From Councilman Casey Jones: It is unfortunate that this incident occurred while the City Council, the Mayor, and City Staff are working in conjunction with the DIB to get permanent restrooms in place at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza. These restrooms are long overdue; that is why I was eager to give up funding for a project in my district to make this happen. In the meantime, temporary restrooms should be placed downtown, and I applaud Inweekly for providing these for the time being. I also believe that other areas of downtown need restroom facilities and will continue to look for funding opportunities for these even though this is outside my district.
I hope that a resolution can be reached between the DIB and Mr. Kimberl and that his charges are dropped. Although I do have an ex-officio seat on the DIB, I do not get a vote, therefore I have limited influence. Mr. Kimberl has done many great things for the homeless community in Pensacola, and the DIB has had a positive impact on the vibrancy of downtown. Instead of continuing to fight each other, I hope that both sides can come together to help develop solutions.
Kind Regards,
Casey Jones
City Council, District 3