All right, we're gonna start.

And um so uh let's it's uh 2 35 and it's a Tuesday, June 23rd, and it's just a sunshine meeting, and uh we have a high school student here with us today, and uh I met her and uh Corey met her at Wilson High School, and she was one of those that came up during the um meeting we had uh where they were fighting for the AP and IB courses, and they thought they beat us at first, and then we came back and beat them in the end.

Yes.

Um so um I'll use my new gavel and call us to order.

Um so uh let's go around the uh thing here and introduce each other.

Thank you, Councilmember, and thanks for indulging me.

I was over at KHA, so it's a few minutes behind schedule.

Uh Rockman Johnson, District 14.

Michael Boy on District 6th.

And uh I'm Matt Carlucci at large group four.

And uh anybody in the with the city out there that we need to introduce okay.

If you stand up and uh Jermaine Anderson at the the what section?

Oh, okay, okay.

So I would sign off on your thing today.

Is that why you came?

Take your time.

Hey thank you, Jermaine.

Thank you for the work you've done.

Yeah, done.

Well, thanks for being here.

And uh everyone, Aaron's Wells of the Bank Department.

Yeah.

Aaron, it's always good to see you.

Are you with the city?

Are you with the the city?

Yeah, go ahead.

Um, all right, very good.

Ooh, wow.

And then we said we have some ECAs, and I have my CA here, Corey.

There's Andrew back there, and uh and then uh who's that by background?

Yeah, yeah, okay.

Yeah, I don't see as good distance-wise as I used to.

Um my mother 23 years ago had that what you call that surgery that the free ride?

Laser, LASIK surgery, so I could see good at distance.

And I went to the eye doctor, and she said, You're going back to your old stigmatism where you can't see that good at at length, but you can see better up front now.

So I'm like, well, so I put on my little reading glasses, and they don't really work so good anymore.

Um trust me, we're I even though I'm not at your number, my my little higher number, those things are happening to me too, counseling.

Come on up here, Bill.

Yeah, I know.

It's amazing.

Bill, come on, come on up here.

And we have Joe Energy's in the back, and uh, why don't you come on up here, Joe?

Bill, the chair invited you up here to the day.

Come on.

Bill's like, I don't need to be up here.

Yes, you do.

We like seeing you guys.

They're not used to being invited.

Oh no.

Usually it's grudging that the council.

We'll have Bill Delaney, right?

Right.

Uh good to have you.

Okay.

And uh so um uh and to the guests that are here, thank you for coming.

Um and so uh uh I I have list of priorities here, but really the the the one that I wanted to talk about um is my friend Warren Jones, and um and uh then and the reason I wanted you here was because of that.

Uh and and I had gone over a a number of thoughts about um what to do with with Warren uh and um and for those of you who don't know Warren Jones uh who we're fixing to talk about um Will Rockman and I have known Warren Jones for a long long time.

Uh I'd say Rockman, Councilmember Jones.

Rockman, you've known me since I was a child.

Yeah, I don't know where to start, you know, doctor, bishop, and goes on and on, professor, you know, all I am is just you know councilman Carlogy, whatever.

And uh just a lowly humble, lovable State Farm agent.

But um but Warren Jones has been a dear friend of mine, and I I've uh served with him going back to when he and I um were 30 and our 30s and uh back in 1987, and he has served on the council uh longer than anybody else in the history of consolidated uh government and a total of 28 years.

He uh is council president uh two times.

I have seen him um handle um city business under the most uh intense um struggles um situations and uh with such grace and dignity um didn't lose his temper like I I can, but I guess that's that Italian uh coming out of me.

But he um he's just um he's just one of the great statesmen in Jacksonville, he's won a humanitarian award, and then he went on to serve for the school board uh only because he got recruited, and he uh served there eight years and one year as chairman.

Um so uh I I um been wanting to name something after him, and so has uh uh Rockman, uh council council member um Johnson, and um and so um uh we did we we we named a baseball comp we won't name a park after him, but but anyway, he didn't want a park named after him.

So but there's a baseball complex that uh is within a park uh at Hammond Park that we named after him or fixing to.

Um but I got to thinking um uh at first I had thought maybe the chamber uh might would be a good uh place to name after Warren, but I tried that one time before with uh another council member, and it stirred up a lot of controversy.

