CPAC

CPAC Meeting May 2016

Posted by JimAdmin on Jun 16, 2016 in Pipeline | 0 comments

1. Call to Order/Verify Quorum- Chair Anania called the May 2016 GAB CPAC meeting to order at 6:30 pm. Rosemary Wesolowski verified that a quorum was present.
2. Approval of the Previous Meeting Summary – Larry Belge made a motion to approve the minutes, Karen Hunter Nowak second the motion, the CPAC members voted and the motion was approved.
3. Presentation(s): Sheriff Mike Williams, JSO introduced himself to the CPAC and shared his 3 priorities for JSO. Those priorities are: (1.) Lean and efficient operations, (2.) Engage the community and (3.) Reduce violent crime. Sheriff Williams briefly explained each of the priorities.

                 JSO will focus on ShAdCo, Neighborhood Walks, the Neighbor Nextdoor app and improving the JSO website to enhance community involvement. To enhance lean and efficient operations, JSO will be utilizing the Community Service Officers, funnel more juvenile offenders through the Juvenile Civil Citation programs, work with crime prevention programs and look at technology to help streamline processes. Sheriff Williams recognized that reducing violent crime will be their biggest challenge. The Sheriff stressed the importance of getting communities, schools and Faith-based groups together to assist JSO with identifying crime, drugs areas and gangs.

4. Elected Officials Reports – none
5. Staff Reports

• JSO (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office) – Assistant Chief Mitchell distributed flyers for the upcoming Zone 2 ShAdCo Safety Fair that will be held on May 21, 2016 at Regency Square Mall from 10 am – 2 pm.
• JFRD (Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department) – Fire 2 informed the CPAC that JFRD will increase their community involvement and plans are in place for a number of community walks by JFRD.
• Mayor’s Liaison – Denise Lee – On behalf of Ms. Lee, Housing and Community Development Division Operation Manager Barbara Florio stated that JFRD has plans for 2 upcoming community walks in the GAB District. The first walk will be on May 14, 2016 and Councilmember Morgan will walk with JFRD. The Sign and Tire Buy-back program was a success. The final numbers for the buy-back are not available yet.
• Duval County Public Schools – Tia Leathers stated DCPS will offer a Reading Extravaganza program on Saturday, May 14, 2016 from 9am – 12 pm in Hemming Park. DCPS is now offering The Parent Academy program. The Parent Academy was launched to promote parental involvement and enhance student achievement. Academy classes will be offered in schools, libraries, community centers, government offices, and faith-based institutions. The Parent Academy will focus on three primary tracks: student achievement, parenting and advocacy, and personal and individual growth.
• FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) – Jim Green reviewed the North Florida TPO Transportation Improvement Plan FY 2016/2017. Handouts of the plan were provided to all attendees.
• Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport – Tiffany Gillem – on behalf of Ms. Gillem, JAA Consultant, Alberta Hipps announced the April JAXEX event, Wings and Wheels was a big success. The staff of JAXEX hopes they will be able to host the event again.
• Jacksonville Public Library – Sara Roberts, Region Manager for Pablo Creek Region recognized the 4 libraries in the GAB District: University Park Branch, Regency Branch, San Pablo Branch and the Beaches Branch. Ms. Roberts reviewed the High 5 fund raising campaign for the libraries.
• JaxParks – Megan Williamson announced JaxParks will be offering summer camp programs again this year. Please check www.JaxParks.com for complete details and locations for summer camp. JaxParks pools will open for the summer season on Memorial Day weekend.
• JEA – Suzanne Goss alerted the CPAC of a scam that is occurring via phone involving JEA. Unknown individuals are posing as JEA staff and calling JEA customers asking them to pay their JEA bill with various gift cards. This is a scam. Ms. Goss stated that JEA will never call a customer on the phone to ask for payment, nor would JEA ask for payment with a gift card. If you have any concerns about your bill or the scam, please call 665-6000 during business hours Monday – Friday. JEA is working to replace all the in street lights city wide with energy efficient/high illuminating LED bulbs.
• JTA – Wendy Morrow stated the Skyway operation hours will be extended until midnight for Jazzfest on Friday, May 27^th and Saturday, May 28^th.
• Military Affairs and Veterans Department – Bill Spann – No report
• Neighborhoods Department (Municipal Code Compliance) – Elaine Lancaster announced that Code Compliance will conduct a systematic inspection in the Holiday Hills community soon. Code Compliance will be working a couple of Saturdays in the GAB district in the near future. Code Compliance statistics were provided for the GAB District. From April 11 to May 9, 2016, Code Compliance completed 1843 inspections and there are 1239 active cases.
• Planning & Development Department – Paul Davis announced he had received a promotion and this will be his last meeting serving the GAB CPAC. Mr. Davis introduced his GAB CPAC liaison replacement, Christian Popoli.
• Public Works – Steve Long provided follow-up on a couple of Public Works concerns that were brought up at the April CPAC meeting. Mr. Long shared with the CPAC that Public Works has discussed the cleaning/clearing of the Sandalwood Canal.

6. Subcommittee/Liaison Reports (3 minute time limit)

• LUZ (Land Use and Zoning)/Governmental Affairs – Mike Anania

                  Approval of 2016 – 0294, the request for a modification of a PUD. The applicant seeks to amend the list of allowable uses in this PUD to include major auto repair. This use is compatible with the surrounding uses and is not substantially different from the approved uses.

Approval of 2016-0295, the request for a modification of a PUD. The applicant wishes to enlarge the showroom space per the manufacturers’ requirement. The request as is does not increase the intensity of the use and incorporates the original PUD’s requirement for buffering, setbacks and landscaping.

• Beautification/Parks – Larry Belge encouraged the CPAC to visit the Zoo; the new Tiger exhibit is wonderful.
• Environment – Lad Hawkins – No report
• Membership – Karen Hunter-Nowak – No report
• Transportation – Ben Tucker – No report

Ad-Hoc:

• TRUE (Taxation, Revenue, and Utilization of Expenditures) Commission – vacant
• North Florida TPO – vacant

7. Neighborhood Coordinator Report – Rosemary Wesolowski announced that the neighborhood coordinators for the six CPACs have been moved to the newly created Neighborhoods Department and will work in the Neighborhood Services Office. Lisa Ransom, formerly of the Planning and Development Department, will be the Supervisor of the Neighborhood Services Office.

8. Chairs Report – Michael Anania – no report

9. Unfinished Business – none

1. New Business – none

1. Public Comments, Concerns or Announcements (3-minute time limit)

2. Motion to Adjourn 

The next meeting of the District 2 CPAC will be Monday, June 13, 2016 at 6:30 pm

at the Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport, 855-1 Craig Drive, Jacksonville FL, 32225

CPAC Meeting April 11, 2016

Posted by JimAdmin on May 9, 2016 in Pipeline | 0 comments

1. Call to Order/Verify Quorum: Chair Anania called the meeting to order. Rosemary Wesolowski verified that a quorum was present.
2. Approval of the Previous Meeting Summary: Pete Miller made a motion to approve the minutes, Larry Belge second the motion; the motion was approved.
3. Presentation(s): Laurie Santana, Chief of Transportation Planning, Pedestrian and Cyclist Master Plan Study provided an overview of the fatalities on local roadways. In effort to make our streets safer for pedestrian and bicyclist, a study will be conducted and everyone is encouraged to take an online survey at www.cojpedbike.com- for more information contact Ms. Santana at LSantana@coj.net or 255-7857.

4. Elected Officials Reports:

Councilmember Bowman shared that he, JEA and the Mayor’s Office are completing a study on lighting along various streets in his district and working to improve pedestrian safety; ground was broken from roadwork on Girvin Road.

Councilmember Morgan encouraged anyone having trouble with solid waste in her district to contact her; design for the pool at Blue Cypress Park has been completed.

