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Resident objects to taxpayer-funded dredging of Deep Bottom Creek, cites pollution and historic non‑navigability
Summary
A resident told the commission that a recent council action will reappropriate funds to permit dredging of Deep Bottom Creek, arguing the creek was historically non‑navigable, dredging benefits a small number of property owners and that pollutants should be remediated instead of the city funding creation of a private waterway.
During public comment at the June 12 Jacksonville Waterways Commission meeting, resident Jimmy Tomazenas said the City Council passed an action (referenced on his speaker card as 2025‑3‑22) to reappropriate funds that will support permitting for dredging Deep Bottom Creek.
Tomazenas told the commission he and other local residents believe the creek was not historically navigable; he said aerial imagery to 1942 shows no navigability until subsequent unpermitted dredging and filling created a private‑use canal. He estimated the cost of dredging at $300,000–$400,000 and said the burden would fall on taxpayers while benefitting roughly 10–12 property owners with no public access.
He also referenced the creek’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) documents, stating the waterbody has long‑recorded nutrient and other contamination problems dating to the early 2000s. Tomazenas argued the city should prioritize remediation of pollutants instead of spending funds to create or restore a private canal.
The commission did not take immediate formal action on the public comment; staff and commissioners offered no definitive schedule or response during the meeting. Tomazenas said he filed a recent speaker‑card records request and asked for public records related to meeting minutes and sign‑in sheets.
