The effort to eliminate blight in neighborhoods and along public rights-of-way will continue to be a focus of the new administration.
In materials provided to members of Mayor Lenny Curry’s Blight Subcommittee that concluded its deliberations Thursday, the administration stated the council “wisely established” the ad hoc committee to study ways to combat blight in Duval County and “the Curry administration will continue this focus.”
The issues brought up during the transition meetings were the same ones identified during the two years the ad hoc committee did its work, said former council member Denise Lee, who led the ad hoc committee. She is now Curry’s director of blight initiatives.
That’s significant because the transition subcommittee was made up of people who were not involved in the council committee’s deliberations, she said.
“It really validated what has already been accomplished,” Lee said. “It proved that we have a strong foundation and everyone is concerned about blight.”
Recommendations from the transition subcommittee include encouraging residents in blighted neighborhoods to complement the city’s efforts.
Lee said she plans to facilitate a series of “neighborhood summits.”
“Our No. 1 priority will be to continue to organize neighborhoods,” she said. “If the people aren’t involved, it won’t work.”
Lee said another recommendation will be to establish long-term goals and methods to measure results.
The council committee brought city departments and independent authorities to the table to address myriad blight factors including littering and illegal dumping, foreclosed and abandoned residential properties, failing structures and crime and drug activity.
Community development organizations, citizen advocates and nonprofits that serve to improve neighborhoods and housing were contributors as well.
Lee said their involvement will continue as the program moves forward and the work of the ad hoc committee to change how the city remediates blight will serve as the foundation for the ongoing effort.
The council committee accomplished several goals, including the creation of a division within the city Public Works Department dedicated to mowing and maintaining rights-of-way.
The group sponsored legislation to regulate “mop and bucket” car washes that operate in neighborhoods and may, in some cases, contribute to vagrancy and drug crimes. Another bill was introduced to remediate residential properties that are not connected to city utilities.
A new mascot, “Jax Can,” was introduced to engage the public in the effort to reduce blight and a smartphone app was developed that allows people to report dumping and property maintenance issues directly to the city.
The ad hoc committee also promoted events that give residents the opportunity to remove old tires and illegal signs from their property and public property, and then turn them in and collect a small fee from the city.
Moving forward in her new role, Lee said she will serve as the administration’s representative to the ad hoc blight committee, which already has been renewed by council President Greg Anderson.
Lee plans to continue to keep the effort to address blight revenue-neutral. The actions that need to be taken by the city, such as mowing and municipal code compliance, already are designated within various city departments.
It’s a question of communication, oversight and accountability. Lee said she’s eager to keep the effort going for the long term.
“The departments know their jobs. Someone has to make sure the jobs are done,” she said.
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