By Karen Brune Mathis
Managing Editor
Mayor Alvin Brown expects a new City economic development structure “soon” in the wake of the accepted resignation of Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Executive Director Ron Barton.
Abel Harding, communications director for Brown, said this morning that Don Shea and Jerry Mallot, who were assigned to review and develop a new strategy, “are hard at work to develop recommendations.”
After taking office July 1, Brown appointed Shea, executive director of the Jacksonville Civic Council, and Mallot, executive vice president of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, to study and recommend how the city should handle economic development.
Harding said Thursday that Brown asked them to craft “a new economic development delivery system for the City.”
“We anticipate a plan in the very near future that will define the structure Mayor Brown will propose to grow jobs in Jacksonville,” he said.
Asked when the plan was expected, Harding replied “soon.”
Barton will leave the City Sept. 30. Brown accepted his resignation, submitted along with those of other City employees in a standard practice with incoming administrations. Brown accepted several others as well.
Barton could not be reached for comment Thursday.
After Brown announced July 11 that Shea and Mallot would review economic development strategies, Barton said he and his staff would continue to work with Brown as the City determined changes in the City’s process to attract and maintain jobs.
“We’re just going to keep doing our job,” Barton said July 12. “Clearly, he wants to seek input on how we do that differently.”
Shea and Mallot are loaned executives and are volunteers for the review.
Shea said Thursday there was no definitive structure yet for the economic development strategy.
“We continue to look at best practices from competing cities as well as interview many local people involved in economic development,” he said.
Mallot said he couldn’t comment other than to say “the progress on a new strategy is coming along well.”
Chris Hand, Brown’s chief of staff, said Thursday the results of the review by Shea and Mallot would determine the structure of the commission and would be part of Brown’s reorganization of City government. He wasn’t sure if the review would be complete before Barton leaves.
On Aug. 8, Brown’s 18 transition committees presented their reports. Among its 23 recommendations, the Boards and Commissions Transition Committee called for changes in the JEDC.
“We believe the current scope of duties and oversight of the JEDC is too broad and needs to be reduced,” said the committee’s report.
Brown also has called for creation of a Downtown Community Empowerment Corp. to direct Downtown revitalization, which would re-establish an entity similar to the former Downtown Development Authority, which was folded into the JEDC.
“An emphasis on Downtown development through a separate, dedicated authority is strongly encouraged to be considered by the administration,” the report said.
The committee said the administration, City Council and the private sector need to agree on three to five priorities to focus the objectives of the JEDC.
Also, it said the JEDC offices should be located within City Hall and its leadership in the mayor’s office. It now operates in the Police and Fire Pension Fund Building.
The JEDC was one of several boards and commissions identified by name for change.
The JEDC has been the clearinghouse for City economic development efforts, including Downtown development, since 1997.
Barton joined the JEDC in August 2005, becoming its third full-time executive director.
After Brown was elected May 17, Barton was one of the department heads expected to submit his letter of resignation, which is standard procedure with new administrations.
Barton, who did not attend the July 11 announcement about Mallot and Shea, said Brown asked him at the time “to continue doing what I’ve been doing.”
The commission, created by the John Delaney administration, is the City’s economic development office.
It covers the county as it negotiates incentives for projects and monitors the deals, assists developments and also serves as the Downtown development arm of the City.
The stated mission of the JEDC is to develop and execute policies that result in sustainable job growth, rising personal incomes and a broader tax base throughout Northeast Florida.
Its five main objectives are to recruit and expand higher-wage job opportunities; promote and encourage private capital investment; increase the growth and expansion of small business; promote and leverage investment in economically distressed areas; and promote a healthy and vibrant downtown.
A nine-member commission meets regularly to review and approve economic development projects and then sends them to City Council for further approvals.
Barton said in July that the JEDC staff, which had reached 42 people at its peak, had contracted to 16.
Chris Hand, Brown’s chief of staff, said Thursday the results of the review would determine the structure of the commission and would be part of Brown’s reorganization of City government.
He wasn’t sure if the review would be complete before Barton leaves.
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