Daily Record Financial News &
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 169 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
JSO pay practices in need of tightening Council audit suggests procedures to help
Betty Burney, founder and executive director of I’m A Star Foundation, helps get merchandise ready Wednesday at the unveiling of the Rosa Parks Produce Market. The foundation will sell fresh fruit and vegetables at the Rosa Parks Transit Station Downtown on Fridays, beginning July 15.
Photo by Max Marbut
By David Chapman, Staff Writer
Creating oasis in food deserts
JTA, nonprofit partner for market at bus station By Max Marbut Staff Writer Many years ago, people bought food from vendors who pushed carts laden with fresh fruits and vegetables along streets in neighborhoods. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority and a local nonprofit have taken that idea and added a twist to establish a fresh produce market at the Rosa Parks Transit Station Downtown. Instead of the food going to the people, the people will be able to go to the food, which will be sold at the authority’s busiest bus station each Friday. “This will allow people with little or no access to produce an opportunity to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables,” said Betty Burney, founder and executive director of I’m A Star Foundation, which will manage the market in partnership with JTA. She said the market will help students ages 11-18 who participate in the foundation’s
academic and leadership programs learn how to run a business as well as promote healthy eating as a lifestyle and a way to avoid life-threatening conditions. Larissa Houston, a senior at Raines High School, has been enrolled in I’m A Star for six years. She said the market meets the foundation’s goals to teach young people that if they see a problem, they must solve a problem. “Our vision is to make Jacksonville one of America’s healthiest cities,” Houston said. “That means eating healthy to live longer and stronger.” Dr. Kelli Wells, director of the Florida Department of Health in Duval County, said the market will help alleviate “food deserts.” Deserts continued on Page A-2
Food deserts by census tract Source: Food Access Research Atlas (2013)
A City Council Auditor’s report released this week found payroll to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office employees was generally handled correctly, but there is room for improvement. Among the areas of need are improving internal control weaknesses. Suggested changes range from developing standard operating procedures for payroll, eliminating manual timekeeping, additional oversight on future changes and ensuring that every employee has to attest to time worked. An exemption allows certain employees, such as those stationed in the Duval County Courthouse and those receiving military pay, to not confirm their hours. The review covered two payroll periods from fiscal 2014-15. In all, 99 payments were sampled — to put in perspective, the sheriff’s office had 3,038 full-time positions and 619,864 parttime hours approved for that year. Auditors reviewed a host of aspects in the payroll system, including timekeeping procedures developed by the city’s information technology department, as part of the audit that made sure the city and sheriff’s office were in alignment. Additionally, adjustments in shift differential pay were suggested to ensure acrossthe-board consistency. The dollar impact of the problem was “relatively minor,” according to the report. Undersheriff Pat Ivey in a statement said the audit solidified what the sheriff’s office has said for some time –– that the systems in place have deficiencies. However, he said, he didn’t think those deficiencies resulted in any “economic substance” greater than the cost of staffing to do the manual work and administrative checking required by a deficient system. It was further suggested that a future audit be considered to review payments related to officers for secondary work. dchapman@jaxdailyrecord.com (904) 356-2466
Palms Fish Camp finally making progress
By David Chapman Staff Writer A blistering hot midday in July isn’t enough to keep Will and Jack Crump out of the St. Johns River. The Avondale father-and-son duo isn’t launching their twin kayaks close to their neighborhood, though. They’re exploring other parts of Jacksonville’s waterways. On Wednesday, it was Heckscher Drive and the public launch at Palms Fish Camp. It’s still a fairly popular access
Public
spot. Several trucks and trailers were in the unpaved parking lot Wednesday, waiting for their owners to return from the water. It should probably be a lot more popular, if plans the past decade had gone accordingly, that is. A bright blue, partially constructed building with an expansive wooden deck is evidence of those efforts. In all, the city has spent more than $111,000 on its share of the work and maintenance. Yet, the building is still unfinished and vacant. It has been for years. Hopes of
legal notices begin on page
A-9
becoming a reinvigorated, charming Southern-style fish camp have been delayed since the city purchased the land in 2002 through a $550,000 Preservation Project grant. The hope was to demolish the building then rebuild the same concept and reinvest in public access. It started that way until delay after delay after delay — five times over a six-year span — led the city and contractor/operator to part ways. They soon found themselves in a protracted legal Palms continued on Page A-3
Photo by David Chapman
$125,000 settlement, request for proposals in works
A look inside the still-vacant building that occupies the site of the former Palms Fish Camp along Heckscher Drive. The city has reached a settlement with the former developer after years of litigation and now is looking to finish the project.
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