Daily Record Financial News &
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Vol. 102, No. 244 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
JEA, city’s other $300M problem Septic tank issues could impact utility’s credit rating By Max Marbut Staff Writer The city and the JEA have a $300 million problem to solve. And it’s not the pension this time. It’s septic tanks and sanitary sewers. There are about 85,000 septic tanks in Duval County, according to the city. More than 20,000 of them are located in “septic tank failure areas” based on age and condition of the tanks. The city is working with JEA to
Gulliford
Poised to attract millenials, boomers
reduce the number of septic tanks and connect users to the sanitary sewer system, which is installed and maintained by the utility. The goal of the Septic Tank Phase Out Program is to reduce pollutants that are discharged to the St. Johns River from poorly functioning septic tanks. Reducing pollutants entering the river is mandated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The subject came up Wednesday before the City Council
Special Committee on the JEA Interlocal Agreement. The committee was formed to evaluate and recommend changes in how JEA provides its services and its annual contribution to the city budget. The question was prompted initially by the $2.7 billion unfunded liability in the Police and Fire Pension Fund and a proposal from the city for a one-time, $120 million additional contribution from JEA to help pay down the unfunded liability.
While a smaller cost to cover, the estimated $300 million it will take to phase out septic tanks must be considered when evaluating JEA’s fiscal relationship with to the city, said council member Lori Boyer. “It has to be part and parcel with the contribution discussion,” she said. Committee Chair Bill Gulliford said despite having a program in place to connect properties to the sewer system, about 40 percent Septic continued on Page A-2
Transit system needs to offer more access
By Carole Hawkins Staff Writer
Public
Byron Comstock manages Blue Cypress Golf Club in the older section of Arlington. It’s a game he and his family always have been involved in — he, his brothers and father at one point had PGA Tour cards. Running a golf facility has long been his dream, which he realized in 2003 when the course opened.
Still shooting for par
Council trying to help Blue Cypress By David Chapman Staff Writer
Photos by David Chapman
The rise of millenials and the aging of baby boomers are the national market forces most likely to impact real estate here in Jacksonville. That’s Fred Schmidt’s bet. The national president of Coldwell Banker Commercial, Schmidt shared his insights with the Daily Record while attending a regional conference for his company in Jacksonville. Florida has long been a market for retirees. But its quality of life, urban centers and business-friendly policies mean the state now also has the power to attract the emerging millienials workforce as well. INSIDE “The next generation coming to Florida as an employment base is where I see a tremendous opportunity for Jacksonville,” he said. When opening a new location, the Colin Nicholson major costs compaon what influences nies grapple with growth. have always been employees, inforPage A-3 mation technology and real estate, said Schmidt, who spent his career doing corporate relocations. For millenials, quality of life matters more than it did to past generations. So, quality of life is going to affect a company’s ability to attract employees more and more. Florida benefits from beaches and a mild climate. And Jacksonville has the ingredients to deliver the live-work-play experience millenials favor, with its Downtown riverfront and first steps at urban renewal, seen in projects like Unity Plaza. Jacksonville should build its transit system, though, Schmidt said, to offer more convenient access to the amenities millenials will want to enjoy. When it comes to aging baby boomers, Millenials continued on Page A-3
The course is diversifying to attract new clients, including those who don’t use clubs at all. Blue Cypress offers 18 holes of FootGolf, a sport where soccer and golf blend.
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Gray skies, fading sunlight and wind don’t make ideal conditions for golf on a Monday evening. Still, Byron Comstock sat in the clubhouse of Blue Cypress, the nine-hole municipal course tucked away inside the heart of old Arlington along the northernmost portion of University Boulevard. For more than a decade, the municipally owned course and surrounding park have been a focal point within the community. It’s provided affordable recreation in a sport that’s often expensive. It’s been struggling, though, enough to the point where City Hall is trying to lend a hand. Blue Cypress isn’t the prettiest course in town, although the sundown views of the St. Johns River might be hard to beat.
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It isn’t the most challenging, but many a golfer has likely cursed their luck or skill at a hook or a slice. It isn’t the most sought after course, either, though Comstock knows its value to the area. “Our clientele comes from all kinds of backgrounds,” said Comstock, the course manager. “A lot of seniors. A lot of families … sons, daughters, little kids. For a lot of those seniors, this is a home away from home.” It’s also a value to golfers who can’t pay big bucks to hit the links. Those willing to walk can play a round for $12 on weekdays and $13 on weekends. It bumps to $18 for both if you use a cart. Like many golf courses, public or private, it’s struggling. The game hasn’t rebounded as quickly as other pastimes Golf course continued on Page A-4
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