from staff
City Council chambers filled up Tuesday night for the last meeting of both the Council year and the four-year term.
Seven members attended their last meeting on the Council, while most of the incoming members were in the audience.
As the 5 p.m. meeting wrapped up at 10:35 p.m., incoming City Council District 5 member Lori Boyer was recognized for her dedicated meeting attendance in advance of taking office Friday.
It also was the last meeting of the John Peyton administration. Neither Peyton nor Mayor-elect Alvin Brown attended the meeting.
Brown spokeswoman Meredith O’Malley Johnson issued a news release Wednesday that Brown was attending the first Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Chicago focusing on business growth and job creation.
Brown was invited by former boss President Bill Clinton to attend the bipartisan meeting, along with 700 participants from across the country, including Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.
“You guys have been a lot of fun,” Council President Jack Webb told the 17 colleagues still present at the end of the meeting, Council member Denise Lee left during the proceedings.
“I think both of us, we finished pretty well,” said Council Vice President Stephen Joost, who will be sworn in tonight as Council president.
Joost had challenged Webb last year for the presidency.
Heard in the City Hall Council chamber during the meeting:
• “Just because somebody doesn’t bring you back a parachute that’s broke, don’t think the public out there doesn’t know something’s wrong,” said Tony Bates, of the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County, during public comment
• When asked during public comment whether he or floor leader Michael Corrigan was the Council’s “straight man,” Webb replied, “he’s wearing a pink tie. He can’t be a straight man.”
He quickly added “that did not come out right” and apologized.
Corrigan was in the Green Room, where members and staff take breaks and meet with constituents to explain bills, but returned a few moments later. “I leave for a couple of minutes and it goes to this,” he said to Webb.
• As Council member Bill Bishop, incoming vice president, spoke against the relocation incentive for EverBank to move 1,000 jobs from the Southside to Downtown, Council member Denise Lee commented about a former member who often voted against the majority. “I feel like the ghost of John Draper has entered the chamber,” she said.
• Lee spoke in favor of helping with EverBank’s moving expenses, which were approved by Council, saying that “Downtown is dying” and “there is nothing going on.”
“After lunch, it’s over,” she said.
• When Lee concluded, Webb addressed Bishop: “Mr. Draper, I mean, Mr. Bishop.”
• The meeting lasted more than five hours, due in large measure to almost two hours of public comment for and against the Otis Road Landfill, which Council approved. Several other measures also attracted public comment, including from some of the regular speakers who address multiple issues each meeting.
When business ended at 10:15 p.m., Webb began the goodbyes with an observation.
“Any remorse that I might have had about not serving another term was clearly wiped away by public hearings this evening,” said Webb.
“I’m kidding,” he added.
• Council member John Crescimbeni told Webb he did an outstanding job as president. “You never know when you might come back,” said Crescimbeni, one of five members who had returned for another Council tour after serving in years past. Lee, Warren Jones, Doyle Carter and Dick Brown also are veterans.
• “I’ve had a blast up here,” said Corrigan in his final remarks before the meeting adjourned and days before taking office as Duval County Tax Collector.
“I’ve been the subject of a Sunshine Law investigation. I’ve been sued by the atheists and had a gift disclosure investigation – all unfounded,” he said.
Corrigan said he enjoyed serving the public and “would do it all over again.”
He said in his next role, “eventually every single one of you will have to write me a check.”
• District 13 Council member Dick Brown also weighed in. “It was an honor for me to be one of the District 13 employees of the month,” he said, referring to the seat he assumed in September from Art Graham, who initially served District 13 before leaving to run for the state Senate.
Graham lost that race and John Meserve won a special election for the District 13 seat, but was suspended by former Gov. Charlie Crist after being charged with practicing real estate without a license.
Crist then appointed Graham to return to the seat before Graham left again when appointed to the Public Service Commission. Following that, Crist tabbed Brown for the seat.
• Brown mentioned that Crist could have waited a week before the appointment last year because “I would’ve missed that budget marathon.” He was appointed in early September and Council reached a hard-fought budget agreement Sept. 29 for the Oct. 1 start of the new budget year.
• Brown did note that he looked forward to seeing his colleagues on the street and having a conversation without having to post notice of a public meeting and taking minutes.
• In closing the event at 10:35 p.m., Webb leaned into the microphone with “God bless you, we’re outta here.”
• Webb said after the meeting that he was a one-term Council member and intended to stay that way. “I’m done with City Council, thank you very much,” he said. “It’ll be my last term.”