OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Jacksonville City Council Regular Meeting – June 23, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, June 23, 2026
BodyJacksonville, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, June 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:53:45
Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Good evening and welcome.

0:03

I call to order the June 23rd, 2026 meeting of the Jacksonville City Council.

0:09

And according to Office of General Council, we have a quorum.

0:13

FYI today, I am filling in for Council President Kevin Carico.

0:18

And Mr.

0:19

Floor Leader.

0:20

Over to you, please.

0:21

Thank you, Mr.

0:21

Vice President.

0:22

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

0:25

I'm going to have our council liaison to JFRD, Councilmember White, introduce tonight's chaplain, the JFRD chaplain, Percy Golden Sr.

0:35

Thank you.

0:36

Dr.

0:36

Percy Golden Sr.

0:38

is a senior pastor and bishop of the Holy Church of the Living God Revival Center in Atlantic Beach.

0:45

He retired from the JFRD after 26 years, where he wore many hats while protecting our city.

0:53

Some of his roles were chaplain of JFRD, Union Chaplain for the local, and vice president of the fellowship of Christian firefighters.

1:07

He also served as administrator over the honor guard and pipe and drum team.

1:12

He also served as coordinator for the emergency preparedness region three CISM team.

1:19

After a couple years of retirement, Dr.

1:22

Golden was asked to come back as chaplain for JFRD and to be the critical incident officer.

1:31

He is the administrator also of the peer support team.

1:35

I've known Dr.

1:36

Golden for many years.

1:38

And the congratulations and thank you, sir.

1:41

Thank you.

1:58

Before I pray, I want to uh again extend my gratitude and appreciation for each and every one of you that sits on this council.

2:07

For many years, I've been serving the city as well for over 30 years, and I've seen and work with many of you as I've not only uh within the fire service but in the community.

2:18

I've been on a lot of stages where we have met and done.

2:21

So I just want to thank all of you uh again for um for what you've done, for your dedication to our community, um, for the growth and well-being, and I want to thank you for the timeless efforts and thoughtful decisions and the commitment that you're making to our city, that it will be a better place.

2:43

Also, want to thank each and every one of you and appreciate you for the countless hours uh that you have put in listening, planning, and acting uh for the good of our community.

2:56

Thank you all for your leadership and making a real difference in the lives of so many.

3:04

Let us bow for a word of prayer.

3:08

Father God, we come now before you today with grateful hearts.

3:14

We thank you for the opportunity to serve the community, and thank you for the gifts of this city, uh, for the people at home and for the privilege of working together for the common good.

3:28

Grant wisdom to each council member as they gather here, guide their thoughts, guide their words, and guide their decisions so that they may be rooted in fairness, integrity, and compassion.

3:46

Help them to listen with open minds and speak with respect and act with courage in the face of challenges.

3:55

Bless our mayor, bless our citizens, bless our neighborhoods, and all who labor to make our city safe, vibrant, and we welcome peace that we may work together and reflect over division and service of self intent and hope over fear.

4:20

We ask you to protect us over the days to come and protect our community and to guide us uh through tough times, and we access in that holy name.

4:34

Amen.

4:35

Amen.

4:38

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

4:43

And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

4:55

Roll call, please.

5:13

16 present.

5:16

Any announcements, Mr.

5:17

Vice President.

5:18

Yeah, thank you, Mr.

5:19

Floor Leader.

5:20

I actually have three announcements.

5:22

First, there will be a jump in the agenda after we hear public comment, we'll jump to page 34 and hear item number 72, which is 2026 0418, the JSO parking bill, first, and then we'll proceed with the agenda.

5:38

Thank you.

5:39

Second, uh I look forward to seeing everyone at the council president and council vice president installation here in the chambers Thursday night, two nights from now at 5 p.m.

5:51

And then lastly, FYI for the record.

5:53

Uh the current council president has directed that we postpone a vote to override uh the mayor's um, sorry, we postpone a vote to override the mayor's veto of our council bill 2025 0872.

6:08

You probably saw that item is 2025 0872 in the first addendum published just before noon.

6:14

Uh and then you saw it omitted from the updated addendum published later in the afternoon.

6:19

Um, if it were my preference, we'd take it up tonight um just because when there's a disagreement between council and the administration, I prefer it not linger.

6:28

I prefer we deal with it openly and and quickly.

6:31

Um, but we will make sure that this gets cleaned up on July 28th in the first meeting the next council year.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Miscellaneous█████████████████████████████29%
Community Engagement███████████████15%
Animal Welfare██████6%
Racial Equity███3%
Public Safety██2%
Environmental Protection█1%
Public Engagement█1%
Parks and Recreation█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Jacksonville City Council Regular Meeting – June 23, 2026

The Jacksonville City Council met on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chamber, City Hall. Council President Kevin Carrico was excused; Council Vice President Nick Howland presided. Roll call recorded 16 members present, 3 excused. The meeting adjourned at 7:53 PM.

