• Mayor John Peyton has decided to delete the first part of Interim Director of Planning and Development from Bill Killingsworth’s title. Legislation to confirm him as director of the department will be introduced to City Council Tuesday. Killingsworth has been with the City for 19 years and until he was named interim director of P&D served as the chief of the Community Planning Division.
• Doing better than the domestics: Volkswagen Group of America will celebrate the grand opening of a new parts distribution center in Jacksonville June 18. It’s at 4150 Perimeter Industrial Pkwy. W. near I-295 and Pritchard Road. President and CEO of Volkswagen of America Stefan Jacoby will cut the ribbon at 1 p.m.
• State Rep. Charles McBurney was inadvertently left off a recent list of those who have filed to run for office. McBurney is seeking re-election in Dist. 16.
• Speaking of elections, the funds are piling up quickly for the candidates running for State Sen. Jim King’s seat. As of March 31, State Rep. Aaron Bean had $220,441.07 in the coffers. City Council member Art Graham had $91,050 and Dan Quiggle had $77,154.99. Former House Speaker John Thrasher didn’t file until May 14, so he won’t have to submit a campaign finance report until the next quarter.
• An update: For those interested in checking out the Chamber’s new Small Business Center, officials will be hosting an open house June 24 from 11 a.m.– 3 p.m. During the event, counselors will be doing free business assessments for clients as well as tours.
• The next North Florida Transportation Planning Organization meeting is Thursday, with action agenda items including project identification for additional stimulus funding and staff and Florida Department of Transportation requests for Transportation Improvement Plan amendments for fiscal years 2008–09 through 2012-13. It’s the last meeting before a month off, as there is no meeting in July.
• The Meninak Club of Jacksonville is accepting applications for its annual Charity Project Award. The $30,000 grant that will be awarded to a Duval County charity organization that serves underprivileged or handicapped children and must be used on capital improvement projects. Past winners include Safe Harbor Boys Home, Pace Center for Girls and The Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida. Applications are due by July 15, with the winner being announced Sept. 28. For more information, call 745-3393.
• Nice gesture by City Council President Ronnie Fussell. Recently, he donated $100 to Greenscape of Jacksonville, Inc. in the name of Starr Bishop, the daughter of Council member Bill Bishop, who passed away earlier this year. According to Executive Director Anna Dooley, since its creation in 1975 Greenscape has added 180,000 trees to local canopy.
• Fussell may support Greenscape of Jacksonville, Inc., but he’s not a big fan of fresh cut grass. He’s allergic.
• JTA is offering a summer youth pass and it’s a good deal. It’s $30 for June, July is free and August costs another $15.
• The movie “Safe Harbor” airs Saturday at 9 p.m. on the Hallmark Channel. However, you won’t recognize any of the background scenery. The entire movie was shot in California. Todd Roobin, film and television director for the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, says the movie wasn’t shot locally because there were “no State incentive funds available at the time. The funds were not available because they were either used or committed to other projects.”
• Look for a host of new names on the City’s public e-mail list starting Monday. At the request of The Florida Times-Union, several mayoral staffers have been added and those who haven’t worked in the mayor’s office for several months have been removed. Each folder will be updated with new e-mails every Monday morning.