GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Jeff Short caught most of the city council members off guard in what’s known as the “blue card” portion of Tuesday night’s regular meeting.

The president of Jeff’s Excavating and owner of the abandoned Green Cove Dragway at Reynolds Industrial Park told the council he plans to reopen the strip, along with a memorial family fun park with a BMX, mud and RC tracks. Then he offered to make the city a partner in the deal.

“I actually did it before, and the former manager of the drag ship lost his lease, and so I sub-leased it,” Short said. “We lost the mud track part of it because there were noise complaints because the sound used to travel down the river.”

The track closed in 2017, but Short said the new one will be shifted west to east, directing sound toward U.S. Highway 17 and using large pine trees as a buffer.

“I would like to get the city’s blessing on this,” Short said.

Council member Darren Stutts, a car repairman and drag-racing enthusiast, said he’s talked with Short about bringing the dragway back.

“I'd like to see the city run actually, and partner with Jeff, possibly, where the city could make a profit off of it,” Stutt said. “It could be a big money-maker thing for us. I know in the past, when they had it there before, they were getting 15 grand a weekend. I'd love to see the city be a partner in it. I’d like to see us talk about maybe the budget possibilities for a family-oriented way to get kids off the street.”

At the beginning of each city council meeting, residents are given three minutes to address the council with matters not listed on the agenda. Vice Mayor Ed Gaw wanted to hear more about the dragway and asked Short to make a formal proposal so it could be added to a future agenda.

In other business:

• Corner Pocket owner Cheri Starnes was sworn in to replace Thomas Smith, who resigned unexpectedly on June 17. She will serve until the end of 2027 as the representative of Seat 4.
• The council approved payments of $413,725, $ 240,123 and $84,783 to Sawcross to close out the construction of the Harbor Road Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility, as part of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's State Revolving Fund, Harbor Road Water Reclamation Facility Expansion, Phase 2, Agreement.
• Agreed to pay CPH $152,140 to close out permitting and design services for the Magnolia Point Reclaimed Water System and Potable Water System Improvements.
• And the council approved a payment of $119.917 for the Palmetto Street stormwater point repair to Jax Utilities Management.

The city council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall.