OFFICE OF
THE CITY COUNCIL
117 WEST DUVAL STREET, SUITE 425
4TH FLOOR, CITY HALL
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32202
904-630-1377
Neighborhoods, Community Investments and Services Committee
Special Meeting Minutes
May 15, 2017
Location: City Council Chamber, 1st floor,
City Hall – St. James Building; 117 West Duval Street
In attendance:
Council Members Scott Wilson (Chair), Reggie Brown (Vice Chair), Doyle Carter,
Garrett Dennis, Joyce Morgan, Bill Gulliford
Also:
Council President Boyer; Kim Taylor – Council Auditor’s Office; Peggy
Sidman – Office of General Counsel; Jeff Clements – Council Research Division; Staci Lopez,
Juliette Williams and Adri Segui – Legislative Services Division; Jordan
Elsbury – Mayor’s Office
Meeting Convened:
9:59 A.M.
The topic for the special meeting was The Parent Help Center
and Camp Consequence. Parent Help Center founder Glenn Ellison made the
presentation
Mr. Ellison described the 16- year history of his program
which is aimed at restoring balance and respect within families by teaching
parents strategies to effectively motivate and train their children in positive
behaviors, respect, and accountability for their actions. The program was
founded in part because he believes that society places too much emphasis on
reacting to behavior problems, often after involvement with the criminal
justice system, and not enough on helping parents to instill good habits of
behavior and respect for authority when children are young and impressionable.
His Operation Empowered Parent works is based on the fundamental concept that
parents are the key to a family’s success. The three major functions are: 1)
teach parents proper parenting skills in the classroom; 2) show parents how to
implement those strategies in the context of a weekend camp experience; and 3)
reinforce parents with weekly support group meetings. Parents must make their
children accountable for their actions by enforcing consequences for
undesirable behavior.
Mr. Ellison’s hope is to grow Operation Empowered Parent
into a citywide initiative involving the City, Sheriff’s Office, schools,
churches, and other civic groups in bringing these fundamental principles to
parents in all geographical areas, all socio-economic strata, and all walks of
life. Problems in dealing with youth behavior are universal and all parents
everywhere could benefit from learning the principles of empowered parenting. He
envisions a multi-pronged approach: a citywide dissemination of Operation
Empowered Parent, increased use of the juvenile civil citation mechanism, and
weekly sessions of Camp Consequences for children and parents. In response to a
question about how the City could help, Mr. Ellison indicated that his biggest
need, should the project grow substantially, is for full-time paid staff to
teach the programs in place of the current weekend volunteers. Council Member
Gulliford said that he would coordinate with PHS Committee Chairman Sam Newby
to explore having that committee pursue the idea further.
Council President Boyer gave a brief overview of Ordinance
2017-352 (Creating a New Trust Fund to Enhance City Parks; Create a New Part 7
(Parks Partnership Program), Chapter 664 (Parks & Rec Areas, Facilities
& Activities); Approving & Adopting a Partnership Program). The
ordinance is intended to create a vehicle by which the Parks and Recreation
Department can receive and expend donated funds and to provide for departmental
operating procedures and regulations. The bill provides for receipt and
expenditure of three kinds and levels of donations: 1) cash donations under
$100,000 for one park or program (expendable administratively); 2) cash
donations of $100,000 or more (require Council approval); and 3) in-kind
donations. The Parks and Recreation Department will develop a catalog of items
available for donation and their prices from which donors may choose; the costs
for each item must include the cost of installation and maintenance. The
regulations will provide for a standard size and style of recognition plaque based
on the amount of the donation. Council Member Wilson asked about the
possibility of retroactivity for recognition of donors who have recently made
donations to the City before this ordinance becomes effective.
Council Member Reggie Brown expressed a desire for the City
to provide increased safety in City parks, either by means of hiring more
police officers to patrol parks or by installing video surveillance cameras at
parks.
There being no further business, the Special Meeting was adjourned
at 10:50 a.m.
John J. Jackson, Council Research Division (904) 630-1729
5.15.17
Posted: 2:30 p.m.