5. Staff Reports (3 minute time limit)

• JSO (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office) – Lt. Nader provided crime statistics for Zone 2 and safety advice
• JFRD (Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department) – Chief Dix informed the CPAC about an upcoming JFRD Community Walk.
• Mayor’s Liaison – Denise Lee – not present
• Duval County Public Schools – Maysha Shelton, Principal, Ft. Caroline Middle School – provided an overview of the Faith-Based Partnership Breakfast with all DCPS principals; the goal is to work together. Ft. Caroline Middle School has one student out of 100 students nationwide to be selected to attend the West Point – The U.S. Military Academy’s summer STEM program in New York May 24-27.
• Regulatory Compliance (Code Compliance) – Elaine Lancaster stated in Zone 2 there are 1349 code compliance active cases. The next systematic inspections will be in North Beach and Mayport Village.
• FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) – Jim Green announced the Main Street Bridge will be closed from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am in preparation for an upcoming project.
• Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport – Alberta Hipps shared the details of the upcoming Wings and Wheels event at JAXEX on April 23, 2016 starting at 10:00 am.
• Jacksonville Public Library – Sara Roberts, Region Manager for Pablo Creek Region, introduced Charlie Kleeman, Board of Library Trustees. Mr. Kleeman shared the need of funds to complete the renovations at the Jacksonville Beach Branch Library. Ms. Roberts shared details about the Turn It Up event at the Pablo Branch Library.
• Planning & Development Department – Paul Davis shared that he has received a promotion and he is uncertain as to how long he will be supporting the CPAC; a replacement will be identified in the near future.
• Public Works – Steve Long stated the Storm Water team is currently out cleaning ditches in the Girvin and Kernan Roads area. Mr. Long encouraged the CPAC members to clear the storm water drains near their homes of pine needles and leaves before the summer rains return. There was some discussion about the challenges of clearing the Sandalwood Canal.
• Military Affairs and Veterans Department – Bill Spann reminded the CPAC about the upcoming Military Spouse event on May 6, 2016 at the Veterans Memorial Arena from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. And the Memorial Day Celebration to honor Jacksonville’s fallen heroes on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2016 at 9:00am at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Wall. l
• JTA – Wendy Morrow provided an update on the bus schedule changes in the GAB district.
• Recreation & Parks – Megan Williamson introduced herself to the CPAC and stated JaxParks is very busy working on the summer camp programs.
• Renew Arlington – Karen Nasrallah provided a broad overview of the CRA project and shared the names of the new CRA board members.

6. Subcommittee/Liaison Reports (3 minute time limit)

• LUZ (Land Use and Zoning)/Governmental Affairs – Mike Anania made 2 motions: Opposition to Ordinance 2016-0208 (SW-16-01) and Deny Rezoning 2016-0246 (LU 2016C-004) and 2016-0247; both passed unanimously. CPAC Member Eddi Parsons made a motion for the land (1 acre) owned by JTA on the Wonderwood Expressway be donated to the City of Jacksonville and be added to Buck Park. After much discussion, the CPAC voted to send a letter to JTA for land donation to the park.
• Beautification/Parks – Larry Belge reminded the CPAC that a great white shark was spotted off the shore of Hanna Park. It was also mentioned that Hanna Park has 20 miles of nature/bike trails and camping facilities.
• Environment – Lad Hawkins – not present
• Membership – Karen Hunter-Nowak – no new members
• Transportation – Ben Tucker – not present

Ad-Hoc:

• TRUE (Taxation, Revenue, and Utilization of Expenditures) Commission – vacant
• North Florida TPO – Roger Sharp – not present

7. Neighborhood Coordinator Report – Rosemary Wesolowski announced the legislation to form the Neighborhoods Department was passed by City Council; the Neighborhoods Department was reestablished. Derrick Igou has been named at the Director of Neighborhoods.
8. Chairs Report – Michael Anania informed the CPAC he and the 6 CPAC chairs met with the Mayor. Chair Anania lead the CPAC in identifying projects for GAB District CIP Projects; projects were identified.
9. Unfinished Business – none
10. New Business – none
11. Public Comments, Concerns or Announcements (3-minute time limit)

Member Pete Miller announced the Zone 2 ShAdCo Safety Fair will be held on May 21, 2016 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Regency Square Mall. Member Miller also shared his concern about residential treatment homes for substance abuse that has popped up in communities. The CPAC was encouraged to visit www.Jaxsoberlivinghouse.com for more details.

Councilmember Morgan announced that her next Town Hall meeting will be held on April 25, 2016 on Justina Road. The next Sign and Tire Buyback will be held on May 7, 2016 at the stadium.

Melody Shacter announced that the Old Arlington Inc. Mid-Century Mod Tour will be held on May 7, 2016. The morning symposium will begin at 9:00 am and the home tour will run from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm.

2. Motion to Adjourn: Shirley George made a motion to adjourn and Larry Belge second the motion.

NEXT MEETING: May 9, 2016 ~ 6:30 p.m at Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport, 855-1 St. Johns Bluff Road. N.,

Jacksonville, FL 32225

CPAC Meeting March 14, 2016

Posted by JimAdmin on Apr 12, 2016 in Pipeline | 0 comments

1. Call to Order/Verify Quorum
Chair Anania called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. The meeting began with a moment of silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

2. Approval of the Previous Meeting Summary
Chair Anania verified that there was a quorum and that everyone had the opportunity to review the February meeting summary. There was a correction to be made; Abess Elementary was misspelled. Karen Hunter-Nowak made a motion to approve the meeting summary with the correction and Lad Hawkins seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.

3. Presentation(s):
LaCree Carswell, Manager of Community Development and Dayatra Coles, Affordable Housing Manager, provided a comprehensive overview of the 2016-17 Five year Consolidated Plan – Action Plan & Analysis of Impediments To Fair Housing Public Hearing for CDBG, HOME, HOPWA, ESG, SHIP and the Universal Application process.

Everyone in attendance was provided with a packet of information that contained five handouts. Ms. Carswell started the presentation and instructed the CPAC to open the handout titled “2016-17 Consolidated Plan Programs (CDBG, HOME, HOPWA and ESG) State Funds (SHIP) Universal Application Process”. Ms. Carswell pointed out highlights with in this handout, such as the Mission/Purpose of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and stressed the importance of community input.

To be in compliance with Federal HUD, the City of Jacksonville is required to complete the Consolidated Plan/Action Plan. The purpose of the Consolidated Plan/Action Plan is to combine the planning, application and reporting aspects of the U.S. HUD Formula Programs into one collaborative process. The Consolidated Plan- Action Plan Universal Application Process was developed to be in compliance with 24CFR Part 91. Each jurisdiction must submit a Consolidated Plan – Action Plan to U.S. HUD no later than 45 days prior to the start of its program year (which is August 15th). Additionally, to be incompliance with U.S. HUD, the city must conduct at least one public hearing to set priorities for funding. To ensure maximum involvement, the COJ team conducts four public hearings.

Priorities for funding is determined through the Citizen Participation Plan Process (this includes the public hearing process and the outcomes) is used to set the priorities for project funding. All of the applications must address one or more of the following priorities: Neighborhood Revitalization, Housing Rehabilitation, Economic Development/Job Creation, Physical Improvements, Housing Counseling and Non-hosing CDBG/Special Needs.

Ms. Carswell discussed the various Federal and State programs as well as the allowable uses for the funding:
Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) provides annual grants on a formula basis to entitled cities, urban counties and states to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and suitable living environments, and by expanding economic opportunities principally for low and moderate income persons and/or the elimination of slum and blight. The allowable uses for CDBG funding include: Acquisition of Real Property, Clearance, Code Enforcement, Economic Development, Fair Housing Initiatives, Historic Preservation, Housing Counseling, Housing Rehabilitation (through LRP and U-Tip programs), Public Facilities & Improvements (e.g. parks and senior centers), Public Service (15% cap), Removal of Architectural Barriers and Administration (20%).

HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) is the largest Federal block grant to State and local governments designed to exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households. The allowable uses for HOME include: Develop Subsidy for CHDO (Ownership and Rental), Down Payment Assistance, Operating Support for CHDO’s, Owner-occupied Rehabilitation, Redevelopment, Multifamily Development and Rehabilitation (Affordable and Special Needs) and Relocation.

Neighborhood Stabilization Program 3 (NSP3) are funds authorized under the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) of 2010 provides a third round of neighborhood stabilization grants to all states and select governments on a formula basis. Unlike NSP2, grantees are not constrained to census tract boundaries and can define their target areas more precisely to their intended target area. In Jacksonville the NSP3 target area comprised the Eastside and Springfield neighborhoods. The allowable uses are: Acquire and rehabilitate vacant homes that have been foreclosed upon, Redevelop demolished or vacant properties into affordable housing, establish financing mechanisms for the purchase and development of foreclosed upon homes, Demolish blighted structures, acquire and rehabilitate multi-family properties that have been foreclosed upon and make them available to person at 50% or below the AMI.

State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) provides funds to local governments as incentives to create partnerships that produce and preserve affordable housing and multifamily housing. The program was designed to serve very low, low and moderate income families. The allowable uses are: Homeowner occupied, Purchase Assistance (Down Payment, Principal Buy-down, closing costs), Housing Counseling/Homebuyer Education, New Construction Development Subsidy, Demolition/Reconstruction (Owner Occupied), Foreclosure / Loss Mitigation and Disaster Mitigation (Ownership & Rental), Multifamily (Acquisition & Rehabilitation), Rental and Utility Deposits.

Ms. Carswell reviewed the map that was included. The purpose of the map was to show the Low/Mod Income area by the census tracts and zip codes in the City of Jacksonville.

Dayatra Coles, Affordable Housing Coordinator introduced herself and briefly touched on the handouts titled “Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice” and “2011-2016 Barriers and Actions Steps”. Ms. Coles emphasized that everyone safe and sanitary housing. Everyone was encouraged to review all of the handouts that were provided.

4. Elected Officials Reports:
Councilmember Morgan reminded the CPAC she will be holding another Town Hall Meeting on Monday, March 28, 2016 at the University Park Branch Library. As an update to the CRA board, Councilmember Morgan stated that the Mayor has just appointed two more members.
Councilmember Bowman’s CPAC Liaison, Jose Cuetos, informed the CPAC Councilmember Bowman will hold a Town Hall Meeting on March 21, 2016 at Pablo Creek Elementary School. On March 23, 2016, there will be a ribbon cutting at Girvin Road for the groundbreaking at the corner of Girvin Road and Ashley Melisee Blvd. Lastly, legislation was sent to Tallahassee in regard to the extending the sales tax extension.

5. Staff Reports:
• JSO (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office) – Lt. Nader announced both property crime and violent crime is down citywide. In Zone 2, property crime is down 16.5% and violent crime is down 9.14%. There have been some problems with smash and grab crimes to businesses in strip malls. JSO is recommending that business should deposit all of their cash when the business is closed. After hours keep cash registers empty with the draws open. Remove tip jars and charity donation boxes from the counters. Most of the smash and grab crime have been occurring east of St. Johns Bluff Road on Atlantic Blvd. and Beach Blvd.
• JFRD – Fire Chief Owens no report, but available for questions.
• Mayor’s Liaison – E. Denise Lee – not present
• Duval County Public Schools – Brandon Mack, Supervisor for the Department of Family and Community Engagement. Mr. Mack informed the CPAC about the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project. This is a new program for the 2015-2016 school year and is modeled after the program in the Miami-Dade School system. The 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project serves 10 Duval middle and high schools. In the GAB district this program is offered at Terry Parker High School and Fort Caroline Middle School. The 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project will recruit 5,000 community mentors over a 10 year period (500 mentors annually) to serve as role models for young African-American males. The 500 students identified to participate in the inaugural year of the program will benefit from various academic and behavioral supports. The 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project aims to intervene in the lives of at-risk minority male youth in an effort to provide them with positive role models and experiences that will empower them to make good choices and encourage healthy living, responsibility, respect and achievement. Expected outcomes include improved academic performance, reduced truancy, fewer referrals and suspensions, and increased pathways to success through mentoring and diverse experiences. Young men from grades 6 – 12 will participate in various cultural and educational experiences such as visits to college campuses, etiquette workshops, and job and career building trainings. Students will also serve as ambassadors for the program and the school district throughout the City of Jacksonville. Each school will have a 5000 Role Models of Excellence Site Director who will serve as club sponsors to facilitate speakers, field trips, and assist in mentor recruitment.
• Regulatory Compliance Department (Code Compliance Supervisor)- Elaine Lancaster reported that the Atlantic Blvd. Corridor (this systematic inspection began at University Blvd. and ended at San Pablo Road) systematic inspection resulted in 51 businesses being cited for various reason. The Woodland Acres systematic inspection resulted in 220 sited properties, 4 properties boarded up and 4 unsafe structures. Ms. Lancaster addressed the concern about dilapidated fences that the CPAC discussed last month with Blight Manager Denise Lee. Code Compliance sent out a team along Girvin Road; 30 properties were cited as a result. After the properties were cited, Code Compliance received numerous calls in regard to the fences. It appears there is an upcoming JTA roadway widening project on Girvin Road. Upon completion of this project, new fences will be installed and this will correct the fences along Girvin Road. The fences that are along Monument Road is a different story. Eighteen properties were cited due to dilapidated fences and Code Compliance will continue to follow this issue. There have been a number of complaints to Code Compliance in regard to a trailer park off San Pablo Road. Code Compliance cited 37 violations. The owner of the mobile home park contacted Code Compliance and informed them that the land has been sold. After the transfer of property is complete, the mobile homes will be removed and single family homes will be built. At this time it has not been announced the amount or size of the homes.

There was a question in regard to how Code Compliance can assist neighbors/associations with homeowners that are hoarders? Ms. Lancaster stated she can cite the property if there are outside violations only. Ms. Lancaster reminded the CPAC when they send emails to Code Compliance to put CPAC or CPAC member in the subject line so she and her team will recognize that this is an email from the community versus junk email.

• FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) – Jim Green – stated FDOT has completed 2 landscaping projects: one at Atlantic Blvd and Kernan Blvd University Blvd. and the other along Beach Blvd. Mr. Green informed the CPAC that state law requires FDOT to spend 1.5% of the construction budget on landscaping, but it does not have to be on the same project, but it is required to be in the general area of the project. The ITS project along I-295 East beltway from I-95 to Atlantic Blvd has been displaying a “Test” message on the screens. The test will continue to run for another week. The Atlantic Blvd. /Arlington Expressway / Monument Road project is underway and will be continuing for the rest of the year.

• Jacksonville Aviation Authority – Tiffany Gillem – informed the CPAC Allegiant Air is adding three new seasonal routes and one year-around route from Jacksonville at Jacksonville International Airport (JIA). The seasonal routes to and from Jacksonville International Airport will be:
• Columbus, Ohio, Wednesdays and Saturdays, May 25-Aug 13.
• Asheville, N.C., Mondays and Fridays, May 27-Aug 15.
• St. Louis via Mid-America Airport, Mondays and Fridays, May 27-Aug. 15.

Year-around flights to and from Indianapolis will begin June 2 on Sundays and Thursdays. All the new routes will be twice weekly.

Air Canada has announced to accommodate tourists from Canada interested in attending The Players Championship (TPC), they moved it up the service date between Jacksonville and Canada. The new service will make it easier to travel between Toronto and Jacksonville and Northeast Florida year-round. The addition of service by Air Canada will give local residents more travel options, both to visit Canada and the ability to connect to Air Canada’s international network of flights.

It was announced that JIA recently won a customer service award for 2015 and ranked #2 for best airport in North America. The north baggage area at JIA is under construction, that project is expected to be completed within the next 60 days. JIA will be offering a Spring Music Program. If you know any schools that would like to participate/perform, please contact Debbie Jones at 741-2726 to register your school.

