Jacksonville City Council Regular Meeting — October 13, 2026

The Jacksonville City Council met on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chamber, with Council Vice President Joe Carlucci presiding due to the absence of Council President Nick Howland. Roll call recorded 15 members present, three excused (Howland, Diamond, and Carlucci), and one absent (Carrico). The meeting included quasi‑judicial rezoning votes, a consent agenda, public hearings, and numerous legislative items. A major focus was the approval of a $30 million emergency gas‑tax amendment to stabilize JTA’s finances, as well as the approval of a concrete‑batch‑plant rezoning after removal of the plant itself and addition of community safeguards.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes approved (September 22, 2026) – 15‑0 voice vote.
• Consent agenda approved (15‑0), except 2026‑704 (JEA collective‑bargaining agreement, later approved 15‑0) and 2026‑769 (Scouting America Page Month, postponed to October 27 at the sponsor’s request).
• Items approved on consent included surplus property transfers, intergovernmental agreements, board appointments, honorary resolutions, and routine appropriations. (See agenda items 7–20 for details.)

Presentations & Recognitions

• Nehemiah Turner – Honored for completing over 100 hours reading to shelter animals through the Humane Society’s Pawsitive Reading Program. Councilmember Miller presented a framed resolution.
• Officer Willie Perry – Honored upon retirement after 31 years with JSO and 15 years as a school resource officer. Councilmember Amaro presented the resolution.

Public Comments & Testimony

About 30 speakers addressed the Council on a variety of topics, with each speaker limited to 2 minutes 30 seconds due to the number of cards. Key themes:

• Pathways to Urban Agriculture (2026‑0807) – Multiple speakers (Elijah Aquafredda, Natalie Leckich, Nicole Sparks, Nathan Ballantyne, others) urged the Council to increase the allowed market days from 12 to 70 and permit cross‑sales among Duval growers. They stressed that the current limit would cripple community gardens and small farms.
• Concrete batch‑plant rezoning (2026‑0532) – Several residents (India Butler, Lachandra Sawyer, Carnell Oliver) opposed the original proposal but expressed cautious support after the concrete‑batch element was removed. They called for independent environmental assessments and better community notification.
• JTA / Gas‑tax amendment (2026‑0780) – Speakers (Tom McGuire, Carnell Oliver) urged restoration of bus routes, questioned past JTA management, and opposed tolls. Councilmember Salem affirmed that the toll discussion was purely historical and that the media had misrepresented it.
• Other topics – Dog‑safety signage (Pamela Faith Caravello), Fourth‑Amendment concerns about license‑plate readers (Casey Jones), affordable‑housing shortages (Jamie Travis Leonard), and a request for more city presence at POW/MIA events (Tony Langles).

Quasi‑Judicial Rezonings (Items 1‑6)

All six first‑reading quasi‑judicial items were addressed as a group after declarations of ex‑parte communications.

• 2026‑0524 – Yellow Water Rd. (RV park PUD). Amended and rereferred to committee – 15‑0.
• 2026‑0532 – Soutel Industrial PUD (concrete batch plant). After extensive discussion, the Council approved 14‑1 (Gaffney Jr. opposed) the amendment that removed the concrete batch plant entirely and added conditions (dust control, traffic study, etc.). Councilmember Arias characterized it as the “lesser of two evils” because the site could be used for storage by right without the PUD’s protections.
• 2026‑0557 – Plymouth Liberty Business Park PUD. Approved 15‑0.
• 2026‑0658 – Irvington Ave. mixed‑use PUD. Approved 15‑0.
• 2026‑0659 – Newton Road PUD (multifamily). Approved 14‑1 (Gay opposed).
• 2026‑0697 – Road‑frontage waiver at 103rd St. Approved 15‑0.

Economic Development Incentive – Project Apollo (2026‑0757)

Resolution to authorize a 10‑year property‑tax grant not to exceed $475,000 for relocating a national headquarters and manufacturing facility to an economically distressed area of Northwest Jacksonville. Approved 14‑1 (Gay opposed) after an amendment.

