by David Ball
Staff Writer
City Council member Bill Bishop said the Jacksonville Aviation Authority has lost the public trust as he defended his resolution supporting a J-bill in front of the Council Rules Committee on Monday.
The bill would have amended JAA’s charter to require a two-thirds vote by the Council prior to extending any runway other than at Jacksonville International Airport. But, the Committee rejected the resolution on precedent issues and instead passed a resolution to not support the J-bill.
Bishop’s resolution was a result of a proposal by the Aviation Authority to extend the roughly 4,000-foot runway at Craig Municipal Airport by 2,000 feet, which Aviation Authority officials said would increase safety.
However, many residents living near the airport have decried the plan — which has been proposed several times in the past — because of fears it could lead to increased flights and larger planes coming in and out of the air strip. Bishop, who is not on the Rules Committee but represents the district in Arlington where the airport is located, said the J-bill would help create an extra check on JAA.
“It’s a mechanism we can use to ensure this is not something that comes up spur of the moment,” said Bishop, who reiterated complaints that JAA had told residents it was not looking to expand the runway several times in the past.
“This is a matter of public trust,” he said. “Folks have a right to rely on that promise.”
Council and Committee member Clay Yarborough represents Dist. 1 near the airport and is co-sponsoring another piece of legislation with Bishop to block the expansion. He said he recently visited Craig Field and found a May 2001 letter in which JAA board members stated they were so sure they were not extending the runway they gave back nearly $500,000 to the Florida Department of Transportation to acquire land as a buffer needed for the expansion.
“Today it’s Craig Field, tomorrow it may be Herlong (Airport),” added Bishop, of the Aviation Authority’s small airport on the Westside. “This bill gives the Council a bit more control over its planning destiny.”
However, the majority of the Committee said it was a little too much control and set an unwanted precedent in dictating the policies of independent authorities.
“I think JAA has quite a burden in coming to convince me that the expansion should occur,” said Council member Jack Webb. “But you want to put JAA in a box.”
Yarborough said there are about 23 other policies that require a two-thirds Council vote, including changes to the Better Jacksonville Plan and to override a mayor’s veto.
However, Steve Rohan of the Office of General Counsel said the only one that applies to an independent authority is the two-thirds vote required to approve JEA bonds.
“That brings a sort of concern,” said Council member Denise Lee. “If we set this type of precedent, then you will see this ongoing.”
Council members Lee, Webb, Michael Corrigan, Jay Jabour and Warren Jones opposed the support of the J-bill, while Yarborough and Council Vice President Ronnie Fussell approved.
“This is of an extraneous nature,” said Fussell. “It is different because of the extenuating circumstances surrounding this issue.”
Also on Monday, the Rules Committee took the next step in confirming the addition of a City ethics officer by approving the ordinances that create the part-time position as well as Mayor John Peyton’s appointment of Carla Miller to the post.
Miller will make $75,000 a year and the funding will come from a $39,000 transfer from the Office of General Counsel and $36,000 that was previously budgeted for the position formerly held by Stacy Lucas. Miller will be expected to work 20-25 hours a week.
In speaking to the Committee, Miller said her chief duties will be to man the recently established ethics hot line, which she said has received over 60 calls that have resulted in six investigations, as well as to coordinate the ethics oversight that should be already occurring in each department.
Although the appointment was unanimously approved, Committee member Jones did express some concern over funding the position during a lean budget year. However, Miller said those years are usually when ethics officers are needed most.
“When you’re in a budget crunch, or when there is a grand jury investigation or contract issues,” she said, “that is when you put in an ethics officer.”
Jones quipped back, “So our timing is excellent because we are dealing with all three.”