by David Chapman
Staff Writer
When the City Council Finance Committee convenes Thursday, it will take up the proposed move of the Public Defender’s Office to the Jake M. Godbold City Annex.
The committee was scheduled to meet Tuesday, but rescheduled because of a lack of a quorum. It will convene at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall.
The Public Defender’s move was originally included in ordinance 2011-26, which covered several actions.
In addition to the Public Defender’s move to the Godbold Annex rather than to the City-owned Ed Ball Building, the ordinance also originally called for closing West Monroe Street in front of the new Duval County Courthouse and appropriated $629,000 from the Art in Public Places account to provide for art in the new courthouse.
After council deliberation, each of the measures will be presented in individual ordinances.
After amendments, 2011-26 will consist only of moving the Public Defender to the Godbold Annex, where it would be the sole tenant.
The current tenants, consisting of the City’s Environmental and Compliance Department and Retirement System Administration offices, would relocate to the Ed Ball Building.
If passed, the ordinance would allow each of the tenants to be housed in City-owned buildings.
Currently, the Public Defender’s Office is in City-rented space at 25 N. Market St. The move is projected to save the City money
The council’s Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee approved the measure Monday.
Finance will also weigh in on an ordinance pertaining to an economic development agreement between the City, the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission and PLS Logistics Services.
A Pennsylvania-based logistics management company, PLS would receive a $300,000 Qualified Target Industry tax refund from the City and state for bringing a super regional headquarters to Jacksonville that would employ 100 people.
The City’s portion of the refund is $60,000, while the state would pay the remaining $240,000.
As earlier reported in the Daily Record, company officials said it was considering both Jacksonville and Dallas for the project.
Both Rules and the council’s Recreation and Community Development committees have approved the ordinance.
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