Quasi‑Judicial Actions

  • 2026‑0472 (Herzberg Appeal): Council granted the appeal of Michael Herzberg regarding a zoning exception and administrative deviation at 10344 Atlantic Cir. The vote was 15‑1 (Boylan nay).
  • 2026‑0304 (5450 Cleveland Rd Rezoning): After a floor amendment to deny (consistent with LUZ committee 0‑5 failure), Council denied the rezoning (CCG‑1 to CCG‑2) 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0309 (Road Frontage Waiver): Approved 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0373 (Shops of Granada PUD): Amended and approved 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0374 (KST Investments Boat/RV Storage PUD): Amended and approved 12‑4 (Boylan, Clark‑Murray, Gaffney Jr., Gay nays).
  • 2026‑0440 (Perfect Rack Billiards Zoning Exception): Approved 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0441 (904 Purr & Pour Lounge Zoning Exception): Approved 15‑1 (Boylan nay).
  • 2026‑0442 (Administrative Deviation at 1200 Kings Ave): Approved 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0443 (Sign Waiver, Society of Saint Pius X): Approved 16‑0.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved with the exception of items 2026‑0444 and 2026‑0522. The remaining consent items passed 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0444 (JFRD RIP Current Simulator Grant): Pulled by CM White; floor amendment extended grant term; approved 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0522 (Semiquincentennial Resolution): Pulled by CM Diamond; floor amendment added co‑sponsors; approved 16‑0 after the full text was read.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Free to Garden Act: Multiple speakers (Melanie Carr, Alan Skinner, Becky Boiry, Regina Clark, Donovan Castelli, Lisa Corprou, Roxy McLeod, Addison Patrick, Let Weist, and others) expressed strong support for making community and market gardens permissible by right. Speakers highlighted benefits for food security, community resilience, and economic opportunity.
  • Feral Cat TNR Funding: Jennifer Kelly, Kelsey Harrell, and Risa Grant requested $100,000–$150,000 to restore free trap‑neuter‑return services, noting current funding exhaustion and volunteer burdens.
  • Redlining and Affordable Housing: Anthony Brown, James Matchett, and Nancy Murray Settle urged Council to take concrete action on redlining and to ensure affordable housing truly serves low‑income communities.
  • Connor Collie/First Amendment: Several speakers (Mohammed Bashidi, Alexander Sheridan, Felix Bonventure, Dina Zacharia, Sarah Posey) criticized the arrest and sentencing of Connor Collie, called for removal of Sergeant‑at‑Arms Aliaga, and demanded protection of free speech rights.
  • Other Topics: Ulysses Cromedy Sr. spoke in favor of preserving the George Crady Bridge; Raymond Day delivered the TRU Commission annual report; Denise Cook asked for stronger CPAC roles.

Public Hearings

Most public hearings were either closed or continued to later dates. Key outcomes:

  • 2026‑0376 (Home Occupations Ordinance): Continued to July 28, 2026.
  • 2026‑0420/0421 (Belfort Station DRI & Baymeadows Rezoning): Continued to July 28, 2026.
  • 2026‑0434, 0435, 0436, 0437, 0438, 0439: Public hearings closed.
  • 2026‑0486, 0487, 0488 (Zoning Exception, Road Frontage Waiver, Administrative Deviation): Read second time and referred.
  • 2026‑0489 through 0499 (Housing, CDBG, Noxious Weeds, Park Funds, Foreclosure Registry, Timuquan Trail, Invasive Species, HOPWA, SHIP, ESG): Public hearings closed; bills referred.
  • Land Use Amendments (2026‑0122, 0123, 0126, 0127): Continued to July 28, 2026.
  • 2026‑0293, 0294, 0295 (Heckscher Dr FLUM, Rezoning, AD): Approved 15‑0, 16‑0, 16‑0 respectively.
  • 2026‑0311 (Target Growth Area Text Amendment): Amended and approved 15‑1 (Diamond nay).
  • 2026‑0365 (Large‑Scale FLUM, Yellow Water Rd): Approved 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0366, 0367 (Yellow Water Pines FLUM & Rezoning): Approved 16‑0 and 15‑1 (Clark‑Murray nay) respectively.
  • 2026‑0368, 0369, 0370, 0371, 0422‑0433: Approved or continued as noted.

Third Reading Ordinances

  • 2026‑0358 (Towing & Storage Code Revision): Amended and approved 15‑0.
  • 2026‑0418 (JSO Parking Agreement with BCBS): Amended and approved 15‑0.
  • 2026‑0446 (Polling Place Changes): Amended and approved 15‑0.
  • 2026‑0447 (Risk Management Information System): Amended and approved 15‑0.
  • 2026‑0454 (Special Revenue Bonds up to $400M): Amended and approved 15‑0.
  • 2026‑0455 (Note Amendment up to $250M): Amended and approved 15‑0.
  • 2026‑0456 (Downtown Development Review Board Appointment): Amended and approved 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0457 (JHA Loan for Downtown East Apartments Demolition): Floor amendment changed funding source to debt savings; approved 14‑1 (Diamond nay).
  • 2026‑0458 (Affordable Housing Inventory List): Amended and approved 15‑0.
  • 2026‑0459 (Settlement Agreement – David Washington): Amended and approved 15‑0.
  • 2026‑0463 (Baseball Grounds Improvements): Amended and approved 13‑3 (Diamond, Freeman, Gay nays).