A lot of council members felt there should be nobody ever named after uh uh the ch the chamber should never be named after anybody and blah blah blah blah blah.

And um then it came to me that the back wall of the chambers has a wall with all these pictures back there, and uh but I'm sure some people figure out that that's council presidents, but it doesn't say anything about that's where the council presidents are or who they are.

Um so uh I thought perhaps we should name that back wall by ordinance, uh the Warren A.

Jones Wall of Council presidents, and that there should be a plaque um and in the and that should be uh his name, the Warren A.

Jones wall of council presidents should be on top of all the names, and then on the left side a um some sort of a plaque that gives um a good bit of history on him.

And I all so I I um I have a um uh just a tentative ordinances being put together because I didn't know whether uh my idea would go uh would would be accepted or not.

But I will say I had a meeting with the council president and uh asked him if he would join me in that legislation, and I was very happy to say that he said he would.

And I said, Well, I said there's there's one other person that uh I can't go forward with that with this legislation until I have another meeting with uh councilman Johnson because uh he's he's very very close, and I I would never allow myself to do that.

And so this part of this meeting is uh for you, and um yeah, also I I asked um uh council member Michael Boylan to be here because I know you're close to Councilman Jones, and that you might would want to be a co-introducer of it.

Um and so uh I just would and and also in the legislation um uh the legislation would also have in there that in the event that um uh the wall was ever moved uh or if city this city hall ever became uh out of my lifetime, but some other uh time too small, or they or the you know it it got moved to a different location, uh that there would always be a wall of presidents, and it would always be called the Warren A.

Jones wall of council presidents, uh, so that it would be uh uh a wall in perpetuity.

And so I would open that up to my friends here on the council and uh for discussion to see uh what y'all might think about that.

I'll start first of all, thank you.

Um it does my heart good.

Uh I have to say from the beginning, um, and I think you you may or may not remember this.

Warren Jones and my mother were kindergarten classmates together.

Uh so I've literally known him forever when it came to my life.

Um I I remember Uncle Uncle Warren as it turns out.

Um his parents and my grandparents were social together as well.

So our families were intergenerationally connected.

Um and the reason, just to add some context as well, that the baseball complex was named after him.

Um Warren is probably um, besides Joe Enderheath.

And I say that jokingly, but Warren is probably one of the most statistically factual individuals when it comes to comes to baseball that I've ever known.

He can rattle off facts and statistics about baseball from you know, because you've been around him, Bill, um, from forever ago.

And and you can Google it, and Warren is right.

I've not, it's it's uncanny how well he knows it.

And he also coached his son into the major leagues.

So this is certainly an honor that is befitting of him.

And I must say, he is the only person to have served two back-to-back consecutive terms, full consecutive terms as council president.

There was one that was two terms, but he didn't finish the second term.

Warren is the only one that has been two terms consecutively and finished both terms, and he is the only member that will ever be, unless term limits change, and I know that's not gonna happen, but unless that changes, there will never be another member of council that serves as long as Warren Jones.

Yeah.

Um so I have to say, and and in that same voice, when I talk to him, um, I am so honored to be able to count him and Denise Lee amongst uh family friends and and people who've mentored me.

And I and I hope um that Denise is looking down and and Betty and all those others, but um, and and I'm doing at least what they think is a good job, but I'm able to hear it from Warren and and and Vanessa uh by proxy.

Uh and when I'm not doing a good job, my phone will ring and my text messages will fly.

So I'm thankful for that.

So I wanted to put that out there.

Uh let me say I think it's a great idea.

Um, and I will certainly uh I think while I do want to support it, let me tell you my hesitation.

Uh as I said earlier, there's never been a council president from any party, any race, any individual that will serve as long as Warren Jones.

There has never been a person, as I said, that has had two consecutive presidencies.

And I hope maybe someone will break the record, has not happened yet.

I believe that there is a grander, bigger thing, like the chamber, um that um, and I obviously I was not on the council at the time, but like any curious Jacksonville, um, I watched the debate as they tried to rename the chamber for a man who I've known since I was about 10 years old, his pictures in my office with me as a 10-year-old on the 14th floor of Bay Street, and that was Tommy Azuri, um, who I counted as a friend and mentor until the day he died.

