At a Glance

The sharpest vote of the day was CM Peluso's anti-redlining jail-siting resolution (2026-0356), which the Rules Committee rejected 0-5 — every present member voted no — after it had already failed in NCSPHS and Finance. The committee advanced a $12.6 million eminent-domain substitute for the Emerald Trail / Hogan's Creek land acquisition (2026-0327) and a substantially reworked $2 million Edward Waters University track-improvement deal (2026-0336), both unanimously. The committee also confirmed two new Assistant Council Auditors (Heather Reber and Brian Parks, both CPAs) and approved a $5.2 million Kids Hope Alliance youth-empowerment appropriation (2026-0362) over a notable dissent in Finance. Two mayoral board appointments — Civil Service and Downtown Development Review Board — were withdrawn at the request of the appointees.

Newsworthy Items

Item 29: 2026-0356 — Anti-Redlining Jail Siting Resolution

• Recommended: NCSPHS failed 1-6 on 5/18/26 (Gay, White, Amaro, Boylan, Miller, Salem opposed).
• Decided: FAILED — motion to approve the resolution voted down.
• Vote: 0-5, dissenters: Miller, Salem, White, Gay, Boylan.
• Flags: close-vote (framing note: unanimous against, not close, but politically significant); deferred-again (Finance subsequently failed it 1-7 and on reconsideration 0-8).
• Confidence: high.

The resolution would have expressed the Council's recommendation that any future pre-trial detention facility replacing or supplementing the John E. Goode Pre-Trial Detention Center not be located in any neighborhood designated "Hazardous" (Grade "D") on the 1937-1940 Home Owners' Loan Corporation Residential Security Maps, strongly advising that historically redlined areas be excluded from consideration and affirming the City's commitment to environmental justice and equitable development.¹ CM Peluso appeared to speak on behalf of the bill, explaining the resolution's purpose and the historical context of redlined neighborhoods; there was discussion about the impact of identifying parts of the city where the jail should not be located.² The measure was dead on arrival across every committee: NCSPHS failed it 1-6, Rules failed it 0-5, Finance failed it 1-7, and on reconsideration Finance failed it again 0-8.³

Item 11: 2026-0327 — Emerald Trail Hogan's Creek Land Acquisition (Eminent Domain)

• Recommended: NCSPHS Substitute/Approve 6-0 on 5/18/26.
• Decided: PASSED as substitute — authorizes $12,599,258 appropriation and eminent domain proceedings for 17 parcels along Hogan's Creek, Council District 7.
• Vote: 5-0 (Miller, Salem, White, Gay, Boylan); Freeman and Amaro excused.
• Flags: surprise-amendment (substitute bill replacing original).
• Confidence: high.

The motion to approve the substitute passed unanimously. Renee Hunter, Chief of Real Estate, spoke on behalf of the item; there was discussion about the parcels listed in the bill and whether the businesses at those locations are active. Nina Sickler of Public Works indicated that most of the properties are vacant, and Hunter said her team will identify the level of activity of the businesses and the zoning for the properties.⁴ The substitute authorizes the Chief of Real Estate to negotiate and agree to the purchase of necessary interests for 17 identified parcels, allows offers up to 25% above appraised value and up to $100,000 in business damages, and waives settlement limitations in Sections 112.307, 112.308, and 112.309 to allow certain settlements in excess of $50,000 without further Council approval.⁵

Item 13: 2026-0336 — Edward Waters University Track Improvements Funding Agreement

• Recommended: NCSPHS Amend/Approve 6-0 on 5/18/26.
• Decided: PASSED as amended — redirects up to $2,000,000 in city funds from a previously approved living/learning community center to a NCAA-compliant 400-meter track on the EWU campus.
• Vote: 5-0 (Miller, Salem, White, Gay, Boylan); Freeman and Amaro excused.
• Flags: surprise-amendment (two substantive amendments rolled together; auditor's recommended amendment rejected by consensus).
• Confidence: high.

The amendment revises the term sheet previously approved by Ord. 2025-781-E to provide funding not to exceed $2,000,000 for the planning, design, and permitting of a NCAA-compliant 400-meter track and walking path rather than a Living, Learning Community Center; funding is on a reimbursement basis and subject to a pro-rated clawback if EWU sells the improvements or permanently abandons their use within 10 years of completion.⁶ A separate "legal cleanup" amendment revising Sections 8, 10, and 19 was approved unanimously and rolled together with the NCSPHS amendment. The committee discussed the Auditor's recommended amendment requiring the Use Agreement be recorded with the Clerk of Courts, but the consensus was that this was unnecessary because EWU is unlikely to transfer title to the property.⁷

Item 34: 2026-0362 — $5.2M Kids Hope Alliance Youth Empowerment Appropriation

• Recommended: NCSPHS Approve 7-0; Rules Approve 5-0.
• Decided: PASSED — appropriates $5,200,000 from the Youth Empowerment Special Committee contingency account to KHA for competitively procured programs targeting ages 16–24.
• Vote: 5-0 (Miller, Salem, White, Gay, Boylan); Freeman and Amaro excused.
• Flags: deferred-again (Finance subsequently approved 5-1-2, with Diamond opposed and Pittman/Carrico abstaining — suggests downstream friction).
• Confidence: high.

