OFFICIAL: COJ can't afford to cut it's own grass

[mbwright]

Can't we just rename the roads and streets state, or federal highways, and pass the buck (or goat)?

The reason the kudzu areas cleared by the goats look dead, is because the kudzu blocked all of the light from anything that was there before.

[Barnaby808]

Hell! I can deal with grass not being cut in order to not pay more taxes! Surprised the City didn't do this sooner.

[dougskiles]

I've been thinking about this problem quite a bit lately.

The negative effect from poor maintenance on property values will be much greater than the additional expense of providing adequate maintenance.  It can also lead to increased crime (the broken window theory).

A successful business budgets for maintenance of assets and technology upgrades.  The most significant assets of any local government (which are incorporated businesses) are the public right-of-ways, buildings and parks.  These are the investments we have made that provide a majority of our income (in property taxes).  For us to expect a return on these investments, they require maintenance and regular upgrades.

[Ralph W]

One of the ideas we are trying to promote is getting each of our neighbors to claim ownership of the property directly in front of their own homes -right out to the center of the street. Guess what. It's not working. There are a few who care enough but not enough to make a difference. So far, we haven't come across a motivating factor that would work across the board.

Granted, the folks in Springfield seem to have it together, as far as it goes. There are more in that area who have a caring attitude about the entire neighborhood, not just the space in front of their own home. However, as I go through Springfield and other areas, pride in neighborhoods appears to be in short supply. That translates to a few oasis of good looking areas overwhelmed by the surrounding apathy.

Trying to look a the big picture shows that all too many of our citizens act as if the city is responsible for cleaning up after them as they trash our city day after day. Just how much of our maintenance budget could be redirected if the slobs stop emptying ashtrays or tossing food wrappers and drink containers out at stop signs and along all the right of ways? Tall grass and weeds are only a small part of our problem.

[If_I_Loved_you]

One of the ideas we are trying to promote is getting each of our neighbors to claim ownership of the property directly in front of their own homes -right out to the center of the street. Guess what. It's not working. There are a few who care enough but not enough to make a difference. So far, we haven't come across a motivating factor that would work across the board.

Granted, the folks in Springfield seem to have it together, as far as it goes. There are more in that area who have a caring attitude about the entire neighborhood, not just the space in front of their own home. However, as I go through Springfield and other areas, pride in neighborhoods appears to be in short supply. That translates to a few oasis of good looking areas overwhelmed by the surrounding apathy.

Trying to look a the big picture shows that all too many of our citizens act as if the city is responsible for cleaning up after them as they trash our city day after day. Just how much of our maintenance budget could be redirected if the slobs stop emptying ashtrays or tossing food wrappers and drink containers out at stop signs and along all the right of ways? Tall grass and weeds are only a small part of our problem.

You could take photos of the license plates and post them on a number of websites. Of the jerks who dump ashtrays, food wrappers and drink containers at the stop signs and right aways. They will not stop but it feels good showing these people that they are not helping the problem with trash on our roads.

[carpnter]

One of the ideas we are trying to promote is getting each of our neighbors to claim ownership of the property directly in front of their own homes -right out to the center of the street. Guess what. It's not working. There are a few who care enough but not enough to make a difference. So far, we haven't come across a motivating factor that would work across the board.

Granted, the folks in Springfield seem to have it together, as far as it goes. There are more in that area who have a caring attitude about the entire neighborhood, not just the space in front of their own home. However, as I go through Springfield and other areas, pride in neighborhoods appears to be in short supply. That translates to a few oasis of good looking areas overwhelmed by the surrounding apathy.

Trying to look a the big picture shows that all too many of our citizens act as if the city is responsible for cleaning up after them as they trash our city day after day. Just how much of our maintenance budget could be redirected if the slobs stop emptying ashtrays or tossing food wrappers and drink containers out at stop signs and along all the right of ways? Tall grass and weeds are only a small part of our problem.

It isn't going to work.  You have entire neighborhoods where people can't even be bothered to attend an association meeting, expecting them to care about taking care of a median is an even bigger stretch. 

