Hemming Plaza Ad Hoc Committee Meeting today at 10am

Started by TheCat, April 18, 2012, 08:33:05 AM

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strider

#30
April 18, 2012, 06:33:05 PM
 Hmmm.  There is money for hard-scape but no funding for leaving the park alone and spending less to help set up events.  Follow the money connections.  They exist.
"My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement." Patrica, Joe VS the Volcano.

sheclown

#31
April 18, 2012, 06:50:07 PM
 :-X
Quote from: strider on April 18, 2012, 06:33:05 PM
Hmmm.  There is money for hard-scape but no funding for leaving the park alone and spending less to help set up events.  Follow the money connections.  They exist.

So, someone wants a job?  But Strider, that is so cynical.

Sometimes I think the same way about the demos.

fieldafm

#32
April 18, 2012, 06:52:11 PM Last Edit: April 18, 2012, 07:01:14 PM by fieldafm
QuoteHmmm.  There is money for hard-scape but no funding for leaving the park alone and spending less to help set up events.  Follow the money connections.  They exist.

+1

Give me a budget of $30k annually (instead of the money going to the Ambassadors to move tables and chairs around daily) and I can give you 10 quality events a month in that park... easy.  Easy!!!

Bill Hoff

#33
April 18, 2012, 07:37:28 PM
I attended the ad hoc meeting today as well. My first. Here's what I took away from it:

- MOCA's ED, Jason Teal, and the random Churchwell Loft resident spoke quite well. Put those three in a room together and I think the problems could be solved in no time.

- Overall, it was a positive tone and meeting. The discussion was broad. The only details I remember being discussed were Stephen Dare suggesting the event permitting process being streamlined for MOCA and Jason Teal explaining the different lease, RFP, etc options the city has and what impact that would make. Everything else was just lightly touched on.

- No mention of the previous meetings suggestions/recommendations (ie, remove trees, etc).

- The three Council representatives leave a lot to be desired when it comes to this issue. They didn't contribute anything of value, other than Lee's positive "can do" attitude.

sheclown

#34
April 19, 2012, 07:48:24 AM
So what's next with this?  If there was no mention of the previous meetings recommendations, does this mean that the hard-scape "improvements" are still the committee's game plan?  Or has the plan shifted away from the major overhaul and is now focused on management of existing facilities?

Jdog

#35
April 19, 2012, 12:38:12 PM
After reading today's Jacksonville Daily Record I more fully understand pieces of the proposal.

Wow, this is one of the MOST RADICAL, SADDEST ideas I've ever heard ANY single city ANYWHERE propose. 

This is not just a public park...this is the city's PUBLIC SQUARE.  The square block fronts City Hall, the Federal Courthouse, and the central Public Library. 

The Record states the space might no longer be a public park...that the "City could reserve its right to use the park at its own discretion with 30 days notice to the operator."

So the ability to protest City Hall in the public square would be determined by City Hall?  May as well ignore controversial federal cases as well. 

Cities highlight their public squares as one of their key, if not their MOST, important public asset.  The squares are revered and honored.  They become legendary in their accumulation of important historical events.   

Of all incredible places, the United States, a city will strip control of the assets and free use of its public square.  This is unbelievable and worse than embarrassing. 

Bill Hoff

#36
April 19, 2012, 12:53:43 PM
Jdog,

From the metting yesterday, Jason Teal described different options for the park.

It could lease the park during specific times, like RAM does with the space underneath the Fuller Warren Bridge.

It could hand over operating the park to a private company, like has been done with the Jags stadium and arena.

Or it could do it all itself.

Those are the 3 options, as I understand them.

If one of the first 2 options come to fruition, whcih is looking probable, then while the park is being leased/operated, that entity has say over who comes and goes. Ie, Occupy Jacksonville protestors wanted to demonstrate at RAM, but were told they could not. As the Jags do with the football stadium.

Or, maybe only a portion of the park could be leased...

(it's all sounds very complicated)

thelakelander

#37
April 19, 2012, 01:26:55 PM
Sounds like they are over complicating what should be a simple and affordable solution.
"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." - Muhammad Ali

Jdog

#38
April 19, 2012, 01:37:37 PM
Contracting out services I could be okay with...giving up an amount of control of the usage of the assets, and the timing of the usage of the assets, in the public square seems troubling (IMHO).   

fieldafm

#39
April 19, 2012, 01:47:14 PM
QuoteSounds like they are over complicating what should be a simple and affordable solution.

Exactly!


With a budget of $30k, I could give you two or three events at the park a week.  It's laughable when you compare that to how much money we spend on hosting events(all the businesses we support make money and beg us to do more).

thelakelander

#40
April 19, 2012, 03:30:56 PM Last Edit: April 19, 2012, 06:06:59 PM by thelakelander
Quote from: fieldafm on April 19, 2012, 01:47:14 PM
QuoteSounds like they are over complicating what should be a simple and affordable solution.
Exactly!

With a budget of $30k, I could give you two or three events at the park a week.  It's laughable when you compare that to how much money we spend on hosting events(all the businesses we support make money and beg us to do more).

^It really is unbelievable when you think about it.
"A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." - Muhammad Ali

sheclown

#41
April 19, 2012, 06:36:19 PM
Our fear of the poor is so great that we are giving up our town square?

strider

#42
April 19, 2012, 06:52:48 PM
You're right, Sheclown.  Those "undesirables " at the park now know that they have a value.  $900,000.00 in capital "improvements" or the value of the land  that is Hemming Park.  Which I would guess is a lot more than that $900,000.00.  That is what this committee is willing to commit to move those "undesirables" out of the park.  I would say our park, but as this committee seems hell bent on giving it a way (or making it unusable), I guess we better get used to the idea that we, the public, will have no public square, have no Hemming Plaza.  It will essentially belong to a private entity.  And do not doubt for an instant that this move to privatize the park is a move to insure those "undesirables" get moved out.  The councilmen on this committee realized that public sentiment was going against their $ 900,000.00 expenditure to move those "undesirables" on, so they came up with this idea and are embracing it 110%.  And once it is sent out, will capital improvements paid for by the city be part of the deal?  Wouldn't want to give your buddy a park that needed work, now would you?

Follow the money trails.  They are there.
"My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement." Patrica, Joe VS the Volcano.

JeffreyS

#43
April 19, 2012, 07:20:21 PM
Quote from: sheclown on April 19, 2012, 06:36:19 PM
Our fear of the poor is so great that we are giving up our town square?


An unbelievable reality.
Lenny Smash
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