Um I think it's a little bit different.

Tommy does not have did not, council member, former council, you know, president and school board chair or school board member Hazuri did not have the same largesse as did Warren.

So there may have been some trepidation, um, especially with the while we do still want to honor his memory, uh there he was a a recent serving member.

In fact, when he passed away, he was a current elected member of this council.

I think because of that, there may have been some trepidation because it was a too soon thing.

I'm glad we did name something for him.

Um, but I think while I do appreciate the wall, I believe that Warren's largesse is even greater than just the wall.

I believe that the chamber itself, there are others who I believe uh, you know, I'm I'm honored to have.

I knew Tilly well.

Um you have everybody has their thoughts about her, but I knew her well.

I'm honored to have her park in my district.

Um I I want something to be named for Denise, who you served with.

I want something to, you know, find these things so we can place make and let people know who were the people that made Jacksonville great.

Um but I believe if we're gonna name something, while the wall is powerful and such a symbolic moment, um there will never be another person in modern recorded history that will do the things that Warren did.

I think we can do better.

And that's why I hope I would be willing to take another stab at the chamber while I do understand having to waive the rules and obviously with someone that is still with us, and we're thankful and want to keep him here as long as we can.

Um I just don't want to lose the opportunity to name something for him that is befitting of his stature and purpose on this body.

And I think the wall is amazing.

And if I need to, I will support it.

But I hope we can find something that's even that is congruent with his largesse.

I'll leave it there.

Okay.

Um glad you're here.

Uh the other thing.

I know.

Put on your shirts and your ties and that's that's it.

Um I'm gonna let uh Michael go just a second, but I wanted you to be here because you were the other person um that I wanted to be here because I know how much you look up to council member Warren Jones as a mentor and how close you are to him and a neighbor.

Oh, in a neighborhood, okay.

Uh and by the way, I had to fight, I had to force this upon Warren Jones.

I mean, I just had to force it on him.

Um, but we're I I was talking about um the idea of the back wall in the chambers.

Uh you got all the pictures of the council presidents, but maybe not everybody would pick up on who those people are, you know.

So my idea was to name that wall, the Warren A.

Jones wall of council presidents, and that would be in letters above the pictures.

Okay.

And then there would be a plaque uh on the side talking about just who Warren A.

Jones was or is.

Yeah.

And so um, you know, I wanted to get your thoughts on that.

Um, Michael, uh, you had your hand up.

I just want to explain to Tyre or Councilmember Mark Murray what we were.

Okay.

Well, let me just uh take it an off-road just for a quick second.

The very first bill I introduced as a rookie council member was the renaming of um a park on Orange Picker Road to the Walter Anderson Memorial Park.

Walter Anderson was a uh a postal employee who owned a piece of property.

And uh the park was named uh after a prominent citizen of our community, but it was Walter who purchased this property because the young black males in our community had a place to play baseball because they couldn't play at Albert's field.

And so uh councilmember Carlucci might recall, but I that was the very first bill I introduced, and so um I was proud as a peacock when that flew through the council pretty pretty comfortably until a constituent called me and told me to pull my zipper up.

But other than that, said oh boy, all right.

Well, there it goes.

Uh-huh.

Well, anyway, the the point I was trying to make, uh I I think it's great that we have an opportunity to recognize prominent folks like Warren, particularly people of color in our community, Nat Glover, uh you missed Denise Lee, uh the countless others who I think I agree.

But I have to uh respectfully disagree with uh councilmember Johnson with respect to uh the conversation about naming the chamber.

Uh I'm a firm believer, as we talked about this, and it really wasn't about it, was cut because it was for Tommy.

I think the most compelling comments that I'd heard and I and I shared was that the chamber belongs to the citizens, it belongs to the people.

And to putting a name on it didn't seem appropriate uh to me.

And I don't think I can I would not support that, just so that you know.

Uh the idea of naming the wall, uh, because of his history, uh, because of what he has contributed beyond his time as uh service on council to have the only council member whose name is prominently and permanently mounted in the chamber, I think serves Serism well and serves uh his history and his contribution well, and I would limit it to that.