At Jacksonville Executive Airport, the portion of the security fence located at St. Johns Bluff Road and Atlantic Blvd has been hit several times by vehicles. JAXEX will be replacing this portion fence this week. Handouts were available for the Wings and Wheels event. If you would like to have your business involved in Wings and Wheels or volunteer for the event, please contact Tiffany. Ms. Gillem offered to have a display table for the GAB CPAC at the Wings and Wheels Event. If anyone has any concerns or questions, please contact Ms. Gillem at 904-641-7666.

CPAC Member Lad Hawkins inquired when the landscape inspection for the project at Monument Road and St. Johns Bluff Road would be completed and if he could be included in the inspection? Ms. Gillem stated that it has not been scheduled yet and she would inquire if Mr. Hawkins could be a part of the inspection process. In addition, Mr. Hawkins stated he has heard a rumor that soil testing was completed at the Blue Sky Golf Course and results came back showing contamination at the golf course. Is this information correct? Ms. Gillem stated that some soil samples came back showing some contamination around the maintenance shed. The contaminants were identified were arsenic and lead. The airport is working with an environmental consultant for remediation. There has been a delay for the start date on the remediation due to the impact of traffic on Derringer Road. The impact on Derringer Road is associated with trucks and other large equipment moving on and off the airport property around the maintenance shed. Ms. Gillem stated that once a schedule for the remediation has been established, she will provide a copy of the schedule of clean up and a copy of the map of the area of contamination to Rosemary to share with the CPAC and community.

• Jacksonville Public Library – Sara Roberts and Sybil Ansbacher reached out to the CPAC for support for the 5 year Capital Improvement Plan for the Beaches Branch Library. Ms. Roberts informed the CPAC about the Jacksonville Beach Library redesign. It was stated they plan to begin this project in FY19, giving the 30 year old branch a much needed facelift. The remodel will include: upgrade to electrical capacity, reinvention of wasted space, a dedicated teen space, and much more. Jacksonville Public Library will dedicate $1.2 million in funding, and is requesting $1 million from the city in order to move forward. The library staff asked the CPAC to consider this to be a high priority capital improvement project for our district when working with the Director of the Planning Department.
• JaxParks –Joshua Rhodes – informed the CPAC about the upcoming St. Johns River Clean Up on March 19, 2016, 8 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. There are more than 50 litter cleanup locations throughout Duval County. Handouts were provided that identified the various cleanup locations.
• Planning Department – Paul Davis reminded the CPAC if they would like to be on his email distribution list for LUZ applications, to please contact him at PDavis@coj.net.
• Public Works – Steve Long – Chief of Right of Way and Stormwater stated the street lights that were reported out on Arlington Road have been replaced. In regard to San Pablo Road, JTA has a project under design for San Pablo Road between Atlantic Blvd and Beach Blvd. In approximately 10 days, the Roadside Ditch Cleaning Team will be begin working in the GAB District. The ditch projects will be bordered by Kernan Blvd (to the west) Girvin Blvd (on the east) and Atlantic Blvd. (to the south) to the river on the north. Equipment will be along the roadways cleaning out the ditches. This should be a 4 to 8 week project. Jacksonville is currently in our dry season and the past month public works has been able to work on the drainage system.

Mr. Hawkins stated when the Girvin Road landfill was closed 30 years ago, it was announced the landfill would be turned into a park in the future. Mr. Hawkins stated that he checked the status of the land with the Parks Department and he was informed that the landfill is still part of the Public Works domain. Mr. Hawkins asked if Mr. Long could provide an update to the CPAC on the status and plans for this land? Mr. Long stated that he would look into it.

Member Hunter-Nowak inquired when the Sandalwood Canal was going to be cleaned again. Mr. Long stated that Public Works can look into getting inmates to clean some of the ditch banks and remove trash, but the large scale cleaning project is a CIP project and it is currently not in the budget or planned.
• Military Affairs – Bill Spann stated that they have been tracking veteran participation since the Military Affairs office has increased their community awareness and they are pleased with the growth. In December 2015 Military Affairs experienced an increase of 7.1%, in January 2016 there was an increase of 9.2%, and after Mr. Spann’s visit to the GAB CPAC in February 2016, the office had an increase of 59.7%. Last fiscal year the Military Affairs Office connected 6050 area veterans with $25 million new money from the VA. If you are a veteran or know a veteran please have them contact us.
6. JTA – Wendy Morrow – announced that there will be services changes on April 4th; handouts in regard to the schedule changes were provided. Ms. Morrow informed the CPAC that in the downtown area JTA added Bus Lanes and Queue Jumps. The new bus-only lanes are along Bay Street, Jefferson Street, Broad Street and Kings Avenue. In addition, a queue jump was placed on Forsyth Street. Handouts were provided that contain an explanation and artist rendition of the projects. City Council will vote on the transfer of the St. Johns River Ferry JTA on March 22, 2016. If City Council approves the transfer, then JTA will take over responsibility of the ferry on April 1, 2016. On Kernan Blvd. JTA is working on drainage issues and on a retention pond location. JTA is expecting the design for Kernan to be completed by the end of the year. JTA held a community meeting for the Girvin Road project and JTA was happy with the large amount of feedback they received from the community. In May 2016, construction should begin on the Girvin Road project. JTA should have a schedule out by the end of summer I regard to the San Pablo Road project.
7. Subcommittee/Liaison Reports:
Land Use and Zoning – Mike Anania – The LUZ made the following motion:
Support Rezoning 2016-0185 at 400 Century 21 Drive – this application provides multi-family housing in an area already developed with similar uses, it does not create unduly increased traffic intensity or unreasonable conflicts with existing traffic. The CPAC voted 12 to 7 to send a letter in support of this application.

Support Exception E-16-009 at 6009 Arlington Road to allow a school at this address. The site is close to residential neighborhoods but is inherently compatible with nearby residential uses, the site is already a church with a day care and is compatible with the existing site development, parking and traffic flow. The CPAC voted unanimously to send a letter of support.

Beautification – Larry Belge – reminded the CPAC that the Florida Times Union had an excellent plant guide inserted in the paper last weekend and it is available on their website. This contains great information to share with your community.

Environment – Lad Hawkins – The Waterway Commission is in the process of taking recommendations from citizens for water access on the St. Johns River and the rivers various tributaries.

Membership – Karen Hunter-Nowak – introduced new member Jose Cuetos and presented him with his appointment letter from Mayor Curry.

Transportation – Ben Tucker – no report
• Ad-Hoc:
• North Florida TPO – Roger Sharp – not present
• TRUE (Taxation, Revenue, and Utilization of Expenditures) Commission – no representative
8. Neighborhood Coordinator – Rosemary Wesolowski announced that the Housing and Neighborhoods Division has a new Chief, Diana Seydlorsky. Ms. Seydlorsky has relocated to Jacksonville from the Hilton Head area and has extension experience with HUD, CDBG and various housing programs. There has been some confirmation that there will be a Neighborhoods Department created, but at this time no details have been provided.
9. Chairs Report – Mike Anania – announced that the 6 CPAC chair have a meeting scheduled with the Mayor tomorrow. Chair Anania stated if there were any concerns that he should present to the Mayor please contact him.
10. Public Comments/Announcements (3-minute time limit) –

Member Hawkins informed the CPAC that a citizen and former City Council Candidate by the name of Lisa King was denied membership to the North CPAC. Mr. Hawkins stated that CPAC’s should not be about politics, but should serve as a conduit of information.

Member Miller stated that he has great concern about the pedestrian and cyclist safety. Many of the crosswalks are poorly marked and sidewalks are inadequate. Mr. Miller stated that he has shared this concern with City Councilmember Boyer and he asked Chair Anania to share this concern with the Mayor.

Motion to Adjourn – Meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.

