First Official Blogger Conference at City Hall

[Metro Jacksonville]

First Official Blogger Conference at City Hall



At one thirty this afternoon, I left the first ever Blogger Conference with the Mayor's Office.

I feel like this day should be noted, because it is the first such official recognition of the online media to ever be held in the City.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jul-first-official-blogger-conference-at-city-hall

[Lunican]

Cool.

[thelakelander]

Good update.  What is the name of their new facebook page?

[Lunican]

Here is Peytons fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Jacksonville-FL/Mayor-John-Peyton/73349610489

[brainstormer]

I'm not sure how I feel about being named at a meeting I knew nothing about. LOL 

I look forward to their response.

[stephendare]

Yeah it was pretty cool, actually.

One funny moment:  Abel Harding, the conservative blogger was going to get a bottle of water (and possibly some coffee)  one of the Mayor's staff joked that he would have to "admit to drinking our coffee and water".  To which he cooly replied:  "Technically, its our coffee and water".

[Karl_Pilkington]

sounds like a real hootenanny

[macbeth25]

Sounds really interesting.  Good job.

[stephendare]

Thanks guys.

Karl Pilkington:  It truly was a Hootenanny! 

A blogging hoedown, even.

But even cooler, we got a schedule of the blog casts and the webcast town halls.  Ill be putting up the schedules a little later on today.

[Adam Hollingsworth]

All -- See below our roll-out of community meetings on the budget.  Thanks to the folks we met with yesterday, look for the first-ever use of social media to engage on the budget.  It will be interesting to watch our use of this medium evolve over time.  Will need your input to be successful.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            Contact: Misty Skipper, (904) 630-7377
                        
MAYOR INVITES COMMUNITY TO JOIN IN BUDGET CONVERSATIONS
Series of lunches, town halls, live web chats and media appearances scheduled during the summer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. July 9, 2009— Mayor John Peyton invites residents to engage in a broad community conversation about the 2009/2010 budget and the importance of investing in the City of Jacksonville by attending one of several public forums to be held this summer.

“I firmly believe that addressing our city’s current budgetary issues requires leadership, broad support and the roll-up-our-sleeves attitude that has defined Jacksonville in the past,” said Mayor Peyton.  “These conversations will provide the opportunity for all residents to learn more and engage their government.  We began a community conversation on the budget challenges two years ago.  We will continue it through the current budget process, and we will keep it going through the passage of next year’s budget.”

Lunch with the Mayor
Beginning next week, the mayor will host five lunch meetings from noon-1 p.m. at area libraries.  Residents are invited to bring their own lunch.  Locations across the city have been selected for proximity to some of the community’s larger business parks/complexes and residential areas to allow for easier access.  The schedule is as follows:

-   Thursday, July 16
o   Brown-Eastside Branch Library, 1390 Harrison St.
   Phone: (904) 630-5466

-   Monday, July 27
o   Jacksonville Main Library, conference center multi-purpose room, 303 N. Laura St.
   Phone: (904) 630-2665

-   Thursday, Aug. 6
o   Pablo Creek Regional Library, 13295 Beach Blvd.
   Phone: (904) 992-7101

-   Tuesday, Aug. 11
o   Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd.
   Phone: (904) 996-0325

-   Wednesday, Aug. 26
o   Mandarin Regional Library, 3330 Kori Road
   Phone: (904) 262-5201

Town Halls
Also beginning next week, the mayor will host three town hall meetings in various locations across the community.  All residents are invited to attend.  All meetings will be held in the evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

-   Thursday, July 16
o   Ed White High School cafeteria, 1700 Old Middleburg Road
o   Phone: (904) 693-7620

-   Monday, July 20
o   Edward Ball Building, 1st floor training room, 214 N. Hogan St.
o   Phone: (904) 630-CITY (2489)

-   Monday, Aug. 3
o   Ribault High School media center, 3701 Winton Drive
o   Phone: (904) 924-3092

Live Media Appearances
Over the next two months, the Mayor will make appearances on a series of media outlets which will offer the opportunity for two-way dialogue with the public. 

These appearances will include weekly live Internet chats hosted by the Florida Times Union on www.jacksonville.com; interactive conversations with the viewers and listeners of local TV stations and radio news programs, as well as Internet chat sessions on local blog sites.  An Internet chat session is scheduled on Tuesday, July 21 at 5:30 p.m. on Urban Jacksonville Weekly at www.urbanjacksonville.info.

A full schedule of dates and times will be announced and updated regularly on www.FixItNow.cc.

Ongoing Education and Engagement:
The mayor encouraged residents to continue learn more about his budget proposal by visiting www.FixItNow.cc, a Web site created by the Mayor’s Office.

The Web site contains a breadth of information including presentations on the budgetary situation, the recent Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. (JCCI) study: “Our Money, Our City: Financing Jacksonville’s Future” and other resource materials.

Following the mayor’s presentation of his proposed budget to the Jacksonville City Council on Monday, July 13 at 10 a.m., the complete document will be posted on www.coj.net.

Going forward into next year’s budget cycle, to ensure even greater transparency and understanding of the city’s budgetary and operational processes, Mayor Peyton will continue to announce additional opportunities for two-way dialogue and increased involvement for Jacksonville residents. 

More information will be announced as these programs and events are further developed. 

###

[stephendare]

Adam we talked yesterday about citizens who cant make the meeting in person being able to post youtube question video that the mayor will respond to on the webcasts from the times union.

Any more on that?

[stephendare]

also. here's one of the funnier little ironies:

Hey Stephen
 Did you know that city employees can not access Mayor Peytons Facebook page from their city computers to see what he has to say. Facebook is blocked by the city ITD department.

[phyllisthemissionary]

Don't go absolutely overboard with the youth angle. They often lack wisdom and experience (and sometimes $).

[Lunican]

What youth angle? Just curious.

[phyllisthemissionary]

this (mostly the first sentence):

"All of them young, smart, sincere, and very dynamically creative and out of the box.  For example, it is impossible to get how incisively focused Abel Harding is until you see him in action.

This was one of those moments where the City was well served and represented.  Both by an Administration opening up to the new times, and by the representatives of those New Times themselves.

Im sure you will be hearing more about this at a later date...there are all kinds of events, live blogs, and webcasts etc that got discussed and planned.   But I just wanted to note the date on the grounds that this is when it all officially began."