OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Jacksonville City Council Meeting - June 9, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, June 9, 2026
BodyJacksonville, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, June 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:21:06
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

All right, I'm being told we officially have a quorum.

0:05

All right, good evening, everybody.

0:07

I'm calling to order the City of Jacksonville City Council meeting for Tuesday, June 9th, 2026.

0:14

It is 5 p.m.

0:15

on the dot.

0:16

I am your president, presiding officer Kevin Carico.

0:20

And we are officially starting a meeting, Mr.

0:24

Floor Leader.

0:25

How's that sound?

0:26

Very good, Mr.

0:26

President.

0:27

Our first order of business is the invocation and pledge of allegiance.

0:30

Please recognize our council chaplain, Councilmember Kennemar.

0:35

Sounds off.

0:37

Thank you, Mr.

0:38

Floor Leader.

0:40

Tonight our invocation is being delivered by Eddie Hatcher, a Jacksonville native, a graduate of Rebalt Senior High School, or as the principal would say, Rebote.

0:52

He earned a Master of Divinity from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.

0:57

And he's a retired U.S.

0:59

Army veteran with more than 20 years of honorable service.

1:03

Eddie currently serves as a community pastor at Chets Creek Church's Hodges Campus, where he's passionate about helping people grow in their faith and connect with their community.

1:15

He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Jacqueline Renee Hatcher for 42 years.

1:20

Together, they're the proud parents of two children, Antonio and Olycia.

1:26

Please receive Pastor Eddie Hatcher.

1:29

Thank you, Councilman.

1:31

God's word says to us that we would acknowledge him in all his ways, and his response to us would be your direct our path.

1:39

And so that's what we want to do this evening as we uh move forward with our meeting.

1:47

So let us pray.

1:49

Heavenly Father, we do thank you for this amazing privilege of gathering this evening for this opportunity to serve the people of Jacksonville.

2:01

We ask for your wisdom, your guidance, and discernment upon every council member, city leader, and public servant represented here.

2:11

Grant them clarity of decision making, integrity, and leadership, and a sincere commitment to the welfare of this fine city.

2:22

Help them to work together with respect, unity, and a shared desire to promote justice, peace, and prosperity throughout our city.

2:33

We pray for the families here in Jacksonville, the businesses, the schools, the first responders, our policemen, our neighborhoods, and our communities of Jacksonville.

2:46

May your hand of protection rest upon our community, and may your grace guide us toward solutions that strengthen and uplift all who call to this city home.

2:58

Lord bless the meeting and the work that will be accomplished here tonight.

3:02

May it be conducted with wisdom and a spirit of service of others.

3:09

In your holy name we pray.

3:10

Amen, and amen.

3:12

Amen.

3:14

Pledge allegiance.

3:33

Do you have any announcements?

3:35

Uh one announcement.

3:36

Uh I am noticing a meeting tomorrow.

3:39

It's going to be at 4 o'clock, two weeks from today, prior to our last council meeting of the year to do our award ceremony.

3:45

A lot of times that takes up a lot of time in the evening.

3:47

So I'm just gonna bump the meeting uh ahead or bump it back in hours so we can get started, give out the awards, and celebrate some accomplishments of community leaders and community members and some of the members of this body.

3:57

So we'll have that meeting at four o'clock uh right before the council meeting in two weeks.

4:02

Thank you, Mr.

4:03

President.

4:03

Next up is approval of the minutes from the regular council meeting of May 26th.

4:07

I move the approval.

4:08

I think I'm gonna call up a roll call first, and then we'll get those approved.

4:11

All right, roll call.

4:24

16 present.

4:27

All right, Mr.

4:28

Florida.

4:29

All right.

4:29

Now I'm back at the right spot.

4:30

I move the approval of the minutes from the regular council meeting of May 26th.