So with all due respect, I'd love to the opportunity to gladly uh co-introduce this bill, uh but it would not support something that changed uh the the name of the chamber that belongs to the citizens of Jacksonville.

Before I have a question, Councilmember, and and this may be procedure.

Do we have anybody from OJC here?

Uh you know, I no OGC folk nobody okay.

A quick question for you.

Is it necessary?

Um, and I understand what you're saying.

I obviously disagree, and I I I have my rationale for why I don't think it is rooted in the reality of where we are now, but I'll certainly get to that.

My question, however, is does this take legislation?

Couldn't this couldn't the council president just enact that?

Because one of the reasons that I do that I that I have a problem with that is um before, and I'm I'm gonna just call a thing a thing.

Before there was Henry Cook, Linwood Roberts, all the names of these rooms, there was nothing in this building named for any black people.

I'll be honest.

I had a problem with that as an African American person who knew the sacrifices and struggles that everybody from Sally Mathis to Mary Singleton and all these people were there.

There was nothing when I walked in this building that I saw anything for anybody that looked like me.

Didn't feel good.

Um fortunately I was able to go to the mayor's office.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and to the team that was there, and we were able to name the conference room in the mayor's office for Naomi Glover, which was a part of that.

That was an idea I had, and I'm so glad that we were able to get that done.

But back to this, similarly to that, that did not require legislation, just like I don't think Bob Green or these rooms required it.

Do we need it?

That's my question.

Well, the rooms did require legislation.

Um they require it or did we do it?

That's my question.

Because I know we did it, but did it require it?

That's my question.

So it may be a maybe a legal question that we can't answer today.

I believe it required it.

Uh and I um and I understand exactly how you how you feel about we got three conference rooms named after uh white council members, and I did one of them, that was Henry Cook.

Um which is um not the reason that I'm calling to do Warren Jones's uh on the wall, but I do believe it is um it is a nice contrast to have Warren uh on that back wall uh in a way that I think it um it uh will be uh a way that more people will see it, and I believe this important part of history of City Hall to have Warren's name back there, also to have a narrative on Warren Jones on that back wall.

Um and that's why I put into uh the just the very beginnings of a bill that any new city hall there ever is that will have a wall of the council presidents will always be named the Warren A.

Jones uh wall of council presidents uh henceforth.

And um, but I want to go to Tyrona and get your thoughts uh if you if you would like.

Well, okay, thank you.

Um thank you.

Um thank you, Matt.

I I appreciate that.

I really thought we were going to meet about the bill that you that's going to be introduced at council today today.

So I am blindsided by this.

Which bill am I introduced?

The the go poll.

Oh yeah.

Um that um street name change honorary sign and district nine.

That's what I thought we were meeting about.

So I see.

So uh was it God's machine by this?

So I really don't I'm I'm just taking it all in.

Okay.

And I'm sure I will process and have an opinion as I normally do.

So the um the the uh one thing that um uh I don't want, and um, and that is uh any bill um uh naming uh Warren after anything, uh Tommy, whoever, uh that would generate um a non-unanimous vote or any kind of a uh a controversy.

Um and I and I don't want really a competing bill.

Um so I I think what I'd like to do is um prepare this bill to be introduced um uh after the holiday in July, and that'll give um uh you you both a chance to decide if you want to be a co-sponsor.

Uh and if y'all uh if you want to schedule uh some um sunshine meetings with some that you know want to talk about uh the chambers, uh listen, uh I I would never make a fuss over that uh either, but I've been down that road and I heard everything.

And the other and the other thing that I have to say, I was um could because I I I really thought about that going that direction.

And so I called the Hazuri family, because I thought, well, there may be some hope that they have that maybe one day somebody will return to that idea.

And uh so I delicately spoke with uh the Hazuri family about that, and anyway, I just um and they were okay with it going forward with with Warren's name, but I just felt there was maybe some uh it it it uh there was some hurt over that.

I'm just gonna say it like that.

There was some hurt in in the way that um um that was handled, and and maybe I you know I I I charged into that quickly because I wanted Tommy to still be with us when that was passed, perhaps and the opposition from some council members of whom I never would have believed would have would have opposed it, and the way they opposed it, I I you know I I just was astounded, and um and it it it's uh uh but there were other people who opposed it for the reasons that Mr.

