Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee Meeting - September 14, 2026

The City of Jacksonville Rules Committee met on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 9:00 AM in the Council Chamber at City Hall. The meeting was chaired by Mike Gay and adjourned at 12:01 PM. The committee addressed 46 agenda items, including numerous deferrals, approvals, withdrawals, and two notable failed votes. Key debates centered on electric bicycle regulations, economic development incentives, grant programs, and direct contracting for nonprofit services.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Carnell Oliver spoke on item 2026-0672 (Property donation for affordable housing in District 10). He expressed support for affordable housing but urged the city to apply the 1866 Civil Rights Act to build wealth and opportunity for American freedmen, stating the city has not been in compliance with certain laws. He raised the possibility of a class action lawsuit.

Discussion Items

• Item 7 – 2026-0570: Electric Bicycle Regulations – Council Member Boylan presented a substitute bill to regulate e-bikes, including a definition consistent with state law, a 15 MPH speed limit on sidewalks and shared-use paths (up from the original 10 MPH), helmet requirements for operators under 16, a ban on careless/unsafe/reckless operation, and an educational component requiring retailers to post signage. The committee heard from Chief LeDew (Traffic Engineering) on signage costs ($5,000–$10,000 for border signs), JSO Chief Stronko who expressed concerns about enforceability without more signage, and Matt Fall (Transportation Planning) on educational materials. Council Members Lahnen and Salem opposed, citing enforcement challenges. The substitute was approved 5-2 (Gay, Amaro, Boylan, Pittman, Clark-Murray in favor; Lahnen, Salem against).
• Item 8 – 2026-0588: 8000 Arlington Expressway Redevelopment – The committee considered an ordinance authorizing a 10-year, 75% REV grant not to exceed $1,000,000 for converting a vacant office building into 95 market-rate housing units with a $20 million capital investment. Council Member Amaro offered a floor amendment to increase the grant to $1,500,000, extend the term to 11 years, and raise the capital investment to $28.5 million. The amendment was approved unanimously after discussion about the project's ROI (revised from 2.01 to approximately 1.34:1 per Ed Randolph of OED) and the developer's prior investment. The bill as amended passed 7-0.
• Item 9 – 2026-0624: PSG Micro-Grant Program – The committee debated a bill creating a micro-grant program ($10,000–$20,000 per grant) with a waiver allowing 100% advanced funding. Auditor Trista Carraher expressed concern about clawback risk. Council Member Salem proposed an amendment to limit initial advances to 50%, with the remaining 50% provided upon documentation approval. Maribel Figueroa (Grants and Contract Compliance) supported the amendment, noting the need for a full-year contract (with carryover already authorized). The amendment passed unanimously, and the bill as amended was approved 7-0.
• Item 16 – 2026-0673: Exchange Club Family Center Funding – The committee considered appropriating $204,000 from debt interest savings for the Exchange Parent Aide Program, an evidence-based child abuse prevention program. Council Members Salem and Lahnen opposed, arguing the organization should have used the Public Service Grant (PSG) process and that the funding should have been included in the budget. Council Members Amaro, Pittman, and Clark-Murray supported it, citing the program's merit. The bill failed 3-4 (Amaro, Pittman, Clark-Murray in favor; Gay, Boylan, Lahnen, Salem against).
• Item 30 – 2026-0719: Ritz Chamber Players Funding – Council Member Johnson brought an emergency appropriation of $50,310.25 (sourced from debt savings and unspent funds) for a direct contract with Ritz Chamber Music Society. Council Member Boylan opposed the use of debt savings for direct contracts; Council Member Salem opposed using debt savings for recurring expenses. Council Member Lahnen asked about previous CSG funding. The emergency and bill passed 5-1 (Boylan opposed), with the understanding it was a one-time expense.
• Item 31 – 2026-0721: Jax Yacht Charter Economic Development Grant – The committee considered an emergency bill authorizing a $70,000 reimbursement grant for U.S. Coast Guard-required repairs to the Royal Princess vessel. Discussion included the lack of a completed ROI calculation, the use of out-of-state repairs (Savannah, GA), and the precedent for future funding. Council Members Amaro, Boylan, and Pittman supported; Gay, Lahnen, Salem, and Clark-Murray opposed. The bill failed 3-4.
• Item 29 – 2026-0714: Downtown Public Space Maintenance – An emergency bill appropriating $717,482 for a full-time project manager and a services agreement with Downtown Vision, Inc. was approved 6-0 after an amendment revising the funding source to General Fund debt service savings.

Key Outcomes

• Item 7 (E-Bikes): Substitute approved 5-2; bill as substituted passed.
• Item 8 (8000 Arlington): Amended and approved 7-0 (grant increased to $1.5M, term 11 years, capital investment $28.5M).
• Item 9 (PSG Micro-Grants): Amended (50% upfront) and approved 7-0.
• Item 10 (Eastside Grants): Amended and approved 7-0.
• Item 12 (Title Loan Lenders): Withdrawn 7-0.
• Item 13 (Salvation Army): Withdrawn 7-0.
• Item 14 (Minds of the Future): Approved 7-0.
• Item 16 (Exchange Club): Failed 3-4.
• Item 17 (Property donation for affordable housing): Amended and approved 7-0.
• Items 19, 20, 21 (Appointments): Approved 6-0 each.
• Item 24 (Hospital assessments emergency): Emergency approved; bill approved 7-0.
• Item 29 (Downtown maintenance): Emergency approved; amended and approved 6-0.
• Item 30 (Ritz Chamber Players): Emergency approved; bill approved 5-1 (Boylan opposed).
• Item 31 (Jax Yacht Charter): Failed 3-4.
• Items 42–46 (Resolutions recognizing heritage months, Dolly Parton Day): All approved 7-0.
• Numerous items were deferred or read a second time and re-referred without vote.