[vicupstate]

Hell! I can deal with grass not being cut in order to not pay more taxes! Surprised the City didn't do this sooner.

So if the CEO of a major corporation that is considering investing in the area, is turned off by the city's appearance, and therefore strikes Jacksonville off it's short list, is it still worth it? 

Considering one significant headquarters or plant could cover that $1.5mm savings in taxes per year, I would say that is penny wise and dollar foolish.  Not to mention the loss of jobs and the drag on property values city-wide. 

[ChriswUfGator]

It's all about 'looking' like Alvin's doing something, besides for taking plane trips funded by special interests, and not returning phone calls, that is. If you look at it from a political standpoint, I can't think of a more visible public way to throw a bone to the teabaggers, everybody and their grandmother will know we saved a couple bucks after looking at 4' high grass everywhere.

[carpnter]

I think a big part of the backlash on taxes is that people see their incomes stagnant or decreasing at the same time their taxes are going up but they don't see the benefits they receive from them.  If the city stops mowing right of ways all it is going to do is increase the resistance to paying higher taxes. 

[Ocklawaha]

You could take photos of the license plates and post them on a number of websites. Of the jerks who dump ashtrays, food wrappers and drink containers at the stop signs and right aways. They will not stop but it feels good showing these people that they are not helping the problem with trash on our roads.

You might have just skipped across a solution. LICENSES PLATES. Lets petition the state to issue a new tag, it could have a picture of the Wells Fargo Building being eaten by kudzu and weeds and a slogan like 'MOW JACKSONVILLE'.

Oh and those goats, can you imagine the increase in road kill around here if we allowed goats to do the mowing? Perhaps NIKE could come out with a new JAXGREEN shoe, complete with hedge cutters on the toes? At least we could get from the car to the office with those cool new shoes.

[mtraininjax]

The tea party wins.
Their no tax increases at any cost worked.

Alvin was a teapartier? LOL!!!!

I'm with Alvin? Teaparty members uniting behind Uncle Alvin?

Another great move from our city leader! Ugh!

[fieldafm]

I think a big part of the backlash on taxes is that people see their incomes stagnant or decreasing at the same time their taxes are going up but they don't see the benefits they receive from them.  If the city stops mowing right of ways all it is going to do is increase the resistance to paying higher taxes.

My property taxes have gone down 4 straight years.  And that included the year Peyton increased the millage rate.

[fieldafm]

Great opportunity to get rid of the grass and plant some low-growing native plants that don't need to mowed, or only mowed at the end of the growing season.

I think this is something the city should be looking into anyway.  In fact, the Native Plant Society (I forget the acronym) recently did a project along Riverside Avenue and Forrest Streets.

I am in the process of converting my backyard into mostly a perennial peanut groundcover.   

[Ralph W]

Round-Up - Is Your Friend...

[Ocklawaha]

Back in the 90's when I was a city councilman in a suburban Oklahoma community, we had a major fortune 500 company come to town flirting with building a plant there. It might have been something to do with automobiles but I don't remember exactly. What stands out is after all the nice-nice, hand shakes and power points were completed, the CEO took a rental car and went 'exploring.' A day passed then the headlines blared out the truth of the matter with something like 'XXX CEO SAYS FIRM WILL NOT BUILD IN A CITY WITHOUT PRIDE!

Bingo, the main culprit was litter and weeds. Granted that a daily wind of 20-30 mph does wonder for litter, in fact you quickly learn NOT to open two car doors at the same time, if you do, SWOSH... everything is on it's way to Kansas. But weeds, much of it grain that drops from trucks, quickly sprouts to 24" inches or so.

Had I dropped in on OKC of 2012 back in the 90's I honestly wouldn't have known where the heck I was at. OKC today glimmers and shines, everywhere one turns are new condos, high rises, apartments, recreations, parks, landscaping, transit, art, etc... OKC is rapidly becoming the north edge of the DFW metroplex, and they are leaving us in their dust.

So good move JAX, keep it coming and you'll get what you asked for... NADA, NOTHING, СОВСЕМ НЕТ, NICHTS, ZERO, ZILCH.