At a Glance

The Finance Committee's most contested action was the outright defeat of a resolution (2026-0356) urging that any future jail site avoid historically redlined neighborhoods — it failed 1-7 in committee, was immediately reconsidered, then failed again 0-8, with only CM Pittman casting an initial vote in favor. The committee greenlit a $35 million economic-development incentive package to recruit a Culinary Institute of America Southeast Campus to downtown Jacksonville on a 7-1 vote, with CM Diamond the lone dissenter; the CIA board votes on site selection in June. Item 17 (2026-0327), the Emerald Trail eminent-domain bill authorizing condemnation of 17 parcels near Hogan's Creek, was deferred after a contentious 7-1 preliminary vote when the chair held it to let staff answer open questions — the auditor flagged a massive cost discrepancy: $30M in the CIP versus ~$164M projected by Public Works. The committee also approved $5.2 million for Kids Hope Alliance youth programs on a 5-1-2 split vote, and issued three subpoenas for the Special Investigatory Committee on JEA Matters.

Newsworthy Items

Item 27: 2026-0356 — Jail siting / anti-redlining resolution

• Recommended: NCSPHS 1-6 fail (5/18); Rules Committee 0-5 fail (5/18); introduced by CM Peluso.
• Decided: FAILED. Motion to approve failed 1-7; CM Pittman then moved reconsideration, unanimously approved; motion on the bill failed again 0-8.
• Vote: First vote 1-7, dissenter: Carlucci, Howland, Arias, Diamond, Lahnen, Salem, Carrico. Reconsideration vote 0-8, all members in opposition.
• Flags: close-vote (only Pittman initially in favor), deferred-again (failed in two prior committees)
• Confidence: High

The resolution would have expressed 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 areas designated "Hazardous" (Grade "D") on 1937–1940 HOLC redlining maps; only CM Pittman voted aye on the first vote, with Carlucci, Howland, Arias, Diamond, Lahnen, Salem, and Carrico in opposition.¹ CM Peluso attended to speak on the bill's behalf and explained its purpose and the historical impact of redlining.² CM Lahnen spoke in opposition, arguing that consultants currently working on site selection should be allowed to complete their work and issue their report unfettered.³ CM Pittman noted that the location for the jail should be made with sensitivity.⁴

Item 49: 2026-0419 — Culinary Institute of America SE Campus incentive package

• Recommended: NCSPHS Read 2nd & Rerefer (5/18); introduced by CM Carrico; 2/3 vote required.
• Decided: PASSED. Emergency/Amend/Approve — authorizes negotiation of incentive package up to $35M, subject to future Council approval.
• Vote: 7-1, dissenter: Diamond.
• Flags: close-vote, public-comment-heavy, surprise-amendment
• Confidence: High

The ordinance expresses Council support for a Culinary Institute of America Southeast Campus in downtown Jacksonville — an approximately 50,000 sq ft facility — and authorizes negotiation of a final term sheet and economic development incentive package not to exceed $35,000,000, subject to future Council approval; it passed 7-1 with Diamond opposed.⁵⁶ CM Lahnen asked about the funding source, which is not identified in the legislation.⁷ CP Carrico explained that some of the funds would be for construction and some for operations, and noted the incentive package when finalized would have to come back to council for approval.⁸ Aundra Wallace of JAXUSA Partnership described 18 months of coordinated efforts to bring the project together; CP Carrico noted the CIA Board of Directors will vote on the project in June.⁹ Thirteen members of the public offered comment on the item.¹⁰

Item 17: 2026-0327 — Emerald Trail eminent domain / Hogan's Creek land acquisition

• Recommended: NCSPHS Substitute/Approve 6-0; Rules Committee Substitute/Approve 5-0; TEU Substitute/Approve 5-0.
• Decided: DEFERRED by Chair after lengthy debate; substitute had passed 7-1 in the committee vote.
• Vote: 7-1 on substitute, dissenter: Diamond. No roll call on final deferral.
• Flags: close-vote, staff-overruled (Finance deferred despite unanimous prior committees), surprise-amendment
• Confidence: Medium (deferral vote not separately roll-called)

The Auditor's Office explained the substitute; it passed 7-1 with Diamond in opposition. CM Diamond argued eminent domain should not be used for parks and that too much has already been spent on downtown parks.¹¹ Renee Hunter, Chief of Real Estate, testified that the affected properties are commercial, not residential, and most are inactive businesses or vacant.¹² The committee debated whether any decision to actually exercise eminent domain should require council's return approval.¹³ The Chair deferred the bill to permit Hunter's team more time to answer outstanding questions.¹⁴ A significant cost flag was embedded in the materials: the CIP currently reflects a total project cost of $30 million; however, Public Works has communicated that project costs are anticipated to be approximately $164 million.¹⁵

Item 28: 2026-0362 — $5.2M Kids Hope Alliance youth programming

• Recommended: NCSPHS Approve 7-0; Rules Committee Approve 5-0; introduced by CM Freeman; 2/3 vote required.
• Decided: PASSED. Approved 5-1-2 — appropriates $5.2M from the Youth Empowerment Special Committee contingency account to KHA for competitively procured programs serving ages 16–24.
• Vote: 5-1-2; nay: Diamond; abstain: Pittman and Carrico.
• Flags: close-vote
• Confidence: High

