Metro Jacksonville

QuoteMidweek Reason: How to set rules for emergency closing of businesses?

Tue, Nov 4, 2014 @ 4:56 pm

Jacksonville's fire marshal can shut down businesses in a heartbeat if it's necessary for public safety. But his order last year closing a bikini bar, the Silver Fox on West Beaver Street, led to a federal lawsuit and a negotiated settlement. Legislation introduced to the City Council last week (bill 2014-701) was part of that settlement, as the city's General Counsel's Office asked council members to change the rules governing emergency business closures. "The exercise of this authority is not intended to be routine," the bill says, "but shall be reserved for those instances in which advance notice is impractical and the threat to public safety constitutes a true emergency." The bill is pending in three council committees (Rules; Finance; and Recreation, Community Development and Public Health and Safety).

Steve Patterson the Times-Union

WHO'S AFFECTED

Any business could be shut down by the fire marshal's order, so literally every place people work in the city has some stake in the bill. The lawsuit by the Silver Fox's owners argued the fire marshal and other members of the city's Drug Abatement Response Team were targeting bikini bars for surprise raids where electricity to buildings could be shut off and businesses closed on trumped-up grounds. City attorneys denied that.

WHO DECIDES

The bill would let a business operator or property owner challenge a shut-down order at a "show-cause" hearing in front of a special master. Requesting a hearing would automatically suspend any shutdown order and let electricity be restored until the hearing unless the fire marshal spells out in in writing, under oath, how doing that "would cause an imminent threat to life or safety."

WHO TO CONTACT

■ Bill Gulliford, Rules chairman: (904) 630-1397, GULLIFORD@coj.net

■ Warren Jones: (904) 630-1395, WAJones@coj.net

■ Johnny Gaffney: (904) 630-1384, Gaffney@coj.net

■ Stephen Joost: (904) 630-1396, Joost@coj.net

■ Robin Lumb: (904) 630-1387, RLumb@coj.net

■ Matt Schellenberg: (904) 630-1388, MattS@coj.net

■ Richard Clark, Finance chairman: (904) 630-1386, RClark@coj.net

■ Lori Boyer: (904) 630-1382, LBoyer@coj.net

■ Reggie Brown: (904) 630-1684, RBrown@coj.net

■ Doyle Carter: (904) 630-1380, doylec@coj.net

■ John R. Crescimbeni: (904) 630-1381, JRC@coj.net

■ Kimberly Daniels: (904) 630-1393, KimDaniels@coj.net

■ Ray Holt: (904) 630-1383, Holt@coj.net

■ Don Redman, Recreation, Community Development and Public Health and Safety chairman: (904) 630-1394, Redman@coj.net

■ Greg Anderson: (904) 630-1398, GAnderson@coj.net

■ Bill Bishop: (904) 630-1392, WBishop@coj.net

■ Denise Lee: (904) 630-1385, EDLee@coj.net

kinda reminds me of this:


http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,14165.75.html

WOW!  More positive legislation.
Vision 2025!
Who is interested in kayaking Downtown. Seriously. We can fish under the brand new No Fishing signs that was never before Waterways. I'll treat you to Chopstick Charley's, Charlie C's and we'll use Uber or Lyft to get there if you can point out the new Waterfront signage that was never before Waterways. We can also do a Vivian Harrell Blue bag cleanup and will throw in a little Environmental Ethics- Vince Seibold.

Visit Jacksonville!

And all of this can happen immediately on our St. Johns River an American Heritage River a FEDERAL Initiative in our new Super duper highly restricted food truck/kayak 4.8 mile rivers edge 2014-560 CRA/DIA zone that extends from the Mathews Bridge and flowing backwards to the Fuller Warren.