OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Jacksonville City Council Sunshine Meeting - July 28, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, July 28, 2026
BodyJacksonville, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, July 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 51:44

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

All right, we're gonna start.

0:01

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.

0:36

Yes.

0:38

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

0:45

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

0:50

Thank you, Councilmember, and thanks for indulging me.

0:52

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

0:54

Uh Rockman Johnson, District 14.

0:56

Michael Boy on District 6th.

0:58

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

1:01

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

1:08

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

1:18

Oh, okay, okay.

1:20

So I would sign off on your thing today.

1:21

Is that why you came?

1:22

Take your time.

1:25

Hey thank you, Jermaine.

1:26

Thank you for the work you've done.

1:27

Yeah, done.

1:28

Well, thanks for being here.

1:29

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

1:32

Yeah.

1:33

Aaron, it's always good to see you.

1:38

Are you with the city?

1:40

Are you with the the city?

1:42

Yeah, go ahead.

1:43

Um, all right, very good.

1:47

Ooh, wow.

1:48

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

1:52

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

1:59

Yeah, yeah, okay.

2:01

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

2:04

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

2:09

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

2:13

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.

2:21

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

2:26

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.

2:35

Come on up here, Bill.

2:36

Yeah, I know.

2:37

It's amazing.

2:38

Bill, come on, come on up here.

2:39

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

2:45

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

2:48

Come on.

2:49

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

2:51

Yes, you do.

2:51

We like seeing you guys.

2:52

They're not used to being invited.

2:54

Oh no.

2:56

Usually it's grudging that the council.

2:59

We'll have Bill Delaney, right?

3:01

Right.

3:02

Uh good to have you.

3:03

Okay.

3:03

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

3:09

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.

3:28

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.

3:50

Uh I'd say Rockman, Councilmember Jones.

3:53

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

3:55

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.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Historic Preservation█████████████████████████████████████████████49%
Council Modernization███████████████16%
Community Engagement█████████████14%
Ethics and Governance███████8%
Procedural██████6%
Youth Programs████4%
Public Engagement███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Jacksonville City Council Sunshine Meeting - July 28, 2026

This informal sunshine meeting of the Jacksonville City Council was held on July 28, 2026, at 2:35 PM. The main topic was a proposal to honor former Councilmember Warren A. Jones by naming the back wall of the council chambers the "Warren A. Jones Wall of Council Presidents." Councilmembers also discussed a street naming for Dr. Gopel and a council modernization initiative.

Discussion Items

  • Warren A. Jones Wall of Council Presidents: Councilmember Matt Carlucci proposed naming the back wall of the chambers after Warren Jones, who served 28 years on the council, including two consecutive terms as council president. Carlucci presented a draft ordinance that would also ensure the wall's name would be permanent even if City Hall moved. Councilmember Rockman Johnson expressed support but suggested a more prominent honor, such as naming the entire chamber, citing Jones's historic service and the need for greater visibility. Councilmember Michael Boylan opposed naming the chamber, arguing it belongs to the citizens, and supported the wall proposal. Councilmember Tyrona Clark Murray was initially blindsided but indicated she would process the idea. Carlucci emphasized the historical importance of recognizing a trailblazing Black councilmember and stated he would prepare the bill for introduction after the July holiday, seeking co-sponsors and avoiding controversy.

  • Gopel Way Street Naming: Carlucci introduced a bill to rename a block of Kingsbury Road as "Gopel Way" in honor of Dr. Gopel, a beloved veterinarian and soccer player who lived on the street for nearly 40 years. The bill passed the 911 addressing committee unanimously, and no affected addresses exist. Councilmembers expressed support, and several agreed to co-sponsor.

  • Council Modernization Initiative: Councilmember Rockman Johnson outlined a "council modernization initiative" to recognize the full-time nature of council service. He proposed a legislative track with an enhanced option that would prohibit outside full-time employment but allow consulting or small businesses. The goal is to make service accessible while preserving the consolidated government structure. Carlucci and Clark Murray offered feedback, and Johnson will share a written paper once completed.

Public Comments

  • John, a member of the public, spoke in support of honoring Warren Jones, highlighting his role in creating a kayak launch at McCoy's Creek. He noted that the launch is not listed on official maps and praised Jones's contributions to Jacksonville's waterways.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken. Carlucci will finalize the ordinance for the Warren A. Jones Wall of Council Presidents and introduce it after the July holiday, with Council President Nick Hallen and others as co-introducers. The bill will include a plaque and provisions for perpetuity.
  • The Gopel Way street naming bill will proceed to council with co-sponsors.
  • Johnson will continue developing the modernization initiative and share it with colleagues for feedback.

Meeting Transcript

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.

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