Mayor Curry names advisory group to reopen Jacksonville

Panel includes business, health, government and education leaders.

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Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced a 12-member group that will advise the administration’s strategy to reopen Jacksonville’s economy and social life.

City officials will use benchmarks and criteria released this week by President Donald Trump to create policies to gradually reopen Jacksonville’s economy, Curry said during a virtual news conference April 21.

The advisory group comprises representatives from Jacksonville’s business and development communities and CEOs of city independent authorities, including JEA and the Jacksonville Transportation, Aviation and Port authorities. 

Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Diana Green is on the list, days after Curry signed legislation putting a half-cent sales tax referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot to fund a $1.9 billion facilities plan. 

Health care professionals from UF Health Jacksonville and Telescope Health, who have been providing City Hall with daily advice on COVID-19 testing and social distancing mandates, are part of the group. 

VyStar Credit Union, which is a partner with the city on a nearly $76 million COVID-19 small business relief loan and grant program, is represented.

Curry said April 20 the group will work with the city’s independent agencies to identify neighborhood infrastructure projects in the city’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan with the goal to create jobs. 

Curry said a task force could emerge from the advisory group to help lead that private sector coordination. 

Back to work

Curry did not have a timeline April 21 for when the public can expect protocols for reopening Duval County, but the mayor said city officials will give businesses time to prepare for social distancing measures that will remain in place. 

“We’re well-positioned given where the numbers are leading us right now to begin some sort of a reopening. Here’s what we won’t do. We’re not going to surprise and spring an opening on people like you can open tomorrow,” Curry said. “We’ll give people time to prepare thoughtfully and strategically so we can get back to their place of business and open in a way that is safe.” 

Curry urged businesses to have a plan and start examining building entry points and gathering areas so when city protocols on social distancing are released, rules can be implemented.

White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx used Jacksonville as an example during an April 20 news conference at the White House as a community reaching some benchmarks for reopening outlined by the federal government.

Birx named Jacksonville after reviewing data from the Florida Department of Health.

Curry displayed Duval County’s COVID-19 testing data, which showed a steady decline in the percentage of positive tests locally from its peak April 6 at 6.3% to 5.1% on April 21.

“This is important, because it gives us a sense of how widespread the virus is in our community. If that number is going down, that means the virus is decreasing,” Curry said. “That means we can begin looking at responsible and incremental ways to get back to work.”

White House guidance wants states and cities to meet the following benchmarks before opening:

• Downward trajectory in influenza-like symptoms and COVID-19-like cases within a 14-day period.

• Downward trajectory of documented COVID-19 cases or percentage of positive tests.

• Ability to treat patients with normal hospital bed capacity and without the need for temporary crisis care facilities.

• Expanded testing, including antibody testing, for health care workers.

City revenue

Curry told reporters April 21 that city revenue from sales and bed tax will be down considerably because of COVID-19.

The city did not have exact revenue shortfall calculations April 21, but Curry said staff will compile that data to be released later.

Curry said the economic recovery from a COVID-19 recession will be “volatile.” Unlike past recessions that hit specific industries, he expects the downturn caused by the coronavirus response to be widespread.

An April 20 Florida Chamber of Commerce report said the state’s estimated gross domestic product could drop 2.3% to 8.9%, returning to precrisis levels as soon as the fourth quarter this year or as late as the second quarter of 2024.


 

 

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