• The City Council’s lengthy Finance Committee meeting had a unique start Monday. Council member Gwen Yates led with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, making a special mention of the Gulf Coast states ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The meeting, which was all but monopolized by the City’s proposed budget legislation, wrapped more than two hours later.
• A City Council tour of the Haydon Burns Library last week had a lower-than-expected turnout. Organized by Council member Suzanne Jenkins as a means to show her colleagues the historical significance of the building, Art Graham was the lone Council member to show up for the walk-through. A handful of aides joined the pair.
• Speaking of Graham, he’s tapping $20,500 worth of funds from his Dist. 13 account to resurface the tennis and basketball courts at Jarboe Park in Neptune Beach.
• Sports executive Michael Huyghue has an especially full plate this week. He’s been called for jury duty.
• Seen having lunch at Benny’s at the Landing Monday: U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown.
• Tinted windows may help beat the heat in the summer, but they might also cost you more in the long run if you go too dark. Police officers at the beach last weekend stopped several cars with questionable tint and issued $70 citations to the offending parties.
• There are two versions of the new JEDC organizational chart proposed by executive director Ron Barton: one with a position designated to oversee the transfer of Cecil Field back to the Navy and one without.
• Northside business leaders are buzzing about an application filed with the City to build a business center on 97 acres off of I-95 between Pecan Park and Duval roads. The proposal called for business condominiums, warehouses, a medical center, assisted living facilities and an auto mall taking up 1 million square feet and generating 375 jobs.
• The City’s budget struggles have received plenty of attention from City Hall and in the media but, according to Finance Committee Chairman Daniel Davis, the real struggle is going to be balancing next year’s budget. “I pity the Finance Committee next year,” he said. “Next year is going to be worse than this year.”
• There are signs of life from Berkman Plaza’s second phase development. The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission approved changes sought by developer DB Holdings for a parking garage to service phase 2. The Commission expects to review the project concept next month.