[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6518784,"mediaKeyId","5385775-222fe7ada0d941a8dc7096b3904dff25","parentId",5385775,"title","Neighborhoods Committee actions: bills approved, deferred and withdrawn on July 14","audioSeconds",4585,"startMs",1958000,"endMs",6543000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5385775-222fe7ada0d941a8dc7096b3904dff25&start=1958&end=6543","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5385775-222fe7ada0d941a8dc7096b3904dff25/thumbnail_1958000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6518784/Jacksonville/Duval-County/Florida/Neighborhoods-Committee-actions-bills-approved-deferred-and-withdrawn-on-July-14","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518784-079c771b46a8224c808382a547b27ebc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163679&Signature=h1o1KHzquLL74V0ejj4QDku2ONfkWckNmuBnhtJW8CBKs0S3si~DUajvVsj~vTgnKORzbK91u4~uB5Y6D9OdqFzlUSTIEMvKVo8MC5d~ZGcBX3ay0GT0sepRaVrXQcC6-qm3oNNQfGLa3XF0BEZILaGZmBHflqZ5iskYw~cP5cwCABUtCcgvTmPdpC4OkTmSEERSbanRA-66ii3E2VUV8yE6rqTS8bnUY64e3LUPqAV3BAq2ZEZ0FhRadGvoCI9TAuqzv0~iqMy35KX3gUl2tC4uxZ2dV3e6JLfz6YTqlV13zeRJ2WZ8B88pTBf~QUjtOZu8Bob49Yvpt70rphpvIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Jacksonville, FL","date","2025-07-14T00:00:00Z","article","The Jacksonville Neighborhoods, Community Service, Public Health and Safety Committee considered more than two dozen agenda items on July 14 and recorded the following formal actions: a mix of approvals, amendments, deferrals and one withdrawal. The committee approved several appropriations and ordinance amendments, deferred multi‑million-dollar health funding and pilot-program requests for fuller budget review, and withdrew an RV-park zoning bill after recent state legislation affected its scope.

Key outcomes

- 20250435 (Public Nuisance Abatement Board updates): Approved (vote recorded: 8 yeas, 0 nays). The ordinance contains updates requested by the PNAB; discussion noted the board sought changes to make enforcement more effective against large property owners and that a statutory fine cap currently exists at the state level.

- 20250421 (Return of $2,000,000 to reserves): Approved (7 yeas, 0 nays). Council vice president Brandon Howland said the funding originated from a previously appropriated forgivable loan that did not proceed and should return to reserves for future council appropriation.

- 20250386 (Friendship Fountain restaurant — CRA capital appropriation): Approved (7 yeas, 0 nays). The Downtown Investment Authority said the appropriation moves CRA capital dollars into the project; the city will own the building and lease it to a private operator after construction.

- 20250390 (State SHIP housing entitlement grant): Approved (7 yeas, 0 nays). Staff said the $7.4 million in state SHIP funds will primarily fund down-payment assistance, owner-occupied rehab, housing development and foreclosure intervention work.

- 20250424 (Snyder Historic Renovation incentive — amended): Approved as amended (7 yeas, 0 nays). Amendment corrected project name and removed language calling the appropriation a “grant.”

- 20250426 (Mosquito Control appropriation reduction): Approved as amended (7 yeas, 0 nays). Amendment reduced an appropriation to $8,131.45 after state reimbursement had been received.

- 20250429 (Tree commission project corrections): Approved (6 yeas, 0 nays). Amendment corrected references to the prior ordinance that established the tree commission and fixed scrivener errors.

- 20250432 (Repeal/attachment corrections): Approved (7 ayes, 0 nays). Amendment attached the repealed section as required by council rules.

- 20250431 (Trail Ridge Mitigation Fund park projects): Approved (7 yeas, 0 nays). Funding will be used on several park and equestrian facility projects funded from mitigation fees assigned to District 12.

- 20250436 (Fire station capital realignments): Approved as amended (7 yeas, 0 nays). Amendment increased appropriation for Fire Station 22 and realigned prior-year appropriations across multiple fire projects.

- 20250430 (Boselli Foundation contract alignment): Approved (6 yeas, 1 nay). The council approved a change extending a contract term through April 30, 2026, and realigning budget line items; one council member raised concerns about prior noncompliance and missing past audit reports.

