by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
In a rare Jacksonville Waterways Commission meeting in which there wasn’t a main agenda item, the volunteer organization did reinstate a subcommittee that will examine how the City gets its Florida Inland Navigation District grants and how those grants are used.
Former Dockmaster and current Waterways member Steve Nichols will chair the subcommittee, which was created by Waterways Chair and City Council member Reggie Brown. Nichols explained the importance of establishing projects fundable with FIND dollars and following up through completion to assure the City continues to get FIND in the future.
Those dollars are often procured and administered by Jody McDaniel, a planning/grant manager with the City’s Planning Department. Along with City matches, FIND money is used to renovate public boat ramps and facilities, build new ramps and docks and other inland waterways-related projects.
Thursday, McDaniel reported she’s seeking an extension for the 2007 FIND grants and two projects from last year have been completed. She also said within a month or so, the City will know how much in FIND grants it will get this year.
Waterways member Susan Grandin also briefed the Commission on the progress of a committee she heads, the Working Group on Recreational & Commercial Working Waterfronts. Grandin said the group has met a couple times to discuss legislation that must be sent to the State Legislature for approval.
Crafted in January of 2006, the legislation is in the form of both a House Bill and Senate Bill. In short, it’s the City’s explanation of how it delineates between recreational and working waterfronts and the development laws that pertain to both.
“We got input from the public as to what would be a working waterfront,” said Grandin. “It was a good discussion.”
Grandin said as long as the City meets the October deadline to submit the bill, any future changes can be made through amendments to the City’s comprehensive plan.
In other news from the Waterways meeting:
• Jacksonville University Marine Science Director Dr. Quinton White said a joint river report compiled by JU and the University of North Florida was made public Aug. 28 at the City’s sustainability workshop at UNF. It summarizes a “host of data” that was compiled by students at both universities.
• White also said this summer’s alga bloom on the St. Johns River and many of its tributaries wasn’t just bad, it was also a different strain from years past. He said the heavy rains in late August and high temperatures lowered the salinity of the water and helped exacerbate the bloom.
“This was a pretty severe alga bloom,” said White, who brought aerial photos to show the extent of the bloom, which was most prevalent in the Orange Park and Mandarin areas.
He also said it has started to subside thanks to shorter days (less sunlight) and slightly cooler water temperatures.
• Dr. Gerard Pinto of JU said on his last flight he only counted 21 manatees in the area.
“The numbers are lower. The last time they were this low for this time of the year was 1995,” said Pinto. “I am not sure what is going on. They must be moving south.”
• The contractor building Palms Fish Camp is 80 percent done but, according to Nate Rezeau — chief of the City’s Waterfront Management and Programming Division — the contractor will ask for an extension later this month. He said that extension must be approved by the City’s Professional Services Evaluation Committee.
• Rezeau also said the City was unsuccessful in its attempt to purchase the marina at the Intracoastal Waterway and Beach Boulevard. The September deadline passed without the seller — Ken and Rose Taylor — and the City coming to an agreement. The plan was to purchase the 139-acre property and increase the amount of trailer parking at the public ramp.
However, the Taylors were asking $3.6 million for the property while the City was only willing to pay $2.1, most of which would have come from a FIND grant and the Florida Community Trust.
“This will not go forward,” said Rezeau. “We gave it a very good try.”
256-2466