City Council - Nov 10, 2026

I call to order the Tuesday, November 10th, 2026, meeting of the full Jacksonville City Council. Mr. Floor Leader, I turn it over to you. Thank you, Mr. President. Our first order of business is the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. I would ask that you please recognize Council Member Amaro, Council Chaplain, to introduce Elder Yates for today's invocation. Mr. Amaro, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair, Mr. Floor Leader. I will yield to Council Member Rockman Johnson for the introduction of Reverend Elizabeth Yates, who will deliver our invocation this evening. Thank you so very much, Mr. Chaplain and Mr. Chair. Mr. President, thank you for indulging me to introduce my friend and a friend of the city of Jacksonville, Elizabeth Elaine Yates, Master of Divinity in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The reason I'm introducing her is because I introduced a resolution to honor the elder, who I have known for 30 years, who has just retired. And I don't think she would be upset with me mentioning it, that a few months back, she celebrated her 75th birthday. 75 and gorgeous. Well, she tells it. She tells it. And it's gorgeous. And God has certainly blessed her. The elder is also retired. She's recently retired with a beautiful gala from the African Methodist Episcopal Church. So it's my distinct honor to introduce this woman whose life has been defined by faith, service, and history, Elizabeth Elaine Yates, who has spent 33 years after retiring from a career in banking from Barnett Bank, working at Times directly with our friend Hugh Jones. God rest his soul. She was a banker, and she's the immediate past senior presiding elder, and she was honored here in this chamber by former Mayor Alvin Brown as the first woman to be a presiding elder in the 11th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She's a graduate of Edward Waters, of Emory, and she's also a part of the Morehouse College's prestigious board of preachers, which is a very distinguished honor. And she's also a member of the board of trustees for Edward Waters University. She's a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, the Lynx Incorporated, and has devoted thousands of hours to community service internationally. But beyond the titles, she's a devoted mother of two amazing daughters, a loving grandmother, and, of course, the proud mom to her fur baby, Cooper. Today, we are grateful for this remarkable woman, and the council, several weeks ago, honored her service to the city of Jacksonville. She's prayed for us at the King Breakfast and other places. So, at this time, Andrew, would you please share this with her? Elder, all 19 of us came together and honored you with this resolution for your service to the city of Jacksonville. Let's give her a round of applause for a wonderful career in ecumenacy. Thank you, Elder, for your work in this community. Thank you for moving forward the body of Christ. And at this time, please welcome Reverend Elizabeth Elaine Yates, presiding elder, to lead us in prayer. Elder? Thank you. So, do y'all stand until I finish? Okay. To Council President, the Honorable Nick Holland, and the Honorable Ken Amaro, chaplain of the council, thank you for this invitation and the opportunity to invoke God's presence tonight to the entire council and the citizens of Jacksonville, who are both assembled here and live streaming. You know who I am. I've already been introduced. So, let us pray. O Lord, our God, eternal Father, author of justice, giver of mercy, and keeper of every promise. Before this council calls its official role, Father, let us call their names before your throne of grace. Without title, without fanfare, our pomposity, God, I'm calling, Nick, Joe, Ken, Mike, Will, Kevin, Michael, Jimmy, Reggie, Tarona, my neighbor, my neighbor, Jacobi, Raul, Randy, Rory, Rockman, Monet, Ron, Matt, and Chris. One by one, and name by name, 19 lives, 19 callings, 19 opportunities to make a difference, Lord. We thank you for every one of them. Bless their minds with wisdom, their hearts with compassion, their backs with strength, and their spirits with the courage to do what is right, even in the difficult of circumstances. Remind them, O God, that behind every ordinance is a family, behind every budget item is a blessing or a burden, and behind every vote is a human being whose life matters. From my spiritual lineage of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, through Richard Allen and Absalon Jones, who understood even when the doors of tolerance were closed, the gates of heaven remained open. They taught us that some may try to interrupt a prayer, but it cannot silence a purpose. So teach us, Lord, the beauty of tolerance. Tonight, give us the grace to disagree without dishonoring, to debate without diminishing, and to offer without dividing. We know the law is the law, but your higher law calls us to justice, mercy, humility, and most importantly, love. Though we may worship differently, pray differently, and walk differently paths of faith, our collective service meets at the sacred intersection of humanity. Because this, your city of Jacksonville, the God I serve is too precious for petty divisions. It's people, it's people too important for political pride, and it's future too promising to be held hostage by yesterday's disagreement. So forgive us. Forgive us, Lord, and let us forgive one another. Now, Lord, we ask you to move in this chamber where there is division, sin, understanding. Where there is bitterness, let there be forgiveness. And where there is fear, raise up courage. Where there seems to be no way forward, let the opportunity through your righteousness be manifested. For we know that you are the one who makes ways that out of impossibilities, and that you are the one who creates bridges over troubled waters, and you are the one who makes crooked places straight. In your will and in your way, the forgotten will he remembered, the voiceless he heard, and the vulnerable will always be protected. And through the work of this council, this evening, and every day forward, let every child, every elder, every family, and every corner of Jacksonville know that they matter. Father, Father, when the deliberations are finished, when the votes are counted, when the lights of this chamber are dimmed, and the titles of officers have faded into the annals of history, let the record of these, your servants, whose names I have called, declare. They stood for justice, they walked in mercy, they led with love, and they served all of your people. Now, Lord, order their steps, steady their hands, unite their hearts, and bless, bless, bless this council. For, not for the 19 names that I call, but for your glory, and for the good of one city that sits by the river, the city of Jacksonville, Florida. And may that city forever be covered by your grace, strengthened by your love, and lifted by your holy hand. In the mighty, marvelous, merciful, and matchless name of our God, we pray. Let us all say, amen. I pledge allegiance, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. President, any announcements? Yes, sir. Mr. Florida Leader, we have three announcements. The first one is from Councilman Arias. You're recognized, sir. All right. Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to, first of all, give a shout-out to Scout Troop 27. If you guys don't mind, please stand up. They're in attendance today. They are from District 11, from Holy Family Catholic Church. And so earlier today, President and colleagues, they were in my office just a few moments ago. And I asked them, like, if you were the mayor of this city, what would be one thing that you guys would like to improve or continue on? And it was very simple. I just told them, just give me one response. The response was pretty resounding. It was public safety, infrastructure, health, and education. Even at that age, middle school and high school, they understand what moves our city and what continues to move our city. And what our constituents want. So I just want to commend them on that. And I hope to see you guys in District 11 and continue doing the great work that you do. Thank you for coming tonight. And once again, one more round of applause for them. Please. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Mr. Arias. Mr. Florida Leader, I have two announcements, one long one, one short one. The long one is regarding Amendment 3 because it's been one week since it was passed. And this is the first council meeting we have had since then. So last Tuesday, I issued a statement to the media saying that this city council had been preparing for Amendment 3 long before Election Day and that we were ready for the challenge ahead. Tonight, I want to elaborate on that a little bit. I supported property tax relief from the beginning. Jacksonville families are facing a real affordability crisis. From groceries and insurance to housing and utilities, everything costs more. For property tax relief keeps hard-earned dollars where they belong in the wallets of Jacksonville families. And we knew this could be an outcome. That's why we began preparing months ago. This year, we conducted one of the most thorough budget reviews in council history, challenging every dollar and asking fundamental questions. Is it core? Is it duplicative? And do we have the money? Under our finance chair's leadership, we held spending flat for the first time since 2017. We didn't wait for Amendment 3 to pass to get serious about spending. We got serious from the onset because it was the responsible thing to do. That same fiscal discipline will guide us moving forward. To start, I've requested two comprehensive analyses. First, our general counsel will examine Amendment 3's legal implications, including restrictions on revenue, expenditures, and our ability to deliver core services. There are qualitative aspects of Amendment 3 that are important to understand. And there may be further developments when the state legislature meets to put together implementing legislation regarding Amendment 3. And second, I've asked for a financial analysis from the council auditors. I've asked them to quantify to the dollar the projected revenue impact on Jacksonville. We've had rough numbers for the last several months, but I want them to get as close as they can to real numbers. And that analysis must not only anticipate revenue losses, but also potential gains from an accelerated housing market and continued economic growth. And that actually is a very important thing, I think, worth noting for everybody regarding Amendment 3. Commercial property and tangible property taxes remain unaffected. So many of Jacksonville's largest property taxpayers are capital-intensive manufacturers and distributors. So continuing to attract businesses in the way that this council has in the aerospace defense marine medical industries will not only create good-paying jobs, but it will also strengthen and diversify our tax base. But we cannot wait until next summer to act. That's why I'll be convening a special notice meeting on or before November 30th to review the analysis from the general council and the council order and to fully understand our path forward. In the meantime, we also need to have an honest debate about every new spending bill. We need to closely consider any new ideas for cost-cutting or cost-saving initiatives. And we need to work together with the administration to start planning the budget, next year's budget, earlier. I've spoken with the mayor, and she's agreed to include council leadership in her budget planning meetings, which will begin as early as February next year. And what we learn from those discussions can be reported back publicly at finance committee meetings. Transparency will not be an afterthought as we prepare for Amendment 3. It will be built into the process. So we know right now the voters have spoken. They want property tax relief. They expect core services to be protected, and they're asking for a government that limbs within its means. We prepared early. We budgeted responsibly. From this point forward, we must spend sparingly, and if we do, we will deliver on what the voters have asked. That's all I have on Amendment 3. And then finally, my last announcement. Tomorrow's Veterans Day. On a much more joyful note, the parade starts at 11.01. Some communities use this day to honor those who've served. We do that here. But we don't just limit it to one day. It's one of the things I'm proudest of in our community. We're one of the most