Second Reading Items (No Final Vote)

Several resolutions confirming appointments (Michelle Begley, Corey Ford, Julio Alayo) and ordinances (Granite Pl FLUM, Kings Trail PUD, Franklin Arms PUD, Bivins Rd, Arlington Rd thrift store, etc.) were read second and referred to future hearings.

Introductions & Emergency Resolutions

  • 2026‑0549 (Honoring Colonel Francis Loving): Emergency passed; amended and approved 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0550 (Carroll’s Meat Shoppe 60th Anniversary): Emergency approved 16‑0.
  • 2026‑0541 (DIA Development Agreement for mixed‑use project with Publix): Introduced and assigned.
  • 2026‑0542 (Sulzbacher Shelter Funding): Introduced and assigned.
  • 2026‑0543 (Zawyer Sports Foundation Grant): Introduced and assigned.
  • 2026‑0552 (Downtown Riverfront Alliance funding): Introduced and assigned via addendum.

Unfinished Business

  • 2026‑0363 (Private Providers Subdivision Code Amendment): After a substitute and two floor amendments (changing “calendar days” to “business days”), approved 16‑0. Council Member Diamond worked with administration to incorporate training, definition harmonization, and right‑of‑way review.

Key Outcomes

  • The veto override of 2025‑0872 was postponed by the Council President to the July 28, 2026 meeting.
  • The Council approved $703,183.22 for baseball stadium improvements, $1M loan for Downtown East Apartments demolition, $413,900 for Sulzbacher homeless shelter, and $150,000 for Zawyer Sports Foundation, among other appropriations.
  • Several land‑use changes were approved or continued; the Target Growth Area text amendment (2026‑0311) passed to promote resilient and attainable housing.
  • The next regular council meeting is July 28, 2026; no meetings June 29 – July 17.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening and welcome. I call to order the June 23rd, 2026 meeting of the Jacksonville City Council. And according to Office of General Council, we have a quorum. FYI today, I am filling in for Council President Kevin Carico. And Mr. Floor Leader. Over to you, please. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Our first order of business tonight is the invocation and pledge of allegiance. I'm going to have our council liaison to JFRD, Councilmember White, introduce tonight's chaplain, the JFRD chaplain, Percy Golden Sr. Thank you. Dr. Percy Golden Sr. is a senior pastor and bishop of the Holy Church of the Living God Revival Center in Atlantic Beach. He retired from the JFRD after 26 years, where he wore many hats while protecting our city. Some of his roles were chaplain of JFRD, Union Chaplain for the local, and vice president of the fellowship of Christian firefighters. He also served as administrator over the honor guard and pipe and drum team. He also served as coordinator for the emergency preparedness region three CISM team. After a couple years of retirement, Dr. Golden was asked to come back as chaplain for JFRD and to be the critical incident officer. He is the administrator also of the peer support team. I've known Dr. Golden for many years. And the congratulations and thank you, sir. Thank you. Before I pray, I want to uh again extend my gratitude and appreciation for each and every one of you that sits on this council. For many years, I've been serving the city as well for over 30 years, and I've seen and work with many of you as I've not only uh within the fire service but in the community. I've been on a lot of stages where we have met and done. So I just want to thank all of you uh again for um for what you've done, for your dedication to our community, um, for the growth and well-being, and I want to thank you for the timeless efforts and thoughtful decisions and the commitment that you're making to our city, that it will be a better place. Also, want to thank each and every one of you and appreciate you for the countless hours uh that you have put in listening, planning, and acting uh for the good of our community. Thank you all for your leadership and making a real difference in the lives of so many. Let us bow for a word of prayer. Father God, we come now before you today with grateful hearts. We thank you for the opportunity to serve the community, and thank you for the gifts of this city, uh, for the people at home and for the privilege of working together for the common good. Grant wisdom to each council member as they gather here, guide their thoughts, guide their words, and guide their decisions so that they may be rooted in fairness, integrity, and compassion. Help them to listen with open minds and speak with respect and act with courage in the face of challenges. Bless our mayor, bless our citizens, bless our neighborhoods, and all who labor to make our city safe, vibrant, and we welcome peace that we may work together and reflect over division and service of self intent and hope over fear. We ask you to protect us over the days to come and protect our community and to guide us uh through tough times, and we access in that holy name. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Roll call, please. 16 present. Any announcements, Mr. Vice President. Yeah, thank you, Mr. Floor Leader. I actually have three announcements.

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