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Residents press council over East Side appointments, Hogpen Creek siltation and other neighborhood concerns
Summary
During a long public-comment session, residents raised alarms about the East Side Grants Committee appointment process, called for a watershed study of Hogpen/Hogpine Creek siltation, and urged the council to slow certain development proposals and ensure transparency in appointments.
An extended public-comment block at the April 28 council meeting spotlighted neighborhood concerns across East Jacksonville, with two recurring themes: criticism of appointments to the East Side Grants Committee and requests for environmental study and remediation of Hogpen (Hogpine) Creek.
East Side appointments: Multiple speakers, including Latavia Harris and Derek Bermudez Hendricks, said the East Side Grants Committee (a Community Benefit Agreement-related body) was populated without sufficient outreach or documented application processes. Concerns included missing application records, perceived "rubber-stamp" approvals, and calls for following established application and ethics-review procedures. Kim Prior described a records-request process and said she did not receive full application materials; several speakers urged the council to slow or re-open the process and to provide full transparency.
Hogpen Creek and watershed concerns: Residents from the Hogpen Creek and Sandalwood Canal area asked council to fund an ecological/watershed study to identify causes of sedimentation that has reduced water depth and habitat. Jake Jacobs and Charlie Bender said possible contributors include the Sandalwood Canal, expansion of San Pablo Road, and JEA utility work. Neighbors requested at least $1 million to scope and properly conduct a study and emphasized long-term solutions rather than piecemeal fixes.
Other neighborhood concerns: Speakers also urged the council to resist siting major projects (a proposed stadium) in sensitive wetlands, to address safety at local bridges (calls for attorney general inquiries), and to consider extending nightlife hours for Brooklyn into the 3 a.m. entertainment district framework.
Council response and next steps: Council members acknowledged the concerns. Several said staff would follow up on records requests and ethical review questions around appointments; others indicated budgetary or procedural paths for requesting watershed studies and infrastructure reviews. The meeting record captures the community's request for more transparency and for staff to return with clarifications or studies.