4:34

We've got a motion and a second by Councilmember Arius.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████37%
Zoning And Land Use███████████████████████23%
Public Safety█████████9%
Miscellaneous████████8%
Personnel Matters████████8%
Public Engagement█████5%
Affordable Housing██2%
Land Use and Zoning██2%
Fiscal Sustainability█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Jacksonville City Council Meeting - June 9, 2026

The Jacksonville City Council met on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting lasted until 8:20 PM and covered a wide range of items including quasi-judicial matters, consent agenda, public hearings on land use, third-reading ordinances, and unfinished business. 16 members were present initially, with some excused. Key actions included approval of a school millage referendum for the November ballot, approval of an Emerald Trail eminent domain ordinance, and passage of a contentious bill changing appointment authority for the Kids Hope Alliance and Library Boards.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved unanimously (16-0): A block of 14 items including:
    • 2026-0379: Closing of a portion of Ionic Ave R/W
    • 2026-0380: Amendment to lease for Duval County Tax Collector's Office
    • 2026-0388: Sale of JEA's former headquarters site for $1,000,000
    • 2026-0389: Amendments to dockless mobility program ordinance
    • 2026-0391: Delegation of FDEP domestic wastewater program authority
    • 2026-0394: Appropriation of $350,000 from FDOT for traffic signal rebuild
    • 2026-0398: Appropriation of $3,371.63 for city's Amazon subscription
    • 2026-0399: Confirmation of reappointment of Dr. Carmen Martinez to Election Advisory Panel
    • 2026-0400: Confirmation of appointment of Robyn Cenizal to Eastside Grants Committee
    • 2026-0401: Appointment of Scott K. Thomas to Jacksonville Waterways Commission
    • 2026-0402: Confirmation of appointment of Geoffrey A. Youngblood to TRUE Commission
    • 2026-0415: Reappointment of Heather Rios to Opioid & Substance Use Disorder Grants Committee
    • 2026-0470: Honoring Officer Adam "Sonny" Fluker Jr.
    • 2026-0471: Honoring Officer & Bishop Antonio C. Richardson

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Teacher millage referendum: Numerous speakers (teachers, school psychologists, community members) urged the council to place the one-mill ad valorem tax continuation on the November ballot. Many wore red and expressed gratitude after the council voted to discharge the bill and approve it.
  • Free to Garden Act: Multiple speakers (Nathan Valentine, Jennifer Leggett, etc.) supported the proposal to make community and market gardens permissible by right, citing benefits for food access and community building.
  • JEA union negotiations: Representatives from Local 630 (Ronnie Burris, Daniel Kersey) and supporters spoke about the impasse with JEA, requesting fair wages and recognition of pay disparities.
  • Connor Collie case: Several speakers (Dragon Beloit, Ryan Delaney, Sarah Haddad, etc.) criticized the arrest and sentencing of Connor Collie, who was convicted for actions during a previous council meeting. They called for removal of Officer Aliaga as Sergeant-at-Arms and decried what they saw as suppression of free speech.
  • Other: Speakers addressed zoning concerns, opposition to the KHA/library board bill, support for the homeless initiatives commission amendments, and mental health crisis response.