NEXT MEETING: April 11, 2016 ~ 6:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport
855-1 Craig Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32225

CPAC Meeting, February 8, 2016

Posted by JimAdmin on Mar 27, 2016 in Pipeline | 0 comments

1. Call to Order/Verify Quorum

Chair Anania called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. The meeting began with a moment of silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

2. Approval of the Previous Meeting Summary

Chair Anania verified that there was a quorum and that everyone had the opportunity to review the January meeting summary. Karen Hunter-Nowak made a motion to approve the meeting summary and Melody Shacter seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.

3. Presentation(s):

Angela Corey, State Attorney, stated that she was hired by Ed Austin in 1981; during his tenure as State Attorney from 1975 to 1991, and remained an Assistant State Attorney after Harry Shorstein was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles in 1991. During her 34 years with the State Attorney’s Office, Ms. Corey has served as a prosecutor and has tried several hundred cases, which includes more than 60 homicides.

In 1996, Ms. Corey’s primary responsibility became homicide prosecutions, but she also supervised lawyers in the Felony division. In 2005, Ms. Corey moved from director of the Gun Crime Unit to director of the County Court, which handles misdemeanors. In that position, she trained newly hired lawyers to be prosecutors. She previously served as Juvenile division supervisor. MS. Corey made the decision to run for the office of State Attorney in 2006.

Since Ms. Corey has taken office, she has practiced “Smart Justice” which she credits Ed Austin for teaching her. There has been a lot of focus on juvenile offenders which led to the implementation of diversion programs for juveniles and adults alike. The State Attorney’s Office diverts hundreds of juveniles each year into programs which provide services, such as drug treatment, counseling, anger management and parenting classes instead of court.

Last year, over 900 juveniles were sent to a diversion program. If the program is completed, the charges are dropped and the state provides guidance to the juvenile on how to expunge their record. Since 2009, the State Attorney’s office has spent millions ($1.2 million in fiscal year 2015) to provide diversion programs for juveniles and adults. Ms. Corey clarified that many other State Attorney’s Offices around the state do not offer diversion programs.

Ms. Corey clarified that juveniles can be tried as adults, but cannot be housed with adults. Currently, the state is prosecuting violent juvenile offenders in adult court, non-violent juvenile offenders in juvenile court and the diversion of appropriate cases have resulted in the number of juvenile cases being cut in half. It was stated that in 2009, there were 6,184 juvenile cases opened and in 2014 there were 3,161 juvenile cases open

4. Elected Officials Reports:

Councilmember Bowman thanked Assistant Chief Derrick Mitchell for holding the Coffee with a Cop program at McDonalds. Bowman stated he liked the program and hopes JSO will host this program again.

5. Staff Reports:

• JSO (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office) – Monts stated on behalf of JSO, he sends kudos to Angela Corey for all of her hard work and dedication in fighting crime. Sgt. Monts informed the CPAC that violent crime is up city wide and up 3.28% in the GABistrict; robberies to individuals is the main reason violent crimes has increase. Everyone was reminded to lock their cars, keep their garage doors closed and secure their person property. In 2015, 38% of the cars that were stolen had their keys in the car and were unlocked.
• JFRD – Fire Chief Kevin Dix reminded the group to get their chimneys and flues cleaned. Older flues need to be inspected prior to having a fire in the fireplace.
• Mayor’s Liaison – Denise Lee – stated she did not have a report, but is very active working on issues in regard to neighborhoods and communities. Member Lad Hawkins inquired if dilapidated fences could be address as a concern for Blight.   To clarify, there are deteriorating stretches of fencing line along many of our major arterial and collector roadways. These fences were identified by the GAB CPAC as a blighting element and it sets the character of the neighborhood and is the first impression that visitors have of the area. The specific streets that he mentioned were: Girvin Road, Wonderwood Expressway and Monument Road to name a few. One of the main questions/concerns is how do we as a city address or correct this issue?

Member Pougioukildis shared an ongoing concern and frustration with trying to contact Animal Care and Control in regard to possible rabid raccoons and or other problematic animals (both wild and domestic). There were a couple of additional comments that identified that other CPAC members have tried to contact Animal Care and Control, but they have not returned their calls.

Member Melody Shacter stated that she attended the Keep America Beautiful 2016 National Conference in Orlando Florida last week and she would like to meet with Denise Lee to share some of the information and ideas that she gained at the conference.

• Duval County Public Schools – Ms. Tammie Talley and Floyd Evans were present.

Ms. Talley, Athletic Director, stated DCPS is made up of 17 high schools and 25 middle schools — with 27 percent of the student population participating in athletics. Duval County ranks as the 6th largest district in Florida and 15th largest in the country. Ms. Talley provided a flyer that listed all of the sports programs that are offered by DCPS for high schools and middle schools.

Mr. Evans is a resource teacher and oversees the JROTC program. The United States Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (JROTC) came into being with the passage of the National Defense Act of 1916. Currently, Duval County has 3,602 students enrolled in 13 JROTC programs. JROTC prepares young men and women to be better citizens and leaders in their post-secondary education, enlistment or commissioning programs in a branch of the military, and/or the workplace.

JROTC Programs are offered at the following schools:

ARMY- Englewood High School, Paxon School for Advanced Studies, Samuel W. Wolfson High School and William M. Raines High School.

MARINE CORPS – Jean Ribault High School.

NAVY – Edward H. White High School, First Coast High School, Mandarin High School, Robert E. Lee High School and Terry Parker High School.

AIR FORCE – Andrew Jackson High School, Sandalwood High School and Westside High School.

• Regulatory Compliance Department (Code Compliance Supervisor)- Elaine Lancaster reported Zone 2 has 946 active cases. Ms. Lancaster and her team worked last weekend and they picked up 296 snipe signs. It was noted with the new litter law (Zero Tolerance) that was recently passed, fines for the first five illegal snipe sign from a company is $50.00 fee; each additional sign from the same company will be $150.00 fee per sign. It was announced that there will be systematic inspections in the Park Ridge, Beachwood and middle of Atlantic Blvd. areas.

One of the CPAC members informed Ms. Lancaster a massage parlor has opened in strip mall at Beach Blvd and Kernan Road. They have red lights on the outside of the building. Concerns have been shared with the owner of the property and JSO. The SWAT Team has come and shut down the business for 24 and arrest a number of the girl that did not hold a license to provide massages. The location has reopened and they are open nearly 24 hours. Is there anything Code Enforcement can do? Ms. Lancaster requested that she call 630-CITY and provide the address, Ms. Lancaster can investigate if they have the correct COU (Certificate of Use).

On the corner of Arlington Expressway and Townsend Road there is a former gas station that has dug up the old gas tanks and are now storing the old gas tanks behind the building, can you look at this? Ms. Lancaster encouraged contacted the State of Florida, there are specific guidelines established by the state.

• FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) – Jim Green – the University Blvd. Bridge (in Clifton) and the roundabout on the Arlington Expressway have been completed and they were accepted in December. The Wonderwood Drainage project is nearly completed. The Atlantic Blvd. Inter-coastal Bridge is near the end of the project too. A roadway safety project in front of Regency Mall has just started; this project is expected to be completed in a year. A project will start on the Hart Bridge this spring; this is a 5 or 6 month project.

