Let the “thoughtful and deliberate” conversation about the St. Johns River and its future begin.
The phrase is one Mayor Alvin Brown repeatedly has used when describing the work of the Jacksonville Port Task Force. After being announced last month, the 15-member group met for the first time Friday at City Hall to lay the foundation of work that is anticipated to take place for more than a year.
Brown has asked the group to have that “thoughtful and deliberate” review when determining the economic benefits and environmental detriments that would come with deepening Jacksonville’s harbor from 40 feet to 47 feet. That’s just one of the charges — he’s also asked to the group to rally support for Jacksonville Port Authority initiatives and find a way to locally pay the non-federal portion of the estimated $684 million project. The non-federal portion is currently $371 million, but half could be picked up by the state. The other half is a key question needing answers.
In introductory remarks, Brown told the group that deepening is much work but “will change a generation” by allowing Jacksonville to compete in a global economy.
“It’s all going to work out,” Brown said.
Jacksonville Port Authority CEO Brian Taylor called the project “one of those things we can’t live without 20 years from now.”
The task force’s meeting came days after Taylor announced the port had received the go-ahead on the deepening project from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The vital approval means it is now included in the Water Resources Development Act
that still must be passed by Congress.
But there are those who raise environmental concerns about the impact such a project would have on the St. Johns River.
They also had the opportunity Friday to make introductory remarks, led by St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman who wanted to ensure the economic-environmental balanced approach discussed was maintained.
She said she was encouraged to hear many of the members talk about the environmental aspects during their introductions, but also wanted an independent analysis of the job and economic-benefit numbers being touted.
That analysis was done by Martin Associates, which the port hired to conduct the study. Rinaman again asked that a non-Martin, independent analysis of the economic benefits be conducted and peer-reviewed.
The Riverkeeper in an April 4 letter to the Corps stated its opposition to the project, based on myriad reasons ranging from the Corps’ “flawed and incomplete” review to the economic interests not being verified, nor enough to offset the damage.
Taylor said officials are “smart enough to strike that balance” of job creation and environmental protection. He also told the board if there were concerns with the Martin numbers that another study could be done, but would take time and cost money.
The Martin strategic master plan cost $600,000 in late 2012.
The task force will meet monthly and is proposed to meet until June 2015, when final recommendations are expected, according to a proposed meeting schedule. Speakers have yet to be determined, but some suggestions included port businesses, port of Savannah officials and University of North Florida professor David Jaffee, who has studied the issue and written concerns.
The next meeting is scheduled May 12.
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