Jerry Moran, and several others from the group Pioneers 4 Jax are scheduled to meet with the Sheriff tomorrow to introduce new ideas, air greviances and create a common agenda for the treatment of Downtown.

 

Pioneers 4 Jax, composed heavily of the small businesses downtown are expected to make several stunning suggestions including:

 

1.  the dissolution or partial dissolution of DVI, Downtown's BID instrument, in order to use the money instead for beefed up police patrols in the downtown area.

 

2.  The replacement of Hemming Park squad cars with bike cops

 

3.  The revival of the Traveller's Aid in order to purchase and obtain tickets back home for the various individuals who find themselves stranded in Downtown Jacksonville without a way to return home.

 

Says one member of the group.  "Downtown is all about needing to feel safe,  People will not move here when there are a bunch of bums and panhandlers scaring them to death every time they get out of the car.   Maybe if the Sheriff had some of that money that DVI is spending on salaries, they could actually cover downtown the way they need to."

 

And the subject of DVI is enough to make temperatures rise to fever pitch.

 

"I don't know if it needs to be dissolved or maybe if it could be restructured so that it works---then that would be money well spent.  But the way it is set up right now, its NOT working."

 

The Traveller's Aid idea came about partially through Tony Sleiman's manager, Janet.  "She has the same problem all the rest of us do downtown, she has over 400 trespassing warrants from the panhandlers.  They came to our last meeting and offered to help fund it---this is something that we asked DVI to help reinstitute over a year ago, and NOTHING.....with Tony, the merchants are going to have to do it themselves."

 

Updates after the meeting tomorrow night.