• Jacksonville Aviation Authority – Tiffany Gillem – informed the CPAC the Airport Advisory Committee meeting will be held at 9:00 am tomorrow in this room. JAXEX now has a webpage for the Wings and Wheels event. There is a landscaping project on airport property (near the intersection of St. Johns Bluff Road and Monument Road) and it will consist of tree topping. Ms. Gillem provided a handout that listed all the trees that penetrate airspace and the amount of tree that will be cut. If anyone has any concerns or questions, please contact Ms. Gillem at 904-641-7666

• Jacksonville Public Library – Donna Carroll, Regency Branch Library, introduced herself and informed the CPAC about the Friends of the Library Book sale on February 19-21, 2016 at the University Park Branch Library; flyer were available.
• JaxParks –Joshua Rhodes – informed the CPAC that JaxParks is coordinating the development of a Maritime Management Plan for Duval County. They are seeking public input through an online survey at www.JaxBoatPlan.com  The main purpose of the plan is to identify and prioritize projects to improve and expand existing water access facilities as well as develop new water access facilities including boat ramps, kayak launches, fishing piers, docks, mooring facilities, waterfront walkways, etc.
• Planning Department – Paul Davis reminded the CPAC if they would like to be on his email distribution list for LUZ applications, to please contact him at PDavis@coj.net.
• Public Works – Steve Long – Chief of Right of Way and Stormwater – announced that the new solid waste calendars have been sent out. A CPAC member informed Mr. Long that 11 street lights are on Arlington Road between Cesery Road and Rogero Road.
• Military Affairs – Bill Spann reminded the CPAC about there are services available for veterans through the COJ Military Affairs office.
• JTA – Wendy Morrow – stated JTA will hold a public meeting the Girvin Road Project on March 3, 2016 at Abbess Elementary School 5:00 – 7:30 pm. Ms. Morrow also announced that JTA has opened a natural gas station on Myrtle Avenue.

6. Subcommittee/Liaison Reports:

   Land Use and Zoning – Mike Anania – no motions were made.

                 Beautification – Larry Belge – not present

Environment – Lad Hawkins – no report

Membership – Karen Hunter-Nowak – no report

Transportation – Ben Tucker – no report

• Ad-Hoc:
• North Florida TPO – Roger Sharp – not present
• TRUE (Taxation, Revenue, and Utilization of Expenditures) Commission – no representative

7. Neighborhood Coordinator – Rosemary Wesolowski mentioned that the new meeting agenda format has been implemented; the meeting tonight followed the new format. The GAB CPAC is still in need of a representative on the TRUE Commission, if you are interested in serving on that commission, please contact Rosemary.   There was also an inquiry if any of the members had a quest speaker that would like to hear or to learn about a special topic.
8. Chairs Report – Mike Anania – no report, but Chair Anania presented certificates of Appreciation to all of the members that served as Subcommittee Chairs
9. Public Comments/Announcements (3-minute time limit) –

Motion to Adjourn – Meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.

NEXT MEETING: March 14, 2016 ~ 6:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport

855-1 Craig Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32225

CPAC Meeting, January 11, 2016

Posted by JimAdmin on Feb 5, 2016 in Pipeline | 0 comments

1. Call to Order/Verify Quorum

Chair Anania called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. The meeting began with a moment of silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

2. Approval of the Previous Meeting Summary

Chair Anania verified that there was a quorum and that everyone had the opportunity to review the November meeting summary. Pete Miller made a motion to approve the meeting summary and Karen Hunter-Nowak seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously.

3. Staff Reports

• JSO (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office) – Lt. Mullin stated that the crimes statistic in Zone 2 are holding stable. YTD Violent Crimes are down 20% and Property Crimes are down 48%. There has been a shooting in the Justina Road area.
• JFRD – no report, but available for questions
• Mayor’s Liaison – not present
• Duval County Public Schools – Mr. Julius Smith, MA Ed, Supervisor, Community Education/Extended Day/Driver Education and introduced himself. Mr. Smith also introduced Ms. Maysha Shelton, Principal, Fort Caroline Middle School; Ms. Megan Pardue, Principal, Terry Parker High School and Ms. Yolanda S. Sanders, Principal, Arlington Middle School. Each provided an overview about their school:

Ms. Shelton, Fort Caroline Middle School stated they currently have 460 students enrolled at Fort Caroline Middle. The specialty programs that the school offers are an IB and AVID.

Ms. Sanders, Arlington Middle School stated there are currently 800 students enrolled at Arlington Middle. This school offers pre-early college programs and a robotics program.

Ms. Pardue, Terry Parker High School stated there are 1700 students enrolled and the high school offers IB (International Baccalaureate), AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), ACES (Academy of Coastal and Environmental Science), Advanced Placement Courses, Dual Enrollment and a ROTC Program.

A CPAC member expressed their concern about the traffic around the Alimacani Elementary School at 2051 San Pablo Rd S. The Duval County Staff members stated that they would take the concern back with them.

• Regulatory Compliance Department (Code Compliance Supervisor)- Gary Roberts was in attendance for Supervisor Elaine Lancaster. Mr. Roberts stated in Zone 2 (GAB) Code Compliance completed 1870 inspections between 11/10/15 and 12/10/15. Zone 2 Code Compliance then completed 1308 inspections between 12/11/15 and 1/11/16. The Zone 2 Code Compliance team worked this past Saturday in effort to witness reported violations that tend to only happen on the weekends. Mr. Roberts introduced Margretta “Gretta” Haywood, Regulatory Compliance Administration Manager. Ms. Haywood was available to answer questions after the meeting.

• FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) – Jim Green – not present, but sent a hand out of the upcoming roadway project that has begun on the Arlington Expressway (in front of Regency Square Mall). Copies of the Arlington Expressway roadway project were circulated.
• Jacksonville Aviation Authority – Tiffany Gillem – introduced George Smith as the newest team member of JAXEX. Mr. Smith will be the point of contact for noise complaints for flights in and out of JAXEX. You can reach Mr. Smith at 741-5066. It was announced that the JAXEX Community meeting scheduled for January 12, 2016 has been cancelled, the meeting will be rescheduled. If anyone has any concerns or questions, please contact Ms. Gillem at 904-641-7666.
• Renew Arlington – Karen Nasrallah – The Renew Arlington legislation 2015-738 was passed by City Council on November 24, 2015 for the Renew Arlington CRA. The boundaries for the CRA begins at the University Blvd/Merrill Rd. intersection and continue south on University Blvd. to the Arlington Expressway. On Merrill Road the CRA begins at JU and continues east until I-295. The CRA also includes Arlington Road; starting at University Blvd on the west and ends Bruce Park on the east. For more information visit JaxDevelopment.org then click on Redevelopment Initiatives. Ms. Nasrallah stated the first TIF money should be available in 2017 and it is approximated that there will be about $250,000 for the various improvement projects. The Financing District (TIF) to provide a revenue stream to the proposed boundary area will be in place/effective for the next 20 years.
• Planning Department:

Housing and Community Development – Rosemary Wesolowski stated that Mayor Curry has expressed great interest in all of the CPAC’s. At this time, an effort is under way to improve the meeting agenda, increase information that will be provided at the meetings and unify the CPAC’s. In February 2016, the meeting agendas will be slightly different, but we hope you will see it as improvement. Rosemary reminded the CPAC that the GAB CPAC is in need of a TRUE Commission representative. Please contact Rosemary if you are interested in serving on the TRUE Commission.

Planning Department – Paul Davis reminded the CPAC if they would like to be on his email distribution list for LUZ applications, to please contact him at PDavis@coj.net.

• JaxParks –Joshua Rhodes – informed the CPAC the Lions Club Boardwalk Extension project has entered into the pre-construction phase; the project will go out to bid soon. The Blue Cypress Park pool is currently in the design phase. Ft. Caroline Community Club is getting new carpet on the stage area; the carpet installation should be completed by tomorrow. The Blue Cypress, the park community programing section has gone out to bid.
• Public Works – Steve Long – Chief of Right of Way and Stormwater – reminded the CPAC that any concern or project that they have needs to be submitted to the city and his department through 630-CITY. Mr. Long stated that all of the divisions in Public Works stay busy. Mr. Long inquired if anyone had any questions. There were a few questions:

One of the CPAC members pointed out that the solid waste/recycling calendar for 2016 has a mistake. The calendar that was sent does not have leap day on the calendar. It was requested that they review the calendar and send a corrected calendar to Rosemary so she can distribute it to the CPAC.

There was a request for plans for the 7 retention ponds in the Indian Springs neighborhood. The community is having a lot of problems with the ponds and needs the plans.

