[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6425703,"mediaKeyId","5907248-9694085f4d666912721c196eaaff942b","parentId",5907248,"title","Jacksonville moves forward with 18-vehicle electric fleet pilot and city charging sites","audioSeconds",1194,"startMs",369000,"endMs",1563000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5907248-9694085f4d666912721c196eaaff942b&start=369&end=1563","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5907248-9694085f4d666912721c196eaaff942b/thumbnail_369000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6425703/Jacksonville/Duval-County/Florida/Jacksonville-moves-forward-with-18-vehicle-electric-fleet-pilot-and-city-charging-sites","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6425703-16a3628deb0f9b8b6896ef6f6792155d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189179&Signature=OCtOudLF-6MwmPfoNL3w5-e7vgH1w-UdO97gq09xJmuI887mvw8jLnzl-V6FYA~~fR0FKYiAOi78P2twfCfiKFRLwOns2Ns1VpQgWvJfsU1HcbckNSeqnUmv-PCbAlOYdDN8Yo8Es8k8ffKJifFGYw3yh~CjaRtGUqNsZZlbzjupaojrUf-R8zx0Drn9mWBzI1su4xCnTwmhEHrJxr5FZnnlfuzbA4GkqIeRZcm5tii-VygRxvqy7kRt5H8TtMAsQ9gyPDlypWpgfrhv64Rox4E2KxKmbrGjh8OIzuS6hXOVhSSyGtiiIu1wgXXLEbRMjfTO06AcjLEctJo0Awq5Nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Jacksonville, FL","date","2025-10-07T00:00:00Z","article","The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee on Oct. 7 heard a presentation on the city’s electric-vehicle pilot program and planned city charging infrastructure.

The pilot identified 18 low-risk city vehicles — primarily building-inspection vehicles that average 50–100 miles per day — and the city will install chargers at selected municipal sites. Richard Reichard, director of administrative services, said planning and development funds (not general-fund dollars) paid for the chargers and the selected vehicles.

The presentation said most of the 18 EVs purchased were at the same or a lower purchase price than comparable gasoline models and that charging costs for those vehicles are roughly half of what fueling with gasoline costs. \"Cost of ownership of EVs is about 8 to 9% less than a gas powered vehicle,\" Reichard told the committee.

Eric Preacher, chief of fleet management, explained why inspectors were chosen for the pilot: \"Many of the vehicles that we chose, if not all of them, are inspectors for the building inspection division ... These people go out, look at individual homes, job sites, and that thing every day.\" Preacher said the typical operational gain is that inspectors could leave home with a full charge and go straight to job sites, reducing downtime at fueling sites and increasing productive time in the field.

Officials described the fuel-management system in use at city fuel sites. The fleet uses EJ Ward software and a key-fob system to authorize and track charging sessions, mileage, kilowatt-hours and duration at city chargers. Reichard said the city is also using ChargePoint in the short term, which provides access to other public chargers around town while city-owned infrastructure is installed.

Reichard and Preacher gave cost details and timelines: work on site infrastructure will begin after a city purchase order is issued, with a 4–6 month timeline to install chargers at the selected sites. They reported that charging at third-party public sites currently costs about $0.40 per kilowatt-hour, while charging through the city’s arrangements with JEA would be about $0.07 per kilowatt-hour once the city-owned chargers are in place. Reichard said that if employees are allowed to charge at home with a reimbursement program, the installation could pay for itself in roughly three to four months.

Committee members asked about suitability and timeline for broader fleet conversion. Preacher said Jacksonville’s fleet has about 4,300 vehicles and roughly 800 of those are nonemergency and lower-risk — the set most likely to be converted first. \"As the technology increases with a lot of the larger vehicles ... there'll be a lot more opportunities,\" Preacher said, adding that the city could see a much larger share of general government vehicles convert over the next three to four years depending on test results.

Councilmembers raised implementation questions. Councilman Ken Amaro asked how EVs increase productivity; Preacher repeated that bypassing fueling stops can save field staff 15–20 minutes per incident. Councilwoman Katrina Pittman asked about life expectancy and maintenance; Reichard said warranties are strong, routine maintenance is limited to tires and wipers, and battery lifespans are expected to be sufficient for roughly 10 years with the prospect of cheaper, longer-lasting batteries in the near future.

Officials said the pilot was developed in consultation with planning staff and that prior city policy supports purchasing the most fuel-efficient, least-polluting vehicles where cost and reliability are comparable — a direction first established by a 2008 executive order from then-Mayor John Peyton.

The committee received the update; no formal action to change city policy was taken at the meeting. The presentation and committee discussion indicated the city plans to continue evaluating vehicle replacements during the normal vehicle-replacement cycle and to pursue grants and other funding to expand charging infrastructure for the public and city fleet.