- 20250394 (RV-park rezoning bill): Withdrawn (motion and vote recorded; 7 ayes, 0 nays). Councilmember Clark Murray explained recent state legislation changed the regulatory landscape and made the local rezoning measure obsolete.

- 202508481 (Economic development agreement — amended): Approved (7 yeas, 0 nays). Amendment added a job-creation default clause requiring at least 10 new jobs by a specified deadline or obligating return of distributed funds per the public-investment policy.

Several other items on the agenda were deferred to the finance committee or to a future Neighborhoods meeting for additional oversight, including the group-health fund appropriation (agenda item 0422) and gap funding for off-cycle health pilot programs (agenda item 0428). The committee recorded approvals, amendments and withdrawals by roll-call ballots at the meeting; specific vote tallies are noted above where recorded.

Ending paragraph: Committee members agreed that deferred items will be revisited with additional audit and finance information during the budget and finance hearings, and several approved appropriations will proceed to the full council and to the administration for implementation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Jacksonville, FL - Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee - Jul 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Committee approved multiple appropriations and amendments, deferred several items for finance review and withdrew one bill after state legislation affected its purpose.","taxTitle","Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida","taxId",2881,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6518789,"Committee defers action on city health funds and gap funding for local health programs",1675,3096000,4771000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5385775-222fe7ada0d941a8dc7096b3904dff25&start=3096&end=4771","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5385775-222fe7ada0d941a8dc7096b3904dff25/thumbnail_3096000.jpg","/articles/6518789/Jacksonville/Duval-County/Florida/Committee-defers-action-on-city-health-funds-and-gap-funding-for-local-health-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518789-c5a53479e8cbf0f080d793ac2fad7cc0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163679&Signature=KWEQSRVoKpuWT3IbWqw94OxFm~1Wp9MxN-40zb~fOusyVuwPvqGC-SxQIaDjnS9xeGNZZUoaCy~l~KLLeQ~4fzRNbRO3UYgiWSi~rbG51TnaBxcySLgXVRnGXlzAYg7-iIeDB0Wg9l1HeRIvX5VzRVnaQA7wDaaSgzKO4O7ohGCbHYBz7L0qua3ppSJp7Ht4egiTxprh4gex80u2A~02lNJlB9WbvGQK2Y68KfYEv5jwZsjvVK7PlwqlS0imQPwbGBxaWVSfKs1OcaC6hTpgfFM5~YW8-sS4VIiGrZ-nTjO6V-BQKUd~rTH6lHcnyYFVaHFDlu16Hd275LPtJ7iv1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Neighborhoods Committee on July 14 deferred two separate health-related items after extended discussion about budget timing and program continuity. Council members agreed to pause further votes so finance staff and auditors can present more precise figures and to allow programs to be considered during the upcoming budget hearings.

Past council president Dr. Ron Salem asked for a deferral on a proposed appropriation tied to the city’s self-insured group health plan, saying auditors had found a roughly $4,000,000 shortfall in the fund and that the plan has deteriorated from about a $40,000,000 surplus 4–5 years ago. Salem said the fund faces an estimated annual gap of about $20,000,000 between premiums collected and benefits paid and recommended bringing in the Bailey Group, a benefits consultant, to advise on structural changes.

Separately, the committee debated gap funding for several off-cycle public-health pilot programs that began under the mayor’s task force. Health leaders said contracts signed after the budget cycle had carried those programs through June 30 and that a short-term appropriation was needed so programs can continue until October 1 and be considered in the formal budget process. Chief health officer Sunil Jhoti told the committee that HealthLINK Jax’s safety-net services have saved hospitals about $4,600,000 in uncompensated care; the 988 crisis call program has handled 10,778 calls since July 2024 with 85% local pickup and a 98.7% de-escalation rate; the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition has enrolled hundreds of pregnant women in home-visitation services; and an elderly food program reduced a senior meal waiting list by 66% and served more than 210,000 meals under the pilot.

Committee members expressed competing concerns. Several said health programs in active operation should not be interrupted. Others, including council members who review budgets regularly, said the programs were approved as pilots and should be evaluated in finance committee hearings along with other requests. Councilman John Miller and others said the timing was problematic because some contracts had already lapsed and key budget details were not provided to council staff earlier.

