• The Otis Smith Foundation, the folks that brought you the Sea Cow statues, are in talks with the mayor’s office about the next round of animals to hit the Jacksonville streets. Executive Director Bonnie Upright said she’s reviewing sketches of animal candidates now and will announce the species in a couple weeks.
• If you’ve always wanted to party at the library, you might get your chance. Jacksonville Public Library Director Barbara Gubbin said she’s in talks with the mayor’s office about the possibility of renting out the $100 million downtown Main Branch for after hours parties.
• The Police and Fire Pension Fund is making progress on one of its top lobbying priorities. The Fund is backing a move to remove the Windfall Elimination and Government Pension Offset provisions from the federal Social Security system. Fund administrators say the provisions cost their members money and have so far helped rally 274 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives in a move to repeal them.
• Here’s a handy tip passed on by the Police and Fire Pension Fund to its members. Program “ICE” into your cell phone next to family members or friends that you want as emergency contacts. In an emergency, paramedics will scan your phone and contact the designated number. “ICE” stands for In Case of Emergency if you were wondering.
• As the City looks to increase the number of downtown residences to 10,000 units, it need look no further than South Florida for inspiration. In Miami, there are over 60,000 units currently under construction, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. That’s after just 10,000 units were built over the previous decade.
• The Jags have covered about 10,000 seats for this season, but the tarps are not like the solid blue or black ones in center field of baseball parks. They have giant Jaguars logos on them.
• The City’s Parks and Recreation Department is working with USA Partners to bring a big youth multi-sport tournament to town over the Christmas holidays. Organizers are hoping about 3,000 kids and their families will come for an event that will feature soccer, volleyball, tennis and golf.
• The Jacksonville Airport Authority is still seeking a board member to replace Linda Sherrer who stepped down several months ago. Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Rogers Towers attorney Susan McDonald to the board. However, McDonald met with the City’s Ethics Officer and it was determined her membership on the board may be a conflict of interest. McDonald could serve, according to the Ethics Officer, if she resigned from Rogers Towers.