Details provided at the meeting include: 18 initial EVs targeted for the pilot; an expected 4–6 month timeline to install city-owned chargers after a purchase order is issued; an estimated charging cost differential of about $0.07/kWh on city chargers versus $0.40/kWh at some third-party public sites; and the plan to fund the pilot equipment and chargers from planning and development funds rather than the general fund.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Transportation, Energy & Utilities Committee","oneSentenceSummary","The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee heard a city presentation on its pilot to add electric vehicles (EVs) to the municipal fleet, purchase 18 low-risk EVs, and deploy city-owned charging stations funded from a planning and development account rather than the general fund.","taxTitle","Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida","taxId",2881,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6425696,"TEU committee votes, Oct. 7 — bills approved on consent; public hearing closed",3934,62000,3996000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5907248-9694085f4d666912721c196eaaff942b&start=62&end=3996","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5907248-9694085f4d666912721c196eaaff942b/thumbnail_62000.jpg","/articles/6425696/Jacksonville/Duval-County/Florida/TEU-committee-votes-Oct-7-bills-approved-on-consent-public-hearing-closed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6425696-c7e64972fb7eaa26e627b105324dc73f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189180&Signature=ijjBGBKd59ap41G7mVkHXYKDpyRpmsGzACBPWGUnGuqvbOhnd0mGwvubOzGpZkI6HhtvfaFgKWa1Rq2KPgc52H5yJODdHGOaL5H88kq52mMPwQn6-QtI8WvpsaM91ZX9fM3ciSSUbfVy9rXG0~lNHzxhsczCw-aRfo0kS7TQoy65tkIeVdanRg1laz0i2oqDKMHbX6mb7RYDphf1DcVmA792xMFpVdsEpumw5VO1m76RZc4EBRC2Ak3XprM4jBp4Tth61i5PZN5r1CfQSR3BFpIA~0Y3~MSX54k7oxjgEGxJraUxrUzcxGm~NhsMhzvaffcDfwhhlmOPlPEAAPaAUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee met Oct. 7 and took action on multiple agenda items. Most bills had previously been reviewed in other committees and passed the TEU committee by recorded ballots.

Votes at a glance
- Ordinance 20250638: Approved (vote recorded: 7–0). Short title and details were not debated at length in TEU; bill passed on motion and recorded ballot.
- Ordinance 20250685 (direct contract and related agreement): Committee adopted a predominantly technical amendment to reflect a 2025–26 appropriation, update waiver language, attach an affidavit, and fix inconsistencies; the amendment passed and the amended bill was approved (vote recorded: 7–0). Staff described this as the annual State of the River report contract, historically run through a direct contract process.
- Ordinance 20250688 (public hearing: right-of-way closure): The committee opened and closed the public hearing and approved the ordinance (vote recorded: 7–0). A public commenter asked where real-estate numbers appear; city staff said legal descriptions and real-estate numbers are included in the Legistar package and in the ordinance language filed for the record.
- Ordinance 20250692: Approved (vote recorded: 7–0). The chair noted earlier that this bill was on the agenda for action; the committee recorded the ballot and approved it.
- Ordinance 20250711 (contract amendment designating contract manager): An amendment designating the Office of Sports and Entertainment as contract manager was adopted and the amended bill approved (vote recorded: 7–0).

Item 20250448 was deferred at the start of the meeting. Several other items on the committee’s agenda were on second reading and were noted as going through other committees; those were not decided in TEU on Oct. 7.

Vote tallies reported during the meeting were unanimous on recorded ballots in the TEU committee (7 yes, 0 no). Motioners and seconders were recorded on the floor but individual roll-call vote records were not provided in the discussion transcript excerpts. The committee provided staff requests and technical amendments where required before taking final action.","The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee approved five bills on Oct. 7 (one was deferred). The committee amended and approved contract and funding items, closed a public hearing for a right-of-way closing, and designated a contract manager for a sports-and-entertainment agreement.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6425699,"Emerald Trail: JTA and Groundwork Jacksonville pivot to local-option gas tax for two segments after federal grant loss",761,1419000,2180000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5907248-9694085f4d666912721c196eaaff942b&start=1419&end=2180","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5907248-9694085f4d666912721c196eaaff942b/thumbnail_1419000.jpg","/articles/6425699/Jacksonville/Duval-County/Florida/Emerald-Trail-JTA-and-Groundwork-Jacksonville-pivot-to-local-option-gas-tax-for-two-segments-after-federal-grant-loss","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6425699-5c721d3f9e18cde04e9fb710341cce99/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189180&Signature=jT4xfN6NjbUXE1IwTy-GOPm9BN6Mgj22oOMSxJCbVC0a4L4G3m~WpZCax0px2u0KGYvAMgJHm8rMcpkniVpytpDsIqBH6uU3wHr75xc3WTFp2UvkYt-VA5NAFSekk8L9fv9ICijF2ybY7fOUfyQweqnNZUm0kesq~iMSQ-84j7JumNSFD0C0wjmYNfgR48e0vYAjbZmcLSHwii-KVEHv8OcznYAelnujiN78uWJjsAZYXL306O-XXLUzFjquxlFgPo5ccV8RFgSWdnSWcCq8081fXbGwApmZia5ulMXDUxAxmVvs3~6KHDYrxE0RYNKqVia~ablpGKQiX-3freMZ1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Greer Johnson Gillis, senior vice president and chief infrastructure and development officer for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, and partners from Groundwork Jacksonville and the city presented an update on JTA-managed segments of the Emerald Trail on Oct. 7.