The Neighborhoods Committee deferred the group-health fund action and the gap-funding request to allow auditors and finance staff to produce exact fiscal figures and to move discussion into the formal budget-review process. Members said they expect more detailed reports at or before the next finance hearings and emphasized the goal of avoiding automatic premium increases for beneficiaries if structural changes can reduce costs. Ending paragraph: Committee members asked administration and auditors to present specific dollar amounts and consultant recommendations before council votes are scheduled so that elected officials can weigh short-term continuity needs against longer-term fiscal reforms.","Council deferred both a plan to refill the city group health fund and a separate request for gap funding for several community health programs; leaders warned of program disruptions and said more analysis is needed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6518794,"Jacksonville residents urge city to keep Museum of Science and History open until construction begins",905,513000,1418000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5385775-222fe7ada0d941a8dc7096b3904dff25&start=513&end=1418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5385775-222fe7ada0d941a8dc7096b3904dff25/thumbnail_513000.jpg","/articles/6518794/Jacksonville/Duval-County/Florida/Jacksonville-residents-urge-city-to-keep-Museum-of-Science-and-History-open-until-construction-begins","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518794-4f6ee6df498e8c3d93286a2066688dec/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163679&Signature=iSSJf7m6qXFSJovZdXlyp2d8VOI8yoWTubgGvA3Qa0DLRhzkkOCePq2wUxzjqFNIiqHGK6sydutTA50LByZ5oDdFDNhLQwq~MgiXIsKSdOACZo31sewXZ3zxhSr5ahvjtX8DStG0YBzswSOm6gvxa1yJO7hAom-ldSTjQw-px1FhOO5SJEImnm3yYATjKYBmVe064RHYVhRVO-Qb-m0PD7Gl8sDMoXXnEoaBs0m21PY5ib1VnV-obvRK8O85KqkLhnXnr60bnvytmhzB-rtXocZYmM7mcwS-guI19La5qS4WC~iHcFGe2-fNOZ7YGIJbOV0XcCkLEN6Gacn9onjXFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several current and former teen volunteers and community members urged the Jacksonville Neighborhoods Committee on July 14 to reverse or pause the planned September closure of the Museum of Science and History (MOSH) until a concrete construction schedule is in place.

Speakers said the museum’s announced closure — staff were let go and volunteer programs suspended — will leave the city without a museum until a projected reopening “in 2028,” a date several speakers called vague and uncertain. “That gap will affect an entire generation,” volunteer and teen advisory council president Himashi Wajayawardhana said. She and other speakers said MOSH provides hands-on science and history education, teen leadership opportunities and summer camps that are not easily replaced by other local programs.

Several volunteers described the museum as a community cornerstone that provides jobs and leadership opportunities. Shrinidhi, identified as vice president of MOSH’s teen advisory council, said she had contributed nearly 200 volunteer hours and called the closing “devastating.” Manisha Wajayawardana summarized the Save MOSH petition on behalf of community signers and volunteers. Amy Pham recounted her own experience volunteering and said closure would “devastate the people of Jacksonville.”

Public commenters cited two city decisions in the discussion. Speakers noted the city has committed $50,000,000 to the Genesis project for a new MOSH facility and said that investment heightens the urgency of maintaining programming while construction is planned and started. They asked for transparency on the project timeline and for a transitional plan or off-site programming that keeps teen volunteer programs, Discovery summer camps and educational services operating during the interim.

The committee did not take formal action on MOSH during the meeting; the remarks came during the public-comment period. Committee members acknowledged the speakers and, in at least one instance, ensured staff had met with the students in a “Green Room” to provide updates on investments and the project plan.

Advocates said community support is strong: speakers reported more than 900 petition signatures within a week and recounted that MOSH annually welcomes students and families who rely on its programs. They asked the city to preserve access to education for children and teens while the new facility moves from planning to construction. Ending paragraph: Speakers asked the council and administration to prioritize continuity of services and to provide a clear schedule for when construction will begin and how MOSH programs will be sustained until that date.","Teen volunteers, parents and museum staff told the Neighborhoods Committee that closing MOSH Sept. 1 without a guaranteed construction start will remove educational programs for years and asked the city for a transitional plan.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Neighborhoods Committee actions: bills approved, deferred and withdrawn on July 14

Committee defers action on city health funds and gap funding for local health programs

Jacksonville residents urge city to keep Museum of Science and History open until construction begins