from staff
One of City Council President-elect Richard Clark’s first orders of business is to appoint the chairs and members of six Council standing committees.
The standing committees meet the first and third weeks of every month and serve as the vetting process for ordinances and resolutions that have been introduced to the full Council.
Typically, legislation is introduced to the full Council and then assigned to the appropriate committee or committees. Those committees discuss the bill at least twice, often rereferring it the first time then approving it the second time. The bill is then sent back to the full Council for final approval.
However, some bills can linger in committee for several months and up to two years. Others, on rare occasions, are passed on an emergency basis and only go through one committee meeting.
The following are Clark’s appointments and a brief description of the roles of the committees.
Rules
Covers all matters relating to the confirmations of nominations by the mayor, Council and sheriff. Also deals with rules, executive communications, resolutions, memorials, calendar, agenda and several other procedural matters. The committee meets the first and third Monday of the month at 10 a.m. in Council Chambers.
Art Shad — chair
Jack Webb — vice chair
Bill Bishop
Michael Corrigan
John Crescimbeni
Clay Yarborough
E. Denise Lee
Finance
Handles financial matters including appropriations, budgets, budgetary transfers, taxes, fees, franchises, bonds, fiscal and investment policies, licensing, personnel, pensions, leases and many other issues. The committee meets the first and third Monday of the month at 2 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Stephen Joost — chair
Bill Bishop — vice chair
John Crescimbeni
Ray Holt
Don Redman
Jack Webb
Clay Yarborough
Public Health & Safety
Handles matters relating to the Jacksonville Children’s Commission, child services, public safety, motor vehicle inspections, collections, crime victims services, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, emergency preparedness and others. The committee meets the first and third Monday of the month at 4 p.m. in Council Chambers.
E. Denise Lee — chair
Clay Yarborough — vice chair
Stephen Joost
Ronnie Fussell
Reginald Brown
John Crescimbeni
Kevin Hyde
Transportation, Energy & Utilities
Handles matters relating to roads and streets, fair share assessments, transportation and transportation planning and issues, railroads, JEA, Public Works and several other issues. The committee meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. in Council Chambers.
Ronnie Fussell — chair
Art Graham — vice chair
Bill Bishop
Kevin Hyde
Johnny Gaffney
Warren Jones
Glorious Johnson
Recreation & Community Development
Handles matters relating to recreation, public housing, economic development, affordable housing, farms, forestry, fish and game, parks, the zoo, international trade and travel, the City’s Sister Cities program, the public library system and many others. The committee meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at 2 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Johnny Gaffney — chair
Reginald Brown — vice chair
Michael Corrigan
Daniel Davis
Art Graham
Art Shad
Glorious Johnson
Land Use & Zoning
Handles land use and zoning matters including: preservation, conservation, building codes, urban renewal, real estate, land, water and wetlands, water supply issues, comprehensive planning, strategic planning, current planning, growth management and many others. The committee meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m. in Council Chambers
Ray Holt — chair
Warren Jones — vice chair
Reginald Brown
Stephen Joost
Don Redman
Daniel Davis
Kevin Hyde