Welcome everyone to the special council meeting on the Council President's Awards.

I am your council president for the next uh hour or so.

So we uh pass the gavel on to our incoming president, uh Council President Designate Howland.

But uh before we get to that, I have some special awards and just some uh reflections on on the year, so no better way to uh reflect and to thank the people that have uh stood by you and and and provided amazing service to the community.

Uh so first we're gonna go a little off script out of order, as I tend to do, Mr.

Secretary.

We have the Jax Gents here and their founder.

So I would love if uh if you could read the um the proclamation and some of the notes for the gents, and I'll go down to the podium and we'll give them their uh their resolution framed and signed, and that's how we'll get started.

Then we'll go into the rest of the awards after that.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Tonight, the Jacksonville City Council is pleased to present a city council resolution honoring the Jax Gents Inc.

founder and executive director, Shamari Maury Gloucester, and the outstanding young men of the organization.

Founded in Jacksonville in 2016, the Jax Gents have become a model of mentorship, scholarship, leadership, and service, empowering young men to excel in the classroom, in their communities, and on the national stage.

Through through discipline, brotherhood, and a commitment to excellence, the organization has achieved a remarkable record of academic success while inspiring the next generation of leaders.

Earlier this year, the Jax Gents captured the Florida State Step Championship, earning the opportunity to represent our state in the prestigious Stomp Wars National Step Show in Dallas, Texas.

There, competing against the nation's best.

They claimed the title of national champion for the second time, bringing national recognition and pride to the city of Jacksonville.

You may remember them performing at Council President Carico's installation last year.

Their achievements reflect the very best of Jacksonville thought through talent, perseverance, discipline, and purpose.

Please join the Jacksonville City Council in congratulating the Jacks Gents Inc.

on their extraordinary accomplishments.

Did you hear that?

Not one but two-time national champion.

I'm not talking about just Jacksonville or just the state of Florida, but the national champions come right here from Jacksonville.

And uh first I want to thank Councilmember Johnson for taking the lead on getting the uh the wording and everything for the resolution done.

But we really want to honor them, and it's not just about stepping, it's not just about performing.

This group transforms young young men into men and prepares them for life and really um gives them uh hope and opportunity for taking on the next challenge and and what they have coming forward.

So their founder, I'm proud to say is a friend of mine, Mari.

So we want to present this to you.

And if you have some words or anything you'd like to say, we'd love to hear from you.

Thank you.

Uh I'll start by just saying that to the three young men behind me.

I just appreciate being your coach and your mentor.

That's why we do this hard work, which is sometimes hard work, but it's always hard work to the entire city council.

Thank you for your support over the last several years for the work that we do in our community.

Um I see some folks in some purple jackets back there, and every time I call the mighty men of Omega Sci-Fi, I never hear no.

And I see a frowning principal from John Rabot, because I see one of his students over here, so I just want to make sure I acknowledge Dr.

Boston and A School over there at Reball.

But to the city council and to everyone, to President Carrico outgoing and to Councilman Johnson.

Thank you so very much.

All right, we're just gonna turn around, pose for a quick photo, and then we'll get rolling with the program.

I'll mention.

Mr.

Council President, before we move on with the program, Councilman Terrence Freeman would like to say a few words if you can.

Uh thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

President Design.

To those young men, uh I didn't catch their grades.

Uh, what grades are they in?

So we have two young men who are graduated seniors and they're going to Morehouse.

Uh one is also going to Dillot University on a baseball scholarship.

That's awesome.

I thought I missed that part.

And then the last question to the three young men.

Which one is the best dancer out of you three?

Or Stepper.

Just thought I would ask.

All right.

Thank you guys for what you do.

Thank you, sir.

Over back.

Back to you, Mr.

Council President.

All right.

So uh we are gonna get started with the presentation of the council president's awards.

So I'm gonna be playing a little uh back and forth with the council secretary.

He's gonna read the names of the awards and kind of what they're about, and then I will give uh a few remarks and announce each award winner, and then I'll allow each award winner to come if they want to give remarks for two minutes.

Max will allow that, and if any everyone wants to add anything, as long as we can get out of here by about fourty.