military and veteran-friendly communities in the nation, so we honor our veterans all the time. But we certainly honor them tomorrow, and I look forward to a productive Veterans Day. Thank you, Mr. Fleury. With that, sir, time for roll call. I'm here for a roll call. 19 present. With that, Mr. President, it's time now for the approval of the minutes from the regular council meeting of October the 27th. So I move the approval. All right. We have a motion and a second on the approval of the minutes of October 27, 2026. Seen no speakers in the queue. We'll take the vote verbally. All in favor indicate by saying aye. Aye. All against no. Minutes pass. President, we have six communications from the mayor and other entities. Would you like those read or filed with legislative services? File, please. Thank you. Next, we have a resolution presentation. As the introducer of the resolution, I would invite Councilmember Pittman to proceed to the podium as Mr. Thiel reads the resolution. Resolution 2026-686. Samuel Coleman was a devoted man of faith, a loving husband and father, and a cherished friend and mentor to many, whose life was defined by service to God, to his family, and to the Jacksonville community. Elder Coleman joined the congregation of the Potter's House International Ministries on Jacksonville's west side just months after the church was founded in 1988, and he served the church faithfully for more than 38 years, becoming, in the words of church leadership, a fixture of the congregation. As an elder of the Potter's House, Samuel Coleman was a mentor, a leader, and a difference maker, touching countless lives through his unwavering faith, kindness, and commitment to others. Elder Coleman was deeply involved with Young Life, the International Youth Ministry, and through conferences and gatherings held locally and around the world, he impacted the lives of countless young people. On Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, Elder Samuel Coleman tragically perished in an automobile accident while on his way to Sunday worship service, and his loss is mourned by his family, his friends, the Potter's House church family, the Young Life community, and all who had the honor to know him. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Council of the City of Jacksonville. The City Council hereby honors the life and mourns the passing of Elder Samuel Coleman. Elder Coleman was a faithful servant whose decades of ministry and mentorship enriched the lives of generations of Jacksonville residents and young people around the world. The City Council extends its deepest condolences to the Coleman family, the Potter's House church family, and all who were impacted by his life. Councilwoman. I'm going to ask all the members, family, and friends if y'all would come stand with me, please. To my colleagues, thank you. This resolution is very, very important to me because Elder Sam Coleman was my classmate, my churchmate. I met Elder Sam Coleman and his brother Alan Coleman at Mount Calvary Baptist Church. You know, our love for the church was the foundation of our lives. We sang in the choir together. We were on the usher board together. We went to Bible study together. And at the time, Pastor McLaughlin and Lady Larlene were members of the church. I'd just like to say that Elder Coleman, his life was more than just a title. His life was proven, extraordinary service. And I'd like for his daughter, which you are the image of your father, and I want you to come up and say a few words. And we really, really appreciate you all coming during this time. And Lady Larlene, for your support over the years as well. You and Bishop. Thank you. On behalf of my mother and our entire family, I stand to accept this resolution honoring my dad, Samuel Coleman. Yes, he was a great man that touched so many lives in positive ways. Countless lives continue to be changed, even in his absence. Many of the changes are hurtful. We move forward by the grace of God and support from friends and family. As we navigate life without our beloved and legendary Samuel Coleman, an unimaginable pain is impacted by the circumstances surrounding his death. The person responsible admitted to seeing a red light, becoming confused about whether to press the gas or the brakes, and ultimately crashing into him. Despite the devastating consequences of that decision, the only apparent consequence was a citation for careless driving. And she retains the privilege of driving. It is difficult to reconcile the magnitude of our loss with the seeming lack of accountability. No citation can adequately reflect the life lost or the family forever changed. Again, it is with great honor and heartfelt gratitude that we accept this resolution. While nothing can undo our loss, we sincerely appreciate the recognition of Samuel's life, legacy, and the impact he made. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Again, as Elder Coleman's pastor and friend, I had a notice this past Saturday we were supposed to be meeting for breakfast, and so it's still quite fresh. But Valerie and all of the kids, thank you, Councilwoman. Thank you for thinking enough of the family and your relationship with Sam to give this resolution. So, all of the council members, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If I can get all of y'all to come this way and turn this way, let's do it quickly, please. And some of you all can go this way. Come on. Quickly. Come down. Come down. Go fast, please. Thank you. Mr. President, as they conclude the picture taken, I would like to take a moment to ask you to join me in welcoming Jesus Rivera Alvarez of KIPP Impact Academy and Justin Nightingale, John Ribault High School. They are serving as our pages today. We'll give them a second to clear out before you continue. Well, you're welcome to stay. We'll be here until about 10 or 11 tonight. Mr. President, we are now ready for quasi-judicial actions. I would like to remind all concerned, these items we are now taking up do not include public hearings, as these matters were thoroughly reviewed at the committee level and where public hearings were part of the decision-making process. Council members are reminded to declare any ex parte communications. The first item is on page 5, 2026-0694. I move the bill. We have a motion and a second on the bill. Seeing no speakers for ex parte, let's open the ballot and record your vote. 18 yays, 0 nays. By your vote, 2026-0694 passes. Item number 2, 2026-743. I move the amendment. We have a motion and a second on the amendment. Before we vote on it, let me recognize Mr. Lehman. Thank you, Council President. I rise to declare ex parte. I had four emails all requesting a deferral or rescheduling of the public hearing dates. This has been filed with legislative services. Thank you, sir. Mr. Gay? Thank you, Mr. President. I received right to declare ex parte communication on this. I received one email in opposition and it has been filed with legislative services. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Any other ex parte, just raise your hand because it pops up on the speaker list and then drops off. Okay. Seeing none, we'll vote on the amendment. Verbally, all in favor, indicate by saying aye. Aye. All against, say no. Amendment passes. Move the bill as amended. We have a motion and a second on the bill as amended. There are no speakers. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 15 yays, 2 nays. And by your vote, 2026-0743 is approved. Moving on out of page six, item number three, 2026-744. I move the amendment. We have a motion and a second on the amendment. Seeing no speakers for ex parte, I'll take it verbally. All in favor of the amendment, indicate by saying aye. Aye. All against, say no. Amendment passes. Move the bill as amended. We have a motion and a second on the bill as amended. No speakers in the queue. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 16 yays, 0 nays. By your vote, 2026-0744 passes. Item number four, 2026-746. I move the bill. We have a motion and a second on the bill. No speakers in the queue. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 17 yays, 0 nays. By your vote, 2026-0746 passes. Item number five, 2026-790. I move the bill. We have a motion and a second on the bill. No speakers. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 17 yays, 0 nays. By your vote, 0790 passes. Page number 7, item 6, 2026-791. I move it. We have a motion and a second on the bill. No speakers. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 17 yays, 0 nays. By your vote, 2026-0971 passes. Item number 7, 2026-0792. I move the bill. We have a motion and a second on the bill. Mr. Salem, Dr. Salem, you were recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. I'll be abstaining from voting on this tonight. My brother is a principal in Linwood Board, and I've been advised not to vote on this. Thank you. Seeing no other speakers for ex parte or abstentions, let's open the ballot and record your vote. 16 yays, 0 nays, 1 abstention. By your vote, 2026-0792 passes. Item number 8, 2026-793. I move it. We have a motion and a second on the bill. No speakers in the queue. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 17 yays, 0 nays. By your vote, 2026-0793 passes. Turn to page. Item number 9, 2026-794. I move it. We have a motion and a second on the bill. No speakers. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 17 yays, 0 nays. By your vote, 2026-0794 passes. Item number 10, 2026-795. I understand Council Member Peluso has an amendment, sir. Council Member Peluso, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. I do have an amendment to this item. It has been, you have it in front of you, Biscotti's and the applicant are here to speak in favor of it. We negotiated it from 60 seats down to 50 seats, and everyone seems to be acceptable to it. I believe Ms. Trimmer is here to represent. All right, you made your motion. Do you have a second? Second. All right, we have a motion and a second on the floor amendment. Let me ask Ms. Trimmer, I see you approaching the podium, if the applicant agrees, please, with the floor amendment. Through the chair, Cindy Trimmer, 1 Independent Drive Suite, 1200 on behalf of the applicant. I do have Jonas Lowe with Biscotti's, and he met with the person that was concerned, and we are in support of the amendment. Thank you, ma'am. I recognize Mr. Diamond. I'm fine with this, but please, come to LUZ. That's what every district council person does. They go to LUZ, and they do this work there. This is the second time in a row. You're not special. Come to LUZ. Do the work at LUZ. All right, thank you, sir. No other speakers in the queue. We'll take the vote on this floor amendment verbally. All in favor, indicate by saying aye. Aye. All against, say no. Floor amendment passes. Move the bill as amended. We'll need a second on that. All right, we have a motion and a second on the bill as amended. Mr. Peluso, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. I do stand and declare ex parte. I did receive one email with concerns over this, but I believe that was just okayed by what we just did. Thank you. All right, no other speakers. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 16 a's, 0 a's. By your vote, 2026-0795 passes as amended. Turning to page 9, item number 11, 2026-796, and move the bill. We have a motion and a second on the bill. No speakers in the queue. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 17 a's, 0 a's. By your vote, 2026-0796 passes. Item number 12, 2026-797, and move it. We have a motion and a second on the bill. No speakers. Open the ballot and record your vote. 17 a's, 0 a's. By your vote, 2026-0797 passes. And lastly, item number 13, 2026-798, and move it. We have a motion and a second on the bill. There are no speakers. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 17 a's, 0 a's. By your vote, 2026-0798 passes. Mr. President, we are now running for the consent agenda. I want to remind my colleagues that if you want to be added as a co-sponsor on any of these items, please let the Chief of Legislative Services know via email as council rules prohibit pulling items for that reason. So, Mr. Thiel, would you please read the bills? 2026-800, 804, 812, 815, 819, 820, 821, 823, 824, 826, 832, 879, 880, 881, 882, 883, and 884. Mr. President, I noted we've moved the consent agenda less. Item 879 and 883. All right. We'll need a second on that. We have a motion and a second. Thank you, sir. On the consent agenda, less items 2026-0879 and 2026-0883. Seeing no speakers, this will be a ballot vote. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 17 yays, 0 nays. By your vote, the consent agenda minus those two bills passes. Moving then, item number 25, 2026-879, and move the resolution. We have a motion and a second on the resolution. Mr. Carrico, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. President, and I'll be real brief. I wasn't able to attend any committee meetings last week, and I missed his surprise retirement party, but I wanted to stand up and personally thank Tim Johnson for all the work that you've done for supporting our police and firefighters and making sure their pensions are strong and earn them all that money, and because also you're just my brother from another mother, man. So, great work. I see that you and your lovely wife, Atiyah, are here as well, so congratulations on a job well done. You serve the city well. Thank you, Mr. Carrico. Mr. Matt Carlucci, you're recognized. Real quick, thank you. I want to say the same thing that Councilman Carrico did. I want to thank Mr. Johnson for his hard work in this regard. I've known him since he moved to Jacksonville, and I want to make sure that my name is on the resolution, if that needs to be done now or later, but if I could be added as a co-sponsor, I'd appreciate it. We have a motion and a second to move a Council amendment on 2026-0879. We'll take a vote verbally on the amendment. All in favor, indicate by saying aye. Aye. All against, say no. Council amendment passes. We'll need to remove it. I'm going to move the resolution as amended. We have a motion and a second on the resolution as amended. No other speakers. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 17 yays, 0 nays. By unanimous vote, 2026-0879 passes, and Tim, I'd ask you to stick around just a little bit longer, if you wouldn't mind, please. Thank you, sir. And, Mr. President, we've got one other item on the consent agenda that we need to address. It's item number 29, 2026-883. Move that resolution. All right. We have a motion and a second on the bill. Mr. Diamond, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. President. To quote our former colleague, Terrence Freeman, we ought to give our laurels to people while they're around to enjoy them. But I do hate that we're having to do this already. But I would move a Council amendment for our good friend, Matt Schellenberg. We have a motion and a second on the Council amendment for 2026-0883. Mr. Carlucci, you want to speak on the Council amendment or after? You want to speak right now? Oh, you want to. I got it. Okay. Understood. All right. All those in favor of the Council amendment indicate by saying aye. Aye. All against say no. Council amendment passes. Move the bill as amended. We have a motion and a second on the bill as amended. Let me recognize Mr. Boylan. Thank you, Mr. Chair. It was a great, sad, but pride that I was able to honor or introduce this resolution. Needless to say, Matt has been a mentor to me and made her respects. When I was a pure novice to this process, he was there to provide me guardrails and safety nets as I moved through this process. And I'm glad we had the opportunity to recognize him as Councilmember Diamond said while he's still joining us. All right. Seeing no other speakers in the queue, we have a motion and a second on the bill as amended. Let's open the ballot and accord your vote. 18 yays, zero nays. By your vote, 2026-0883 passes as amended. Mr. President, before recognizing the rule of chair, we have one more appointment to consider. Please turn to page 37, item number 79, the third reading resolution, 2026-517. I move the resolution. We have an amendment on that, I think. Move the amendment. Yep. We have a motion and a second on the amendment. Mr. Diamond, on the amendment or the bill? Okay. Let's vote on the amendment verbally. All in favor of the amendment indicate by saying aye. Aye. All against the amendment say no. The amendment passes. Move the resolution as amended. We have a motion and a second on the resolution as amended. Let me recognize Mr. Diamond first, followed by Mr. Gay. Let me go Mr. Gay first, followed by Mr. Diamond. Thank you, Mr. Chair. This came through rules, as you all know, and we spent quite a bit of time working on this. It was originally introduced June 9th, 26. So we've had quite a few meetings. I had a notice meeting on this to address some of the issues. The applicant that came forward, I received, as soon as it was introduced, I received notices or communication from Code Enforcement and Buildings Trade Board that they were not in support of this candidate. I had meetings with them, discussed their concerns, passed out some information to everybody to understand what this board is, that the responsibility of this board is protecting the citizens of Jacksonville from unscrupulous, incompetent members of the construction industry. This board is a quasi-judicial body. This board has the authority to issue a construction license, take them away, fine, and protect our citizens. This individual, there was a lot of stuff that was brought forward about the work that he'd done with a customer, and it kind of got distorted about what we were looking at. But the main thing that we were looking at, or that I was looking at, was what the responsibility of this board is. It's who is supposed to be on this board. This board is supposed to be made up of members that are beyond reproach. This individual, one of the qualifications was you had to be a contractor for three years. In the latter part of his third year of being in business, when he was caught by the construction or building inspection department of doing work without a permit. That, you know, we cannot have that blemish on a board. Keep in mind that we're talking about a board, another board, construction trade board, that regulates our contractors in the city. I did not support it. I will not support his appointment to this. I know the administration, for some reason, highly wants him on it. I passed out those three emails that he originally sent to the administration requesting to be put on the board as a representative of the plumbing industry. Not what he's being recommended for is the HVAC, the AC industry. And it's all convoluted, and all I can say is we, as a council, have to do all of our due diligence to not have another board go off the rail. We are charged with making sure that we listen to the concerns of the board members. They came to me. There's other stuff that's going on with this, and I don't even want to get into that. But the situation at hand is we've got to raise the bar on our boards and make sure we protect our boards' integrity and that they govern in accordance with what the laws are. And so if that's where I'm at on this, I just request everybody to vote this down. Thank you. All right. Thank you, sir. Over to Mr. Diamond. Thank you, Mr. President. I don't have a lot to say on this other than, you know, I've been up here seven years, and I get really exhausted when we rubber stamp a board member, and then a year or two or three years later it bites us in the keister. And so in this one there's a bunch of red flags. I'm not sure about whether or not Mr. Elio is the right person for this board, but I know there's enough problems with this board right now. Like there's obvious problems. If you're not paying attention, there's problems with this board. So to me the smart thing to do is either vote this down or just re-refer it, and then let's figure out what's going on with this board, because really the members need to be above reproach. This is where you go to make sure you can have a license to be a contractor in Jacksonville. If you're not sure, that's a very important job. So it just seems to me I'm a no, but just let's be prudent. I say we re-refer and wait and just figure this out. And maybe if Mr. Elio is the right guy, maybe he's not. It doesn't matter to me as much as let's just get this one right. Let's not rush simply because we have a candidate. That's my two cents. All right. Mr. Carlucci, Matt Carlucci, you were on the queue a second ago. Still? Yeah. Thank you, Mr. President. I am inclined to say re-refer this back to a rules committee. I understand there are some problems with this board as well, which I think need to be looked at independently, actually, of this appointment. And so that bothers me. And I've understood there are some other issues as well as far as how long some members on the board have been serving. That bothers me. So if we vote on this, I'll probably vote yes just to put some fresh blood on this board. But I think perhaps a timeout may be in order. And I think this board needs to be looked at and reviewed by the proper people in our city government. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Mr. Carlucci. I'll recognize Dr. Johnson, Dr. Salem, Mr. Landon, and then we'll come back to Mr. Gay, if that's okay. Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to know, and I guess this is, I think, I was trying to get it from General Counsel, but if someone could give me an idea, is the re-referral, if this is re-referred, is that going to encumber the board's work? Because one of the things that I want to make sure, I want the expeditious work of the board to move forward. Can someone answer that for me? We have a member of the administration who might be able to come up and answer that. All right, Mr. Dennis. Oh, Garrett, Mr. Dennis, Councilman Dennis. Yeah, if we re-refer this back, will that encumber the work? I am, I haven't seen, just in my response, I've been getting the emails about this, haven't seen the red flags, but if there's a re-referral, would this be an issue for this board operating proficiently, and what is the administration's pleasure? Garrett Dennis, administration, to Councilman Johnson through the chair, there are 16 members on this board, so re-referring Mr. Alejo's appointment will not stop the business of the board. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Dr. Salem, followed by Mr. Landon. Thank you, Mr. President. I'm on rules, and we have spent more time on this particular piece of legislation than anything I can remember on rules, so please don't re-refer it. Make a decision and vote. You got a green button and you got a red button. However, Council Member Carl Leach, you brought up problems with this board. That's a separate issue. That can be dealt with without this particular candidate, so please don't re-refer this, and let's vote. Thank you, Mr. President. All right, sir. Over to Mr. Landon. Thank you, Mr. President. Exactly what Dr. Salem said. I don't know how many times we've deferred this, but it's been on the rules agenda for many months now, so I would prefer, and I'll defer to the rules chair if he's changed his mind, but I think we just need to vote because this one has been with us a long time. And over to Mr. Gay, rules chair. Thank you, Mr. President. Please don't re-refer this. You know, we have deferred it. We've discussed it. I've had notice meetings on it. I've had the Construction Trade Board in. I've had code enforcement in, administration in, and, you know, got in and got the facts straight where they were kind of diluted and not accurate, so we got all the facts straight. The mere fact that the action that's taken place with a violation, not permitting work, is not going to change. That right there is the sole issue with the integrity of sitting on this board, and it has nothing to do about, there was a lot of discussion about the homeowner in a project and a warranty and all that, putting in the too small of an air compressor. And, like I say, we're not a construction trade board up here, but we're looking at the facts. And the facts is there was a recent violation, and just that cloud right there is enough pause for me to say, no, this is not what we need on our judicial board here. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Gay. Dr. Johnson, are you still on the queue or no? It popped on and then popped off. President, I just want to give the fairness to it. Is the gentleman here? Okay. Okay. Thank you. That's what I wanted to know. Thank you, Mr. President. Okay. We have, I believe we have a motion and a second on the bill as amended. All right. Seeing no other speakers, let's open the ballot and record your vote. Six yays, 11 nays. By your vote, 2026-0517 fails. Sir, this would be a good time to recognize the rules chair. Mr. Rules chair, you are recognized. All right. Thank you, Mr. President. We have just approved the following appointments as part of the consent agenda. If you are here in the audience, please stand to be recognized. Alexandra Field to the Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Grants Committee. Robert K. Hickson as the chief of fire operations division of the fire and rescue department. Jordan M. Dowling as chief of homeland security in the office of the sheriff. Michael B. Schell as the director of police services for the office of the sheriff. Pauline Mackey-Drake to the board of library trustees. And that's all. And we want to thank you for your service to the city and congratulate them for being appointed. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, now I've given we've approved the consent agenda. In total, we have one more presentation today. And I invite the introducer of the resolution, Council Member White, to proceed to the podium as Mr. Thiel reads the resolution. Resolution 2026-879, Timothy H. Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Duquesne University and a Master of Science in Organizational Development from Robert Morris University. And he has extensive professional experience in finance, public administration, and pension management. Mr. Johnson began his career in banking in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before entering public service in 2004 as the Administrative Services Director for Allegheny County. Subsequently serving on the Allegheny County Retirement Board from 2006 through 2011. And he was appointed Executive Director of the Allegheny County Employees Retirement System in 2012. Mr. Johnson was appointed by the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund Board of Trustees as Executive Director, Plan Administrator, effective August 1, 2016. Bringing his extensive financial and pension administration experience to an organization entrusted with providing retirement benefits to Jacksonville's police officers, firefighters, retirees, and their beneficiaries. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Johnson has provided steady and thoughtful leadership in overseeing the Police and Fire Pension Fund's administration, investment operations, financial management, and compliance responsibilities. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, investment professionals, legal counsel, and city officials to uphold the fund's fiduciary obligations and safeguard the retirement security of its members. Mr. Johnson has demonstrated an enduring commitment to strengthening the fund through improved organizational governments, enhanced administrative procedures, technological modernization, member education, and a culture of transparency and accountability, ensuring that the organization continues to meet the evolving needs of its members. As Executive Director, Mr. Johnson has been a dedicated leader and mentor to the fund's employees, establishing a high professional standard while encouraging individual initiative, collaboration, and professional development, fostering an environment in which staff members are empowered to grow and contribute meaningfully to the organization's mission. Recognizing the importance of organizational continuity, Mr. Johnson has placed particular emphasis on succession planning, the preservation of institutional knowledge, and the development of future leadership, helping prepare the fund and its employees for a successful transition following his retirement. After more than 10 years of distinguished service to the City of Jacksonville and its public safety personnel, Mr. Johnson has announced his retirement, effective November 30, 2026, leaving a lasting legacy of dedicated public service, sound administration, and professional development. And the Police and Fire Pension Fund's Board of Trustees has unanimously selected Mr. Johnson's long-time Deputy Director, Stephen Lundy, to succeed him as Executive Director, Plan Administrator, providing continuity in the organization's leadership. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Council of the City of Jacksonville. The City Council hereby honors and commends Timothy H. Johnson for his 10 years of exceptional service as Executive Director, Plan Administrator of the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund. The City Council expresses its sincere appreciation for Mr. Johnson's dedication to responsible pension administration, his commitment to Jacksonville's police officers and firefighters, and his leadership and mentorship of the fund's employees. The City Council extends its best wishes to Mr. Johnson for continued health, happiness, and fulfillment in his well-deserved retirement. Council Member. Mr. President, I want to thank you for allowing this second presentation tonight. I know we usually don't lose this, but I want to thank Tim. When John Keene was there, we thought when he retired, you know, what would we do? But thank God you came along. Thank you. And he's got a good person. Steve, stand up. Stephen Lundy, he will be our next person. And I have a soft place in my heart, but every two weeks from that, I open up my mail and see what you've deposited in my – I appreciate this, man. And thank you so much. I hope you have a good retirement. And thank you, if you want to say a few words. I'll keep it brief. To the Council Secretary, I appreciate what you've read on my behalf. And to all the members of the City Council, you've been wonderful to me. It's been a great run, not only for me, my family, but also for the solvency of the Police and Fire Pension Fund. We're stronger today. We've got a great outlook with the surtax beginning in a few years. And I just want to thank you for all your support. Thank you again. All right. Mr. President, up next is the Economic Development Investment Item on page 15, 2026, 855. Thank you. There was an opportunity for public comment, but we did not receive any cards, so therefore I move the amendment. All right. We have a motion and a second on the amendment. Seeing no speakers in the queue, we'll vote on the amendment verbally. All in favor indicated by saying aye. Aye. All against saying no, the amendment passes. I move the bill as amended. We have a motion and a second on the bill as amended. We'll recognize Mr. Carrico. Not even on this one. Real quick, since we did do a council amendment, can legislative services update Mr. Johnson's certificate in the future? So he has a copy with everyone's name on it. Just a quick request. Thank you. All right. Anyone have any comments on the bill? Seeing none, we have a motion and a second on the bill. Let's open the ballot and record your vote. 16 yays. 1 nay. By your vote, 2026-0855 passes. Mr. President, as per ordinance 2022-475, we are now ready for public comments. Council members are reminded that this is our time to hear from the public. This is not a time for questions and answers or debate. However, a member of the public may be invited to the Robert Johnson room for further discussions pending the approval of the council president. Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to speak, you should have filled out the yellow public comment card. No cards will be accepted after 6 p.m. We're just about there now. Council rules call for the allotment of 90 minutes for public comment. Given the number of cards we presently have, each speaker will be allowed 2 minutes and 30 seconds to speak. During our public comment time, only the speaker will be allowed at the podium unless physical assistance is required. We provide this opportunity for public comment beyond what the state law requires. As such, you must state your name and address before beginning your comments or just say my address is on file, meaning it's written on the yellow card. I will announce five speakers at a time in the order they are to appear. When I call your name, I ask that you move to the seats down here up front and wait your turn to speak. Your time will start when you arrive at the podium. We ask that all bags, boxes, purses be placed on the table to your right prior to approaching the podium. We thank you for your time this evening. Our first five speakers are Denise Scott, Kathleen Pereira, Jerry Woodham, Carnell Oliver, and Addison Patrick. Come on down to the front. Please note, again, you have two and a half minutes to speak. Mr. Chee, I'm going to ask you to go ahead and read Council Rule 4.505. Council Rule 4.505, Disruption of Meeting. Any person who disrupts a regular meeting of the City Council, standing committees, special or select committees, subcommittees, or any other public meeting presided over by a City Council member may be forthwith barred, removed, or otherwise ejected in the discretion of the presiding officer from further attendance at that meeting. If necessary, due to the nature of the disruption, the audience may be cleared from the Council chambers or meeting location in the discretion of the presiding officer. Any person who refuses to leave the City Council chamber may be subject to arrest. All right. Please note our start time as 5.58. Again, our first speaker is Ms. Scott. Please be sure to provide your name and address before you begin. Thank you. Go ahead. You didn't say how many minutes we get. Two and a half. Oh, I didn't hear. I'm sorry. No worries. Good evening, everybody. I'm Denise Scott, and my address is on five. I say two and a half. This will be the twice in 2026 that I have agreed with Rory Diamond. That was definitely not on my bingo card. But here we are again, giving money to these for-profit companies. The story says that you all brokered a deal that will offer Gateway Jackson Incorporated $28.25 million when they complete whatever they're doing, and then $21.4 million property tax refund. We're issuing out property tax refund. Now that you know we just voted property tax cuts, where are we going to get this money from? These companies have enough resources to make their projects successful. Stop giving away our tax money for all these incentives, because they're going to be downtown anyway. Now I hear that Sheriff T.K. Waters received $73 million from the Justice Department to help reduce violent crime in the city, and I think that's an amazing opportunity for our city. I just have one question. Since the citizens just voted to cut this property tax, and we just gave him over a billion dollars, is he going to give us some of our money back? And the pastor spoke this evening, and she said that she would hope that you all would understand that the decisions that you make, the constituents matter. When you all decide to make these cuts, please don't start at the working class families, because they always get to feel the burden of these cuts. Jacksonville would like for this city to continue to maintain our local parks, keep our libraries open. We want summer activities for our youth. We want affordable houses, and we do not want you to cut funding for child care and other after-school programs. You give too much money to these developers anyway. Let's start cutting there. Lastly, I wasn't here, but I was so disappointed to know that a citizen here was arrested last meeting for wearing a T-shirt, and it was not even a T-shirt candidate for nobody on this dais. Y'all know that she wasn't campaigning, but you had her handcuffed and escorted out of here like she was a criminal. Well, I'm sure y'all violated her rights, but you say you didn't. I'm sure, I'm grateful that she's safe, and I know that she was doing good trouble for us. You guys need to make up your mind about what's allowed and what isn't, because the meeting before, she had on the same shirt. Next, we have Kathleen Pereira. My name is Kathleen Pereira. My information is on file. Thank you to Council President Howland for preparing and the Council for preparing for Amendment 3. And what's interesting is that a lot of people don't know what the core functions of the government is and what should be funded, so here's a quick tutorial. Protecting public safety, which means adequately funding the police, fire and rescue, disaster funds, and emergency measures. Ensuring laws are applied fairly by funding the court system. And providing public services, such as infrastructure, which means roads, water, management systems, lightings, and bridges. One of the important functions, even though it's not funded necessarily, is keeping the integrity of our boards. Sanitation, which is sewer systems, garbage collection. Health services, like indigent emergency care and public health department. And social support, which is limited to emergency housing and care of the indigent, not just hectare, anything you want, social