Uh uh Councilmember Boiling posed it.

Um and uh I just didn't want to launch into that, and when I thought of this, it just sounded like it just felt right, and I felt it and so I told Warren when I was talking to Warren about it and trying to talk him into it.

I said, Warren, I said, look, put yourself aside for this for a second.

This is important to Jacksonville's history because um years down the road people need to know there was a gentleman named Warren A.

Jones who served 28 years on this city council, and and he was a black man, and he at the time was a trailblazing black man, and he was the first black man to serve a full term as council president, and then he wound up serving a consecutive second term, and I have a great story to tell about that one day for anybody that wants to hear it.

But I said it this is history, and it's an important piece of history that that needs to be remembered, needs to be told, and we got three conference rooms of which I contributed to one of them that are named after some very distinguished white council members, and um and I said uh but I said I think this is bigger than that.

That's just the way I feel about it.

So um look uh y'all take the next uh um uh weeks and uh I'm gonna get with um boy tell you don't turn 70, it's it's awful.

I'm we look like you and we turn 70 would be all right.

Yeah, I'm gonna talk with thank you, God bless you.

Uh counsel.

I I'm gonna talk with um um Carla.

Yeah and um Shell, and I'm gonna ask her to put the bill together with no names, but before I come close to introducing, I mean I really would like you know uh for the two of y'all to have an opportunity and and Nick Howland, by the way, uh you weren't here when I mentioned this, but I'm I met with Nick Hallen on it because I wanted to make sure I had his support and that I wouldn't get any objection, you know, doing this one.

And uh and I have to tell you he was he was very quick to say that he wanted to be a part of that.

So he's uh offered to put his name as a co-introducer, and Matt, I thank you for this, and thank you for honoring him.

Um I just want you to think about this.

Um not everybody goes into the chamber.

So if using the rubric that you've given that you want people to know a hundred years from now that Warren Jones served at a black man was and you know you've been in my office, you know, I keep Earl Johnson's um uh Earl, the first black man to be the president of the Jacksonville City Council, Earl Johnson, who is no relation, by the way, which I wish he was, but uh his picture is up in my office, as was a picture that was given to me by one of the most brilliant council members on the council, Matt Carlucci, with the first Jacksonville City Council, it includes Sally Mathis and Mary Singleton and um Oscar Taylor and Earl Johnson.

However, if no one enters the chamber, no one sees Warren Anthony Jones on a wall.

And I just wanted you to just think about if the the um the tableau of walking into this building, because sometimes people will need to walk in for veteran services things or for things that may not concern legislation, and they may never go into the people's chamber, and it is the people's chamber.

But what I kind of push back against what was said earlier is that Warren Anthony Jones is one of the people.

He is and belonged to the people fully, um, having to sacrifice times with Michael, his son and Vanessa, his wife, to give to Jacksonville before we had the technology that we do today.

Uh Warren is who I learned from, and he would be in his office two, three o'clock in the morning working on legislation without the aid of the technology we have today.

And while I certainly uh am going to give every bit of effort I can to champion whatever we do to honor him, any time I get a chance to speak his name just like Nat Glover, I'm gonna do it.

But I also want to make sure that when we do it, it is done in a way, and I use the word largesse not lightly, but it is done in a way that's congruent with what he brings to the table.

And I get a wall, I get it, makes sense.

It's a wall of honor.

But I think his the stature of what he did, we can do more.

Well, um, y'all think it over.

Sure.

And um, and let me just say uh uh if we do wind up going in this direction, uh you will love the plans for the wall that I have, and people won't miss it.

Okay, understood it.

Because it'll be fabulous.

We're not finished with the meeting yet.

Can we finish with the meeting, John?

Well, hold on, John.

We've this other stuff to discuss.

We we're gonna let you speak.

I have other stuff on here.

I had a question, I had some I wanted to share too.

Uh and it's only five after three, so uh I don't really need to talk about any more of this, except I I will say uh if you want to ask me some questions about the Gopal, uh we can talk about that now because we're not restricted from any of this.

Yes, thank you.

Um so I have simply read the Bill Summary.

Want to give me a little more insight into I'm not thinking as a doctor or uh a little more insight into who he was?