Public Hearings & Final Approvals

Over 30 public‑hearing items were processed. Major actions:

• 2026‑0644 – Renamed “Cedar Point Preserve” to “Middlebrook Preserve” (15‑0).
• 2026‑0662 – Established the Deep Creek Community Development District (15‑0).
• 2026‑0780 – Local‑option gas‑tax amendment (emergency passage). Authorized JTA to use up to $30 million of unexpended gas‑tax allocations to retire debt and restore bus services. Approved 15‑0 after extensive discussion. Councilmembers Salem, Gay, Peluso, and Arias stressed the need for bus‑route restoration and JTA reform.
• Land‑use amendments (items 38‑52) – Most were approved with minor debate. Key approvals: Pickettville Rd. (LI to HI), Garden St./Plummer Rd. (ARG to RR), Floral Bluff Rd. (LDR to MDR with companion rezoning), Riverside Ave. (PBF to RPE with rezoning), Pritchard Rd. (ARG to CGC and companion PUD for grocery‑anchored center). Several hearings were continued to October 27.

Third‑Reading Ordinances (Items 53‑62)

• 2026‑0523 – FLUM amendment at Yellow Water Rd. Amended and rereferred (15‑0).
• 2026‑0673 – Funding for Exchange Club Family Center. Withdrawn (15‑0) after earlier committee failures.
• 2026‑0698 – $111,233 for the State of the River Report. Approved 15‑0.
• 2026‑0700 – $9,222,943 for Gateway completion grants. Approved 15‑0.
• 2026‑0701 – $26 million for JSO headquarters, warehouse consolidation, and JFRD CO₂ removal system. Approved 15‑0.
• 2026‑0702 – Honorary street designation for Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine. Approved 15‑0.
• 2026‑0706 – $1,134,952 from Downtown Economic Development Fund to Osprey River LLC. Approved 14‑1 (Diamond opposed).
• 2026‑0707 – $181,999 for Emergency Solutions Grant (RUSH housing). Approved 15‑0.
• 2026‑0709 – Council rule amendment (committee quorum defined as majority). Approved 13‑2 (Boylan, Clark‑Murray opposed).
• 2026‑0721 – $70,000 economic‑development grant for Jax Yacht Charters. Failed (1‑14, Pittman the only yes) after previous committee setbacks.
• 2026‑0740 – Extension for Lofts at Southbank development agreement. Approved 15‑0.

Second‑Reading Resolutions & Ordinances (Items 64‑86)

All second‑reading items were read and rereferred without debate. These included appointments to the Health Planning Council, TRUE Commission, Library Trustees, Environmental Protection Board, and various zoning and PUD amendments (Burris Dr., Gateway Mixed‑Use, Chaffee Square IV, Thomas Creek PUD, parking‑requirement amendments, etc.).

New Introductions (First Reading – Items 87‑138)

More than 50 new resolutions and ordinances were introduced and assigned to committees. Notable:

• 2026‑0816 – Council support for J‑Bill J‑1 (requiring JAA and JAXPORT to televise/stream meetings).
• 2026‑0817 – Council support for J‑Bill J‑2 (Pearl Square Open Container District).
• 2026‑0803 – Charter amendment requiring JEA to televise/stream all governing‑body meetings.
• 2026‑0807 – “Pathways to Urban Agriculture” – zoning amendments to allow community and market gardens by right; referred to LUZ.
• 2026‑0811 – Stadium Use Agreement with Gator Bowl Sports for 2026‑2028 games (emergency passage requested).
• 2026‑0831 – Resolution honoring former Councilmember Dr. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Jenkins Chandler; passed 15‑0 as an emergency.

Key Outcomes

• Vote tallies – Nearly all votes were unanimous (15‑0) except where noted. Only one item (2026‑721) failed.
• JTA bailout – The $30 million gas‑tax amendment (2026‑0780) passed on emergency reading, committing JTA to restore routes and improve transparency.
• Concrete plant rezoning – Approved with removal of the plant and six community‑protective conditions, despite continued resident concerns about an earlier lack of environmental disclosure.
• Urban agriculture – The “Pathways to Urban Ag” ordinance (2026‑0807) was introduced; speakers’ requests for higher market‑day limits and cross‑sales permission were noted but will be addressed during LUZ review.
• Meeting adjourned at 7:37 PM.

Note on date discrepancy: The agenda and minutes list the meeting date as Tuesday, October 13, 2026, which aligns with the provided meeting timestamp. The meeting began at 5:00 PM, not 1:00 PM as the timestamp’s timezone might suggest, but the date is correct.