Membership Benefits:
Invitations to special events and promotions and e-mail alerts to keep you in the know about Downtown
Receive special offers from local merchants, restaurants and cultural venues through the Discover Downtown card
Volunteer opportunities to beautify, promote and advocate for Downtown
http://www.discoverdtjax.com/ (http://www.discoverdtjax.com/)
So, for $20 (or more) you are 1) added to an email list. 2)have opportunities to volunteer. 3) feel awkward reminding business owners that they offer an "alliance" discount. That conversation will go something like this...
You: By the way I'm an alliance member. This is my card.
Server: I don't know anything about that...let me get my manager...
You: Well, your restaurant is on the Downtown Alliance Website offering 20% off of my ticket on Wednesdays.
Server: I'm sorry. I have to get my manager.
Manager: Hi, how are you?
You: Hi, sorry to create confusion. I'm a member of the alliance and your business offers 20% off on Wednesdays. This is my card.
Manager: Oh yeah. I've actually never seen one of these. I'm not even sure that we are still a part of this thing. Unfortunately, the owner isn't here today so I can't confirm. I hope you enjoyed your meal!
You: BUT I'm an Alliance Member!
I think the program is a good idea and have been involved in its development. The primary purpose of the Alliance is to create a downtown organization that anyone can belong to. Neighborhood groups like RAP, SPAR, and SMPS work that way, but membership in DVI is restricted to property owners within the improvement district's boundary. Downtown should be considered "everyone's neighborhood". the discount card is a bonus of supporting the Alliance.
No, that scenario did not actually happen to me. I'll bet one dollar that it's happened, though. That is, if anyone is actually a member.
They created a separate non-profit organization and are paying someone $75k to run it? And, that money came from a grant to beautify downtown facades? Who provided that grant money?
Are they just laundering money?
All of the alliance members are probably downtown residents of the 1920s. I'm also willing to bet $1.00 that a DVI employee's dog is a member. ;)
This looks to be the facade grant program. It looks like DVI set aside money from their budget to match business owners who were planning facade improvements.
http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/DowntownVisionInc/WhatWeDo/Downtown_Vision_Initiatives/Laura_Street_Facade.aspx (http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/DowntownVisionInc/WhatWeDo/Downtown_Vision_Initiatives/Laura_Street_Facade.aspx)
Informative article from the daily record about the alliance discount program.
Teri seems to be throwing Feinberg under the bus.
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=541544 (http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=541544)
The few people I know that own properties downtown say all they have heard from dvi is the end of the year property tax. I at one point went into dvi handed them a card talked about stuff and said if I can help anyway feel free to contact me. Needless to say they never called.
Quote from: tufsu1 on July 08, 2014, 11:01:37 AM
I think the program is a good idea and have been involved in its development. The primary purpose of the Alliance is to create a downtown organization that anyone can belong to. Neighborhood groups like RAP, SPAR, and SMPS work that way, but membership in DVI is restricted to property owners within the improvement district's boundary. Downtown should be considered "everyone's neighborhood". the discount card is a bonus of supporting the Alliance.
In other words, DVI felt that we needed a downtown membership club to create a sense of belonging? As though, I will feel more like it's my downtown when I have a discount card. If it works for Costco then it will work for DVI. Maybe they can recruit schools to sell their cards for fundraisers?
Based on the Daily Record article it feels like the position was created just to give Teri a fall person. I especially like these quotes:
"Lorince said Feinberg's calendars were never intended for the news media, then added that Feinberg is not a very good record keeper."
"If you hire someone, you want them to pay their salary." - DVI Executive Director Terry Lorince said when hiring Valerie Feinberg"
This is what $1.3 million in annual budget apparently gets you...Is this a good deal?
(http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/Libraries/Staff_Images/About_Us_FY12-13.sflb.ashx)
That's about 44.4k lbs of litter.
Or, 120 lbs of liter per day.
5.69 escorts per day.
So, about half of the work that justifies DVI's existence is done by the ambassadors, which is a program that DVI keeps cutting.
Quote from: stephendare on July 08, 2014, 11:35:07 AM
TUFSU, I assume that the money was voted on by a committee to be transferred.
Any idea on whether or not the facade program is defunct now?
I'm not sure how the Alliance was officially created. I would assume the DVI Board weighed in at some point. What I do know is that the genesis of the idea came about during JAX 2025 meetings dealing with Vibrant Neighborhoods. Most people in the meetings, including myself, felt that downtown needed a neighborhood group that would hold events and advocate on behalf of all users (residents, employees, and visitors) of downtown.
As for the facade program, I do not know.
Quote from: TheCat on July 08, 2014, 12:21:23 PM
This looks to be the facade grant program. It looks like DVI set aside money from their budget to match business owners who were planning facade improvements.
http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/DowntownVisionInc/WhatWeDo/Downtown_Vision_Initiatives/Laura_Street_Facade.aspx (http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/DowntownVisionInc/WhatWeDo/Downtown_Vision_Initiatives/Laura_Street_Facade.aspx)
Which was stated here.
But yes, not even close to money laundering. And I do doubt that any downtown residents from the 1920s are a part of the alliance.
But, I'm still willing to bet $1.00 that a DVI employee's dog is a member.
^ well put Stephen
Stephen, you are starting to sound a lot like Jerry Moran...and I mean that as a compliment! Could this be your inner-Republican voice speaking? ;)
QuoteThe City massively cut services to downtown, and the BID tax has decreased in the past two years rapidly as the amount of demolished lots and not for profit land ownership has decreased the downtown tax base to the tune of 30% with no justification and no plan on how to replace those services, leaving organizations like DVI and DIA and whoever (I suppose the Hemming Park group. Or you. Or me. Or whoever wants to go in for free and spend their own money performing basic upkeep for basic services that our tax money is supposed to provide)
The attempt to create a membership group is one of the ways that DVI is trying to replace the funds that the City has decided to bail on. Its a worthy goal on DVI's part, but the villain in this little melodrama is the City of Jacksonville itself.
If I remember correctly DVI has supported demolishing downtown structures, at least the old court house. Do you know if they have supported demolishing other buildings?
I think this group has a fantastic way of speaking out of both sides of their mouth.
Most recently they stated publicly and repeatedly that they do not have a position on food trucks downtown. Not only do they have a position. It's available on their site for review. They do not want food trucks downtown. And, to say that they have not taken a position is literally a lie. It's not excusable to say, as tufsu said, "DVI has had to tow a delicate line".
This is the thread on their food truck position:http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php?topic=21593.0 (http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php?topic=21593.0)
It seems that DVI follows a bureaucratic philosophy that elevates the form of their organization over the function of their organization. Based on the Jax Daily article it seems like the alliance was started to fight for downtown dollars. This is a fight for power (read money). The DVI board member was quoted as such, that they are going after the same dollars. I find that a bit confusing. Instead of looking at the other groups as partners in the same mission they have decided to fight them.
Quote from: TheCat on July 26, 2014, 02:30:40 PM
If I remember correctly DVI has supported demolishing downtown structures, at least the old court house.
I think a pretty strong majority of people support tearing down the courthouse and redeveloping the site. Saving the annex is a bit more popular.