Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The committee convened at 1:01 PM and adjourned at 3:20 PM. Chair Chris Miller presided. Present were Miller, Clark-Murray, Carlucci, Carrico, Peluso, Salem (until 3:03 PM), and Holder. The meeting covered 31 agenda items, including a major downtown development incentive package, public safety capital appropriations, a JTA financial crisis update, and numerous routine items.
Cleveland Ferguson (JTA CEO) acknowledged the partnership with City Council. CFO Randall Barnes presented a detailed financial update:
Original bill appropriated $26M for JSO headquarters improvements, JSO warehouse consolidation ($10M), and JFRD CO2 removal system ($2M). The public safety contingency account was reduced during budget by ~$5.1M, and JSO discovered the warehouse purchase price was $15.45M (not $10M). Total shortfall: $10,587,427.
This was the most debated item, involving authorization of a REV grant (75%, 17-year, max $21,412,000) and a $28,250,000 completion grant for a mixed-use project with 259± residential units and at least 30,000 sq ft of grocery space (Publix or similar).
Proposed $70,000 reimbursement grant for repairs to the Royal Princess vessel. Original funding source lapsed; Council Member Carlucci moved to fund from reserves. Failed 1-6 (only Carlucci voted yes). The Auditor’s technical amendment (remove emergency language, correct scriveners) passed unanimously, but the bill failed 1-6. Several members voiced opposition, citing prior discussion and lack of support.
All right, good afternoon, everyone to the uh October 5th neighborhoods, community services public health and safety committee meeting. We'll start out with introductions and uh with Mr. Delaney, please. Good afternoon, y'all. Bill Delaney, Mayor's Office. Brandon Russell, Council Research. Mary Stephopolis, Office of General Counsel. Heather Reber, Council Auditor's Office. Philip Peterson, Council Otter. Good afternoon, Monet Holder at large group one. Good afternoon, Matt Carlucci at large group four. Thank you. Good afternoon, Tyrone Clark Murray, District 9. Good afternoon, Chris Miller at large group five. Hey everybody, Kevin Carico, District Four. Ron Salem, group two at large. Good afternoon, Jimmy Palooza District 7. Randy White, District 12 just visiting. Thank you. Do we have any public comment cards? All right. Plan to start with public comment and then we're gonna move uh two bills uh up. But before we do that, we'll then have after public comment JTA presentation, and then uh JTA bill number 31, page 19, and then JSO number 14, page 10. So that'll be the order at the front of the meeting, and then we'll then go through the normal agenda. Uh so we have four public comment cards, Carnell Oliver, Jim Emery, who does not wish to speak but questions only. Um then we have Eric Adler and uh also Keith Brown. So uh Mr. Oliver, um, please state your name and address for the record, and the time is yours. Uh yes, my name is Carnell Oliver, and my address is on file. Uh dealing with uh 0780, I just want to say this is the heightened level of accountability that I have never seen in my life dealing with consolidated government. It's like every piece on the board is falling. And right now we're we're seeing another piece come in before this council asking for taxpayer dollars. And for me, I want to save this institution because it provides me services, it provides services to everybody still in the predominantly real black American communities. But if we're going to give them money, there's got to be a greater level of accountability for those dollars. The employees that are on the verge of being fired, I want to see if they can work with our Florida delegation and members of Congress to pass a clarified 1866 Civil Rights Act. You want to know why I'm raising that awareness? It's because there are more black people losing their jobs left and right. And the only protections that I have, I have to bring in the white Americans that were here with me and with my ancestors in the very beginning. And the only way that we're gonna be able to fight this foolishness is that we gotta have the same protections as the Native Americans. I want to see what y'all can work as in condition where the mayor's three seats of appointments to the JTA board are let by the people. Everything is on fire.