• City Council President Richard Clark has scheduled a second public meeting during which citizens can comment on or ask questions about the City’s proposed 2009-10 budget. It’s Monday at 6 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center of the Downtown Campus of Florida Community College at Jacksonville.
• The FBI will officially open its new Jacksonville field office next month. The dedication ceremony is Aug. 6 at 10 a.m. The new office is on Gate Parkway.
• Attorney Craig Williams has notified the City he intends to file a cause of action for negligence. Williams represents the family of Eddie Odom who was killed Dec. 28 of last year. Odom was riding his bike on Myrtle Avenue when he was struck by Nathan Long, a police officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
• If the Florida Senate confirms them, Florida State College at Jacksonville will have two new board of trustees members following appointments by Gov. Charlie Crist, and each is a familiar figure within the Jacksonville community. City Council member Michael Corrigan and Bruce Barcelo, owner of Barcelo & Company, would join reappointed members Gwen Yates and Suanne Thame for the term ending May 31, 2013.
• Slowly, but surely. Art Shad is the latest City Council member to list his e-mails for the public to view at www.coj.net. Only 11 more to go.
• Jacksonville isn’t alone: Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and his staff recently sent gathered information from the state’s 22 largest municipalities about actions being taken to reduce impending budget deficits, with some interesting results. The information was sent to Mayor John Peyton and other municipality leaders and of note: 19 cities have or are contemplating hiring freezes, elimination of positions, employee layoffs and furloughs; 11 cities have made or intend to make wage cuts, benefit cuts and/or eliminate benefits for new hires and other employee categories; and 13 cities have made or are contemplating staff decreases.
• The United States Green Building Council (USGBC)-North Florida Chapter elected its new board of directors July 10. Officers include President Ellen Leroy-Reed, director of business development for Breaking Ground Contracting Company; Vice President Corie Baker, architect with JSA, Inc.; Secretary Robert Riva, attorney with Holland & Knight; and Treasurer Adair Owen, contractor with Elkins Construction.
• Downtown Vision, Inc. is hosting a blood drive from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. July 31 in conjunction with the Friday Hemming Plaza Market. An appointment isn’t required, but a photo ID is in order to share a pint with someone who will need a transfusion. Donors will be entered in a raffle to win tickets to an Orlando theme park. To schedule an appointment, call Tasha Tucker at 634-0303 ext. 225.
• Looking for something to do this weekend? The Florida Park Service is waiving daily entrance fees at all State parks Sunday to recognize National Parks and Recreation Month. Free entrance will also be offered to visitors with a library card or with the donation of a new or gently used family friendly book Sept. 11-13 for State Park Literacy Month and Nov. 11 for Veteran’s Day. The first two-time Gold Medal winner honoring the nation’s best state park service, Florida’s state park system is one of the largest in the country with 160 parks, most of which are open 365 days a year.
• You’ll notice a small landscaping change in Hemming Plaza Monday. This weekend four ligustrum shrubs will be removed to allow security cameras in the area to have an unobstructed view of every square foot of the public plaza. The shrubs will be relocated and groundcover will be planted in their place.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA) is hosting the LAB Gallery this summer. It’s a way to showcase emerging local contemporary artists and give them a chance to promote and sell their works in a high visibility setting. A new exhibit opens today with works by Caterina Lionti and Russ Wilson.