OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

West Side Town Hall: District 14 Meeting on Road Projects and Community Priorities - September 3, 2026

City Council — Thursday, September 3, 2026
BodyJacksonville, Florida
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, September 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:38:48

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Yeah.

0:00

And now it's your turn.

0:03

And with that, it is your turn.

0:05

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

0:07

Come on, West Side, we can do better than that.

0:09

Good afternoon.

0:11

Thank you.

0:12

The West Side is the best side.

0:14

Plus, as someone told me, we're the closest district to the University of Florida.

0:18

So what time for the kids?

0:20

I don't know.

0:20

I like Florida State.

0:21

Don't be me up.

0:22

I might agree or still on equal opportunity, but there it is.

0:25

It's great to be here for those I don't know, or if you're new to the new to the district.

0:29

My name is Rockmont Johnson.

0:31

I'm a member of the Jacksonville City Council.

0:33

I represent this district, which is District 14.

0:36

I don't see any other elected officials in here, or I would recognize them, but I must recognize one of my predecessors who's become a dear friend, John Draper, Councilman Draper, somewhere.

0:46

I saw him.

0:48

Is he around?

0:49

Where is the council?

0:51

Okay, I'll make sure to recognize it when he comes back.

0:52

But John Draper held this office uh about 20 years ago, but still a trusted advisor and great friend, so I always want to recognize him for being here.

1:01

Also, uh, we're gonna have our agenda.

1:03

Uh those of you who came in should have been able to pick it up.

1:06

We do things a little bit different on the West Side, so that's a good thing.

1:09

Uh you'll you'll be able to find digital access for this meeting, so you don't have to worry about sign and sheets, you can sign in digitally as well as you'll be able to use the QR codes.

1:18

So you'll see those codes uh to my right and left and behind me uh and right here in front of me.

1:23

Those QR codes will allow you to have comments.

1:25

Usually they're comment cards by law, we have to have public comment cards, but I felt it was easier for you to do them digitally than any other other way.

1:33

So uh I'm thankful for technology, and even if it fails, we do have a way to make sure you still have the comments.

1:40

Uh I also, before we start uh officially and completely, uh we're calling the meeting to order at uh 608.

1:46

Uh I want to thank the pastor, the staff, the team here at Hillcrest.

1:52

Let's give them a round of applause, please.

1:56

They have been amazing.

1:57

We're trying to put this meeting together.

1:59

There's so many moving parts.

2:00

The list kept expanding as to what we're talking about.

2:03

And by the way, uh councilman, I recognize you.

2:06

Please raise your hand.

2:06

Uh stand for us.

2:07

That's John Draper.

2:08

He was the former council member for this district and my friend and advisor.

2:12

Thank you, John, for the work you continue to do.

2:14

Um, but I thank everyone from this church because they worked so diligently to ensure that this meeting happens.

2:20

So thank you, thank you, thank you.

2:22

Um, and uh, if there's anything we could do on the city level for you, in fact, I have some ideas as I was walking around here earlier this morning, so uh we'll talk about that.

2:31

Uh you had a chance to see before everything got started the budget video for the mayor of Jacksonville.

2:37

This year, the good news about District 14 is that I'm on the finance committee this year, which is a really good thing.

2:44

Uh that means the priorities for the city uh for our two, I say 2.2, but around $2 billion budget.

2:51

Uh, we make those decisions.

2:53

We just wrapped up last week uh all of the finance committee hearings.

2:57

I'm not gonna go into them one by one and name by name, but there are some major substantive cuts uh that were made to the budget.

3:04

I'll share a few of them with you.

3:05

When we get to the question and answer session, though, I'd be more than happy to take any questions you have about the budget, or if you want to send me an email, or we reach out and set up some time.

3:14

I'd love to share it with you.

3:16

Uh, our budget is comprised of the major spending, and of course the uh the CIP, which is the capital improvement plan.

3:23

And so those plans are those long-term projects, some of which, like Old Middleburg Road, which we're here to talk about today, uh, sometimes they take a little bit of time.

3:32

I was just in a meeting earlier today explaining that uh this the government does not run at the speed of life, it runs at the speed of government because if it did, old Middleburg Road would have been paid 26 years ago, but that's okay.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety████████████████████████████████████36%
Public Engagement██████████████████18%
Infrastructure███████████████15%
Public Works█████████9%
Public Safety████████8%
Public Comment█████5%
Community Engagement████4%
Budget██2%
Economic Development█1%
Summary of Proceedings

West Side Town Hall: District 14 Meeting on Road Projects and Community Priorities - September 3, 2026

Councilman Rockmont Johnson convened a town hall meeting for Jacksonville's District 14 at Hillcrest Church. The meeting focused on budget updates, the Argyle sign replacement, the College Road sidewalk project, and the long-awaited Old Middleburg Road widening project (Phase 2A). Residents raised concerns about traffic safety, property access, and community amenities. The meeting began at 6:08 PM and included a presentation from the Public Works Department and a question-and-answer session.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Bill (Argyle Civic Council president) thanked the city for prioritizing the Collins Road piece and advocated for a senior center in the area, noting that residents currently travel to Clay County for services.
  • Steve Horn (resident) questioned the design of dedicated U-turns, whether they would accommodate tractor-trailers and fire trucks, and requested crash statistics from similar road widenings.
  • Kathy Bank expressed safety concerns about children walking from stores near Blanding without sidewalks and questioned why the College Road sidewalk extension does not go all the way to Blanding.
  • Christine Pierre (Taylorfield Road resident) argued that prohibiting left turns out of Taylorfield Road is unreasonable and safety concerns seem exaggerated; she requested a design variance.
  • Richard Stasco (resident) asked about queuing effects from single left-turn lanes and how the design addresses charter school traffic.
  • Gail Adams noted confusion about the DOT construction on 103rd Street and the new traffic pattern at Old Middleburg Road, including signage for no turn on red.
  • Bruce Tyson asked how the decision was made to place a multi-use path on one side of Old Middleburg Road.
  • Another resident requested confirmation that retention ponds would be fenced off for safety.

