SPAR revolt?

[uptowngirl]

Excellent post JBD, I don;t think anyone has summed it up so well in one post!!!

[downtownparks]

JBD, recently while inquiring about the status of board members, and the decisions of appointments vs elections, it was suggested that one such appointment would be Dr Abdullah, or someone of her choosing.

This is the sort of appointment I am good with.

I can also say, about a year an a half ago, I arranged a meeting with people from Corrine Browns office to talk about Hogans creek and transit issues. The Congresswoman now sits in a position that could very much help Jacksonville get significant spending on rail, should the city simply push for it. When I arranged this meeting, I invited several board members of MetroJacksonville as well. I did this as a SPAR board member.

[thelakelander]

Yes, I remember this.  We had a few MetroJacksonville guys at that meeting. We stand in a unique position with rail funding since the concept has the backing of Corrine Brown and John Mica.  Unfortunely, we're still fighting to get city leaders on board.

[JaxByDefault]

DTP: You have a solid record of service on behlaf of urban parks and transit issues.

I agree that the political climate is likely to improve for rail projects. Many people have worked hard to lay a great foundation for rail in Jacksonville, but the city and some leaders at JTA do remain skeptical and slow to act. Perhaps if the city and JTA are shown the money available they will take an increased interest in some of the fantastc available proposals. We're on it.

[downtownparks]

I believe it isnt about knowing everything. Its about trying to help put people that DO KNOW something in a position to make things happen. Lake, Lunican, FSUJax, Ock, and several others are knowledgable, passionate advocates. If I can help by arranging a meeting or getting them on an adgenda for a civic organization like CPAC, I am going to do that if I am able.

Louise, Jack, and a couple of others on the SPAR board are very good at doing this. Where they fall down is in the knick knacky, everyday procedural stuff that people here are paying attention to. I stated in an email to the board that I believe SPAR is doing more good now than it has since I have been around Springfield, but in regards to brushing off the critics, they do so at the risk of the organization. As the person who nominated AlexS to the board, I take his resignation personally, and hate to see them needlessly shooting themselves in the foot. Elections and By-laws are a tedious, but necessary step to a larger picture.

SPAR can fix this. Relativly easily if they so choose. We aren't talking about earth rattling things here. Hold elections. Get the terms sorted out and on the record, and follow its own by by-laws. And above all, include the community as much as possible. Give us an organization we can root for. SPAR will never be able to make everyone happy, but it shouldnt give up completely either.

[JaxByDefault]

As an example of thinking about issues of connectivity, clustering, and transit in the context of comprehensive development plans, the following is an excellent post from thelakelander in another thread when asked to identify a cluster development plan for downtown JAX:

My main focus would be to create a vibrant pedestrian oriented atmosphere.  Imo, its easier to get 3 or 4 blocks working than it is to immediately tackle two square miles.  I believe this can be done with better use of what we already have in place. 

The heart of the Northbank between the Landing and Hemming Plaza would be my starting spot.  Instead of streetscapes, pocket parks, kiddie fountains and studies, I'd spend more time figuring out how to squeeze more vibrant use out of what's there already and encourage infill in between.  This could include giving tax breaks/incentives to building owners who flip their street level interior uses inside out, selling off city owned property in the core and working with JTA to make better use of the skyway stations.  It could also include removing city offices out specific first floor locations of public buildings and dedicating the space for retail/cultural uses.  To help fund public improvements I'd sell off the land underneath the Landing (provided Sleiman immediately moves forward with opening the courtyard up to Laura and flipping retail spaces to face Independent Drive).  I'd also issue affordable RFPs to rid the city of underutilized properties like the Snyder Memorial.  The money made from this pot would then go to help fund components of a long term Downtown Master Plan (ex. wayfaring signage, better lighting, grants/loans to refurbish historic structures, cleaning Hemming Plaza, building out the base of the library parking garage and then giving out cheap leasing rates to get it filled, etc.).

In the meantime, this does not mean I'd ignore the rest of the area.  There should be something set in place to make sure that every single private sector project in downtown's boundaries fit into the long term vision of the Downtown Master Plan.  So, say you're FCCJ, JTA or anyone else with plans to expand or build new facilities.  You can bet your bottom dollar there will be heavy public influence to make sure your use is designed to add life to the street.  This means, no more LaVilla 3's would get any where near final approval without properly addressing the street.  If you're SPAR or any other neighborhood group.  You can bet City Hall will be at your planning sessions to make sure connectivity will happen with the downtown core.

So what is SPAR's take on Springfield?

[jbm32206]

Dan, that's pretty much what the issue is, and what has most of us so upset...that even though we feel that overall, spar is doing good...but how they're manipulating the positioning of board members and turning their backs to the membership/community, isn't good at all...and in all honesty, if the board doesn't work to fix this, it could indeed, lend itself to the demise of the organization's credibility and overall stability.

[sheclown]

This has been a wonderful discussion today.

[zoo]

JBD, thank you for singing the same song! I hope your suggestion of appointing integral people from Springfield-connective orgs is taken better from you than it has been from SPAR, DTP, or myself. Perhaps you should volunteer to fill AlexS' vacant spot?

[strider]

JBD, thank you for singing the same song! I hope your suggestion of appointing integral people from Springfield-connective orgs is taken better from you than it has been from SPAR, DTP, or myself. Perhaps you should volunteer to fill AlexS' vacant spot?

Zoo, once again, I think you've missed something.  For starters, there has always been the ability for SPAR Council to appoint up to four board members.  Those positions were for getting various talent or representatives from various other organizations on board when needed.  Our issues are not with that idea, but the others issues that have been brought up here that you seem to keep dismissing.

Besides, I now believe that it was a mistake to allow any appointed board members. (other than to replace a member resigning.)  To begin with, those appointments have never really been used the way they were intended, even from the first board meeting of the “new” SPAR Council. Then, even with the option of appointing four board members, we have been told it was not enough.  So, rather than appointments to the board, the idea of an advisory board makes much more sense to me.  This allows for getting the talent the organization needs without requiring this large commitment of three years or more on the board, having to attend every meeting, ETC.  It would seem that your goal of having the "right" people involved would be served better through an advisory board as one set of experts could be involved in one project and a whole new set of experts for the next one.  Easier to get the best talent right when you need it.

Overall, You are not singing the same song as JBD.  Some of the words may be the same, but the tune is completely different.  And why would anyone want to take AlexS’s board position?  So they could be ridiculed and threatened if they happen to be a voice of dissent to the executive committee?  And, I have to ask, have you been appointed yet?  You do seem like you would fit right in.

[Ocklawaha]

rainbows beaming out of the asses of unicorns

So THAT explains what I saw down at Hogans Creek and Beaver...

Damn! Wow!

Just Damn!

Damn!

OCKLAWAHA

[32206livedraps]

JBD, thank you for singing the same song! I hope your suggestion of appointing integral people from Springfield-connective orgs is taken better from you than it has been from SPAR, DTP, or myself. Perhaps you should volunteer to fill AlexS' vacant spot?

Yeah, that's funny, maybe offer a lobotomy as a side gift.  Perhaps one should start questioning why the high turnover of so many with "fresh ideas".  They (board members) can't run new officers off fast enough.  They suck them in and the minute they question anything, buh-bye.  They have the "core klan" working their own agenda, that do whatever they can to feed the rest very limited information and shut them down every time they question some of the less than ethical tactics.  These are people that can not even manage to follow the basic Robert Rules.  New board members are nothing more than same circus different clowns.

[jbm32206]

Don't forget...the meeting...the Q & A is this Thursday evening at the spar building

[fsu813]

word.

[sheclown]

word.

hopefully