I'm good to go.

Alright, Mr.

Secretary.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

First award is the Robert O.

Johnson Good Government Award.

Bob Johnson joined the Council Auditor's Office in 1968 when the consolidated government was first formed.

He first served as the assistant council auditor, and after nine years, became the council auditor, a position he held for more than 25 years before retiring from city government in 2003.

Bob Johnson served the city council, the entire city government, and the citizens of Jacksonville for more than 35 years, with honesty and integrity and an unwavering commitment to making city government the best it could be.

Bob was the epitome of a public servant, always looking out for the best interests of the taxpayer while promoting efficiency and effective service.

Bob Johnson's legacy of integrity, service, and friendship will never be forgotten, and it is a tremendous honor for a city employee to receive the award named in Bob's honor.

Robert O.

Johnson Good Government Award, the recipient the recipient of the Robert O.

Johnson Good Government Award personifies the outstanding public service and exemplary reputation for integrity and honesty to the city council and to the people of Jacksonville, which was set as a benchmark by Robert O.

Johnson, who served as council auditor for over 25 years.

Thank you, Mr.

Secretary.

This person won't come to a surprise that I chose this person to win this award.

Every single person on this dais has the cell phone number of this gentleman in their pocket.

And when they need a problem in their district solved, when they have someone called when something is missing, not just solid waste, but all kind of things, you call Will Williams.

Will Williams will fix it for you.

So I'm honored to give this award to my brother, even though he is a noop.

He is still one of my uh dear friends and um really pours his heart out to this city and gets the job done and supports this council and supports everything happening.

Um so Will Williams, if you could come down and accept this award.

I said I wasn't speaking this year because I didn't speak for Randy last year.

So I don't want Randy looking at me and saying, Man, you you know, you like Kevin better than you like me.

I love you both.

I appreciate you, Kevin.

I also appreciate the whole council.

Definitely love you, Randy, and uh I don't know what to say, Kevin.

Just keep doing the work.

Don't know.

We appreciate you, brother.

We love you, love you.

One pose.

That guy got allowed to speak to.

All right, Mr.

Secretary.

The Melody Star and Bishop Award.

The Melody Star and Bishop Award was established in 2009 by the outgoing council president Ronnie Fussel to honor the unsung community service by a citizen or organization.

In 2009, outgoing president Ronnie Fussel established the Star Bishop Award for unsung community service by a citizen or organization.

The first award was presented posthumously to the award's namesake, Star Bishop, the daughter of Councilmember Bill Bishop, and his wife, Melody Bishop.

Star Bishop, who died in March 2009 at age 21 from ALS, Lou Garrick's disease, was well known for her devotion to her community, her church, and to numerous causes, large and small, which she pursued with passion and enthusiasm until her untimely death.

This award is given annually by the outgoing president to recognize the countless acts of civic involvement and neighborly assistance that take place around the city every day, which contribute to the city's quality of life.

Thank you.

So there's a saying that there is strength in numbers.

So this next organization will honor combines the efforts of not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven, but how many organizations?

I didn't write nine.

Yes.

There are nine organizations and chapters of the organizations represented throughout this city.

And there's not a weekend in Jacksonville over the course of a year where there's not one of these organizations out either doing a voting drive, a food drive, doing mentoring programs, really servicing the community.

So without further ado, I'll welcome their current president Charles Gillette to honor the First Coast National Pan Hellenic Council as the award winner.

And there are several represent several representatives of all the divine nine organizations.

So we'll let Mr.

Gillette have a few words and then we'll have everybody come for a picture.

This was for you as the president.

This is for the organization of the House.

Okay.

All right.

Good afternoon, Council.

Good afternoon, Council.

All right.

I've been a brother for 41 years.

I always tell them that it is a privilege to serve.

I am a latecomer to the uh National Panalytic Council.

I've only been serving there for the last uh eight years, I believe.

Um, but I have gotten a new appreciation for Greek life because for the first um uh uh 30 years or so, I mostly did work with Alpha.

But working with this uh organization has uh opened my eyes to the kind of brotherhood and sisterhood that is required to do this kind of work.

I am privileged and honored to lead this organization of uh nine.

