A.G. Gancarski
The rappers Whodini posed the question way back: “Friends … how many of us have them?”
When it comes to a downtown Jacksonville plaza, the once-controversial Friends of Hemming Park look poised to get a six-month extension to its contract — and some money for material improvements to the “front door to city hall” — after a Monday Jacksonville City Council committee meeting.
Movement in the Friends of Hemming Park saga was foreshadowed earlier this year, with Mayor Lenny Curry asserting that he’s willing to fork over $415,000 to the current management to run the park for six more months. $240,000 for operations, the rest for hardscaping and landscaping (work to be contracted out and completed by the end of FY 17).
The work to be contracted will be done on a reimbursement basis.
This bill started off in Neighborhoods, Community Investments, and Services on Monday morning.
NCIS had pilloried the previous management of FOHP for wasteful spending in the past; however, hot quotes were absent from Council Chambers on Monday morning.
Councilman Bill Gulliford did note that the planters in the park are “ugly,” suggesting a group of senior citizen volunteers could remedy the issue.
Apparently, annuals won’t work in the park; FOHP head Bill Prescott noted that more native plants will be part of the landscape going forward.
Finance mulls this measure on Wednesday morning.
