At the April 13th Leon County Board of County Commissioners, elected officials voted to approve the creation of a Citizens’ North Monroe Street Task Force.
Local businesses and residents have reported a decline in the condition and appearance of the North Monroe corridor and they have voiced interest in working with the County to address quality-of-life issues in the area.
Besides an overall decrease in conditions, there has been an increase in crime and homelessness in the vicinity during the COVID pandemic.
The County has prioritized projects for restoration at the North Monroe corridor due to the high density of businesses in the area. In addition, North Monroe is one of the most accessed gateways to the community.
With the participation of the City of Tallahassee and staffed by the City/County Planning Department, the Task Force will be comprised of 12 members, seven appointed by the County and five appointed by the City of Tallahassee. Six of the 12 members will be citizens or citizen group representatives, four members will be businesses or business sector representatives, and lastly, two of the members will be nonprofit or service organization representatives. The specific task force members will be appointed to reflect the community and allow for balance in interests.
According to the report, the individuals appointed to the Task Force will be responsible for identifying “short-term and long-term opportunities to reduce crime, encourage quality redevelopments and improve safety and overall conditions, including economic conditions and aesthetics” along the North Monroe Corridor between Fred George Road and Tharpe Street.
The Task Force will hold sessions through the rest of the year in order to present information that has been gathered by field experts and identify findings and guidance which will be reported to the Board in December 2021.
Also, community members along the corridor will be informed of meetings for which there will be opportunities for engagement. The plan is to dissolve the Task Force following the presentation of the final report.
County Commission Votes to Establish a North Monroe Task Force added by Lynsey Kirk on
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This is “Mid-Town”‘s continual march to the north. After pushing northwest out of the Los Robles area, “Mid-Town” has slowly but inexorably begun to follow the North Monroe St. corridor and merchants in that area have noticed. Witness the spiffing-up of store-fronts, new plantings, and even “Centre of Tallahassee” mall is revamping its main building facade and encouraging development of stand-alone businesses in their parking lot bordering N. Monroe.
To me, these private developers early-on felt the “revitalization” winds, and the City Commission is playing catch-up. Better late that never.
“According to the report, the individuals appointed to the Task Force will be responsible for identifying “short-term and long-term opportunities to reduce crime, encourage quality redevelopments and improve safety and overall conditions, including economic conditions and aesthetics” along the North Monroe Corridor between Fred George Road and Tharpe Street.”
Tell me again why we bother with elections in the first place? And am I to understand that among the multitude of over-paid city and county engineers, planners, economists, consultants, establishment bureaucrats, and self-proclaimed social engineering geniuses… there exists not one capable on doing the job they’re over-paid to do?
I think we need to create a Task Force to study whether or not we create too many task forces to do what we already have teams of over-paid bureaucrats to do. Or at the very least… create a Task Force to study whether or not we should create a Task Force to study whether or not we create too many task forces to do what we already have teams of over-paid bureaucrats to do.
… ok, now I have a headache
It is pretty obvious that we will need a Council of some sort with a budget with no oversight and a property tax to fund it. Staffed of course by some usual suspects.
Since the “Task Force” wont be reporting back until December, does that mean you wont do ANYTHING about it until NEXT YEAR?
Next thing you know our elected nannies might want to distance themselves from the problem even farther than the typical do-nothing task force scam by appointing a homeless Czar.
Appointing a do-nothing Czar would be next in the leftist nannies playbook only if the public gets wise to the first do-nothing step of the task force scam.
Surely the local voting sheeple will be satisfied with a do-nothing homeless Czar!!!
Remember Obama used to appoint Czars when he realized a problem was above his skill set and the press heaped praise and accolades on good old Barrak!!! Wow to think we could have that here in Tallahassee!!
It is really tragic what’s been allowed to happen on N. Monroe. I’m certainly not a “city planner”; but common sense tells you law enforcement needs to……. enforce the laws! People are not going to shop at places where they are accosted trying to entire the bldg. Same for restaurants. I have many out of town relatives who used to come in thru N. Monroe and say at the Ramada. Now I wouldn’t dream of having them come in that way – thank God for the new development along Thomasville Rd……. But that’s hedging the issue……. Something does need to be done about N. Monroe, but as other have said, this “task force” will accomplish nothing.
Mike L and Snidely you are right!
Vote them out!! That’s why have commissioners to be proactive and not let things get to this point. Big failure on the County Commission.
Makes you wonder what Sheriff McNeil is doing other than doling out cash to his campaign manager that could be better spent on the rank-and-file to deal with this situation.
Tommy Mills would have had the situation cleaned up a long time ago. Voters made a big mistake.
Here’s an idea… maybe you could lock up all the drug dealers and prostitutes that gather at the corner of Monroe and Lakeshore dr. EVERYDAY! I stopped at the traffic light yesterday and watched three people smoking crack and then get in a fight over the pipe.
We don’t need any more stupid task forces, we need more cops!
Ahhh the old Task Force formation trick by elected Nannies to give the appearance your Nannies care so much about you all complainers.
In the strange world of our majority of local voting leftists its the show of caring that is oh so meaningful and fulfilling.
Our Nannies know this about you voters and are going all out here to convince you that they care ALOT. And that will be quite enough for your hearts to swoon out of love for your caring Nannies.
Will anything substantive come from the Task Force regarding the north corridor problem? Of course not.
Our Nannies watched how Obama made you local voters feelings soar by forming uncountable Task Forces on this, that, and the other thing. Accomplishing nothing whatsoever other than making you all think Obama cared so very much.
Same thing happening here!
You all enjoy your warm fuzzy feelings now my local sheeple!!!
I was all over town this afternoon as we took a vehicle to be serviced on West Tennessee. Came home Tharpe. Drove down Monroe. There are so many homeless that are living out of a stolen grocery cart. City/county needs to deal with this. Above my pay grade but something needs to be done. Not good for them or for Tallahassee.