Uh the Gopels uh some of the sweetest people there are um and the uh sons and the and the daughter uh asked if I would consider naming a section of street where there's no addresses, you know, on that street, but named that Gopel Way.

Um their father, Dr.

Gopel was a veterinarian in on the west side.

Um 30 some odd years, long time.

Um he um also uh I'm not sure if he was an Olympian or if he uh he he had some pretty large achievements, Corey.

Do you know the of the achievements that he had?

Um so I see Dr.

Johnson shaking his head, and he must know some of the history, but apparently he was also a pretty distinguished soccer player as well.

Um he was a veterinary for the University of Georgia.

Um I don't know if he played past that, but um yeah, he he lived on that street for over 30 near 40 years.

Um and uh this portion of the street is one block, it is at the end of Kingsbury Road, and there's no affected addresses.

Um it passed through the 911 addressing committee unanimously, um, and there weren't any concerns.

He um I knew Dr.

Gopel for a long time, and I just have to say he was absolutely one of the sweetest men I have ever known.

Uh just always so kind.

And then his daughter moved across the street from us, um, and she's a doctor.

And I think all I think all his kids are doctors.

And um, and so um she is very dear uh as well.

And so uh but her son is the one who approached me about the idea, and uh, and when he said there was nobody living there, but his father used to live there, and so on and so forth.

We went through the process with uh Aramis and in the address uh department and so forth.

Um so um so that's that's who he is.

He he was a he was a beloved vet, he was a great soccer player, and his children have turned out to be uh very popular and very well thought of uh veterinarians, and they're just some of the most gracious people you'll ever want to meet, you know, and uh very well loved over on the west side.

And uh anybody else got any questions?

Do you want to be a co-sponsor on that bill?

Let me finish reading out okay.

Okay, I'll let it super.

I already signed off.

Okay, super.

Oh, you did, yeah.

Back in the day, it was a hundred years ago.

Yeah.

I couldn't believe he passed away.

I don't think he was that old.

And he was he was just he was funny guys.

How long don't even pass away?

I say it was about eight years ago.

Okay.

Like right around right before COVID.

Right.

So no waivers are needed.

No right, five years.

No.

Um, who else has something they want to talk about?

I did.

Um council.

No.

Mine was uh sorry about that.

Uh Matt, mine was, and by the way, I did, like I said, co-sponsor that, so thanks for bringing it up for Remember Dr.

Copel.

Um, I've been working on something.

I'm not finished with the paper yet.

Um, a lot of times what I do is to kind of do sense making is I write it in a paper format.

That's what I kind of gotten used to.

So I'll I'll certainly share it as a one-way communication once it's done.

I wish I could have given it to you today, but it's just not ready.

I'm still researching it.

Uh, I know one of the things that you had been passionate about was like how the council is structured early on in your career and your first term, first time rather, on on the Jacksonville City Council.

Um Jacksonville is not what it was, um, as we all know, right?

Our city is is evolved into something that's a little bit different, and so I'm calling it the council modernization initiative.

Um, I hope you'll take a look at it once I get it done.

And what it does, it looks at because there are I want this council service to be available and accessible to anybody who wants to serve, who has a desire to serve on this council.

In some ways, it may be prohibitive, and in some ways there are people who want to contribute more.

Um, while we do, while it is in the charter and put in that we are a part-time council, um, you know as well as I do that while it says that in writing, we are not a part-time legislative body.

Um that's why I think we're all happy when we get those breaks in December and June.

Um, June and July, excuse me.

But what the modernization initiative would do is to look at the opportunity to have a legislative track and an enhanced legislative track of service to the council, and it's a way of being able to share that the council does more work than just on a part-time basis.

While our committees um are meeting every other week and our council meets the weeks on the converse of that.

I think it's important that we look at the fact that um the work that these members put in for this community be shown, and I think this modern modernization initiative that shows that this really is a full-time legislative body um be reflected.

And so that's what this is about.

Um I would love you to obviously you've had uh you're our dean for lack of a better term.

Uh you've been here longer than all of us, and so you have that understanding.

I believe you and I can count Lex Hester as as people we knew well and friends and people we've sat with, and Lex, as you know, was the architect of consolidation, um, one of the main architects to help move it forward.

