Two City Council committees supported different sites for an elections center Monday, much like Mayor Alvin Brown and Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland did two weeks ago.
Monday morning, the Council Rules Committee in its 9 a.m. meeting voted 7-0 to support moving the warehouse and elections functions to One Imeson Center in North Jacksonville.
That vote came after a 6-1 denial of a proposal to support the existing Gateway Shopping Center site just north of Downtown. Gateway has housed the office since 2006. Rules Chair Warren Jones cast the lone vote against the denial.
On Monday afternoon, the Council Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee at its 2 p.m. meeting went the opposite way on the issue.
It voted 5-2 to support Gateway and rejected the One Imeson proposal with a 5-2 vote. Council members Stephen Joost and Matt Schellenberg supported One Imeson.
The Council Finance Committee is scheduled to hear the issue at 9 a.m. today and could break the tie. The Council tentatively could vote Aug. 13 to resolve the issue that has been contentious for months.
The two committees Monday debated for a combined five hours, discussing finances, race and politics.
Both One Imeson and Gateway propose 10-year leases.
Jim Robinson, City Public Works director, presented the administration's recommendation of Gateway as the best choice, claiming it offers the best price for taxpayers, offers the least amount of risk and has the best location.
He said Gateway, at about $2.8 million over the term, saves about $83,000. The same figures show the One Imeson proposal at just under $2.9 million.
"We do know for a fact that it works at Gateway," said Council member Reggie Brown, who supported the Gateway proposal during the Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee meeting. He cited the Council Auditor's numbers as a reason.
Holland in late June recommended One Imeson. He told the committees Monday that One Imeson saves the City $11,000 more than Gateway and explained the appearance of Gateway saving more was because of different start dates in the lease.
The One Imeson lease would start in January and the Gateway lease would begin in October. The first 12 months of free rent and free storage at One Imeson during the build-out would save more than $200,000. In addition, Holland said the last three months of free rent, about $81,000, built into the Gateway proposal realized in 2023 won't be as valued the as it is today. He said it would be worth about $64,000.
In the Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee, Holland said One Imeson was the better "physical plant" because of its location and being a one-story facility. Gateway is two stories. He said he would not change locations for $11,000 if One Imeson wasn't the better location.
"We ought to get out of the way and let the man do his job," Council member Stephen Joost said.
The Council Auditor's Office told the committee that the financials were close enough be a policy decision.
An issue of the City being responsible for wiring and cables at the Gateway site was alleviated through an amendment. The One Imeson proposal includes such City protection.
A proposal by Demetree Brothers Inc. to house the center at the Southgate Shopping Plaza along Beach Boulevard was withdrawn in both committees.
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