Losing Springfield

[BridgeTroll]

The City's NSP1 Funding (one time special HUD funds) plans both state the use of demoliton as well, of which about $1 MILLION dollars was set aside for demolition and clearance.

The City's NSP3 funding states demolition as a project again, setting aside $400K for this activity, with a goal of demolition of 80 properties.

Wow... Could this be a case of... "Use it or lose it"?

[m74reeves]

The City's NSP1 Funding (one time special HUD funds) plans both state the use of demoliton as well, of which about $1 MILLION dollars was set aside for demolition and clearance.

The City's NSP3 funding states demolition as a project again, setting aside $400K for this activity, with a goal of demolition of 80 properties.

Wow... Could this be a case of... "Use it or lose it"?

POSSIBLY. NSP1 was supposed to be spent out by March of this year, and I think that the NSP3 funds have to be spent by Spring of next year. That may be why Springfield is seeing several demolitions happening after no City demolition activity for a year (can someone confirm this)?

[iloveionia]

Up until these two E. 2nd Street houses, the last demolition was on Ionia Street (1320 Ionia) on November 17, 2011.  2012 had zero demolitions.  There were 5 demolitions in historic Springfield in 2011, the addresses are as follows:

1320 Ionia, demolished October 17 
342 W. 10th Street, demolished July or August (Patterson Apts.)
1543 Market Street, demolished August 18
1612 Market Street, demolished January 25
445 E. 7th Street, demolished January (demo lien is January 7, so I supposed could have been a late Dec demo)

[JaxByDefault]

A campaign to add Springfield to the list of most endangered historic places may embarrass the city enough to at least make them consider revising their policies.

[Demosthenes]

My guess is, by using the "emergency demolition" term, and an engineer in their pocket, they are able to circumvent preservation laws with public safety laws. A lot of shit is done in the name of public safety, that isn't necessarily in the publics best interest.

This will probably require a lawsuit against the city of Jacksonville. Probably a class action suit by owners of historic properties, that the current agressive nature puts their structures at risk, and decreases the value of their properties due to the loss of historic nature of designated neighborhoods. Im certain you have enough preservationists on board to create a class. Doesnt SOS have a lawyer on its board?

[jaxlore]

horrendous.

[Cheshire Cat]

I had once said on another thread that Kim Scott acted as if she was running her own private "fiefdom" in the MCCD.  As it turns out, in many ways she actually is! 

Purchases and contracts for goods and services are generally handled through the city Procurement Department in order that they may ask for RFP's and competing prices for contracts, services and goods.  However I have just found out and verified that the process for awarding the contracts for "demolition" and other services in the Municipal Code Compliance Department are handled by Kim Scott and she makes the choices about who gets the work.

Let's walk through the process.  Kim Scott and her department identify a structure for demo.  Rather than the procurement department being required to post the demo in order for other contractors to bid, Kim Scott in fact names the person or persons who she wants to give the job to.  Her recommendation is handed in to the Procurement Office which then simply writes up an order per her recommendation and sends that on to the GGAC which is an awards commission.  The awards commission then posts the name of those receiving the contract on the procurement site for just 48 hours.  These awards are posted every Tuesday at 2:00PM and removed from the site the next Thursday at 2:00PM.  This almost always results in the personal choice of Kim Scott or her department being awarded the jobs.  So the reality is that Scott literally runs this process and other small contractors have no legitimate way to know about a structure coming up for demo or ask to bid on it until a short 48 hour period when the notice of who it was awarded to is posted.  It doesn't take a genius to see that this is a process that can and very likely is being abused to the point that it keeps other contractors out of the loop while a select group are repeatedly handed city demo jobs without competitive and open bidding.  The process is further convoluted by the fact that some demo's are rushed as emergencies and the process is even faster. Once Kim Scott's selected contractor makes it through the GGAC the deal is signed off by none other than Mayor Alvin Brown.  I invite any and all readers to go to the City website departments list and see if you find a listing for "procurement" and then find awarded/posted contracts.  Good luck!

It has been my experience in past investigations that this type of awards system is driven by kickbacks and other material gains.  I found it in LaVilla and in the communities around Edward Waters College.

The funding for the demo's comes from either the city General Fund or Federal Hud Funds depending upon where they are located.  I am currently awaiting the documentation and criterion for how funds in either case must be lawfully handled and dispersed. 

[iloveionia]

Makes sense why the demo contractor was so vile to the neighborhood during the demolitions.  As he continues to be at Kim Scott's feet kissing them, he continues to get big bucks for tearing down history. 

[Josh]

Are there any lawyers out there that give a damn about this? Hell, I'm pretty sure just a public records request would show plenty of ethics violations.

[Cheshire Cat]

Some records have already been requested along with other information.  Everyone needs to be proactive with this including the gathering of records and documentation.  It will be very important to stay on top of this issue as there is much happening here and beneath it all is clearly the need for revisiting and reworking procedures to protect property, citizens rights and open bidding on city jobs not to mention whether or not Federal HUD funds are being properly used for demo of property.

