Bill Watson is the division chief of the Public Buildings Division for the City.
WHAT DOES HE DO?
He oversees the maintenance and landscaping of all City-owned buildings including the St. James Building, Duval County Jail, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, libraries and fire stations. “We also do all of the grass cutting on the medians, tree trimming and removal of trees throughout Duval County that are on city property. We also maintain Hemming Plaza and all the pocket parks downtown.”
WHEN DID HE START WITH THE CITY?
In 1995 in the Public Works Director’s office as a project manager. He became the division chief of public buildings in 1997.
HOW DID HE GET THE JOB?
He was appointed by Mayor John Delaney.
BEFORE THE CITY?
He was a private building contractor who specialized in custom homes in the Mandarin area from 1986 to 1995. His company was called Watson Builders.
BIRTHPLACE
Cordele, Ga.
MOVED TO JACKSONVILLE
In 1970. He went to work with Ivey’s department store as an operations manager. He left Jacksonville in 1978 to open a janitorial company in Miami. He returned to Jacksonville in 1986 and entered the construction industry. He is a licensed real estate agent.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
“I enjoy the challenge of maintaining buildings and all the different situations you can have on a daily basis. It’s a different story everyday. On the other hand, I like being part of the beautification of the city, including the pocket parks and the hanging plant baskets on the light poles.
LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
“The long hours. We are on call 24 hours a day. In the public buildings, we have somebody working seven days a week, 24 hours a day somewhere. There is always somebody working.”
TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY?
“We are constantly doing something on the buildings all the time. There is always something wearing out or breaking. There is always something going on. When you have an air conditioning system that runs 12 to 18 hours a day that is that large to cool a building that big, you have to have daily maintenance on it.”
ADVICE FOR SOMEONE INTERESTED IN WORKING FOR THE CITY?
“I think it’s a great place. It’s one of the best places I’ve ever known for someone to work. I’m very pleased and I would encourage anyone to seek a career with the City.”
CHALLENGES HE FACES WORKING FOR THE CITY?
“Aging buildings is one of our biggest challenges. The older a building gets the more repairs that need to be done on them. We have an operating budget of over $21 million a year. Landscaping is another challenge because of the unknown weather conditions.”
FAMILY
He has been married to Ann for 24 years. He has two children from a pervious marriage, Troy and Gina, and four grandchildren, Cody, 14, Tyler, 13, Taylor, 9, and Bryce, 4.
RESIDES
Southside.
DID HE BUILD HIS OWN HOUSE?
No. He bought a house that was 50-years-old, gutted it and remodeled it.
“It was a nightmare. Everything you could normally do in 30 minutes took four hours.”
CHURCH
Southside Assembly of God.
HOBBIES
He likes fishing and bird hunting. He enjoys visiting Georgia to hunt and fish with his son and grandchildren.
FAVORITES
His favorite movie is “Gone With the Wind.” The last book he read was “The Greatest Generation” by Tom Brokaw. When relaxing at home he enjoys the Discovery Channel. When dining out, it’s Copeland’s near Tinsletown. Traveling is a passion for Watson, especially to Maine. “We went camping up there for a few weeks and I really enjoyed it.” He and his wife travel to a new place every year. “We’ve been to Maine, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. and all over Florida. We like to go somewhere new and different, it breaks the monotony.”
— by Michele Newbern Gillis