Jacksonville’s Neighborhoods Department represents vision, followthrough

David Chapman of the Jax Daily Record broke a significant story this week: legislative confirmation of the long-awaited Lenny Curry plan to revive the Neighborhoods department.

“The Neighborhoods Department will operate under Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa and with a re-established Housing and Community Development Division — the ‘direct link’ to city neighborhoods,” Chapman writes.

Chapman’s piece notes that Mousa and CFO Mike Weinstein take on more responsibilities, handling more direct reports in their roles.

Mousa and Weinstein are eminently hands-on leaders. It’s customary for those who spend time covering City Hall to see Mousa walking the halls, from one meeting to the next.

As Chapman also notes, the seeds for the revival of Neighborhoods were planted in the Transition Team meetings of last spring, as Curry prepared to take control from the previous administration.

Having covered the transition team meetings, I can tell you that was the case. One in particular stands out.

The big news out of this: a Neighborhoods Department, in June, was strongly advocated by former Neighborhoods chairwoman and subcommittee chairwoman Kerri Stewart. The open questions are what could go in it.

The session started off with a review of documents encompassing re-organizations, going back to 1997. Kelli O’Leary of the Employee Services division of city government provided Org Charts and other information, including head count snapshots going back to 2008.

Stewart: “We have a lot of information.”

The last org shift, developed by the City Council relative to the Office of Economic Development, went back to 2013.

Stewart pointed out in that June meeting that there is a strong possibility, given her review of the Blight committee’s work, that a Neighborhoods department very likely will be recreated in the coming administration.

Two transition subcommittees explicitly recommended a reinstatement of Neighborhoods, and Stewart, as early as July, voiced her interest in limiting direct reports to the mayor.

What Neighborhoods represents, in many respects, is follow through. Earlier this month, Lenny Curry said an announcement was imminent. And so it was.