Discussion Items

  • Budget Update: Councilman Johnson reported that the city's $2.2 billion budget includes cuts to public service and cultural service grants, which he opposed. He also opposed a 10% cut to Kids Hope Alliance, which would reduce funding by $5 million and affect 5,000 children. He noted that the budget adds $6 million for sidewalks.
  • Argyle Sign Replacement: Johnson presented a conceptual design for restoring the iconic Argyle sign with solar lighting. The project is funded through Jaguars community benefit dollars. Coordination with FDOT is ongoing to create a new traffic pattern at the intersection.
  • College Road Sidewalk: A planned 6-foot sidewalk on the north side from CSX Crossing near US 17 to Pine Birdie Lane will improve drainage and pedestrian safety. Construction is expected to begin in Q2 2027.
  • Old Middleburg Road Phase 2A: Scott Carter (Chief of Engineering) and Jason Hall (ETM) presented the project scope: a four-lane divided road from Argyle Forest Boulevard to Collins Road, with 10-foot sidewalks, a four-lane section, U-turns, and a new signal at the fire station. Construction will start in September 2026 with clearing and utility relocations, followed by roadway work, aiming for completion by Q3/Q4 2027. The project uses static compaction to minimize vibrations. Phase 2B (the remaining 2-mile middle section) will begin after land acquisition (currently ~50-67% complete).
  • Wonderland Corridor: Johnson introduced a proposed business development district along 103rd Street to Cecil Commerce Center, contingent on a business owner survey and potential small millage increase.
  • Parks Update: A new regional park (10-15 acres) will be located near Walmart on Collins Road, replacing an earlier site. A community center is planned pending design input. Jensen Point Park on 118th Street will receive LED lighting and increased police patrols.

Key Outcomes

  • Old Middleburg Road Phase 2A: Contracts with Coxwell Construction are being finalized; a pre-construction meeting is scheduled for September 2026. City staff will address specific resident concerns (e.g., Taylorfield Road access, fire truck U-turn capability, conflicting signage on 103rd Street, and driveway evaluations).
  • FDOT Coordination: The city will ask FDOT about completion timeline and signal timing for 103rd Street/Old Middleburg Road intersection. Councilman Johnson noted improved state-level relationships with Senator Tracy Davis and Representative Wyman Duggan.
  • Sidewalk Gaps: The city will investigate extending the College Road sidewalk from Dollar General to Blanding Boulevard.
  • Access and Safety: Staff will re-evaluate the Taylorfield Road design but emphasized safety concerns over having two closely spaced left-turn openings. The final design will consider all affected properties along Old Middleburg Road.
  • Budget Advocacy: Councilman Johnson committed to fighting to restore funding for Kids Hope Alliance and public/cultural service grants during full council budget votes.
  • Community Engagement: Meeting recordings will be made available; residents can submit additional questions via email to Scott Carter (SCarter1@coj.net) or through Councilman Johnson's office.

Meeting Transcript

Yeah. And now it's your turn. And with that, it is your turn. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Come on, West Side, we can do better than that. Good afternoon. Thank you. The West Side is the best side. Plus, as someone told me, we're the closest district to the University of Florida. So what time for the kids? I don't know. I like Florida State. Don't be me up. I might agree or still on equal opportunity, but there it is. It's great to be here for those I don't know, or if you're new to the new to the district. My name is Rockmont Johnson. I'm a member of the Jacksonville City Council. I represent this district, which is District 14. I don't see any other elected officials in here, or I would recognize them, but I must recognize one of my predecessors who's become a dear friend, John Draper, Councilman Draper, somewhere. I saw him. Is he around? Where is the council? Okay, I'll make sure to recognize it when he comes back. But John Draper held this office uh about 20 years ago, but still a trusted advisor and great friend, so I always want to recognize him for being here. Also, uh, we're gonna have our agenda. Uh those of you who came in should have been able to pick it up. We do things a little bit different on the West Side, so that's a good thing. Uh you'll you'll be able to find digital access for this meeting, so you don't have to worry about sign and sheets, you can sign in digitally as well as you'll be able to use the QR codes. So you'll see those codes uh to my right and left and behind me uh and right here in front of me. Those QR codes will allow you to have comments. Usually they're comment cards by law, we have to have public comment cards, but I felt it was easier for you to do them digitally than any other other way. So uh I'm thankful for technology, and even if it fails, we do have a way to make sure you still have the comments. Uh I also, before we start uh officially and completely, uh we're calling the meeting to order at uh 608. Uh I want to thank the pastor, the staff, the team here at Hillcrest. Let's give them a round of applause, please. They have been amazing. We're trying to put this meeting together. There's so many moving parts. The list kept expanding as to what we're talking about. And by the way, uh councilman, I recognize you. Please raise your hand. Uh stand for us. That's John Draper. He was the former council member for this district and my friend and advisor. Thank you, John, for the work you continue to do. Um, but I thank everyone from this church because they worked so diligently to ensure that this meeting happens. So thank you, thank you, thank you. Um, and uh, if there's anything we could do on the city level for you, in fact, I have some ideas as I was walking around here earlier this morning, so uh we'll talk about that. Uh you had a chance to see before everything got started the budget video for the mayor of Jacksonville. This year, the good news about District 14 is that I'm on the finance committee this year, which is a really good thing.

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