• The Jacksonville Port Authority is on pace to once again break cargo records with about 8 million tons of cargo passing through the port in fiscal year 2005 (which ended Friday). That cargo is imported and exported through Jacksonville by 1,600 ships annually — about five a day.
• Wonder how much The Cohen Group — the firm you keep reading about that’s advising the City on Cecil Field — is getting paid? How about $232,500. The money is coming from the office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development through Florida Enterprise, Inc.
• This week’s Workspace features the Duval Delegation office in City Hall.
• Swisher International is poised to expand its Northside facility with the help of a Jacksonville Economic Development Commission grant worth almost $270,000. Swisher plans to add 16 new permanent jobs to its 1,000 full-time employees.
• It doesn’t happen often, but a letter written in support of the City arrived at City Hall last week. It seems residents in San Marco are pleased with the performance of the new pump station there. According to the letter, “On behalf of all of the people who live in San Marco, who drive San Marco Boulevard ... let me thank you for your attention. Please keep up the good work.” San Marco had, for years, experienced severe flooding problems when it rained before the new pump station was installed.
• The law firm of Foley & Lardner has done its part to help Hurricane Katrina victims by raising $318,000.
• It was suggested back in July, but it seems the City Council is preparing to rely less on the City’s in-house counsel (the Office of General Counsel) and more on its internal staff. The exact ramifications haven’t been decided, but a 10 percent reduction in legal services in the Council committee meetings is expected. Council auditor Richard Wallace said specific recommendations will be made public shortly, but the affected committees would likely rely on the Council’s Research Division more heavily after the policy change become official.
• Haydon Burns, the grandson of the old main library’s namesake, has expressed that he’d like to see the old building left intact. However, if it meets the wrecking ball he’d at least like to have the plaque bearing his grandfather’s name preserved for the family.