Home > 50 Years Ago This Week - August 22nd, 2011
Jacksonville Daily Record | Original Story (external link)
The Duval County Port Authority voted to spend $11,851 on an advertising campaign
in several national business publications to sell the industry on locating facilities
at Blount Island.
Authority Chairman Bob Harris, who made the motion for the expenditure, said the
advertising campaign might pay off if it motivated companies to lease tracts on
the property.
The authority had discussed the possibility of borrowing money to build a bridge
to the island and had been advised a loan might be available if leases were taken.
The County owned the island, which had been described in an engineering survey report
as “a good location for development of a port and industrial complex.”
The County Commission, whose five members comprised the port authority, had asked
for a $500,000 appropriation in the 1960-61 budget to build the bridge, but the
request was rejected by the Budget Commission in favor of a figure of $1.
The token amount was included in the budget so the account could remain alive and
receive any surplus funds that might be found in other accounts during the year.
Action on the advertising funds came at a brief port authority meeting after the
regular session of the commission
At the regular session, commissioners voted to transfer $1,302.48 from their contingency
account to install a traffic signal at Merrill Road and Cesery Boulevard. The transfer
would be subject to approval by the Budget Commission.