The Duval County Finance Committee on Dec. 2 approved a finance substitute that packages multiple workforce and education appropriations with revised term sheets and added legal safeguards after extended debate over whether Edward Waters University (EWU) funding satisfies a public-purpose test.

The substitute reduced EWU’s appropriation by $675,000 and placed that amount into contingency for apprenticeship programs; it then moved the remaining $2,000,000 for EWU above the line so the university knows city support while the Office of General Counsel finishes a legal review. Committee members insisted on additional protections: the revised EWU term sheet limits the city's contribution to reimbursements equal to 37.5% of planning, design and permitting costs and includes a 10-year clawback if the full structure is not completed.

Council President Carico moved the amendment to bring the $2,000,000 above the line; the committee approved the amendment by voice vote before adopting the substituted bill. OGC and bond counsel had raised preliminary concerns about whether support tied to dormitories would constitute a public purpose; staff and OGC said the current term sheet more narrowly funds the Living Learning Community/Community Conference Center (public use) and includes use agreements and other findings to document public purpose.

Edward Waters University President Michael West told the committee the city's design dollars would fund a community conference center that can serve as a hurricane shelter and that residence wings could be designed as separate additions. "The community center also is being designed so that it could be used as a hurricane shelter and also expand community services and resources," West said. He said the university has a draft term sheet and is evaluating a potential $40,000,000 HBCU capital-finance term sheet, but the cash from that source would not be available until January or February; EWU therefore sought city design funding now.

Council Member Jacoby Pittman proposed giving Workforce Industrial Training (WIT) a 25% upfront payment to help smaller operators that lack cash on hand; auditor Philip Peterson and others urged a work-performed/invoice-reimbursement approach to protect the city, and Council Member Lane offered an amendment to convert the upfront proposal into a controlled invoice-reimbursement model. The committee approved the invoice/work-performed amendment to Pittman’s proposal and then approved the amendment as amended; the change was rolled into the finance substitute.

Additional term-sheet changes approved by the committee include: stronger scope-of-work descriptions; escrow for some grants (FSCJ) to protect city funds; requirements that recipients make good-faith efforts to contract with city-certified JSEBs; reporting obligations on use of certified JSEBs; and clarification of draw-request and reimbursement language for UNF and others.

The committee voted to adopt the revised term sheets and the finance substitute as amended (recorded as "7 yeas, 1 nay"). Chair's office and auditors confirmed staff may make minor corrections to the filed term-sheet documents before final submission. The substitute will proceed as substituted to the full council.

Claims and dispute notes: Council Member Clark Murray said the draft Wonderland Corridor ordinance (a separate deferred item) referenced $250,000 from District 9 without her consent and called that appropriation "a form of disrespect." Sponsor Council Member Johnson said the language in the bill was a recommendation and that moving funds would require subsequent votes. The record retains both positions for further review.

Next steps: OGC will complete its legal review before next Tuesday; if OGC raises unresolved legal concerns the council can pursue a floor amendment to move funds back below the line or otherwise act on legal advice. The administration indicated the term sheets and use agreements will be finalized and attached to the legislation prior to full-council consideration.