When the Jacksonville Port Task Force commissioned a $60,000 analysis of the economic benefits of dredging the river, it was hoping for evidence.
Confirmation or rejection of an initial review showing that dredging the St. Johns River would be an economic boon to Jacksonville.
To a degree, Herbert Barber’s work did verify Martin Associates work that harbor deepening would have a “substantial” economic impact for Northeast Florida. It was the controversy surrounding Barber’s outspoken, published views on politics and race that caused task force Co-Chair Tom Baker concern about the product.
“When a consultant makes a report, even if it’s just analyzing someone else’s work, it’s making judgments,” said Baker. “When I learned of Dr. Barber’s beliefs he espouses … his judgment took a huge hit in my view.”
The port task force met Wednesday for the first time since Barber has been in the news for the views he penned in his “Fall of a Nation.”
The goal was to review his work, although Barber wasn’t in attendance to make the presentation. The city terminated his contract after learning of his views, but still was obligated to pay him.
Barber’s work projected fewer jobs coming out of dredging, but concluded the financial benefits outweighed the costs.
Baker said he didn’t believe the task force got as much out of Barber’s work as he hoped, but that the effort was “additive.” There won’t be a vote to adopt Barber’s work, instead Baker said individual task force members can use it to help make a looming decision next month.
At the April 11 task force meeting, the group will vote on whether it’s economically prudent to pursue deepening the harbor from 40 feet to 47 feet. If approved, the group would then start figuring out what mitigation efforts need to take place to compensate environmental impacts.
From there, it would be determining how to fund the expected $684 million project, not counting mitigation efforts.
Baker said breeching the Rodman Dam is expected to cost $25 million, with nutrient mitigation up to maybe $300 million. As for an overall total, he wouldn’t speculate on a ballpark figure.
“It’s going to be a lot,” he said.
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