Jacksonville City Council Regular Meeting - July 28, 2026
Jacksonville City Council Regular Meeting - July 28, 2026
The Jacksonville City Council met on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting was called to order by Council President Nick Howland and adjourned at 9:00 PM. The council considered a wide range of items including quasi-judicial rezoning approvals, consent agenda items, public hearings on land use changes, third-reading ordinances, and the introduction of new legislation. A key highlight was the failure of a veto override attempt regarding board appointments to the Kids Hope Alliance (KHA) and Library Board. The meeting included an invocation by Pastor Spike Hogan, a presentation honoring his retirement, and approximately 90 minutes of public comment on topics such as the Free to Garden Act, overdevelopment, city budget priorities, and mental health response.
Consent Calendar
- 2026-0453 (Appropriation to cure negative cash balances and fund economic incentives) was withdrawn.
- 2026-0496 (Appropriation for FDEP Parks Invasive Species Removal Initiative) was approved.
- 2026-0515 (Confirmation of Michelle Begley as Chief of Accounting) was approved.
- 2026-0516 (Appointment of Corey Ford to Construction Trades Qualifying Board) was withdrawn.
- 2026-0551 (Resolution commemorating the 158th Anniversary of Mount Olive AME Church) was approved. All consent items passed by a vote of 17–0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Free to Garden Act: Multiple speakers, including Kim Fontecchio, Roxy McLeod, Nathan Ballantyne, and others, urged the council to pass the Home Occupation Bill and sponsor the Free to Garden Act to make community and market gardens permissible by right. They emphasized food security, community building, and economic benefits.
- Overdevelopment and Stadium: Speakers such as Kathleen Pereira and Miriam Corney opposed the proposed Sporting JAX soccer stadium and development in Big Island Swamp, citing flooding risks, tree canopy loss, and traffic congestion.
- Charlie Kirk Recognition: Chaplain Jerry Woodham requested that October 14th be declared Charlie Kirk Remembrance Day, while others opposed honoring him, describing him as a bigot.
- Budget Priorities: Several speakers from the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) called for reallocating funds from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to mental health services, community gardens, and other social programs.
- FOP Foundation Forgiveness: Speakers Samantha Searys, Jamie Travis Leonard, and Nancy Murray Settle opposed Bill 2026-0537, arguing that the Fraternal Order of Police Foundation should not be forgiven for failing to submit required audits.
- Animal Welfare: Jennifer Joyner requested increased funding for spay/neuter and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs.
- Flock Cameras: Dragon Beloit raised concerns about privacy and safety of Flock cameras in neighborhoods.
- Other Issues: Michelle Wilson described ongoing noise and safety issues from a business in her residential neighborhood; John Nooney spoke on various topics including waterways and trust funds.
Discussion Items
- Quasi-Judicial Rezonings:
- 2026-0438 (Kirk Rd PUD for single-family housing) approved 17–0.
- 2026-0439 (Church at Chet’s Creek PUD for modernized church facilities) approved 17–0, with Council Members Carlucci and Lahnen declaring ex parte communications.
- Public Hearings on Land Use Amendments:
- 2026-0477/0478 (Kings Trail): The San Jose Neighborhood Association presented substantial evidence including a traffic study, requesting conditions for traffic, buffering, and building heights. The applicant’s representative, Paul Harden, argued that the traffic concerns were overstated. The public hearing was continued to August 11, 2026.
- 2026-0428/0429 (City Rescue Mission): Multiple speakers supported the rezoning to allow expansion for dormitory, dining hall, and transitional housing. Council Member Clark-Murray declared ex parte communications. The bills were approved 17–0.
- 2026-0422/0423 (Outdoor Depot), 2026-0424/0425 (Pickettville), 2026-0426/0427 (Imeson), 2026-0432/0433 (Barth Rd): Approved unanimously (15–0 or 17–0) after closed public hearings.
- Third-Reading Ordinances:
- 2026-0445 (SPAR Springfield Cleanup Corps) and 2026-0493 (Deerwood/Fort Family Parks) passed with required two-thirds majorities (17–0 and 18–0, respectively).
- 2026-0489 (Homelessness Initiatives Commission) was withdrawn by sponsor Council Member Peluso after committee disagreements.
- 2026-0490 (HOME Investment Partnership Grant) was initially approved 16–0–1, then reconsidered and approved 17–0 after Council Member Pittman clarified her abstention was for a different item.