And I've sat with him and talked with him about consolidation and and what it meant for not just the city government as a whole, but council as well.

Um I think there is a way for us to modernize and still be true to what the framers of consolidation believed should happen, but I do think we must find a way to look at what we do, share that with people, and also make room for more to come into this space and to serve.

So I'm looking at this for as something that when I leave, you leave Taiwan, all of us when we're gone, I want to make sure that the institution not just remains but remains stronger and more resilient because we were able to change with the time.

So I just want to put that bug in here.

Are you saying this um you say that it would become a full-time job?

I don't look at this as a job.

I don't think any of us could look at this as a job.

Um I just don't think it's possible.

I I can't see this because if it was, I we'd be real underpaid.

Um so but let me tell you what the idea is full-time the idea would be you can choose a legislative track or an enhanced legislative track.

One would allow it to, I won't say service as usual, but it would be service as you deem fit for it, but you would not be able to have any outside full-time employment.

Consulting and or small businesses, as in your case, would be acceptable, but you could not have an outside full-time position if you chose the enhanced track.

It would still allow those people because the only thing that the charter speaks to, um, and I'm so glad we have Councilwoman Clark Murray here.

The only person the charter speaks to are teachers.

Specifically, teachers are called out in the charter, certified teachers are the only thing that it carves out for uh a profession.

And um I you you may or may not know, but while I am, you know, the last 10 years of my life or so I've spent in education.

Um I was not teaching, obviously, on the the K through 12 level, teaching on the collegiate level.

I was told um, and we we've gone through it, and there's been a charter change because of it, but I had to to fight all the way to Tallahassee uh to be able to do what I went to get a doctorate to do, and that's teach on the collegiate level because it was said that wait a minute, that's public employment, and you can't do that.

Um and there was and get it, there's you serve with Gwen Chandler, right?

And Gwen worked at FSCJ, it was the same thing, but it depends on who's sitting in the seat, what the interpretation is.

So I think there should be an opportunity because I want everybody to be have the opportunity to serve.

I also want to be able to I I want people to understand that this is while it does say part-time, and I say that all the time, you know as well as I do there's no way I know we spend more.

When you're reading agendas, I see uh all of us at different times, but I know when I'm here on the weekend sometimes, I'll see Tyrona.

Um I'll see uh Chris Miller, I'll see others coming in looking at stuff, sitting there outlining it, besides the fact of when they're not even in this building, they're sending emails, they're on the phones, they're going to community meetings, CPAC meetings, meetings with constituents, whatever the case may be.

And so I think we do need to speak to that, and I think this would show um what we do and make sure that it is not just memorialized, but also protected.

I look forward to reading them.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So I just think right away what I think about is just I know you use the term legislative track.

So when you say legislative track, let me tell you what popping to my mind.

Um the state legislature and the fact that that's the way they track a bill.

So I would just add service in there.

Okay.

And I don't know, you I'm sure you're still formulating how you're going to word everything, but just add service because of the fact that you know what we do is it's a service, public service.

I would add that.

And just tracking, actually, I thought about the way that um bills in Tallahassee are tracked.

So I was thinking more along the lines that you were just talking about, a particular bill or the way bills are presented to the public as opposed to this particular bill, and specifically how council members haven't would have an option to serve.

You can serve in a sense part-time, and we know what that means because I tell people all the time it's a it's a part-time job, but it's a full-time position, and it's really more than that.

Because people, I disappear on the weekends.

Yeah, you know, I can't go because I'm reading all these bills and I'm going to read them so I don't know what it is that I'm making saying yes or no to because that's important to me.

That I know these bills impact people's lives.

And some people may not think of it that way, but I do, and I take it very seriously.

So I think that's I think that's smart.

I I like the idea of that.

Um, I don't know how how it will go over because some people, their livelihood, they make a lot more money in the private sector than they do at council, but that that's something in addition to.

So I I get it, but I think it's a wonderful idea.

Yeah.

I make a lot less money in the private sector because I am a council.

Because you are the same here, yes.

Yes, yes.

It goes both ways, but I look I look I look forward to to reading it.

Thank you for it.