We are affectionately known as the Divine Nine, and it's 14 chapters, and we have done great work.

Uh I will be president for another 18 months.

You will be seeing us on a daily basis because the work is required.

All right, stronger together.

Thank you, everybody.

I recognize that blue shirt on.

Can we go with the sign?

We decide.

Yo yo.

I don't want to go.

All right, Mr.

Secretary.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The Charles D.

Webb Award.

The City Council's most prestigious internal award, the Webb Award, is bestowed annually by the outgoing president on the council member who best exemplifies the extraordinary commitment to a public service demonstrated by the late Charles D.

Webb during his years on the City Council.

Mr.

Webb served on the city council from 1971 until he died in 1976.

We present the this award annually, not to single out an individual, but to focus on the accomplishments of an individual who, while working with his or her colleagues, made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of this city and this city.

I'm sorry, this council in this city.

Oh, thank you, Mr.

Secretary.

Looked like you were still looking at your notes.

All right.

So I looked at the history of the uh the past winners on here, and I noticed a couple presidents before me, not just me.

Actually, had a hard time deciding, and chose two people to uh to honor with this award.

So I've chosen to do that this year.

One of them uh is kind of an award of just having my back.

This this council member, um, any time I needed him to do anything, whether it was chair in a committee or you know, he was stepping up, he was asking me how he could help.

He was a true servant, and as a past president, you don't always find someone who's willing to just jump in and do anything that was needed.

So the uh first Charles D.

Webb award goes to uh who my daughter calls Uncle Ron, uh past president Dr.

Ron Salem.

We don't have Monroe here for you, there wouldn't be silence in the room.

Welcome to saying, thank you.

I've got some family here and friends here.

I appreciate it.

Thank you, ma'am.

All right.

Oh, the picture, the picture.

Come on, come on.

Is when he wins the awards.

And for the next winner of the Charles D.

Webb Award, this one is more of a lifetime achievement award, if you will.

Uh, this person has been on the council for a while and uh has really blood, sweat, and tears for for their district and all the things that they do to make it happen, all the time served everything that this person has accomplished.

They've done it with uh with humility and with hard work and sweat equity.

No secret that I call this person a family member.

So, to the winner of the Charles D.

Webb Award, Mama Jacoby Pittman.

It's for you.

Come on down, right?

I know you work hard for the mega district.

Oh my god.

Well, if I known I was gonna get an award, I would have wore some high heel shoes and you know, all of that got ready for it.

But um, Kevin, as I always told you, I've known you for a long time that God has something for you, and he's not finished with you yet.

And I want you to know that I'm very, very proud of you.

So I want to say this award means so much.

I know I'm on my way out the door, um, but the mega tick district means a lot.

I think a lot of you all know that, and I fight for the people in the community and what matters to them matters to me.

And so this award means a lot, and so I just want to say thank you, and it's good to have my brothers and sisters here, and thank you all, and my son, I was wondering why you were here.

I thought you were here for the capitalist.

I thought you came here for a Kevin.

Because this was his last meeting, but um, thank you all.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Kevin.

I love you, love you.

All right, moving on down the line, Mr.

Secretary.

The Mary Singleton Memorial Award.

We present this award and annually by the outgoing council president to the outstanding committee chair.

This award was named after former council member Mary Singleton, reinstated in 2012, the Mary L.

Singleton Memorial Award.

The late Mary Little John Singleton was one of the first women elected to the city council in modern times.

Having first been elected to the council of the prior city of Jacksonville in 1967, she served as vice president of the former city council for the 1967-68 term.

Singleton and Sally Mathis were also the first minorities to serve on the city council since George Ross in 1907.

She was elected to the first city council after consolidation, serving from 1968 to 1972 when she was elected to the Florida State Legislature.

Singleton was re-elected to the legislature in 1974.

A graduate of Florida AM University, Singleton was a former school teacher and known for her work as chair of the Child Daycare Commission.

She died of cancer in 1980.

The governor declared December 7th, 1990, Mary Singleton Day, in remembrance of her efforts toward peace and brotherhood.

The Jacksonville City Council recognized January 30th, 1992 as Mary Singleton Day, and established the Mary L.

