For 11 members on the dais, it was a night of firsts.
A three-hour opening act filled not with controversy, but instead small, easily correctable mistakes along the way.
Like floor leader Joyce Morgan missing the green button while reaching toward the screen, instead hitting the red button — and initially being the lone dissenter — on a bill about the property appraiser’s budget.
Or Al Ferraro forgetting to stand while talking about a zoning issue. (Council members sit during committees, but stand during full meetings.)
Or Tommy Hazouri not turning on his microphone before praising the efforts and coordination of Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and others in their search for 21-month-old Lonzie Barton.
“First mistake for the first meeting,” Hazouri said with a smile.
Since taking office July 1, members of the new council class have taken different routes to prepare for Tuesday’s first moments on the big stage.
“A lot of reading,” said Scott Wilson. “You dig into it … it’s a lot more than just the first and second page.”
Wilson has experience with the council process and the people after serving as executive council assistant to former District 4 representative Don Redman.
That’s given him a leg up, Wilson said, in terms of understanding aspects like filing a bill and knowing a lot of the people at City Hall.
Like Wilson, Hazouri has experience. It’s just been everywhere but council, it seems.
The former mayor, legislator and school board member is starting his first term on council, but said he’s no rookie.
He’s not done anything out of the ordinary, reading the bills and “doing my homework.” But, there are differences to council procedures he’s still picking up on. Acronyms he’s unfamiliar with. People he still needs to meet. How to deal with emergency bills and amendments.
“It’s like football,” he said. “It’s the same game, but you just have to learn the different plays.”
Hazouri would have been the most talkative of the new group in his debut if it wasn’t for Morgan.
As floor speaker, she’ll often be one of the more consistent speakers, announcing names and procedures for each bill to the others members and public.
Any small mistakes, like announcing a bill to be moved instead of postponed, were easily correctable.
“That’s exactly what I was saying,” she said with a smile after announcing the wrong action.
For her initial effort, she received high marks from council President Greg Anderson and her peers.
“She was just terrific,” said Anderson.
Morgan afterward said she had “a couple of bumps” along the way, but practicing it in a couple of mock meetings the past few weeks helped. Additionally, she went back through meetings to see how others before her handled the job.
Aaron Bowman also went back over the recordings in the past month. The JAXUSA Partnership executive said he’s leaned on returning council members for advice and spent more than 20 hours watching video of meetings from the past four months in preparation.
He travels a lot, which means the resource has been easy to access when he’s had a spare hour here or there.
“It’s prepared me,” he said. “Many of these bills have been around for months.”
Bowman said he feels comfortable after his preparations the past several weeks, but knows things will pop up unexpectedly.
“You never know what you don’t know until it happens,” he said.
Most of the new members had at least a little brief moment on the microphone, even if it was to just declare ex parte communications on certain quasi-legal issues.
Katrina Brown said she hasn’t taken a day off in the past three weeks, spending work days meeting with department heads about the upcoming budget.
Likewise, Anna Brosche said she’s been digging through pending bills while working with departments like the Office of Economic Development on any questions that arise. Most departments have been proactive, she said, but she hasn’t had the opportunity to meet with them all.
Brosche was one of the more constant faces in the audience at council meetings during the election cycle, learning what she could about the process. She appreciates that perspective, but is happy to be learning on the other side now.
“It’s still surreal,” she said. “I get a smile on my face just thinking about it.”
Anderson said the new members came “totally prepared” for their first night in the spotlight. It wasn’t the most controversial evening, but many know those issues will crop up.
Ferraro said he spent most of his first month meeting with constituents, hearing about public safety and keeping taxes low. Those issues and others involving the time-intensive city budget wait in the coming months.
Like his colleagues, Ferraro said he’s been reading up to keep track of things. And while he’s happy for the opportunity to be serving, he also is keenly aware of the responsibility.
“You’re at the point where you don’t want to let people down,” he said.
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