And um I I'm I'm I'm open in any and all ideas, as long as it doesn't tear apart the fabric of consolidation, and I know that's near and dear to your heart.

And I gotta tell you, and and I and I'm I'm gonna take this moment on on soapbox while I got one.

Um, and I wish more of my colleagues were here, but I hear more and more um council members talk about doing things, and it is an idea that tears up the foundation of our consolidated government.

Um and uh and so that um so my antennas go up when when I hear some um suggestions of such, not yours, but I'm just saying when when I hear um uh or or or when I see the council try to uh get around like uh the general council, I that's not what we're supposed to be doing.

Um and um and I I think that uh when I'm gone, you know, you and Councilmember Tyrone, y'all are going to have to be guardians of that, he'll be guardians of it.

Um we are so lucky to have this consolidated government, so lucky, and it works if we'll just let the damn thing work.

But you know, it's worth fighting for, but but when a council member doesn't, when the OGs, when the general council doesn't give us our opinion, give us our way on our opinion, you know, a couple of times, and then we have to introduce a resolution that we have no confidence.

You know what?

Let me tell you that this I don't know who you could be talking about.

Wait, can I can I say this is I love these meetings.

Can I ask you this, Matt?

Isn't it interesting though how and I gotta say this and I'm probably gonna catch some flack for this, but it's so interesting how the general counsel is horrible when it's not the decision you want.

Yeah, but when it's this is the decision you like, this is the most brilliant legal theorist and legal mind that's ever come to earth.

The first opinion I wanted from Michael Facler, he was against it, and and and I and I spent two weeks trying to convince him otherwise, and it was on the Lore Street Trio.

But you know what?

Here's the thing, it's sometimes as right as you think you are, there's some things that are bigger than your opinion, and that is keeping the pillars of consolidation intact.

That is bigger than my little opinion, my little want, and um, and that office is what is the glue that holds this government together, just like that's what I think Ed Austin used to say.

Um, and it's so easy to get away from that, and and and and now we're away from that, and it it's it's not been good for the city.

Anyway, um I don't think um all right.

Do we want to go to public comment?

Yeah, you got anything?

Yeah, I know it's I'm biting at the chunk.

Come on, John, get on up there and give us some public comment.

Huh?

Three minutes.

How many minutes?

Three three, all right.

Three minutes.

Thank you.

All right.

Oh, Tyrona, why don't you just you know what?

I'm gonna stay like focused on the bill.

I'm just gonna be talking about Warren.

And let me just say this, you know, I got my FWC hat.

You know, it's a playoff the Fisher Wildlife Commission.

And you know what?

I'm gonna be calling it the Fish Warren Challenge, and and I'll tell you why.

You know, Warren Jones, you know, uh he's got a shirt, you know, he'll be in the movie, and back when he was on the city council, you know, this is the downtown Jacksonville map, you know, and Tyrona, it's right here.

This is big.

I shared this with everybody.

But you know what?

That's his kayak launch, and it's not listed on the map.

It's right here, and we stood right there.

He's instrumental in that.

So I went to that meeting with McCoy's Creek.

And so when we're marketing to the world, you know, and this is 2025.

We're six months into 26.

I mean, who's responsible for that mess up?

That's huge.

And so, anyway, you know, I just want to just share with you that, you know, and and I have a whole thing that I was just gonna go through, but I've come to you know, like stay on the bill.

I'm just gonna stay with that with councilman Jones.

And so when you talk to him next time, just say, Hey, you got a shirt.

He's in the movie.

And go look at this.

And it is the best launch.

We stood right there on that bank, and he made it happen.

And I'll tell you something.

When you know, when you looked at all the waterway access points going back a number of years.

A lot of them, I mean, I had no clue about.

And this one was identified.

And you know, and that's his district.

That was his district.

So uh that's Jacksonville history right there.

And so whatever you or whatever direction or whatever happens, you know, Councilman Jones, you know, um, you know, you he you know, he gets he gets an A in my book.

And uh I just I'll I'll just leave it at that.

And uh boy, this is probably the only time I'm just gonna try and stay focused, not on the bill, but but on what y'all are really just kind of talking about.

So thank you for the opportunity to speak.

It doesn't happen everywhere, and um thank you.

Thank you.