With a series of budget hearings completed, City Council Finance Committee members resume their regular meetings Wednesday.
They could still fine-tune the 2011-12 budget they approved last week.
The committee cut $4.6 million from Mayor Alvin Brown’s proposed budget and applied the savings toward a $5 million tab of “paying as it goes” for items such as cars, computers and capital maintenance rather than using debt.
Finance Chairman Richard Clark and others were optimistic the additional $400,000 needed could be found.
The meeting agenda includes:
• An ordinance to dissolve the City’s Equal Business Opportunity and Compliance Division and transfer its $1.9 million budget, its functions and its personnel to the office of the Director of Central Operations.
It will then become the Jacksonville Business Assistance Office, eliminating one vacant position and transferring three others.
• A measure that calls for the City to assume the maintenance and landscaping responsibilities of Town Center projects. The agreement would apply toward such projects approved by the City and completed by July 1, 2010, and for which maintenance responsibility is not otherwise provided by another entity.
The Town Center initiative involves infrastructure improvements to several neighborhood commercial centers to encourage business. Some have since been maintained by private organizations, while others have not. The fiscal impact is undetermined.
• An ordinance to repeal some funding for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid that was approved in June. Clark introduced the repeal of the original measure, which was a $50 court cost fee on various felonies, misdemeanors and traffic violations that would help fund the organization. The original measure was approved 15-4.
• A lease agreement with the U.S. Green Building Council’s North Florida Chapter to move into a 4,940-square-foot retail space on the first floor of the parking garage on Duval Street. The lease is for five years with no renewal option and will be considered build-out space for use as a Sustainability Resource Center.
The City will allow the Green Building Council to use the space at no rental or utility cost. The space will be open to the public for educational purposes, including energy and water conservation efficiency practices.
The space has been empty for six years and its occupancy is considered a Downtown revitalization effort.
• An ordinance that will add new requirements and responsibilities for approval of contract change orders.
If approved, change orders up to 10 percent of the original award amount must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate award committee as an additional layer of review.
The goal is to deter vendors from intentionally underbidding contracts in order to be selected, then returning to ask for additional funds.
An agenda meeting to discuss which measures will be taken up, deferred or withdrawn will be 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Council Meeting Room A. The Finance Committee will meet at 10 a.m.
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