The presentation covered accomplishments in fiscal year 2025, a near-term delivery timeline, and funding strategies in light of a rescinded $147 million federal grant. JTA and partners said they will move forward with segments 3 (Riverside link) and 4 (S-Line connector) using proceeds from the local option gas tax (LOGT) and will pursue a combination of federal and state grants and potential federal loan programs for segments 6, 7 and 8.

Gillis said the program completed project development and environmental (PD&E) work and 30% design for segment 3, and kicked off PD&E and conceptual design for segments 4, 6, 7 and 8. She told the committee the agencies engaged stakeholders and over 300 residents through community meetings and walks during fiscal 2025.

\"Considering the changes in funding with the rescission of the $147,000,000 federal grant, we have committed to moving forward with segment 3, the Riverside link, and segment 4, the S-Line connector using local option gas tax funding,\" Gillis said, noting those segments can be delivered by 2031 if LOGT proceeds are used for design, engineering and construction.

The presentation estimated the city will spend approximately $41,000,000 over the next five years to complete segments 3 and 4 using LOGT proceeds. JTA said LOGT proceeds were previously allocated by council in the amount of $132,000,000 for segments 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8; the allocation comes over a 30-year period, meaning JTA and the city are using available near-term proceeds to prioritize the two segments.

Gillis and partners outlined potential funding sources to accelerate segments 6–8, including discretionary federal grants (e.g., BUILD), federal loan programs referenced in the presentation as \"TFEA\" (a federal loan option described by presenters), and Florida Department of Transportation programs such as SunTrail and Safe Routes to School. Officials said JTA, the city and Groundwork Jacksonville will return to council with a refined funding strategy.

Kaye Yeehaus, chief executive officer of Groundwork Jacksonville, told the committee that the LaVilla link hosted more than 800 runners and walkers for a recent 5K race and that the LaVilla link is roughly 1.3 miles and connects to the southern S-Line to create longer continuous segments. She described efforts to mitigate displacement, including a home-repair program that has completed 39 homes in the McCoy's Creek neighborhoods and further partnerships with United Way, LISC and the Jacksonville Land Trust to keep homes affordable near the trail.

Council members focused questions on funding for segments 6–8, possible loan repayments and the broader economic and equity impacts of the trail. Councilman Jimmy Carlucci said segments 6–8 are particularly important for transforming the urban core and noted that Hogan's Creek/McCoy's Creek restoration work is linked to trail delivery and flood mitigation.

Groundwork indicated it is advancing Hogan's Creek restoration design, has brought nearly $9 million for design, and that a one-mile headwaters construction project will break ground in December. The presentation listed a construction cost need of approximately $143,000,000 for full Hogan's Creek restoration and noted the desire to pursue federal and state funds to augment LOGT proceeds.

Officials described a near-term schedule: segment 3 design procurement will be released in the current quarter with design beginning in calendar 2026 and construction likely beginning in 2027; segment 4 design procurement will be released in 2026 with construction anticipated in 2028. The schedule assumes environmental clearances and coordination with stakeholders including FDOT, JEA, CSX and Norfolk Southern — the latter noted as necessary for segment 4, which includes multiple railroad crossings.

Groundwork said it is developing a long-term maintenance and activation agreement with the city, targeting a 50/50 split between public and private funding for ongoing costs and aiming to staff maintenance with local residents where possible.

Committee members thanked presenters and asked for a future return with a finalized funding strategy for segments 6–8. No formal committee action was taken at the presentation; the briefing served as an update and a request for continued collaboration on funding and delivery.","JTA, the City and Groundwork Jacksonville briefed the TEU Committee on Oct. 7. After the rescission of a $147 million federal grant, officials said they will prioritize design and construction of Emerald Trail segments 3 and 4 using local option gas tax proceeds and seek state, federal and loan funding to advance segments 6, 7 and 8.","actionData","errors"]

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Jacksonville moves forward with 18-vehicle electric fleet pilot and city charging sites

TEU committee votes, Oct. 7 — bills approved on consent; public hearing closed

Emerald Trail: JTA and Groundwork Jacksonville pivot to local-option gas tax for two segments after federal grant loss