• Rob Rowe of Rowe’s Supermarkets told The Shelby Report of the Southeast that he will take over the former Food Lion space at Beach and Southside boulevards to open what will be the second Rowe’s in the city. About five years ago, Rowe bought seven former Albertsons stores to start his grocery business, but has since sold all but the Rowe’s store in West Jacksonville along Blanding Boulevard.
• The Council Auditor’s Office has issued a report that covers how City Council has complied with the Jacksonville Sunshine Compliance Act, which was passed in 2008 following a Florida Times-Union story that revealed dozens of Sunshine Law violations by Council members and their aides. According to the report, which covers 70 meeting notices and minutes from May 1, 2009, through April 30 of this year, the Auditor’s Office didn’t find any issues of note.
• The Taxation, Revenue and Utilization of Expenditures Commission meets at 4 p.m. today in Council Chambers.
• Speaking of meetings, Council member Stephen Joost will meet with members of the Finance Sub-Committee on Performance and Audit to talk about the fiscal 2009 audit. It’s at 12:30 p.m. June 14 in Conference Room A in the Council offices.
• One more: Council members Daniel Davis, Denise Lee and Michael Corrigan will gather at 11 a.m. Monday to talk about Council decorum. It’s also in Conference Room A.
• Council member Ronnie Fussell may have to answer his phone for the next several days. His aide, Mina Hosseini, is in Africa on a mission trip until next week.
• Tuesday, Randy Wyse of the Jacksonville Association of Fire Fighters told the Council Finance Committee the department made cuts over the weekend that will assure no stations have to be closed. Wyse said 26 firefighter recruits will be laid off July 2 and another 35 firefighters, from chief on down, will be demoted and take pay cuts.
• The City was recently notified by the Government Finance Officers Association in Chicago that it has received a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the City’s current budget. According to association Director Stephen Gauthier, Budget Officer Kent Olson has received a certificate to mark the award.
• Here’s a little-known fact. It costs the City $1,665 annually to belong to Sister Cities International. The membership fee is based on a city’s population.
• The Beaver Street Enterprise Center will host a free Entrepreneurial Fair and Success Forum from 9 a.m. to noon June 10 at its center at 1225 W. Beaver St.
• The Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce will be honoring Council President Richard Clark, other Council members and their staff Tuesday as part of the 2010 City Council President’s Appreciation Luncheon. The annual event will be at the Omni, with tickets costing $20 for Chamber members and $35 for nonmembers. For more information, call Larissa Hicks at 366-6627.
• Just in time for the start of hurricane season, the Florida Department of Emergency Management released the results of a poll regarding Florida residents’ preparedness. Florida residents said they are well-prepared for a hurricane’s aftermath; most felt it was reasonable for agencies to have relief supplies within 48 hours of a storm; too few residents living in category one to three evacuation zones comprehend their vulnerability to a category three hurricane; few people know the lead times for watches and warnings; and more than half of Florida residents said they have a definite plan for evacuation. The telephone poll was conducted with 876 Florida residents.