There was a request to restore weekly recycling pick-up. It was stated with the bigger recycling bins and increased types of items that can be recycled homes are able to recycle more and the bins are filling up fast.

It was stated that there are a number of traffic flow problems in the East Arlington/Intra-coastal West communities. The roads identified were San Pablo Road, Girvin Road and Atlantic Blvd.

A CPAC member stated that they are having a challenge with a right of way mowing on Grove Park Blvd. A number of the neighbors have submitted requests through 630-CITY, but the community is still waiting for the right of ways to be mowed.

• Military Affairs – not present
• JTA – Wendy Morrow – stated JTA has committed to keeping the Skyway. There will be a 1 year study to determine what needs to be updates and how it will be updated.

JTA has plans to complete a roadway widening project; this will reconstruct Kernan Boulevard from a four-lane to a six-lane roadway between Atlantic Boulevard and Matthew Unger Drive and four lanes from Matthew Unger Drive to McCormick Road. The road will have landscaped medians, curb and gutter, sidewalks, bike lanes, a 12-foot multi-use path on the eastside of the road and utility improvements. JTA will also reconstruct existing roadway to five lanes between Atlantic Boulevard and Ashley Melisse and three lanes between Ashley Melisse and Wonderwood Drive. The road will now have curb and gutter, sidewalks and bike lanes. A public meeting for this project will be held in March. The San Pablo Road project is on hold for now. The roadway projects were previously BJP projects, but were not completed. JTA has agreed to complete some of the uncompleted BJP projects. The projects that have been selected met the criteria by being shovel ready. There will be additional unfunded BJP roadway projects completed in future years.

• Jacksonville Public Library – Mina Figuerrez, University Park Library, no report, but available for questions.

4. Presentation(s): Gerard Pinto, Ph.D., Jacksonville University, Associate Research Scientist, Marine Science Research Institute, provided a comprehensive overview of 2015 River Report, State of the Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida. 

The State of the River Report is the result of a collaborative effort of a team of academic researchers from Jacksonville University, the University of North Florida and Valdosta State University. The purpose of this project was to review various previously collected data and literature about the river and to place it into a format that could be used by the general public. Funding for the report is primarily by the Environmental Protection Board of the City of Jacksonville and began in 2007.

To define the area discussed in the report, the Lower St. Johns River Basin (LSJRB) begins near Deland and ends just north of Jacksonville all along the St. Johns River. The Lower St. Johns River report has been put together over the last seven years by a team of experts on various different aspects of the river.

The State of the River Report describes the health of the LSJRB based on a number of broad indicators in four major categories:

1. WATER QUALITY

Dissolved Oxygen (DO)

Nutrients (Nitrogen & Phosphorus)

Turbidity

Algal Blooms

Bacteria (Fecal Coliform)

Metals

Tributaries

Salinity

2. FISHERIES

Finfish Fishery

Invertebrate Fishery

3. AQUATIC LIFE

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation

Wetlands

Macroinvertebrates

Threatened and Endangered Species

Non-­‐‑native Aquatic Species

4. CONTAMINANTS

Toxics Release Inventory: Point Sources of

Contaminants in the LSJR Region

Poly-aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

Metals

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

Pesticides

If you review the full report online, the State of the River Report is based on the best available data for each river health indicator listed above. How each indicator contributes to, or signals, overall river health is discussed in terms of its 1) Current Status, and 2) the Trend overtime. The Current Status for each indicator is based on the most recent data and is designated as “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory.” In some cases, this designation is defined by whether the indicator meets state and federal minimum standards and guidelines. The Trend is derived, where possible, from statistical analyses of the best available scientific data for each indicator and reflects historical change over the time period analyzed. The Trend ratings for each indicator are designated as “conditions improving,” “conditions stable,” “conditions worsening,” or “uncertain.” The Trend rating does not consider initiated or planned management efforts that have not yet had a direct impact on the indicator. Statistical tests to indicate trends vary with each indicator and are described in each section.

It was announced that in Duval County, there are 75 impaired tributaries that feed into the St. Johns River. At this time there 25 of the tributaries have plans to clean them up. Dr. Pinto discussed the health of six tributaries in the GAB District that feed into the St. Johns River. The first tributary was the Arlington River.

Arlington River, WBID 2265A

This report presents the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for nutrients for the Arlington River in the North Mainstem Planning Unit of the Lower St. Johns Basin. The river was verified as impaired for nutrients, dissolved oxygen and fecal chloroform. The overall health of the Arlington River is unsatisfactory.

Ginhouse Creek Tributary (2248)

This creek is located south of the St. Johns River and just west of Craig Airfield in a primarily residential are. Ginhouse creek is a fresh water creek that runs approximately 2 miles to the St. Johns River. The creek has some impairments; Fecal Coliform (med) levels.

Greenfield Creek Tributary (2240A, 2240B)

This fresh water creek is located west of the Intracoastal Waterway and runs through residential areas. Greenfield Creek has contamination problems, the problems are fecal coliform and mercury at elevated levels. A Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) was implemented in 2010 and (Total Maximum Daily Load) documents that discuss how much the waterbody can contain and still be considered ‘healthy’. Recent Greenfield Creek water samples indicated improvements, especially after a pump station was repaired and pipes were cleaned.

Intracoastal Waterway Tributary (2205C)

The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) study area started near the mouth of the St. Johns River and samples were collected in multiple spots along the ICW well into St. Johns County.   The ICW is primarily salt water, marsh and wet land. The ICW has several contaminants, fecal coliform, iron and mercury.

Pottsburg Creek Tributary (2265B)

Pottsburg Creek is a fresh water creek that is located east of the St. Johns River and begins south of the Butler Blvd/I-95 interchange and runs through mostly residential areas for approximately 9.1 miles. Pottsburg Creek has contamination problems (fecal coliform) and TMDL. There is a (BMAP) for Pottsburg Creek that was implemented in 2010. Since the BMAP has been put into place, it has been determined that improvements in the water quality have been made.

Strawberry Creek Tributary (2239)

Strawberry Creek is a fresh water creek begins near Lone Star Road/Mill Creek Road and flows into the Arlington River. Most of Strawberry Creek runs through residential areas. It has been determined that it has contaminations problems, mainly fecal coliform. In 2009 a TMDL was started, but a BMAP has not been completed.

Dr. Pinto did clarify that fecal coliform bacteria are a natural component of digestive systems of birds and mammals. They aid in digestion, and are not normally considered harmful. In 1972, growing public awareness and concern for controlling water pollution led to enactment of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and was amended in 1977, this law became commonly known as the Clean Water Act. This law required the nation’s publicly owned sewer systems to remove 90% of the solid matter, and to disinfect the effluent, which was usually done with chlorine, to protect streams and rivers. Recently there has been a trend to move from chlorine to other oxidants (such as peroxides, oxygen, or ultraviolet light) because chlorine by-products may be harmful.

Salinity in regard to aquatic life was briefly discussed. Salinity has a number of factors that impact the river and tributaries; droughts and hurricanes have a significant impact on the salinity of the St. Johns River. Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is also used to determine the health of the river. SAV provides nurseries for a variety of aquatic life, helps to prevent erosion, and reduces turbidity by trapping sediment. Dr. Pinto discussed the SAV distribution and abundance as major indicators of ecosystem health; the grasses serve as a nursery for many species and provide food for many others. As the amount salinity increases the amount and types of vegetation changes. The St. Johns River is now considered brackish to approximately the Buckman Bridge.

It was also stated that over the years, dredging to deepen the channel for commercial and naval shipping in Jacksonville, has led to salt water intrusion upstream. The magnitude of this intrusion over time has not been well quantified. Further deepening is likely to impact salinity regimes that could be detrimental to the grass beds. This is especially important if harbor deepening were to occur in conjunction with freshwater withdrawals for the river.

