JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A hologram installed in Jacksonville International Airport about one month ago has received plenty of attention as questions arose over how much it cost, how it was funded, and the purpose it serves.
On Tuesday, Mayor Donna Deegan spoke to the media about the machine after it was reportedly taken down and removed from the airport.
“From the time we put it in, it’s been glitchy with the Wi-Fi,” the mayor said. “The company [who built it] had to create a patch to fix [the Wi-fi], and there’s no point in having it out there.”
The mayor continued to explain that the hologram is expected to be used for “all sorts of things,” but emphasized that the machine is not “just for greeting folks at the airport.”
Deegan also said “it’s unfortunate” that the box had been made into a “political tool” after it was mentioned that councilmember Rory Diamond said the hologram was created through “an illegal use of funds.”
“I believe that hologram cost $29,000, and I know there’s some additional money to maintain the contract, but at the end of the day, we’re talking about a handful of dollars that I believe keeps us on the cutting-edge of technology,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re talking about a $29,000 expenditure out of a $9 million budget.”
She continued, “We want to make sure we create as many paths to communication, which is a very important part of what we do with our citizens...That has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with our jobs.”
Earlier this week, more questions surrounding the hologram came out during the City Council’s Finance Committee meeting, specifically regarding its funding and how much the box actually costs.
The hologram typically displays Mayor Donna Deegan giving travelers a welcome message.
“I frankly think you ought to send the damn thing back,” said City Councilmember At-Large Ron Salem, who added that he doesn’t understand why the investment was made.
During the meeting, the city auditor questioned if JAXEPICS (Jacksonville Enterprise Permitting, Inspections and Compliance System) could sponsor the box because the entity is funded by building inspection fees. She also questioned if building inspection fees could ultimately be used to pay the invoices for the box.
However, the mayor’s chief of staff, Mike Weinstein, argued the machine has future benefits for the city because it follows a method that Jacksonville could use in the future.
“The box is going to be used for an education program for how you submit planning,” Weinstein said. “How you submit permits, how you deal with the system, and it’s going to be in different locations.”
News4JAX reached out to the mayor’s team about the hologram and received the following response:
Building inspection funds can be used to improve the permitting process and promote those efforts. While the end goal is a permitting education tool, the airport location serves a dual purpose of a welcome greeting for travelers and higher foot traffic for testing and learning how the technology works.
The hologram technology is a minor pilot in a multi-year communications plan and an incredibly small line item in a $9 million budget. The fixation on this by a few council members is missing the forest for the trees. And they didn’t make these comments when the previous administration was running tourism billboards in multiple cities outside of Jacksonville.
We are proud that we’re one of the first cities in the country to try this new technology. We’ll continue to lead the way in promoting Jacksonville as a tech hub that is attracting leading companies in the industries of the future.
The box is not in its original location at the airport because we are working through some technical challenges in our efforts to add content and functionality.
Phil Perry, Chief Communications Officer, Office of the Mayor
