TU: Jacksonville City Council looks at downtown authority bills

Article about the title issue and below that 3 items our city council has taken action on already. Note the change to the number of precincts Jerry Holland had asked for! How do you feel about this group the mayor wants?? Do you think it will help the downtown or do you see it as just another way to spend money we don't have?

The mayor sees the group as a key to being able to sell the city to new businesses.

Jacksonville's Downtown Investment Authority might someday be counted as the key to breathing life into the city.

But that day's still at least a few weeks down the road.

"This will all come up in committee," City Councilman Bill Gulliford said as the council wrapped up a workshop on Mayor Alvin Brown's signature downtown development legislation with a pile of questions still to work through.

Twin bills — one that creates the downtown body, one that speeds up council review of financial incentives — are designed to "make Jacksonville the most competitive city it has ever been," Brown told the council.

"These measures are important for us to remain competitive with other cities," he told the lawmakers. "There's no better time than now to shift focus."

There's no drop-dead date to decide on the bill, council President Stephen Joost said. "My intention is to let it go through the normal process."

Brown's downtown bill (2012-212) would empower an unpaid nine-member board to negotiate downtown development deals without coming back to the council.

Some of the action taken at the Jacksonville City Council meeting Tuesday night:

What it means: The council will consider a plan by Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland to reduce the number of voting precincts from around 250 to 200 and change their numbering. The elections office is buying new equipment and would save about $266,000 with fewer precincts, as well as reducing staffing costs.

What it means: The council will consider signing off on a $117,000 incentives package for Caterpillar Work Tools to add 39 jobs at its Westside manufacturing center. The city would pledge up to $23,400 and the state would commit up to $93,600.

What it means: While the owners of Kickbacks Gastropub work through a tentative deal they've signed to settle a zoning fight with Riverside Avondale Preservation, the council could act on two appeals by RAP. A council land use committee voted last week to return one issue to the city Planning Commission and to approve another RAP appeal.

For more information about any agenda items, contact the council secretary's office at (904) 630-1404 or log on to www.coj.net

TU: Jacksonville City Council looks at downtown authority bills

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