by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Shortly after being sworn in as a City Council member in 1999, Lynette Self was appointed to the Jacksonville Waterways Commission. She’s been on the Commission ever since, serving as vice-chair one year and chair the other seven.
Thursday’s Waterways Commission meeting was the last for Self as a member of Council. She’s term-limited and will be stepping down from Council at the end of the month. But, she didn’t get away without a little recognition from her peers on the Commission and City Council President Michael Corrigan, who called Self’s eight years on the Commission a “phenomenal run.”
“One year she was vice chair and for seven of the other eight she was chair. That’s passion and that’s dedication above and beyond the call of duty,” said Corrigan, who presented Self with a plaque to commemorate her service.
Self had been asked to set aside a few minutes for Corrigan, but claimed to have no idea what he wanted.
“This is truly a surprise,” said Self, who plans to run for Stan Jordan’s State Rep. Dist. 17 seat. “I will say that chairing this Commission was a highlight. The Commission has come a long way and it’s the people on it that make it great. I enjoy doing this, I love it and it’s one thing I think I will definitely miss.”
Corrigan said through Self’s leadership, the Waterways Commission has been able to create tough manatee laws and help regulate waterfront development all over the city.
“The development of our waterways would be out of control without the work of this Commission,” he said.
Self joked that once she’s off the Commission she’ll still attend the meetings – but, she’ll be sitting in the audience with Times-Union columnist Ron Littlepage, a noted advocate of the city’s waterways.