhood.

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