by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
It happens every 10 years, and this time it will begin on June 2 at 3 p.m. in the Lynwood Roberts Room at City Hall.
The City Council approved 15 citizens on May 26 to become the Charter Revision Commission and they will attend their first meeting tomorrow. At that meeting, City Council President Ronnie Fussell will provide a list of some of the issues the council would like to see reviewed, but the commission is free to discuss any part of the City’s charter.
“It won’t be a two or three page list of items,” said Fussell at a Rules Committee meeting, “But I do feel there are four to five good issues out there that need to be looked into that will take up eight months of your time.”
The commission has eight months to review the City’s charter and will submit a report to the City Council detailing any changes that it feels would help the City government better serve its community. Fussell may provide the commission with some initial direction and guidance but it will present its report to Council President Richard Clark by February of 2010. Fussell will step down as council president on July 1.
One member of the Jacksonville community who was chosen to lead was Wyman Duggan. The City Council approved the nomination of Duggan as chair of the commission and Mary O’Brien as vice chair.
“I’m excited and honored about the nomination,” said Duggan. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to serve the City and the community in this important task. The Council president did a good job of getting a cross section of stakeholders from the community.”
Duggan is a shareholder at Rogers Towers. His practice areas include land use, zoning, permitting, developments of regional impact and concurrency approvals.
He is also registered as a lobbyist with the City and has represented: Sembler Florida, Inc. for a fair share contract; The Richman Group of Florida, Inc. for rezoning; SSC 91.6 Jacksonville Pecan Park for a fair share contract; Putnal Investments for land use; Crescent Resources, for MM-07-27; New Berlin Commerce Park, for 2008-193; San Pablo Development, for 2008-106; Christian Healing Ministries for 2008-195; Epping Forest Yacht Club for PUD amend; Akel and Akel Partnerships for land use amend & rezoning; Imeson Holdings for land use amend & rezoning; The Island Development for land use amend & rezoning; Lem Turner Road Developers for 2008A-012/LUZ; Beach Boulevard Ventures for fair share contract; Fifth Third Bank for 2008-984 rezoning; The Bolles School for land use/zoning 2008-988 & 989; The Cesery Companies for land use/zoning; and Duval Station Developers for land use and zoning.
Vice chair Mary O’Brien has been the chief marketing officer for Advanced Disposal Services since Feb. 2001. She has also worked in government/public affairs for Republic Services and BFI Waste Systems of North America during a career of over 10 years in the solid waste management industry.
No stranger to the Jacksonville community, O’Brien was the marketing manager for the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens before she began her career in the waste management industry.
They will be joined by Geoff Youngblood, Ed Austin, Martha Barrett, James Catlett, Billy Catlin, Teresa Eichner, Robert Flowers Sr., Beverly Garvin, Mechelle Herrington, Allison Korman, Jeanne Miller, Gary Oliveras and Curtis Thompson on the commission.
This group will submit a report on its review of the city’s charter early next year and it has more than one avenue for change.
A Charter Revision Commission suggested adopting term limits for City Council members, two four-year terms, but the Council failed to act on the commission suggestion. The recommendation was later presented to the voters through a referendum and the limits were adopted in 1991.
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