Exit Interview: Hemming Park's Vince Cavin

[Metro Jacksonville]

Exit Interview: Hemming Park's Vince Cavin



In an extended interview, Vince Cavin speaks frankly and directly about the purpose and functions of Hemming Park. The expectations of City Council, the effectiveness of the Friends of Hemming Park and the back story that absolutely no one has been able to get.  Since this taping, the controversies created and perpetuated by City Council have led to cancelled amenities, loss of confidence and finally Cavin's resignation from the organization.  In a recent Ron Littlepage article, we are told that there are some on Council who are even discussing closing the park and building a fence around it.  Check out the illuminating interview with Cavin himself, days before his departure.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2016-aug-exit-interview-hemming-parks-vince-cavin

[spuwho]

Good candid interview.

Mr. Cavin lays out directly what he should have done better, which is refreshing to hear.

Lots of lessons learned for the next set of leaders.

Obviously a great deal of perception bias in the City Council. Maybe they should set aside some of that money to actually educate them.

The ideas a cool and original, some might exceed the scope of a park like Hemming, but I like the original thinking.

But if City Council demands so much money be raised themselves, then the city share should be increased to support fundraising, not program development. As Vince said, then the money for programs fall into its own bucket.

It cracks me up that we let the crooks run off with all sorts of dough from the city coffers, but when we get an honest set of people in there trying to make a really good thing happen, they are treated like second class citizens.

It also doesn't speak well to the way our city functions. City council members shouldn't be getting involved in the minutiae of city operations. Leave that to the Mayor's staff to work out.  Which leads me to believe that COJ just has way too many chefs in the kitchen.  Too many people want to call shots on everything. It needs to be delegated out and let the people responsible be held accountable.

The $250k should have been allocated to the Parks, and then the parks director is responsible with the Hemming people to work it out.

Why is a City Council member getting involved in the details of how to run a park?

[spuwho]

I believe it.

We give money to someone to open a BBQ sauce factory and they couldn't meet 50% of the compliance requirements. We foreclose and it's just a roll of the eyes.

Here we have guys begging to do the right thing and bending over backwards to be transparent and they get treated like this?

No wonder Vince left. It;s like living with Tony Danza around here, "Who's the Boss?"

Dysfunctional to an extreme.