• Chief Judge Donald Moran wants to appear before the City Council’s Audit Committee to discuss the changes being proposed to the new Duval County Courthouse. Moran sent a letter to Audit Committee chair Faye Rustin Thursday, requesting the appearance. Moran said he and the rest of the judiciary were having “serious concerns and misgivings about the proposed, modified courthouse plans which the Mayor has asked us to approve.” Moran appeared before the committee last fall at Rustin’s request.
• Attorney Joy N. Owenby has opened her own office in the 550 Water Street building.
• Blue Hawaiian restaurant in now open in the Harmony Dental building in LaVilla.
• In addition to the $300,000 Fire Chief Richard Barrett would have to give up to keep his job, the mayor’s office proposal will cost Barrett another $22,000 to get back into the Police and Fire Pension program. The money represents five years of pension payments that Barrett missed when he enrolled in an early retirement program.
• Vestcor is looking to buy more land downtown, but it probably won’t translate into more apartments. The 11E and Carlington developer wants to buy a three-feet-wide strip between the Carlington and the Police and Fire Pension Fund building on West Adams Street.
• The mayor’s Parks Task Force chair, Rufus Pennington, is taking a cue from the NFL to encourage his group to attend a series of voluntary tours of the City’s park system. “These tours are voluntary — kind of like Tom Coughlin’s training camps are voluntary,” said Pennington.
• According to the mayor’s office, new legislation pertaining to the City’s small and disadvantaged businesses should be filed by today, just in time for Tuesday’s City Council meeting. In response, Council president Lad Daniels said he is extending a special Council committee charged with reviewing any policy changes through June.