The Oct. 8 meeting of the Jacksonville City Council will start two hours early as the city prepares for Hurricane Milton’s arrival in Northeast Florida.
Council President Randy White announced the 3 p.m. start time in a media release Oct. 7. It will be the second consecutive meeting to begin at that time, after Council also scheduled an early start on Sept. 24 to accommodate for discussions on the 2024-25 city budget and long-range Capital Improvement Plan.
The meeting will take place at City Hall, 117 W. Duval St.
Schools closed
Duval County Public Schools announced that schools will be closed Oct. 9 through Oct. 11.
The St. Johns County School District announced it will close from Wednesday, Oct. 9 through Friday, Oct. 11.
All school activities, including athletics and after-school programs, are canceled.
Duval Courts closed
Because of the approach of Hurricane Milton, 4th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Lance Day is ordering that the Duval County Courthouse be closed Oct. 9 through Oct. 11.
As a result, the Duval County Clerk of Courts announced Oct. 7 that its offices also will be closed on those dates. They comprise the Duval County Courthouse office at 501 W. Adams St. and the clerk’s Beaches branch at 1543 Atlantic Blvd.
Participants in the Let’s Drive Jax! driver license reinstatement expo who have a scheduled appointment or court appearance affected by this closure will be contacted by the clerk’s office with their new schedule after it is determined.
All online foreclosure and tax deed auctions scheduled during the closure also have been canceled.
Seventh Judicial Circuit Courthouse closures
All courthouses in the Seventh Judicial Circuit, serving Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia counties, announced it will close Oct. 9 and 10, due to the anticipated impact of Hurricane Milton. First appearances, detention hearings, and shelter hearings are included in the closure.
Weather and circumstances permitting, regular court operations may resume Oct.11.
Milton impact
Milton is expected to make landfall in the Tampa area on Oct. 10 as a major hurricane and continue on an east-northeast path across the Florida peninsula. Local forecasts call for high winds and up to 12 inches of rain.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Oct. 5 because of Milton in 51 counties, including Duval and Northeast Florida.