- 2026-0491 (CDBG Grant) was approved 16–0–2 after a floor amendment from Council Member Peluso to correct budget exhibits (including removing Edward Waters University project from CIP due to it being on private property). Council Members Pittman and Carrico abstained.
- Veto Override (2025-0872): The council considered overriding the mayor’s veto of an ordinance that would give the council appointment power to the KHA and Library Boards. After extensive debate, the motion to override failed 11–7 (11 yes, 7 no), short of the required 12 votes. Supporters argued for co-equal branch authority and budget oversight; opponents cited potential disruption and partisan power grab.
Key Outcomes
- Votes on Rezonings: Approved quasi-judicial items 2026-0438 and 2026-0439 (17–0 each). Approved land use amendments and rezoning for Outdoor Depot (15–0), Pickettville (15–0), Imeson (15–0), City Rescue Mission (17–0), and Barth Rd (17–0).
- Third-Reading Approvals:
- Warren A. Jones Baseball Complex naming approved 17–0.
- SPAR Springfield Cleanup Corps additional funding ($200,000) approved 17–0.
- SHIP Local Housing Assistance Plan amendments (two ordinances) approved 17–0.
- Noxious Weeds code amendment approved 18–0.
- Foreclosure Registry funding ($1,471,237.53) approved 18–0.
- Timuquan Trail Segment C funding ($1,700,000) approved 18–0.
- Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS grant ($3,269,046.69) approved 16–0–1.
- SHIP grant ($7,737,038.90) approved 18–0.
- Emergency Solutions Grant ($610,307.44) approved 17–0–1.
- Deerwood and Fort Family Parks funding ($1,358,150) approved 18–0.
- Veto Override Failed (11–7): Ordinance 2025-0872 regarding KHA and Library Board appointments will not become law.
- Emergencies Approved:
- Resolution advising Property Appraiser of proposed millage rates (17–1).
- Appointments to Value Adjustment Board, Canvassing Board, and other boards (unanimous or near-unanimous).
- Rescheduling committee meetings due to primary and general election dates (18–0).
- Sovereignty submerged lands lease renewal for a 78-slip marina (18–0).
- Withdrawals: 2026-0453, 2026-0516, 2026-0489, and 2026-0591 were withdrawn.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I call to order the July 28th, 2026 meeting of the full city council. It is 5 p.m. And we do have a quorum. Um welcome to the first full council meeting of the new council year. I will turn it over to our new floor leader who's not new, he's very well experienced, and that's Councilmember Michael Boylan. Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you too for uh your expression of confidence in me to serve as the floor leader again. I look forward to doing my very best to move these meetings forward in a timely fashion. Our first order of business is the invocation and pledge. I would ask that you please recognize Councilman Lennon to introduce senior pastor of Chets Creek, Spike Hogan. You recognize her. Thank you, Mr. President, floor leader. It's my honor tonight to welcome back Pastor Spike Hogan, the senior pastor of Chet's Creek Church. Uh, Pastor Spike has been a familiar face, and he is retiring after nearly 30 years as being the uh founding and senior pastor of Chets Creek Church. I'll be brief on his biography here because in a few minutes we will be presenting with him with a resolution honoring his service to our city. So uh with that, Pastor Spike, please. Let's pray. Lord, thank you so much for this day. Thank you for these men and women who represent our city so well. We pray your blessings on them. May they use your wisdom and guidance in all they do, and as they work things out, may you bless them and continue to bless us to live in this wonderful city, Jacksonville, Florida. God, thank you for this time together, and we thank you, Lord, for the opportunity we have to enjoy serving together. And most important of all, we thank you for the life that we have that you gave us. We ask all these things in the name of the one who saved me, Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Please join me in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag to the night. Yeah, thank you, Mr. Floor Leader. I would just like to note for everyone in the audience that uh the addendum will come up at the end of the meeting, and on that addendum is the veto override that I think a lot of people are anticipating. So just note that comes at the end of the meeting. That's it, sir. Roll call. And roll call, please. 17 present. Ms. President, it's now time for the approval of the minutes from the regular council meeting of June 23rd, 2026. I move for approval. We have a motion and a second on the minutes. We'll take this vote verbally. All in favor of the minutes indicate by saying aye. Aye. All against saying no. Minutes pass. Mr. President, we have quite a number of communications from the mayor's office and other entities. Would you like those read or filed with legislative services?
openpublica.com