If the subcommittee wants to make Hemming a more attractive place, reopen the public restrooms and fill it with a continuous line up of special events.
QuoteDaniels said she would attend the subcommittee’s meetings to be the “conscience†of the group.
“I was one of the people in the park and now I’m a Council member. No laws say you can’t sit in a park,†she said.
“The reason most of the people sit in the park is because the City took LaVilla away from them. The federal government gave the City money to enhance LaVilla and the City moved the black people out,†Daniels said.
She also said people who are breaking the law in Hemming Plaza or any other City park should be held accountable.
“We need to arrest people who are urinating in parks. We need to arrest people who are smoking reefer,†she said.
Redman, whose Council district includes Hemming Plaza, said he thinks the park should be available to people who want to “come and go,†rather than those who wish to spend all day there.
“I’ve recommended putting a time limit on how long a person can stay at a table,†he said.
Redman also commented about the Occupy Jacksonville group that has been camped in front of City Hall for several weeks.
“The Occupy people have been a thorn in my side as long as they’ve been there. It’s time to move those people on some way or another. They are using our electricity for a Crock-Pot and a heater.
“I’ll fight for the right of freedom of speech, but it looks like a junk pile. It’s embarrassing,†he said.
Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/downtowntoday.php?dt_date=2011-12-07
Way to go Don. Let's put some parking meters at each table - one for each chair would be nice. Half a buck for 30 minutes, limit one hour. To maximize revenue, rig a sensor to flip the time to zero when anybody gets up from the table. Don't forget an over time alarm so the park your fanny police can hand out $25 citations.
^I think we're way overhyping the Hemming Plaza situation. Get a continuous chain of special events using the space and that vagrant situation will handle itself. If you want to throw money into it, reopen the restrooms. It's insane that there are no public restrooms in the center of downtown in a city of Jacksonville's size. As for the Occupy Jax people, whether one agrees with their political position or not, at least they're bringing life to an otherwise morbid sidewalk situation.