services. Period. Those are the core functions of the government. Even though the government is also responsible for education, that portion is not affected by this amendment. So that's a different story. Any other funding for current conflict of interest NGOs, which there are many, stadiums, pet projects, or developer and business incentives need to be cut first or even eliminated, such as giving money away to publics and no emergency funds for furniture. So, in other words, the city should not play any games with the public when it comes to amending the budget to reflect the change in revenue. And there should also not be any schemes to increase taxes by way of other avenues just to feed the fat. It's time to tighten the belt like all of us do when it comes to sensible budgeting. Period. Thank you. Next, we have Jerry Woodham. Good evening, Jerry Woodham. Address on file. Good evening, President Howland and all council members. The voters have spoken. They want better control of their dollars. God's word says in 1 Corinthians 4-2, Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. As a taxpayer, I have seen millions spent on a stadium that belongs to a millionaire. I have seen millions go to developers for just completing their project. I have lived in this city for 46 years. I am appalled by our JTA board, our JHA board, our JEA board, and recently I found out about the construction board mismanagement. Whistleblowers were punished. Now, Publix wants to be given $28 million. And lastly, I don't see two-year-old furniture at $78,000 to be spent as an emergency when the furniture is only two years old. It is time that you look at your own checkbook as the council, like we look at our checkbooks. If you don't have it, don't spend it, and don't promise it. Thank you. Next, we have Carnell Oliver. Yes, my name is Carnell Oliver. Today, I'm going to speak, Carnell Oliver, address is on file. The issue I'm going to speak to today is 541. I would go for this deal if the east side had partial ownership in the asset of it. If this community does not get partial ownership of this development project, they don't get no funding. Because I'm going to give you my rationale. Now, number one, Amendment 3 passed. Number two, in second reading, we got a bunch of bonds going out the door for affordable housing. What we're going to do, once this man's race is over with, this man we got going to leave us in a Joe Biden situation. Because I want you to understand something. The one thing I've learned, and I appreciate about Donald Trump's administration, I clearly see when you put the wrong people in office, they get out of hand. They spend money, buy voters, make a mess. And the one thing I realize, it is Democrats who always break a lot of furniture. And then Republicans have to come behind, start snatching away everything, discipline the system. And the next election come around, you give Democrats a chance to govern, and they end up breaking something else. Republicans come back in place, they have to snatch away more stuff. Because, simple fact, nobody has not learned their lesson. The form of discipline that this community sure needs right now at this point in time is effective governance that serves the interests of the people. I will not support a project like this if I was on this council, if I did not allow certain neighborhoods to own assets. That means that they will not be dependent on the government to provide their basic needs. I'm looking at every transaction now, as I grow, as I mature, as a business transaction. Because I'm telling you, we're going to deal with a Joe Biden situation, COVID-19 situation. And I want you to defer this bill. And let's have an honest conversation. Is this deal worth anything if a neighborhood like OutEast has been denied for decades critical investment? I want you to think about it. You know I understand what's going on. Thank you. Next, we have Addison Patrick. In the meantime, I'm going to invite down to the front Blake Harper. I believe it's Davida Harper, John Scott, Diane Johnson-McGee, and Janet Perry. Please come on down to the front. Go ahead. Hi. Good evening, everyone. My name is Addison Liberty Patrick, and my address is on file. I have a feeling we're going to hear a lot of the same things this evening. So I just want to start off by saying that I really appreciate living in Jacksonville, despite all of the quirks and the things that we have going on right now. I do believe that we can be stronger together. I think that we need to come together more in community. I went to Porch Fest over the weekend. That was absolutely amazing. I know we've got a lot of things on the road ahead of us that are going to be difficult, like figuring out the specifics with this budget. But one thing that I do know is that if we are going to abide and follow the rule of law, we should be applying things equally. And you guys have heard me talk about this before, freedom of speech and expression and things like that. The T-shirt, that's a little excessive. I know that we have a rule. I think that's a rule that we should get off the books. I don't like that at all. We are pretty good in here. In terms of 2026-0850 and 51 for the SHIP housing funds, I'm loving seeing that we're going to expend these funds. It's about time on that one. I'm going to keep an eye on 2026-0931. That was introduced about candidates. I'm going to likely be attending the rules committee on that. I'm glad that that was deferred to the rules committee. I appreciate you all taking a look at that. I have to agree with some of the other stuff before. 2026-0869. $70,000 for city council suite and conference rooms. I would say no on that. I also think a big chunk of where we can lower our spending cut back or whatever is in public safety and anywhere that we have government vehicles. Those government vehicles should be used for work only, not commuter purposes, and they should be parked and not used for personal errands. Let's stretch out the depreciation on all those things. Those costs add up. Then we don't have to nickel and dime like other programs. The last thing I'll say on the budget is with the nonprofits. We're going to have to keep a close eye on that. I believe there was 2026-0867. We were looking at waiving. Thank you, ma'am. All right. Thanks. Have a good one. Next, we have Blake Harper. Blake Harper, information on file. Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, buddy. You and me tonight. You called out Tony Ricardo for speaking the truth about Islam. You and Donna Deegan. But, you know, the interesting thing is Elizabeth Anderson came up for appointment at the Board of Trustees of the library. She called a conservative black woman a token, but you were silent. I think that's what we call hypocrisy. I think it's shameful hypocrisy. The thing is, the media gives you a pass because they're in your pocket, the reality of it. Now, I'm passing around to you something from John Stuart Mill, 1859. It is perhaps hardly necessary to say that this doctrine, liberty, is meant to apply only to human beings and the maturity of their facilities. Folks, law of this country recognizes that adults have a different mental capacity, have a different capacity to make decisions than children do. There was a Supreme Court decision, Ginsburg versus New York in 1968, which enumerated that by saying pornography and inappropriate content is different for an adult than it is for a minor. Second of all, it's said that the lawmaking bodies have a responsibility to protect children. But we're not protecting children. If I brought the three books to the city council that I mentioned in rules, you would be trying to infringe on my First Amendment rights because of me reading to you and showing you the obscenity in the books in our public library. Now, somebody had said, well, let policy take care of it. No, you've got to get the policy fixed to start with because when you look at the complaint process, it's a circular process where a dog's chasing its own tail. You've got to get the right people on the board. They've got to straighten out the policy and they've got to clean out these disgusting books that destroy our children's minds. It's just that simple. It doesn't make a difference if it's a public school or a private school. You don't walk into a convenience store and see a penthouse or a Playboy sitting in front of kids. Why is it acceptable for that same content to be in a public library? Next we have Javita Harper, I believe it is. Thank you. Good evening, council. My name is Javita Harper. My address is on file. I want to speak a little bit about transparency. My question is, what is the council and its administration proactively doing to prevent the rise of discriminatory and biased terminations within the city, subsequent causing extended unemployment, I'm sorry, for Jacksonville constituents? What is being done about discrimination in the hiring and rehiring process within the city of Jacksonville itself, which is disproportionately affecting black professional women in the city? The city of Jacksonville and its administration facilitates biases and discriminatory practice amongst applicants and prior city employees, as I myself was one. What steps are being taken to ensure these roadblocks do not permeate throughout the city, which impacts and further grows economic hardships in the underserved communities within our city? This administration and the council is notorious for being reactive to the community concerns instead of proactively getting ahead of issues, which ultimately affects the constituents of Jacksonville, which now we're facing a rise in unemployment. Thank you for your time. Thank you, ma'am. Next, we have John Scott. Thank you, Mr. Floor Leader, Mr. President, members of the council. My name is John Scott. My address is on file. Last Tuesday, Amendment 3 was approved by strong bipartisan support. But today, this council is considering nearly $50 million in incentives for a private development outlined in Ordinance 25-541. Despite the community's outright opposition, we are now being presented with a compromise amendment. Take $4 million from the Shipwards West project. Take another $4 million from the proposed restaurant, Ripper Hut Plaza. Find $4 million more from downtown redevelopment funds. Redirect $7 million previously committed to another residential tower. Then take another $9 million from the general fund. And call that fiscal responsibility. It's not cutting spending that's raiding other priorities to preserve this deal. Not $1 has been eliminated from the $28.25 million completion grant. Not $1 has been eliminated from the potential $21.4 million in property tax rebates. The funding sources change. The taxpayer commitment does not. We're told Amendment 3 will reduce general fund revenues by approximately $200 million in fiscal year 2728 and $300 million the following year. And yet, with that backdrop, we are still discussing how to spend nearly $50 million rather than whether we should spend it at all. So I have three questions for this council. First, if not now, when? If the prospect of losing hundreds of millions in annual revenue isn't enough to force difficult spending decisions, when will that moment arrive? Next month? Next year? When the budget crisis is already upon us? And second, if not this, what? If nearly $50 million in taxpayer incentives for a private development isn't an appropriate place to start cutting spending, then what is? What expenditure is too excessive? What subsidy is too generous? What financial commitment is this council actually willing to reject? And third, and finally and most importantly, if not this council, who? You were elected to make difficult decisions, to establish priorities, to protect the taxpayers who entrust you with their money. Fiscal responsibility isn't always popular. Chairman Landon could attest to that. It doesn't always earn applause. And it means having the courage to say no today rather than typing up tomorrow's revenues with commitments we may no longer be able to afford. Now this council must make their decision. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Next we have Diane Johnson-McGee. Just a quick reminder, name and address, please. Good evening, President Holland and to all the city council committee. My name is Diane Alice Johnson-McGee and my address is on file. Bishop Dr. Jandy Goodman Sr. is well deserving of having part of his legacy in the form of a street being named in his honor. A proud, when I say proud, proud native of Jacksonville, Florida. Bishop Goodman, a humanitarian, has shared his life unselfishly with people. Oh, how he loves people. Our ministry, One Accord Ministries International Incorporated, formerly One Accord Gospel Temple Incorporated, has been in the North Riverside area since December of 1999. However, our ministry is going on 33 years old. I have the privilege of having Bishop Goodman as my pastor, who accepted this call 48 years ago. Wow. A Marine, hoorah, 250 years old today, 51 years old today. Former JSO, officer 20 years, husband, father, and son. I'm going to tell you, you will not regret voting yes and changing the sad street to Bishop Dr. Jandy Goodman Sr. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have Janet Perry. I'd like to invite down to the front, please. Come on down, please. Samantha Series, Alan Mastin, Nancy Murray Settle, Jamie Travis Leonard, and Joy VU. Go ahead, ma'am. Good evening. My name is Janet Perry. My address is on file. I want to say good evening to all of the council members. I'd also like to do something that you probably don't hear very much, and I want to say thank you. I know you don't hear that very often. I especially want to thank Council Member Clark Murray and Council Member Pittman for the sponsorship of the street naming change for Bishop Dr. Jandy Goodman Sr. I can say this, that a lot of times we wait until people have left earth to honor them. This change would be honoring somebody who walks today, and it would be a privilege for this community to know that there is somebody that in some miraculous way still cares about people, is still committed to making sure that we are honest and viable citizens as well as being spiritually taught. We want to say that he also is one who cares, who counsels, and offers everything that he possibly can to see that the community is safe, to see that our community is viable. So, as Ms. Johnson-McGee stated, we hope that you would vote in favor of this name change. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have Samantha Series. Samantha Series, address on file. My timer is, it didn't stop. Okay, thank you. Samantha Series, address on file. Thank you for the 10 of you that are sitting here out of the 19 that we have. Appreciate that. I just wanted to talk a little bit. I know I usually talk about overdevelopment and how I'm against it, but I also want to talk about data centers a little bit today, especially since I saw a lot of AI slop out in the lobby area, which was really fun to look at. Data centers are eyeing Jacksonville. Recently, St. Johns County actually imposed a moratorium on data centers for a year, and I think we should be following in the footsteps because our land is precious and our water is precious. Our residents are people, and they don't deserve to be tortured by the data center noise, by the poison and the air and the water, and just taking our resources. We already have enough problems with JEA raising, increasing our rates and how they're trying to have those different, the new gas plant and everything like that. So I think that we should take it upon ourselves to make sure we do not get rampant data centers in our city. I think it's a concern that a lot of people do have. You know, we can live without artificial intelligence. We can't live without clean water or clean air. We have a lot of different issues going on. I know with the Amendment 3 passing, people are concerned about money. You know, data centers might have, like, the incentive. Maybe they'll make money, but they're really depleting our resources, and I think it's really interesting that so many people talk about, oh, the race with China. Like, no, China, I'm sorry, China's winning because they don't use fresh water to cool their data centers. They have less than 500, and we have almost 5,000. So, obviously, we're doing something incorrect, and maybe if we want to win the race, we should be not allowing tech bros and tech oligarchs to ruin our planet, to ruin our water, to ruin our air, to torture our residents. I think it needs to be implemented that we take a stand against them and make sure people are listened to and do better. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have Alan Mastin. Good evening. My name is Alan Mastin, and my address is on file. I'm here to support establishing a permanent affordable housing trust fund. Affordable housing is a growing concern for many Jacksonville residents. As you know, home prices and rents have skyrocketed in recent years, while wages have not kept pace. I live in Riverside and bought my home in 1997. I could not afford to buy that home in today's market. Many of your constituents, including the ones who voted for you, and especially those who serve you, struggle to find affordable housing. Ask them about it at your next town hall meeting. Ask a server next time you visit a restaurant, particularly in Riverside-Avondale, San Marco, and the beaches, how difficult it is to find affordable housing near where they work. You have the opportunity to help them by creating a permanent affordable housing trust fund. I can think of no better use of our tax dollars than supporting a fund that helps our less fortunate neighbors make ends meet. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have Nancy Murray-Settle. Nancy Murray-Settle, address is on file. Tonight I want to talk about jails, incarceration, the budget, and the river. I want to tell the parable of the St. John's River. Basically, downstream, terrible things float by crime in our city. And the city comes together and does what it can to deal with it, and that's police and jails. And so we put a lot of money into that. We put more money, more money. Crime comes down the river, more money. Finally, someone says, hey, let's go upstream and see what the problem is. And it's poverty. But Jacksonville has one of the highest incarceration rates of major metropolitan areas in Florida, and that costs taxpayer money. We pay $9 to $12 million annually to keep people in jail for nonviolent crimes when they cannot afford bail. We all want safety and prosperity in our community. So instead of looking at a bigger facility to incarcerate more and more people coming down the river from upstream, let's look upstream and look at crime prevention. Poverty is what breeds violence. And that leads to incarceration and a vicious cycle in Jacksonville of recidivism and reincarceration. Cutting spending in community mental health, rehab, after-school programs, Kid Hope Alliance, housing. At first, it's going to look like savings to you guys when we have to cut the budget. But the reality is, is that these cuts increase homelessness, untreated mental illness, and survival-driven crimes. So there is no savings. We're just being pushed. The costs are being pushed downstream by having more people sitting in jails, in emergency rooms, in the courts of our justice system. Jails are acting for our city as the largest psychiatric facility, detox centers, and homeless shelters. Jails are not equipped to serve in that capacity, and it is more expensive. The bottom line is spending money upstream to address poverty and social safety nets saves money. Thank you. Next, we have Jamie Travis-Leonard. Good evening, State Council. My name is Jamie Travis-Leonard. My address is on file. I'm coming up to give you all free advice. I've got the ultimate win for you. It is a beloved perspective across all political spectrums, with the exception of billionaires. Put a moratorium on big data centers. When I say put a moratorium on big data centers, we already have six data centers in Jacksonville. They use about 10 megawatts each. The data centers I'm talking about are the ones who are going to use 1,248 megawatts of power, which is approximately 700,000 homes, which we don't even have in Jacksonville, because we only have about 450,000. So this city council has been a little contentious, a little bit in the news for not the right reasons. You can put yourself in the news for the right reasons. Already, across our state, moratoriums are going into effect because data centers that use more than 50 megawatts of power are so unpopular. And I don't just mean the blue counties. I mean places like Sarasota County, Lakeland, Washington County, Manatee County, Alachua County, Northport, Marion County, Gilchrist County, and St. John's County, on top of all the others. So I'm up here to propose that this council take the easy win and work together to form a moratorium to save our water, to save our land, and to save our communities. Because not only do data centers suck our natural resources, they have an adverse health effect on the communities that are near them because of noise pollution and runoff. Take the win. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Peluso, I would like to speak to you in the Robert Johnson room, please. Next we have up Joy Vayu. I hope I spelled that right or pronounced it right. Can I invite Alicia Grant, Michael Haskins, Carolyn Rosenberg, Elder Timothy Johnson Sr., and Dragon Beloit to come on down to the front, please. Go ahead, ma'am. My name is Joy Vio, and my address is on file. I'm speaking again tonight in support of the Jacksonville Affordable Housing Trust Fund, specifically bills 2026-858 and 2026-885. To me, the recent passage of Amendment 3 makes this fund even more critical for those in our city who are facing challenges to find or remain in housing. Now that homeowners will have more money in their bank accounts, maybe we, homeowners, as individuals, can contribute part of those tax savings to programs that will benefit taxpayers struggling to rent or own homes. This public-private fund will allow those targeted individual donations. Please support these bills. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Next we have Alicia Grant. Got a handout there for you. Alicia Grant. My address is on file. Good evening. I had hoped and planned to be speaking on bills 2026, 094, and 2026-0795, which was listed on the LUZ agenda last week as 0796. Having voted on the bills already, I would like to confirm my approval of the project, which is an expansion of the Biscotti's restaurant and the shops of Avondale. I met with the owner and his attorney yesterday, and we had a really good conversation, and I was left feeling very good vibes about the project. I have prepared these packets for you because after meeting at the LUZ meeting last week, I didn't leave feeling very fuzzy about them understanding the parking problems that we have encountered in our historic district since the passing in 2008 of the historic Avondale, the Riverside Avondale historic zoning overlays. So I have prepared a lot of materials for you to review that address the issue of parking beginning in 2016 when there was an exception filed, which I ended up having to appeal to city council. After you have an opportunity to review this material, I hope that you will take the initiative to address and introduce appropriate legislation to address the following request, and that is that this sitting city council make Jacksonville the bold city it claims to be. It is time to enact a residential parking permit program citywide to protect those areas that are being impacted by intrusive parking brought on by commercial expansion. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Next, we have Michael Haskins. Michael Haskins, address on file. Thank you for your time tonight. I'm here to speak on 0541 for the gateway incentives. This has been supported by the Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Board of Directors because we know that city investment in our downtown is a form of economic investment in our city. We know that these public dollars will be recuperated by the city over time, and that they are critical to attracting additional private dollars in the form of new residents and small businesses that will be able to occupy space in this building downtown as a result of this incentive package. So I would encourage you to support this incentive package, and thank you for your time. Thank you. Next, we have Carolyn Rosenberg. Good evening. I'm Carolyn Rosenberry, and my address is on file. I'm here to support the legislation which will create an affordable housing trust fund to be administered by the city. I commend city council for voting, not just once but twice, to approve the funding proposed for affordable housing projects in the budget that was recently passed. This is a good start, but it's only a start. 