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Neighborhood initiative wins $100,000 for water testing and outlines river restoration, tree plantings and events
Summary
The Resilient Reeball initiative, partnering with Jacksonville University and LISC, described plans for water-quality testing funded by an Environmental Protection Board grant, boating trips for residents, tree plantings and community events including an April oyster festival.
Leaders of a neighborhood resilience project told residents they had secured grant funding to expand water-quality monitoring and outlined a slate of river-focused activities and infrastructure work.
Jimmy Orr, a local organizer, described the project — referred to in the meeting as "Resilient Reeball" — as a partnership with Jacksonville University and other local groups to address water quality, flooding and cultural preservation across 13 census tracts. He said the group would offer more riverboat trips for residents and that an April 2 trip would be open to the public and a neighborhood Oysterfest is planned for April 12 in Riverview.
Johnson Borah of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) said the Environmental Protection Board approved a grant of just over $100,000 for two years to fund more frequent water-quality sampling on the Reebock River and Moncrief Creek. Borah said the testing will include analyses the city does not currently perform, including tests for metals associated with incinerator ash that was placed along riverbanks decades ago. He said monthly sampling with Jacksonville University professors is planned and that the goal is to pinpoint pollution sources.
Orr and partners also described recent and planned park work: Riverview Park has approval to plant 50 trees, and volunteers have been conducting cleanups at several parks, including Fort Harris and Harborview. The group said it recently added benches and picnic tables at a river-access site and is coordinating with the parks department on amenities.
Organizers encouraged residents to participate in river trips, volunteer cleanups and upcoming events and said the monitoring work aims to provide data that can support funding requests for removal of contaminated materials and septic-phase-out projects.
No formal city action was taken at the meeting; organizers advised residents on how to join trips and sign up for volunteer work.