The ordinance appropriates $5,200,000 from the General Fund's Youth Empowerment Special Committee Contingency Account to the KHA Fund for programs, services, and activities to be competitively procured; it passed 5-1 with two abstentions.¹⁶¹⁷ CM Lahnen raised the amount the city spends annually on nonprofits; CVP Howland echoed the concern, noting the potential impact of a change in property tax revenue.¹⁸ CM Salem clarified that this is one-time funding; CMs Pittman and Carrico abstained due to conflicts.¹⁹

Item 23: 2026-0336 — Edward Waters University track improvements funding revision

• Recommended: NCSPHS Amend/Approve 6-0; Rules Committee Amend/Approve 5-0; introduced by CM Carrico.
• Decided: PASSED. Emergency/Amend/Approve, unanimous.
• Vote: 8-0.
• Flags: surprise-amendment
• Confidence: High

The ordinance revises the term sheet with Edward Waters University previously approved by Ord. 2025-781-E to provide funding not to exceed $2,000,000 for the planning, design, and permitting of an NCAA-compliant 400-meter track and walking path rather than the originally proposed Living, Learning Community Center.²⁰ Key protections include a 10% retainage of City funds until project completion and full repayment of City funds if the project is not completed by the 12/31/28 deadline.²¹ The bill also explicitly bars City funds from being applied to EWU's residence hall or any other component of the university's broader capital project. CM Arias asked to be added as a co-sponsor.²²

Item 13: 2026-0321 — $1.77M for Ed Austin & Sheffield Park improvements

• Recommended: NCSPHS Amend/Approve 7-0; introduced by CM Gay; 2/3 vote required.
• Decided: PASSED. Amend/Approve, unanimous.
• Vote: 8-0.
• Flags: surprise-amendment
• Confidence: High

The ordinance appropriates $1,776,499.27 for pickleball court and lighting improvements at Ed Austin Regional Park and sports lighting improvements at William F. Sheffield Regional Park; it passed 8-0.²³²⁴ Projects funded include: Ed Austin Park – Pickleball Courts and Lights ($525,000); Ed Austin Park – Sports Lighting ($703,500); Sheffield Park – Sports Lighting ($545,000).²⁵ CM Arias asked to be added as a co-sponsor.²⁶

Item 16: 2026-0324 — Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation economic development agreement extension

• Recommended: NCSPHS Amend/Approve 7-0; Mayor's request.
• Decided: PASSED. Amend/Approve, unanimous.
• Vote: 8-0.
• Flags: surprise-amendment, deferred-again
• Confidence: High

Amendment Two to the Economic Development Agreement with Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation Jacksonville, Incorporated extends the project completion date by two years from 3/31/26 to 3/31/28 and decreases the minimum capital investment from $7,500,000 to $7,000,000.²⁷ The Economic Development Agreement authorized a Large Scale Economic Development Fund grant of up to $500,000 (already appropriated) for construction and opening of a community enrichment and healthcare facility at 3717 Moncrief Rd W.²⁸ This is the project's second completion-date extension — Amendment One had already slipped the deadline one year from 3/31/25 to 3/31/26.

JEA subpoenas — Special Investigatory Committee

• Recommended: No committee recommendation recorded.
• Decided: PASSED. Three separate 8-0 votes to issue subpoenas to Regina Ross (June 8 and June 22), Jody Brooks (June 8, documents due June 1), and Vickie Cavey (June 22, documents due June 15).
• Vote: 8-0 on all three; motions by Diamond/Salem.
• Confidence: High

There was discussion about the legislative purpose for the subpoenas; counsel indicated that based on testimony content, there could be a need to amend the Charter as it relates to council's role in the creation and enforcement of JEA policies.²⁹ All three subpoenas — for Regina Ross, Jody Brooks, and Vickie Cavey — were approved 8-0.³⁰

Auditor briefings — Employee Reimbursements Audit & Stormwater Fee follow-up

• Recommended: No committee or staff recommendation recorded.
• Decided: Informational presentations only; no votes.
• Vote: No roll call recorded.
• Confidence: Medium

The Employee Reimbursements Audit showed significant timeliness issues, control weaknesses, and included recommendations for corrective actions.³¹ The Stormwater Fee Audit follow-up (Report #823B) was the second such follow-up, with 7 unresolved issues identified in the initial report.³² CM Salem asked for the Auditors to present a report at the last council meeting in June regarding the hurricane account.³³

Consent Agenda

This meeting had no consent block. All items were voted individually or deferred.

Skipped

Omitted: call to order and adjournment notations (1:00 PM–3:31 PM); Council Rule 4.505 disruption-of-meeting boilerplate (pages 1–2 of minutes); routine scrivener's corrections on Items 6 and 14; the quarterly budget variance briefing (Report #905, informational only, no vote); straightforward unanimous approvals of special district budgets with no assessed-amount changes (Items 9–10, 2026-0315 and 2026-0316); routine volunteer fire department lease renewals (Items 18 and 20); HOME grant companion bills (Items 7 and 15); CDBG position authorization (Item 8); Neptune Beach debris MOU (Item 21); Treetop Apartments and Campbell Cove multifamily bond resolutions (Items 25–26); Cecil Commerce Center rail sidetrack emergency (Item 40); BCID charter revision (Item 45); Ironman/Jazz Festival emergency appropriation (Item 34); Items 29–33, 35–39, 41–44, 46–48 (all Read 2nd & Rerefer with no substantive Finance Committee action).

References