Discussion Items

  • 2026-0345 (Appeal of Joann Purdie): Council voted 16-0 to deny the appeal and uphold the Planning Commission's approval of a zoning exception and administrative deviation for a restaurant at 1604 Margaret St.
  • 2026-0290 (Yellow Water Residential PUD): After an amendment carried on voice vote, the bill was approved 13-1 (Councilmember Clark-Murray dissenting). She expressed the Southwest CPAC's opposition due to lack of environmental impact study, traffic concerns, and density.
  • 2026-0387 (School millage referendum): Councilmember Arias moved to discharge the ordinance from Finance committee. After a second and discussion, the discharge passed by voice vote. The council then voted 15-0 to approve placing the one-mill ad valorem tax continuation referendum on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
  • 2025-0872 (KHA & Library Board appointments): After extended debate and a failed floor amendment (Clark-Murray's proposal to limit president's appointment power), the bill as amended (by committee) passed 9-6. The bill changes appointment authority for Kids Hope Alliance and Library Board of Trustees, giving the Council President appointment power for 3 of 7 KHA seats and 5 of 12 Library seats, subject to council confirmation.
  • 2026-0327 (Emerald Trail eminent domain): A finance substitute requiring council approval before filing condemnation petitions was adopted. The bill then passed 13-1 (President Carrico dissenting).
  • 2026-0363 (Private providers for subdivision regulations): Postponed to June 23, 2026 by a 14-0 vote after concerns raised about scope.
  • 2026-0518 (Reunification Month resolution): Declared an emergency and passed 14-0 after floor amendment adding emergency language.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved (16-0): All quasi-judicial resolutions and ordinances (items 1-10, 76, 78, 80-82, 84, 86-89).
  • Approved (14-0 or 15-0): Numerous public hearing items including the UNF Campus Master Plan development agreement (2026-395), LISC Small Business Employment Re-Grant Program (2026-451), Goodwill Summer Youth Works Program (2026-452), Vision for Excellence Summer Program (2026-466), and several land use amendments and rezonings.
  • Approved (13-1): Yellow Water Residential PUD (2026-290), DIA regulatory fee authority (2026-383), and Economic Development Agreement for 108 affordable housing units (2026-386).
  • Approved (9-6): Ordinance 2025-872 amending appointment powers for Kids Hope Alliance and Library Board.
  • Passed as emergency (14-0): School millage referendum placement on November ballot (2026-387); Reunification Month resolution (2026-518).
  • Postponed to June 23, 2026: Ordinance 2026-363 (private providers for subdivision regulations) and several land use items: 2026-122, 2026-123, 2026-126, 2026-127, 2026-293, 2026-294, 2026-295, 2026-311, 2026-365 through 2026-371 (public hearings continued).
  • Defeated: Floor amendment (Clark-Murray) to limit Council President's KHA appointment authority (failed by voice vote).

Meeting Transcript

All right, I'm being told we officially have a quorum. All right, good evening, everybody. I'm calling to order the City of Jacksonville City Council meeting for Tuesday, June 9th, 2026. It is 5 p.m. on the dot. I am your president, presiding officer Kevin Carico. And we are officially starting a meeting, Mr. Floor Leader. How's that sound? Very good, Mr. President. Our first order of business is the invocation and pledge of allegiance. Please recognize our council chaplain, Councilmember Kennemar. Sounds off. Thank you, Mr. Floor Leader. Tonight our invocation is being delivered by Eddie Hatcher, a Jacksonville native, a graduate of Rebalt Senior High School, or as the principal would say, Rebote. He earned a Master of Divinity from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. And he's a retired U.S. Army veteran with more than 20 years of honorable service. Eddie currently serves as a community pastor at Chets Creek Church's Hodges Campus, where he's passionate about helping people grow in their faith and connect with their community. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Jacqueline Renee Hatcher for 42 years. Together, they're the proud parents of two children, Antonio and Olycia. Please receive Pastor Eddie Hatcher. Thank you, Councilman. God's word says to us that we would acknowledge him in all his ways, and his response to us would be your direct our path. And so that's what we want to do this evening as we uh move forward with our meeting. So let us pray. Heavenly Father, we do thank you for this amazing privilege of gathering this evening for this opportunity to serve the people of Jacksonville. We ask for your wisdom, your guidance, and discernment upon every council member, city leader, and public servant represented here. Grant them clarity of decision making, integrity, and leadership, and a sincere commitment to the welfare of this fine city. Help them to work together with respect, unity, and a shared desire to promote justice, peace, and prosperity throughout our city. We pray for the families here in Jacksonville, the businesses, the schools, the first responders, our policemen, our neighborhoods, and our communities of Jacksonville. May your hand of protection rest upon our community, and may your grace guide us toward solutions that strengthen and uplift all who call to this city home. Lord bless the meeting and the work that will be accomplished here tonight. May it be conducted with wisdom and a spirit of service of others. In your holy name we pray. Amen, and amen. Amen. Pledge allegiance. Do you have any announcements? Uh one announcement. Uh I am noticing a meeting tomorrow. It's going to be at 4 o'clock, two weeks from today, prior to our last council meeting of the year to do our award ceremony. A lot of times that takes up a lot of time in the evening. So I'm just gonna bump the meeting uh ahead or bump it back in hours so we can get started, give out the awards, and celebrate some accomplishments of community leaders and community members and some of the members of this body. So we'll have that meeting at four o'clock uh right before the council meeting in two weeks. Thank you, Mr. President. Next up is approval of the minutes from the regular council meeting of May 26th.

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