Singleton Memorial Award for Justice, Peace, and Social Harmony.

All right, thank you, Mr.

Secretary.

And as a uh a former winner of the Mary Singleton Award, I know what it takes to lead a committee.

It's it's not always easy.

You've got uh get a lot of work to put in, extra meetings, extra time, and um this this award winner not only led uh his committee um through all kinds of zoning issues and all kind of crazy uh things that happen on uh on Tuesday nights halfway through the term.

Uh I gave him the responsibility of leading the finance committee as well, so running two committees for the second half of the year and also a special committee.

Uh it's my privilege and honor to announce that this award goes to Joe Carlucci.

That would be vice president designate Joe Carlucci.

And the family's in the front row, there you go, Mr.

Vice President designate.

All right, sit right there for me for a second, but you're right there.

All right, thank you, Mr.

President.

It only took three committees to get this, so I've set the bar very high for the rest of the group here.

Um, look, I I greatly appreciate this.

Um, you know, it's it was um I enjoy leading LUZ and was under you during LUZ and learned a lot from you, and I've learned a lot from you during council president, and um I appreciate your leadership and I thank you so much for this award.

I I really do, I really appreciate it.

So thank you.

Thank you, colleagues.

Well learned, my friend.

Well learned.

You want the family to come on?

No, she's good.

All right.

All right, George, go for it.

Real quick, guys.

All right.

All right.

All right.

One more time for Vice President Designant Joe Carlucci.

All right, Mr.

Teal.

Mr.

President, my speech router got lazy.

So this is the council president's award.

In appreciation of your leadership, dedication, and commitment to the Jacksonville City Council and the City of Jacksonville.

That's it.

All right.

So most of you have are very familiar with some of the past award winners, but this next person I consider kind of an unsung hero.

This gentleman is in charge of something very, very important to one of our most important agencies.

So without giving everything away, I guess I'll just have to.

He leads the training division as a chief of JFRD.

And you know, if if you've read the news lately, it's hard to get good people, it's hard to get good workers.

It's hard to keep good firefighters within us.

And the work that uh that this chief has done over the last year to actively help recruit, actively help retain, and just really make a difference.

So we have the best young firefighters coming out of our academy that can take care of our city and make them safe.

I just wanted to honor his work and his commitment to the city and keeping us safe.

As another brother of mine, I'm very honored and distinguished to give this award to Terrence Holmes, Chief Terrence Holmes.

Well, as most know I'm not a man of many words, but I'm a man of powerful words when I do decide to speak.

So I can say this, I consider Kevin a friend.

Um it's an honor, it's a privilege.

Um I've always lived by this model that my pops, if you stand, I appreciate it.

And then my mom who's no longer with us.

She said, in everything you do, this is what they taught me.

Do it from the heart.

That's just as simple as it goes.

And the brother is personal, life, friends, whatever you do, just do it from the heart.

And that's the that's the model I've lived by, and that's what I stand on.

So I appreciate it.

It's an honor.

Thank you once again, President.

Thank you, City Council.

I appreciate you.

Let's get the family on down.

Alright, I think we just have one more.

Mr.

Teal.

Mr.

President, this is the Sam Musa Award.

For those of you who have had the honor, the privilege, and the pleasure of working with Sam Musa over the years and his dedication to the city of Jacksonville, you'll recognize that there aren't enough words to describe his impact of the city, its employees, and its citizens.

We present this award annually in recognition of outstanding leadership, integrity, and commitment to public service.

Alright, so for those of you that did have the honor and the privilege to work with Sam Musa, uh, this next person has probably the complete opposite approach to leadership, but with the same goal in mind to serve this city and to serve others.

So Sam was very vicarious and uh very voisterous and and very uh just matter-of-fact.

This next person leads with humility, leads quietly, but when he speaks, we all listen, and and so the winner of this award has helped me do a lot of things that no one even knows about.

He's just there as a friend and as a brother.

So this award goes to past president Randy White.

They want you on the clock.

They think you're gonna speak too much.

It won't be long.

I want to thank Kevin and I want to thank the Musa family and part of this family up there.

