The Jacksonville City Council approved new professional requirements for the Jacksonville Planning Commission on Aug. 26.
Ordinance 2025-0540, which requires the Planning Commission to have at least three members with education or experience in planning, design, development or related disciplines, passed with a 17-0 vote. Council members Jimmy Peluso and Terrance Freeman were absent.
Previously, the nine Planning Commission members and three alternates were required only to be city residents during their term, with the member from the Urban Core Planning District facing an additional requirement to be a resident of that district or own a business in it.
The ordinance should have no effect on the current commission, which counts seven of its nine-member body as qualified members under the legislation. Four members work in real estate acquisition, and three work as engineers.
Member Mone Holder is a voting-rights advocate with degrees in political science and public administration.
Dorothy Gillette is an educator and North Jacksonville community leader.
Council member Ken Amaro, one of the bills co-sponsors, said he wasn’t aware that enough members of the commission already filled the required criteria. However, he said the purpose of the bill was to formalize those requirements to avoid future issues with members.