The group met in City Hall for a subcommittee meeting regarding recommendations for a Vision / Mission Statement for the newly defined Parks Department.
The group started the meeting off by reviewing and discussing the City of Jacksonville's vision statement, which is 'To make Jacksonville's local government the most responsive and effective city government in America, and Jacksonville the best place in the nation to live, work and raise a family.' Discussion ensued regarding people choosing to move to Jacksonville due to the Quality of Life; because Jacksonville is such a great place to live, work and raise a family. The group agreed that parks are a major component of Quality of Life.
The vision/mission statement that rang most true to the committee from the last meeting was the following:
'To ensure an enduring park system, essential to our Quality of Life, we must:
· Make our parks accessible to all;
· Make our parks safe and fun;
· Preserve and protect our natural resources;
· Build partnerships public and private;
· Promote our unique natural, historical, and cultural resources.'
The group discussed the need to incorporate the following additional concepts into the statement:
· Families (one of the reasons people are drawn to Jacksonville is because it such a great place to raise a family)
· Excellent and long-lasting leadership that can make the park system the 'best' in the nation.
· A Department that is responsive to the changing needs of the community; one that can continue to reevaluate the park system to adapt to and meet the needs of the community.
· A Department that successful develops future parks
· The need for a signature downtown park or park system that would define the City. An excellent downtown park and park system would help make Jacksonville a city known for parks and would draw more people to live downtown.
The group finalized the draft statement as the following:
To ensure an enduring park system, essential to the Quality of Life for individuals and families, we must:
- Provide long-term leadership committed to excellence;
- Make our parks safe and fun;
- Make our parks accessible to all;
- Preserve and protect our natural resources;
- Listen and respond effectively to the ongoing needs of the community;
- Build partnerships, public and private;
- Provide planning for future parks;
- Commit to a downtown park that defines the City.
The decision was made to present the statement for discussion at the September 23rd session after Mr. Dan Kleman speaks to the Task Force.