Daily Record Financial News &
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Vol. 102, No. 209 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Sidewalks, drainage and raises Finance Committee sending budget proposal to full council By Max Marbut Staff Writer Citing “cooperation and collaboration,” the City Council Finance Committee and Mayor Lenny Curry’s administration wrapped up the fine-tuning of the city’s 2015-16 budget. The five-hour session Wednesday capped 60 hours of evaluation of the $1 billion, 512-page financial plan Curry submitted to council on July 20. “The process was right,” said committee Chair Bill Gulliford. “We worked together to do some-
Gulliford
thing good for the community.” The final session was devoted to wrapping up the last details in some departments’ spending plans and setting the course for the next phase of discussion that will begin when the budget is filed to the full council on Tuesday. City employees, who have lobbied council for months for the restoration of a 2 percent pay cut they accepted five years ago to help the city through the recession, got some good news. The committee allocated $737,000 to restore the 2010 pay levels for
No parking Downtown?
1,275 city workers who are not union members. Curry’s proposed budget included $2.3 million to increase union workers’ pay, which will be part of collective bargaining as each union’s contract with the city is negotiated. Council member John Crescimbeni said the increase in pay should be effective Oct. 1, the date the decrease went into effect five years ago. “We taketh away, now we’re giving back,” he said. The news wasn’t as good for UF Health Jacksonville.
Over 43,500 public spaces available from city and private vendors
One of the most common misconceptions about Downtown is it’s difficult to find a place to park when you visit the neighborhood. According to Downtown Vision Inc., which keeps up with all of the urban core’s statistics, there are more than 43,500 public parking spaces along the streets at meters, in surface lots, parking garages and in peripheral lots adjacent to the sports complex and in LaVilla. With 3,196 spaces at four multilevel garages and three surface lots, plus about 1,600 parking meters, the city is the largest operator of public parking Downtown. Monthly rates vary by location, from $53.30 at the garage at the Yates Building and at the Water Street garage to $85.60 at the garage along Monroe Street at the Ed Ball Building and the city lot at 28 W. Forsyth St. The rates are structured to attract new business and to be competitive, but not too competitive with rates charged by private parking operators, said Public Parking Officer Jack Shad. “Each location is different and we try to be aware of what the private sector is charging,” he said. Like all parking operators, the city can be flexible on price when a Downtown business has specific parking needs for its employees. For example, the city negotiated with the owner of EverBank Center to meet the parking needs of about 1,000 Citizens Property Insurance Corp. employees who will soon be moving into the building. The Downtown Investment Authority approved an agreement to provide 850 spaces in the Water Street garage near EverBank Center for $45 per month per space. In order to better market the public spaces the city owns, a veteran parking department employee, Tina Moody, has served since March as the Office of Public Parking account coordinator. Moody joined the city in 2008, working as a parking operations analyst, where her job included budget management, financial analysis and forecasting and contract Parking
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Photo by Max Marbut
By Max Marbut Staff Writer
The committee made no addition to the $26 million allocation in Curry’s plan, which is the same amount in the 2014-15 budget. The committee and the administration agreed UF Health provides essential services for uninsured patients and trauma victims, but also agreed devoting another $1 million to the city contribution would not make a significant difference in the indigent-care facility’s bottom line. City Chief Administrative Office Sam Mousa said the administration will convene a Budget continued on Page A-2
Timoti’s plans Five Points location
Timoti’s Seafood Shak II is in the works for Five Points, branching out from the original in Fernandina Beach. Timoti’s Seafood Shak, which serves only wild caught seafood, operates at 21 N. Third St. in Fernandina Beach. It is owned by Theresa and Timothy Poynter, who also own Café Karibo at 27 N. Third St. Timoti’s Seafood Shak II is going into 1043 Park St. A pending building-permit shows a $275,000 build-out for Timoti’s next to Rain Dogs. Bryan Poynter, son of the founders, said he hopes for a November opening. “We’ve been working very hard to make the Jacksonville location a possibility,” he said. The Jacksonville permit application shows 1,735 square feet of enclosed space and 320 square feet of outside seating. The Fernandina Beach Timoti’s menu shows shrimp, oyster, clam strips, mahi and local catch baskets, as well as chicken strips. There also are shrimp, fish, chicken and tofu tacos along with wraps, burgers, po’boys, sandwiches and more. The Fernandina Beach fast-casual restaurant serves 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and is open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday. Poynter said the Jacksonville restaurant will stay open a little later. He is trying to recruit a general manager. He said the plan is to “build something that is going to last for a long time.” “We are going to make sure we are following through and doing a good job at each step,” he said. Timothy Poynter is a Fernandina Beach city commissioner.
Raleigh Mine buys leased building on Jessie Street With nearly 3,200 spaces in garages and surface lots, plus 1,600 parking meters, the city is the largest operator of public parking Downtown.
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Raleigh Mine & Industrial Supply Inc. bought the Jessie Street property it has been leasing for its SteelCon Supply Co. Mathis continued on Page A-2
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