Supporters and area legislators had hoped that the Florida Department of Transportation would match the funding commitments they had gathered to continue the ferry service at Mayport Village, but they learned Monday that the FDOT had no such plans.
City Council member Bill Gulliford released a statement Monday stating: “The Secretary of FDOT has indicated that the department is not in the position to provide operating funds for the upcoming year, however discussions continue as to the possibility of FDOT contributing money for capital project improvements necessary in the next few
years.”
St. Johns River Task Force Chair Elaine Brown called a news conference for 3 p.m. today to respond to the decision. The event is planned at the St. Johns River Ferry landing in Mayport.
Supporters of the ferry were seeking $300,000 from FDOT.
City Council Vice President Bill Gulliford, who chaired the former Council Ad Hoc Committee on Funding the St. Johns River Ferry, and state Reps. Janet Adkins (R-Fernandina) and Mike Weinstein (R-Orange Park) worked to secure pledges of $200,000 from the Jacksonville Port Authority and $100,000 each from City Council and Mayor Alvin Brown’s office.
The Atlantic Beach City Commission has approved a $5,000 contribution to the fund.
“If you look at our projections, if the City and (the port) make the commitments asked of them, it more than covers the deficit we are projecting under the first year of operation of the ferry commission,” said Gulliford during an interview Monday.
He has been working with appointed members of the St. Johns River Ferry Commission, who are awaiting Council confirmation, to develop a business plan for the ferry after it is transferred back to the City.
They determined that a fare increase of $1 along with advertising revenue from both parking lots and on the ferry could combine to cut the annual estimated $600,000 deficit in operating costs in half.
Still, securing the City’s portion of the money relies on some “ifs.”
The City can secure the JaxPort funding only after the City has gained other financial support to operate the ferry for a year. That other support, from Council and the mayor’s office, must be approved by the Council.
Gulliford has filed legislation asking for $100,000 from the Council contingency fund and $100,000 from lobbyist fees.
“It’s not over. Our plan was to be able to operate the ferry until the next legislative session so we can work to secure state funding for the ferry and we have done that,” said Weinstein.
Council member John Crescimbeni has been approved to chair the commission and non-confirmed appointees include Aaron Bowman, a retired U.S. Navy captain and BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards director of business operations; Brown, a former Council president; Carl Cannon, former publisher of The Florida Times-Union; Rich Redick, a businessman with a banking background; and Larry Williams, a legislative assistant to Adkins.
Crescimbeni has filed a public notice of a meeting with JaxPort Chief Operating Officer Chris Kauffmann to discuss the transfer of assets involved in the ferry operations.
The group will meet Thursday at 3 p.m. in Conference Room A on the fourth floor of City Hall.
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