47,000 housing units are needed in Jacksonville to accommodate low-income families, senior citizens, health, maintenance, and other service workers, and many others whose jobs we depend on daily. This deficit in affordable housing has been years in the making and will need long-term sustained efforts to resolve long-term solutions would be greatly helped by having a structured affordable housing trust fund administered by the city's housing and community development division, as is being proposed by the office of the mayor. This structure is advantageous because it can incorporate other potential funding sources, such as developers' fees and donations from corporations, not just funding from the city budget. With state and city budget resources to be so squeezed in the next several years, it is all the more critical that we have an affordable housing trust fund available, which can draw from as many funding resources as possible and can administer them effectively. Thank you. Thank you, and my apologies for mispronouncing your name, Ms. Rosenberry. Next, we have Elder Timothy Johnson, Sr. Can we close that door, please? Jessica, go ahead, sir. All right. Good evening, President and Council and fellow Jacksonville residents. My name is Elder Timothy D. Johnson, Sr. Address is on file. I wish Mr. Pelusi was here because this is specifically for him. District 7, 8, 9, and 10. This affects you greatly. I have an initiative, a District 7 community initiative I'd like to introduce, and I will have handouts, and I'll email the individual council members later. But I'm here today to introduce the District 7 community housing initiative, focusing on affordable housing, homelessness, prevention, transition to housing, and neighborhood revitalization. Housing instability is not simply a housing problem. It affects public safety, employment, education, families, veterans, and the overall economic health of our communities. We cannot continue to address homelessness only after individuals and families have lost their homes. We must also focus on prevention, early intervention, and creating pathways toward permanent housing stability. I am proposing a community-centered approach that begins in District 7 with the potential to become a model for neighborhoods throughout Jacksonville. I am asking this council to consider three specific actions. First, a District 7 community housing needs assessment. We need to understand the actual housing challenges facing our residents. This includes affordable rental housing, workforce housing, vacant properties, veterans experiencing homelessness, facilities facing displacement, and individuals needing transition housing. Secondly, we cannot develop meaningful solutions without identifying these needs. Second, a community partnership and resource coordination meeting. I am requesting that the city bring together housing agencies, nonprofit organizations, community development corporations, veterans service providers, faith-based organizations, and private sector partners. I would like the Brooklyn Riverside Community Development Corporation considered as a proposal, as a proposed, I should say, community partner in this effort. The purpose is to identify existing resources, uncover gaps in the services, explore funding opportunities, and determine how organizations can work together independently. Thank you. Thank you, sir. And next, we have Dragon Beloit, but before that, I'd like to invite down to, I believe it's Evan Rajtu, Katrina Brown, Tom McGuire, and I believe it's Latrina Doddle. Please come on down to the front. Ms. Beloit, the floor is yours. Hi, Dragon Beloit, address on file. I'm glad to see most of you haven't been on your phone the whole time that everyone's been here, but I am one of the lucky ones that has more than 10 people at the dais at a time. I appreciate that very much. I know some of you are busy, and I know some of you are avoiding us. I don't know which is which, but I can guess. Hi, everyone. Obviously, affordable housing, very important. Other things that are very important, again, Nancy Murray Settle had it on, absolutely on tap. Our jail is being used as a psychiatric facility, as a homeless holding facility, and I know that because after a guy that I've seen a couple of times here threw someone over a set of chairs, I spent 26 hours there, and the people I met were almost exclusively people that were homeless, people that were in need of serious medical or medication intervention, and people who had nowhere to go. These people were still in the jail, not because they needed to be there, but because, such as in the instance of one woman who I knew who had been there for three months, she didn't have enough money to get out, and even if she did, she didn't have anywhere to go. This is one of the big issues of our time, folks. This is something that we need to be working on. We see some really, really fast turnarounds for stuff that people really don't like. I know for a fact you guys can do things very quickly and very efficiently, so here are some suggestions. Data center moratorium, easy win, gets you all points, like three points off of the polls minimum. Making sure that our jail is functioning as a jail and not as a homeless housing psychiatric health facility. Big deal. Affordable housing and taxes, this can be fixed at the same time. If we invest money into government, the same way you'd invest in a business, right? You guys know business? Business. Ooh, jingle keys. If we do invest money in making housing here and then renting it out to people, we make money because they pay rent. There's a lot of different things that could be done, and it could be done really, really fast. Data center moratorium, 10 seconds. Also, great job on the Free to Garden Act. I know that took literally months to get you guys to listen to, but we're actually getting it. I'm super happy about that, and we could be doing so much more for housing. Just work like a little and not with developers that are huge. Thank you. Thank you. Next we have Evan Raj, too, I believe it is. I hope I was close. Yes, sir. Evan Ryder. Address is on file. I just want to say that I'm very proud of the city and the way we are getting to be known as the city of growth. And, you know, I'm a big, you know, proponent of downtown, and I love everything that we're doing. So I'm speaking on the ordinance 2026-0541. So, you know, if you guys were here for Super Bowl, it was beautiful to watch the city grow and, you know, all the growth that we had. And then 08 happened, and all the fire got basically turned off, right? So now we're at that stage again to where you see the spark, you see the growth. There's a lot of business owners here in support that want to see this type of growth in Jacksonville. I get it. You know, it is scary. You know, we lost some money from the state and the government with the property tax bill. But we can't lose the momentum that we created. We have to keep the course and keep growing it because we're right there. You know, we're very close. And so I urge you guys, you know, to vote pragmatically on it and not emotionally on something that we all know will be great for this city. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next we have Katrina Brown. Good evening. My name is Katrina Brown. My address is on file. I came down here because I really just want to talk about bill number 20, 26, 0541. And I really just want to say that, first of all, you council members are doing a great job. And I know it's hard because I've been in your position before, so I'm not here to bash you. But I just want to bring something to your attention. When Amendment 3 passed, most of the council members told the constituents to vote no. I know. Most of you guys said no, vote no, because it's going to cut into the city services. Okay. And then now, seven days later, you're voting to give away $50 million. So it looks as if to the constituents that you told us one thing and then you're doing something different. My ask, I read through the bill, and most of the projects seem pretty decent. The only thing that I ask that you look at is if you're doing a lot of development downtown, try to have some affordable living. Don't have where everything is a market rate. And I don't see anything in this particular project that gives a discounted rate to a certain amount of units. And most of the projects that I see, Gateway Jaxx, is market rate. And one of the issues when I look through the partners of Gateway Jaxx is that JWB is one of the, I guess, part owners. Well, JWB came through most of the 7, 8, 9, and 10 district and bought up most of the houses. And that's how most of the prices got jacked up. And so when you look at a partner like JWB into the project and most of the market, the homes that they bought in our districts, the prices are high. And it costs a lot of people to struggle. And so now they're part of this particular project, and you guys are giving them everything in the city of Jacksonville. I'm concerned about the cost of living. So that's why I wanted to make that point to the city and the council. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Tom McGuire. Good evening. I am Tom McGuire. My address is 4711 Herter Road, Jacksonville, Florida, 32210. Surprise, surprise, surprise. Amendment 3 passed. I surely didn't see that coming. I voted against it, and I'm a property owner. Ah, go figure. But maybe now you will decide to listen to what I've been saying about the city not being able to afford a new jail. It's really a luxury that Amendment 3 has totally taken off the table. We just can't do it fiscally. And you should really, really be mad about Proposition, I mean, Amendment 3 anyway, because this is just a horrible power grab from Tallahassee that just pretty much takes all your authority away from the municipalities in Florida and sends it all down to Tallahassee. Ah, just a horrible, horrible measure that we now have to live with. As for 541, my second point I want to get to here this morning on First Coast Connect, Mayor Deegan quoted an independent Gallo study with a return of investment on your funding of between $330 million and $500 million over the next 30 years. That study was done by Gallo, and then another issue we've talked about, my third point here, T-shirts. It's interesting. We can get into the weeds on some of these things. But if council allows affiliation T-shirts, and I know I've worn affiliation T-shirts here, then maybe we should allow the political ones as well. And the question, a rhetorical question for you all, if L.J. Holloway had come here wearing an L.J. Holloway shirt, would that have been a problem, or is she allowed to wear her own name? Also, like I say, into the lesser issues, I did not know we were going to talk school board issues, but Tony Ricardo should know that it is always wrong for an elected public servant to attack a segment of the population they supposedly represent, especially if that's on the basis of ethnic or religious identity. There should be no problem with that whatsoever. Thank you so much. Thank you. Next, we have Latrina Dowdell, I believe it is. Feel free to correct me. That was good, Dowdell. My name is Latrina Dowdell. My address is on file. Today, I'm concerned about District 10 and the things that we have going on over there. I hear a lot of everybody want to do something about the housing crisis. But I just wanted to make sure that everyone consider that District 10 would probably be the place that they put this additional housing. It's become clear that we are the jackpot of the city where our bad habits have become the city's hustle. So what we want to do or maybe look at the fact that Jacksonville is this largest city land-wise. Why aren't we able to put some of these programs in other areas of Jacksonville and take the burden off of the woman because it's women in our community that are trying to save their homes and taking care of this particular community? I'm asking that we expand out some of this affordable housing because once these programs come over to our community, it actually calls social determinants of health because they put requirements for income as it relates to how much income you can make to qualify for programming. So it pulls down our income medians. So it begins to look intentional to us that we're the excretory system of the body where you're dumping everything that the city doesn't want. And now we have an issue with housing, but we opened a great building for our men, but we didn't consider that right outside the gates on golf fair, those men are at risk again because there's a hotel that no one ever cleaned up that charges per hour for prostitution and drug usage there. So just to walk to the corner store, we'll put those people back in jeopardy of going back into the system. So maybe rethink the way that we do systems and where's the best place to put those systems within our community. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. President, we've got four people who, persons who filled out cars but did not wish to speak. William Hoff is available for questions and supports 2026-806. Carol Hawkins also supports 2026-806. And I believe it's Sasa Muldera and also, I believe it's Wyatt Bowers, both support 2026-541. That concludes our public comment for this evening. Mr. President, it's now time for public hearings beginning on page 17. I have a quorum. I've got to hold off. The floor later can continue until I open the public hearings, right? Yeah, so Mr. Teal's going to have to read them all out, too. Let's just keep going. I'll stop short of opening the public hearing. Council members, if you'd please return to your seats. All right. I'm just going to go ahead and read the script and give Mr. Teal the opportunity to announce the bills. It's time for public hearings beginning on page 17, only which will be taken up this evening. Council members should declare any ex parte communications. Anyone wishing to speak on the following bill should have filled out a blue speaker card, and you'll be allowed three minutes to speak. If you provided your address on the card and do not wish to stay on the microphone, just merely, again, say that it's on record. But we encourage you to be more specific, as it might have impact on the impact of your comments. Failure to complete our form, provided including the provision of an address on the form, will mean your name will not be called for a public hearing. Mr. Teal, would you please read the bills? Pursuant to Council Rules 3.601, 3.602, and 3.604, for all public hearings and public participation bills, it is a violation of the Council rules for any person to speak on any topic that is unrelated to the particular bill's subject. The following items are up for public hearing. 2026, 779, 789, 799, 807, 845, 846, 847, 848, 849, 850, 851, 852, 853, 854, 856, 857, 858, 859, 860, 861, 862, 863, 864, 865, 866, 867, 868, 869, 885, 886, 2026, 126, 127, 523, 524, 689. 690, 691, 741, 742, 781, 781, 782, 783, 784, 785, 786, 787, and 788. President, I would ask, could you please open up these public hearings? These public hearings are open. Item number 32, 2026, 779. I have two speaker cards. Jamie Travis Leonard, who does not wish to speak but supports the bill, and John Nooney. Mr. Nooney, please hurry to the voting. Hello, I am John J. Nooney, Jacksonville City Council Resolution 2023-0819, City Council District 4, CPAC Planning District 3, Raymond Day, Duval County Public Schools, Cindy Pearson District 4. With this particular piece of legislation, it's citywide, you know, and I just want you all to know, you know, I just came, you know, from Clay County, you know, the Board of County Commissioners there. And with Amendment 3, Amendment 3, it's real. And this is parking stuff. Stay on the bill, please, sir. Yeah, it's parking. Off-street parking, on-street parking. And right now, you know, the state, all 67 counties are going to be scrambling for revenue. And so I just want to be on the record that, you know, with this piece of legislation, if there's a potential for a public-private partnership that incorporates, and there's a whole bunch of other things that will be just potential revenue streams, that this will be under consideration for a split revenue share, ultimately, between potential counties. So I just want to have that on there. And, again, a public-private partnership. Thank you for listening. I have no more speaker cards than 779. This public hearing is closed. Move the bill. We have a motion and a second on the bill. No speakers in the queue. Let's open the ballot and accord your vote. 16 yays, 0 nays. By your vote, 2026-0779 passes. Item number 33, 2026-789. I have no speaker cards. Public hearing is closed. Turn to page 18, item 34, 2026-799. I have no speaker cards. This public hearing is closed. Mr. President, I believe we need a motion to postpone until 1124. All right, do we have a second on the motion to postpone to 1124? All right, we have a motion and a second. I did hear a second over there. Ballot vote, then I'll reopen the ballot. Yep. Okay. Please open the ballot and record your vote on the motion to postpone. 17 yays, 0 nays. By your vote, 2026-0799 is postponed. I reopen the public hearing. Thank you. And continued. And there are no speaker cards. This public hearing will be continued to 1124-2026. Thank you, Mr. President. Moving on now to page 35, 2026-807. I have quite a number of speaker cards. If I call your name, I'm going to ask you to please come down to the front. I will call five names at a time. Jennifer Leggett. I believe it's Michael, Elijah, I think you know who you are. We are Roth Thompson and Morgan Baird, as well as Nathan Ballantyne. Please come on down to the front. Ms. Leggett, name and address, please. Yes, sir. Jennifer Leggett, and my address is on file. Good evening, council members. I'm Jennifer Leggett, and I'm also the chair of the Duval County Agricultural Council. I'm here in support of Ordinance 2026-0807, the Pathway to Urban Agriculture. Our agricultural coalition has worked towards establishing clear workable rules for community gardens and urban ag in Jacksonville. We appreciate the efforts of city council, city staff, and the planning commission. As this ordinance moves forward, we look forward to further discussions about increasing the number of allowable sales days and permitting cross-selling of agricultural products grown in Duval County. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. Next we have, I'm going to try, Michael Elijah Aquafrieden. Michael Elijah. Moving on then, we'll go next to Ruth Thompson. Michael did support the bill. My name is Ruth Thompson, and my address is on file. I'm representing Murray Hill Farmers Market tonight to speak in support of Ordinance 2026-0807, the Pathways for Urban Agriculture. We know in Jacksonville that there's a food insecurity, that 15% of Jacksonville residents experience food insecurity, and Duval County has 29 recognized food deserts. I feel that passing this bill will help to ease those numbers to make our food more available. We ask that you support this amendment, but increase the market garden community access days from the 12 that you have now to 70, and to allow for cross-sells among Duval County growers. I don't know, if we increase to 70, that means you can go to the store six times per month, which actually is not very much. I live in Riverside near Publix, and I usually find myself there every day. So by providing once a week that you can find food in your neighborhood, I would actually increase it to more, but I will accept the 70. These small changes will ensure that neighborhood-friendly community and market gardens are truly permissible by right in Jacksonville. It also supports the comprehensive food plan that Jacksonville has started to address the network of production, distribution, and access of food in our neighborhood. It recommends 32. This roadmap to food security recommends including zoning updates for urban agriculture. So the pathway for urban agriculture and increasing it to 70 is just the minimum to provide food security for our neighbors in Jacksonville. And also, as a vendor at the Murray Hills Farmers Market, we do not have enough farmers producing local, fresh produce and food for our neighborhood. So by increasing this to the 70, it would really support and aid in our food security in our city. So please vote for that. Thank you. Next we have Morgan Baird. Good evening. My name is Morgan Baird, and my address is on file. I happen to live in the San Jose neighborhood, zip code 32217. I'm here to support the ordinance formerly known as the Free to Garden Act, now known as the Pathways to Urban Agriculture, number 2026-807, and encourage critical amendments to ensure neighborhood-friendly community and market gardens are truly permissible by right in Jacksonville. We have come so far these past several years, and we do not need to let this stay in legal limbo. Currently, there is an uncertainty in our global food supply lines, even more so when they are disrupted. As many as you know, food prices can rise, and market gardens are uniquely positioned to help insulate Duval County from these rising costs and provide their neighbors with locally grown fresh produce. By purchasing locally grown produce in these neighborhood market gardens, we'll be keeping our money locally and helping our neighbors continue to invest in their urban farms and provide jobs and food for others. I'm requesting you to support Ordinance 0807 and embrace the amendments to increase the market garden community access days and allow cross-sales among Duval County growers. Thank you. Thank you. Next, we have Nathan Valentin. In the meantime, I'm going to invite these folks to come on down to the front. Kyle Harper, Valerie Herman, Miranda Anderson, Mikey Howell, and Susan Rogers. If you please come on down to the front. Go ahead, sir. Good evening. My name is Nathan Ballantyne. Overalls Farm grows at 125 East 7th Street. Speaking of which, should anyone on the dais or in the audience be so inclined, I would love to receive you for a tour of our neighborhood farm to show and tell how such urban gardens provide zero public cost green space, neighborhood grown food abundance, culinary education, and Jacksonville grocery grower support. But in the words of Mulan, let's get down to business. We are here tonight to usher Ordinance 2026-0807, Pathways for Urban Ag, formerly the Free to Garden Act, towards the finish line and in route to secure a few critical amendments to make sure community and market gardens are truly permissible by right in Jacksonville. We respectfully request that the current language of the bill be amended to, one, rename public sales days to more accurately community access days, and increase the annual limit from 12 to 70 days, which is our coalition's minimum viable threshold based on 52 weekly markets, 12 monthly workshops or dinners, and six random tours or field trips. This limit of 70 community access days allows our existing market gardeners to grow in peace while preventing bad actors from running Saturday-Sunday year-round businesses under the pretense that they are market gardens. And number two, to permit market gardens to sell agricultural and value-added products from other Duval County growers. To pass an ordinance with less than 70 community access days and without cross-sales permissibility is to confine our market gardeners to continued legal limbo or force them into costly variances, not to mention it could subject us all to a prolonged presence of concerned citizens in this chamber to address this matter. For all of our sakes, let's get it done, and let's get it done right the first time so we can move on to other things. Thank you for your attention, your patience, your service, and support. We eagerly await the moment when we can return to growing and supporting others to grow groceries for self and neighbor, and so leave you to govern over other important matters. Thank you so much. Thank you. Next we have Kyle Harper. Good evening. I'm Kyle Harper, and my address is on file. I live in San Marco area, and I also represent the Murray Hill Farmer's Market. I'm here also to support the Pathway to Urban Ordinance 2026-08-07, formerly the Free to Garden Act, and ask that you make it stronger. I've worked farmer's markets in this city for four years, and I want to tell you what I see every week. I see families who know the person who grows their food. I see neighbors running into neighbors. I see whole families of growers and vendors who lean on each other to make it work. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because people show up week in and week out. The money spent there stays in our neighborhoods, and every year these markets get bigger and stronger because people keep showing up. They are voting with their dollars. Market and community garden bring that same thing right down the street, but you can't build a community 12 days at a time, and as has been stated already, 70, I think, is a reasonable place to start, but it should be the floor, not the ceiling. Let these growers sell each other's products, too. That's how small markets or small farmers survive, and that's how community...