The ordinance appropriates $5,200,000 from the Special Committee on Youth Empowerment contingency account to Kids Hope Alliance for programs, services, and activities to be competitively procured; funding will be disbursed pursuant to a future RFP currently being drafted by KHA.⁸ The draft RFP — which was not reviewed by the Special Committee on Youth Empowerment — targets youth and young adults ages 16–24 residing in 61 designated dual-distressed census tracts, caps single awards at $1,000,000, requires a match for grants over $250,000, and contemplates multi-year implementation subject to future Council appropriation.⁹ The bill was introduced by CM Freeman and co-sponsored by CMs White, Amaro, Clark-Murray, Gay, and Arias.¹⁰

Item 12: 2026-0335 — Meridian Waste Service Area I Contract Extension

• Recommended: No committee or staff recommendation recorded (deferred from Rules).
• Decided: DEFERRED.
• Vote: no roll call recorded.
• Confidence: low — minutes record only "DEFER" with no discussion.

The ordinance would approve a 1st Amendment to the services contract with Meridian Waste Florida, LLC for residential curbside solid waste and recyclables collection (Service Area I), extending the contract term through 9/30/32, replacing the rate review process with annual CPI adjustments commencing 10/1/26, establishing a process for extraordinary rate adjustments, and setting fuel caps for FY 26/27, 27/28, and 29/30.¹¹ The Auditor's office flagged a concern: the proposed per-premise rate increase for FY 2026/27 of 8.8% equates to approximately $1.1 million per year over a calculated CPI, and will result in approximately $7 million more in costs over the term of the contract.¹² The deferral means this concern remains live heading into the next Rules meeting.

Items 22–23: 2026-0346, 2026-0347 — Appointment of Two Assistant Council Auditors

• Recommended: no committee or staff recommendation recorded (introduced by CP pursuant to Sec 13.104, Ord Code).
• Decided: PASSED — Heather Reber, CPA, and Brian Parks, CPA, both confirmed as Assistant Council Auditors.
• Vote: 6-0 each (Miller, Amaro, Salem, White, Gay, Boylan); Freeman excused.
• Confidence: high.

The resolution appointing Heather Reber, CPA, was introduced by the Council President pursuant to Sec 13.104, Ord Code, and co-sponsored by CMs Salem, Lahnen, Miller, Gay, White, Boylan, and Amaro.¹³ The resolution appointing Brian Parks, CPA, was similarly introduced by the CP, co-sponsored by CMs Salem, Lahnen, Miller, White, Amaro, and Gay.¹⁴ Both appointees appeared before the committee. Multiple council members asked to be added as co-sponsors for both resolutions at the meeting.¹⁵ The dual appointment refreshes the Council's independent audit capacity.

Items 15–16: 2026-0338, 2026-0339 — Withdrawn Mayoral Appointments

• Recommended: no committee or staff recommendation recorded.
• Decided: WITHDRAWN — Amy R. Turci (Civil Service Board) and Ivy Henderson (Downtown Development Review Board) both pulled.
• Vote: 5-0 each.
• Confidence: medium — minutes note withdrawals at request of appointee for Item 15; Item 16 reason not recorded.

The resolution for Amy R. Turci would have confirmed the Mayor's appointment to the Civil Service Board for a first full term expiring 6/30/28.¹⁶ The agenda notes this was withdrawn at the request of the appointee.¹⁷ The resolution for Ivy Henderson would have confirmed her appointment to the Downtown Development Review Board as a landscape architect representative for a partial term expiring 6/30/26 followed by a first full term ending 6/30/28.¹⁸ Two withdrawn mayoral appointments in a single Rules meeting is unusual.

Item 7: 2026-0317 — Honorary Street Designation for Pastor Ernie L. Murray, Sr.

• Recommended: NCSPHS Amend/Approve 7-0 on 5/18/26.
• Decided: PASSED as amended — establishes honorary street designation on Moncrief Rd, Council District 10; waives the 5-year post-death requirement for the honoree.
• Vote: 5-0 (Miller, Salem, White, Gay, Boylan); Freeman and Amaro excused.
• Flags: surprise-amendment.
• Confidence: high.

Trista Carraher of the Auditor's Office explained the amendment; the committee approved unanimously.¹⁹ Key amendment changes: removed the waiver of Section 745.105(i)(3) because the honoree actually lived within 5 miles of the designated roadway for at least ten years; corrected the roadway description to reflect only the frontage of the church parcel (RE# 026465-0040); and the bill still waives Subsection 745.105(i)(2) requiring the honoree be deceased for at least five years.²⁰²¹

Consent Agenda

No consent block was recorded for this meeting. All items were taken individually.

Skipped

Not covered: the meeting convening and adjourning notations; the Council Rule 4.505 disruption-of-meeting boilerplate printed on pages 1–2 of both the agenda and minutes; approximately 20 routine board and commission appointments (Items 17–28, 32–33, 26–28) where appointees appeared and votes were unanimous with no discussion recorded; a dozen "Read 2nd & Rerefer" items for newly introduced ordinances (Items 37–45, 60–61) with no substantive action; and multiple ceremonial resolutions recognizing heritage months, retiring educators, judges, and Jacksonville institutions (Items 49–59), which passed on voice or 5-0 votes without debate. Items 1–6 were all simple deferrals of long-pending ordinances with no discussion noted.

References