Handouts were provided to the CPAC members and attendees.   Additional information can be found at www.sjrreport.com

5. Chair’s Report – Chair Anania – no report
6. Elected Officials Reports –

District 1, Councilmember Morgan announced her next Town Hall meeting will be held on Monday, January 25, 2016 at the Regency Square Library at 6:00 pm. Councilmember Morgan informed the CPAC that the CRA – Renew Arlington will be creating an advisory board. Applications for the new advisory board can be found on the COJ.net website, go to Boards and Commissions to find the application.

District 3, Councilmember Bowman introduced Jose Cuetos as his representative on the GAB CPAC. Councilmember Bowman stated that his district covers 2 CPAC districts and he plans to attend the CPAC as often as he can. Bowman informed the CPAC he met with FDOT to discuss the crashes on Atlantic Blvd. The results of the study will be presented at the Queens Harbour board meeting tomorrow night. Bowman stated that he did want to recognize the beautification/tree planting that was completed on Kernan Blvd.

7. Subcommittee/Liaison Reports

The Land Use and Zoning Subcommittee met at 5:00 p.m.   The subcommittee reviewed 9 applications and 2 motions were made:

Approval of MM-16-02, the request to increase lot coverage from 40 percent to 50 percent with the condition that the development shall be subject to proper technical review and engineering to ensure adequate septic systems. The lot area seems to be substandard in relation to the ¼ acre minimum for an on-site septic system. Increasing lot coverage may compound the undesirable impacts of the on-site septic on the Stormwater drainage system by decreasing the surface area available for a correctly functioning septic system with drain fields. The motion was approved unanimously.

Supporting Approval of TR_97 for rezoning 11335 Atlantic Blvd. (Tracking Number 997). The request is consistent with the surrounding neighborhood of intense commercial activity, promotes commercial use and expansion and is consistent with traffic intensity and all appropriate plans and studies. The motion was approved unanimously.

• Beautification – Larry Belge – no report
• Environment – Lad Hawkins – no report
• Membership – Karen Hunter-Nowak – no report
• Transportation – Ben Tucker – no report
• Ad-Hoc:
• North Florida TPO – Roger Sharp – not present
• TRUE (Taxation, Revenue, and Utilization of Expenditures) Commission – no representative

Unfinished Business – none

8. New Business – none
9. Public Comments/Announcements (3-minute time limit) –

Motion to Adjourn – Meeting adjourned at 8:39 p.m.

NEXT MEETING: February 8, 2016 ~ 6:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Jacksonville Executive at Craig Airport

855-1 Craig Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32225

CPAC Meeting, January 12

Posted by JimAdmin on Feb 22, 2015 in Pipeline | 0 comments

PRESENTATION
Chris Hand, Chief of Staff, City of Jacksonville, reviewed Pension Reform with the CPAC. Mr. Hand informed the CPAC about the various pieces of legislation that have been introduced since 2011 in effort to reform the current pension agreements. The annual pension impact was illustrated and the monumental increasing costs necessary to fund the pensions.

STAFF REPORTS

JSO (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office) – Sgt. Danny Williams informed the CPAC that crime has fluctuated a bit due to crime statistics over the holidays. Currently, JSO does not have any crime statistics for 2015. Currently, JSO is not tracking and crime trends or patterns.

Mayor’s Liaison – Dave Roman stated that JaxPort, The Chamber of Commerce, the City of Jacksonville and the Riverkeeper have reached an agreement that the Riverkeeper is not going file an environmental suit in regard to the Rodman Dam. In exchange, JaxPort, The City of Jacksonville and the Chamber of Commerce are going to try to move forward with the long standing plan to remove the Rodman Dam in an effort to increase the fresh water flow into the St. Johns River to offset the dredging of the St. Johns River to 47 feet. Opening the Rodman Dam will alleviate some of the concerns the Riverkeeper has about the dredging. The Rodman Dam was part of the Cross Florida Barge Canal and it was stopped in 1968 by President Nixon. It has been a political concern for a number of reasons. Putnam County would like to keep the dam due to
the revenue that it generates in the county by bass fisherman that travel to Putnam County to fish.

Duval County Public Schools – not present.

Regulatory Compliance Department (Code Compliance)- Elaine Lancaster announced that since the November meeting Code Compliance has completed 8 projects in the GAB district. 5 of the projects are related to the Operation Dolphin corridor (this is the second time around), Woodland Acres as a Urban Blight Project, Arlingwood as an Urban Blight Project and Parkridge as an Urban Blight Project. By the end of January, Code Compliance plans to start working in the Sandalwood area. Ms. Lancaster announced that that they have 4 new employees and introduced Kevin Wellman to the CPAC.

FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) – not present.

Jacksonville Aviation Authority – Tiffany Gillem informed the CPAC that the Monument Road/St. Johns
Bluff landscaping project has been awarded. Expect to see activity over the next 60 days. Ms. McGillem thanked Member Lad Hawkins for all of his work on the landscaping project. Within the next week, there will be some work completed on the control tower; they are working on the HVAC in accordance to the FAA regulations.

Housing and Community Development – Rosemary Wesolowski informed the CPAC that the Housing and Community Development Division is looking into offering training to the community on a quarterly basis. Rosemary inquired if there are any topics that the CPAC would like to have training on? There was a request to have training on the COJ website and on how to utilize the JSO Crime Statistics online.

Planning Department – Paul Davis stated that he did not have an additional report from the LUZ Subcommittee, but he was available for questions.

Public Works – Steve Long, Chief of Right of way and Stormwater Management – not present.

JaxParks –Robert Hall – not present

CPAC Meeting, November 10th

Posted by JimAdmin on Aug 22, 2014 in Pipeline | 0 comments

Presentation

Ashley Smith Juarez a member of the Duval County School Board (DVSB) discussed the ongoing effort towards retaining quality teachers and allowing the underperforming teachers to “‘self-select’ another career”. While discussing improvements in the schools she said that all middle and high schools in Duval County now have Deans of Discipline. She also touched on the following points during her discussion:

Duval County now has a 72.1% Graduation Rate the highest in its history

Duval County now has 8 Nationally Recognized High Schools

Duval County now has 5 State of Florida top 100 Middle Schools

Craig Field – Jax/Ex Airport

Blue Sky Golf Course is now open. The public is encouraged to take advantage of this updated / recently renovated facility. Craig Field – Jax/Ex Airport won the “Community Affairs Award” for 2014 from the Florida Airport Council.

JSO –Property Crime is down almost 3% and Violent Crime is down almost 2% over last month.

Mayors Liaison – No Report from the Mayor’s Office.Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) – No Report from the FDOT.

Code Compliance – The code compliance department is fully staffed in Arlington for the first time in several years. As they are correctly staffed and trained, they will become proactive in their enforcement of code violations. Their focus in November is the Woodland Acres area of Arlington. Due to their understaffing in the past, they would respond to concerns expressed about a particular property and not note issues with adjoining properties. Now since they are fully staffed, they will be able to respond to issues at the reported property and examine the entire area for code issues.

Planning and Development – No Report

Office of Economic Development – Operation Dolphin Update, the Chairman of the Greater Arlington Beaches District Citizens Planning and Advisory Committee reported that the funding for this project has a ‘clearer path’. The funding that will pay for the initial planning will be put out to bid in the near future.

Land Use and Development – AMC Regency Theatre, as has been reported recently in my Arlington Monthly and other local media outlets, the owners of the AMC Cinema on Regency Square Boulevard plan an extensive remodeling and updating of the cinema. As part of that updating effort, they plan on offering a more substantial menu which would include alcohol. It would also include a small bar in the lobby of the theatre. This renovation will cost in excess of six million dollars and includes the replacement of all seats with plush leather rocker reclining seats. They also plan on sound and sight upgrades as well. Under current law, an establishment that sells alcohol must be at least 1500 feet from all churches and schools. The cinema is 528 feet from Global Outreach Charter Academy. The owners of the cinema requested that they be granted a waiver of this minimum distance regulation. The group discussed this waiver for several minutes and a vote was taken. The CPAC voted against the waiver of the distance rule overwhelmingly.