[civil42806]

I'm not claiming that it just affects springfield or riverside or any other historic distric let it be savannah or any other wonderful area.  whats the federal statute that regulates a city authorized historic district

Please your not talking abut the nrhp issue are you?  LOl don't think anyone will be hauled up to court on that

One wonders if you are imagining that when the Feds decide an issue that they dispatch Tommy Lee Jones with a special team of US Marshals?

Are you under the impression that the 'perps' in this case will be hunted like mad dogs?

Keel Hauled?  Tossed into a prison so dark that light itself cannot escape?  Then tried before a High Commission during which Tom Cruise breaks down into manly tears and then Susan Sarandon has a moment of serene illumination followed by some wrenching form of weeping?

Please.  Spare us the drama.

Suing the City to force them to comply with the regulations attached to the money that they receive from the Federal Government involves no such histrionics.

But on the other hand, the Feds arent really known for just ignoring it when local officials decide that Uncle Sam can just go stuff himself either.

In the meantime, while you are exorcising this semantic demon, an entire historic district is in the process of being compromised ---- fatally---- as the components that make it historic are being demolished.  But thanks for helping out anyways.

Well sue away if you think if you have a case, but if your case has to do with fed funds used by the city/state is an issue, best of luck hope you have someone to do a pro bono case. 

easier issue is to have the owners maintain there homes.

.

[Cheshire Cat]

I'm not claiming that it just affects springfield or riverside or any other historic distric let it be savannah or any other wonderful area.  whats the federal statute that regulates a city authorized historic district

Please your not talking abut the nrhp issue are you?  LOl don't think anyone will be hauled up to court on that

One wonders if you are imagining that when the Feds decide an issue that they dispatch Tommy Lee Jones with a special team of US Marshals?

Are you under the impression that the 'perps' in this case will be hunted like mad dogs?

Keel Hauled?  Tossed into a prison so dark that light itself cannot escape?  Then tried before a High Commission during which Tom Cruise breaks down into manly tears and then Susan Sarandon has a moment of serene illumination followed by some wrenching form of weeping?

Please.  Spare us the drama.

Suing the City to force them to comply with the regulations attached to the money that they receive from the Federal Government involves no such histrionics.

But on the other hand, the Feds arent really known for just ignoring it when local officials decide that Uncle Sam can just go stuff himself either.

In the meantime, while you are exorcising this semantic demon, an entire historic district is in the process of being compromised ---- fatally---- as the components that make it historic are being demolished.  But thanks for helping out anyways.

Well sue away if you think if you have a case, but if your case has to do with fed funds used by the city/state is an issue, best of luck hope you have someone to do a pro bono case. 

easier issue is to have the owners maintain there homes.

.

We get it, you are angry at those who don't maintain their homes regardless of what their personal situation may be.  However the concern here goes beyond home maintenance and finds further focus in the procedures being used by the MCCD and Kim Scott to decided what properties need demo and when.  Further is the question of mixed messages between city departments when it comes to what property owners are being told to do to secure structures only to find that inspite of following these directives properties are torn down anyway.  There is the issue of fair bid process and what appears to be undo control of a single individual when it comes to who is awarded city contracts.  Adding to that are the hows and whys of General Fund expenditures as well as HUD funds.  None of this is impacted by what caused the structure to be on city radar in the first place. 

No one has said anything specific about a lawsuit at this point and it may well turn out that when enough documentation, records and protocol is reviewed, city officials may well act on their own without a lawsuit forcing them to correct these concerns.  That would be the best possible outcome.  In the meantime the community is thankful for all the private individuals of PSOS who have put their own time and efforts behind saving structures and making them available at reasonable costs to potential homeowners. 

[strider]

Section 106 info:  http://www.achp.gov/docs/CitizenGuide.pdf

As I understand it from a couple of people who have lots of experience with Section 106; how it is applied, what should be done, ETC, for other cities, a section 106 review should be done anytime a historic property is being affected by a program using federal funds. Many cities do it as SOP just to be sure.  Jacksonville does it, well, it doesn't seem to be doing it.  If Jacksonville gets caught not doing it when they should, what happens?  Well, I suspect those federal funds could go elsewhere.

[Cheshire Cat]

Section 106 info:  http://www.achp.gov/docs/CitizenGuide.pdf

As I understand it from a couple of people who have lots of experience with Section 106; how it is applied, what should be done, ETC, for other cities, a section 106 review should be done anytime a historic property is being affected by a program using federal funds. Many cities do it as SOP just to be sure.  Jacksonville does it, well, it doesn't seem to be doing it.  If Jacksonville gets caught not doing it when they should, what happens?  Well, I suspect those federal funds could go elsewhere.

Yes strider they may lose the funds and even find themselves on the hook for past funds depending on what the criterion was when they received the HUD funds to begin with.  It is interesting to note that this is not the first time the City of Jacksonville has been looked at regarding the use of Federal Funds, including those from HUD.

[civil42806]

"We get it, you are angry at those who don't maintain their homes regardless of what their personal situation may be.  However the concern here goes beyond home maintenance and finds further focus in the procedures being used by the MCCD and Kim Scott to decided what properties need demo and when."

LOL not angry about this at all.  Don't live in the area so doesn't affect me.  Just the idea of maintenance makes more sense than suing someone and the continuous posting of  the crises from one house to another.  No sense to wait until a house is on the demolition list to all of a sudden start to maintain it.