by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The mayor’s overhaul of Jacksonville’s Parks and Recreation Department got under way Tuesday, passing a key City Council committee. However, several Council members are concerned that the reorganization could erode their authority over parks in their districts.
The Finance Committee voted unanimously to pass Mayor John Peyton’s legislation, which he says is aimed at taking Jacksonville’s parks system from the country’s biggest to its best. A centerpiece of the reorganization is an advisory board that would focus on fundraising and strategic planning. That body created the most concern among Council members.
The board would consist of seven members — four picked by the mayor and three picked by the Council president. Its job, according to the mayor’s policy chief Adam Hollingsworth, would be to focus “on the 30,000-foot view,” planning the development of Duval County’s huge cache of park land, coordinating fundraising and advancing the mayor’s vision for the county’s parks.
Finance Committee chair Daniel Davis spoke for several Council members when he asked whether the advisory committee would “do the visioning for us?” Davis was concerned that the board might reduce the input of Council members when planning parks in their districts. Davis and others were concerned that the board’s planning might favor preservation over active recreation. In other words, that it would favor horse and hiking trails over soccer and baseball fields.
“I want to make sure active recreation isn’t ignored. I want ball fields for kids to play on,” said Davis. “I want a balanced approach. Rails and trails are important, too.”
Council member Lad Daniels took it a step further, saying that the City had acquired enough preservation land through its Preservation Project and that active recreation development should take precedence.
“We can build all these bike trails, horse trails, trails to nowhere, but they’re only serving a small part of the population,” he said. “We’re not serving the needs of the majority of people that need active recreation facilities.”
That point of view wasn’t unanimous on the committee however. Council member Gwen Yates said her urban district could use more preservation land.
Hollingsworth said there was no reason the advisory board should favor preservation. The City currently spends $8 on active recreation for every $1 spent on preservation, and will continue to emphasize active development, he said.
In addition to the advisory board, Council members expressed concern about a pair of new positions that would be created by the reorganization. The Community Relations Director and the Friendraiser would be tasked with networking with the private sector and non-profit community and working with the advisory board to raise private money.
It’s a setup that’s worked well in Boston, Houston and Cincinnati. Using advisory boards, those cities raise about $1.5 million through the private sector and nonprofit communities, said Hollingsworth.
But some on the Council were concerned that the extra personnel could become just added bureaucracy. At the Council’s request, both positions will be reviewed annually. If they do not meet expectations, the mayor can restaff the positions or eliminate them.
Both hires will require Council approval. Before confirmation hearings, the Council will also approve criteria against which the positions will be judged. Hollingsworth said the Community Relations Director would be expected to raise money at a rate of three to five times greater than the position’s annual salary.
The reorganization began in earnest in November when Peyton hired John Culbreth, the former head of Fulton County’s parks (in Atlanta), to lead Jacksonville’s department. Culbreth’s experience in his former job working with private sector and nonprofit groups was viewed as an asset when he was hired.