Ron was a recipient of the first year, and obviously, this is an award I wish we didn't have.

I still wish we had Sam here, but he was a great man and probably knew more about the city than all of us combined.

And thank you very much.

And I will not tell all them times.

I appreciate you.

I really appreciate it.

Fix your time.

Yours, Nick.

I didn't see you.

Come on up, Nick.

We have uh Sam's son Nick Musa with us, so we're gonna have Nick come up and join the photo.

All right, as we wrap up, uh a couple more just quick thank yous.

One, my beautiful wife, Daisy is here, and uh it's a well-documented, pretty tumultuous year, and uh pretty wild and intense and well documented.

It's great to have uh uh the love of my life waiting at home for me.

Uh telling me that uh she doesn't even read the news articles, but I look so good on on camera that she was happy to see there was another one out.

Uh so I love you.

Thank you so much for being my rock this year.

And uh there's another person I consider a rock and a great person in my life who has my back at all times, and that's Jackie Lee.

I'll give it up for Jackie Lee.

The best ECA.

Yes, yes.

Yes.

We're all headed on much needed vacations after this year, but it has been a true honor and uh and a true privilege to lead this body and and to lead this uh legislative branch of the city.

It's uh with great honor that uh I passed the gavel on to incoming president Nick Howland, and uh we'll uh we'll just remember it for the good times and the bad.

It's all great.

Thank you so much, and uh God bless everybody.

You can adjourn the Mr.

President.

Before we adjourn, you you called it to order, so you're gonna have to adjourn.

So would you mind returning to this seat?

And uh that'll give me an opportunity to recognize myself in the queue and say a few words.

Perfect.

All right.

Uh the chair recognizes uh past president Helen.

There we go.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

While you're walking up, I just wanted to thank you on behalf of the entire city council for your excellent leadership this year.

It was a terrific council year.

We talked about it before.

You delivered families much needed tax relief in the budget.

You made the city safer with many of your policies and uh legislation that you approved and got passed.

And uh it has been, like I said, a terrific council year.

Your gift, sir, is on its way.

Um, it'll be in your office uh when you are back from overseas.

We all chipped in.

I think you'll be really happy with it.

And um, in case anyone else wants to say a few words to the council president, they may, they can get on the queue.

But I just want to say um it's been a real pleasure working with you and helping you get your agenda across, and I wish you and Daisy a safe and wonderful trip overseas, sir.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, sir.

I appreciate that.

We present to you this card in advance of the gift that's on its way.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are these people in the queue or is this all just loaded in there?

I think they're in the queue.

That's loaded, but there's someone there.

All right.

Past President Freeman.

Uh, thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh, I was gonna wait to the end of the meeting to do it tonight, but I guess we'll get this out of the way now.

One, I wanted to uh thank you for your step at his steadfastness.

Um definitely have been through the highs or low of life on your time on the council.

Um, and I can still reflect back sitting on my porch and you're contemplating running for school board, and now we see you sitting here and the growth that has taken place since that time.

Um but more importantly, I want to thank you for and entrusting you as I continue uh going down this journey that God has placed me on in this uh arena of policymaking and in this ministry of politics to keep fighting the battle for kids.

And I want to thank you for entrusting me with your legacy policy, your project.

Uh it did not get delivered by the end, some extenuating circumstances.

Uh however, the way it's been arranged is going to be around for the next two or three years now.

Um, I think God always has a bigger purpose and a plan.

Um, especially with some tough budgets coming, you're still gonna be able to have that impact in kids' lives.

So thank you for that.

Keep being who you are, uh, and I look forward uh to you uh returning from your vacation to get the gift that we got you, whatever it is.

Thank you.

Uh thank you, Brother Freeman, excuse me, past President Freeman.

Uh there's no one else in the queue.

So you all have a gift.

Left you guys something to commemorate the uh the year as council president.

Feel free to either take that home with you, open it now.

You won't be surprised when you see it that it came from me.

But uh want to thank all of you.

God bless you.

Love you all.

Thanks everyone for coming, and uh uh good luck to the next level of leadership, guys.

I know you'll you'll do well serving the city.

God bless.

Thank you.

We are adjourned.