Brooksville Main Street City Council City of Brooksville

An Open Letter to Brooksville City Council

July 7, 2020

City of Brooksville City Council
201 Howell Avenue
Brooksville, FL 34601

RE: Beautification Board/ BMS

Dear Council Members:

First off, I’d like to say thank you for my appointment to the City’s Beautification Board during last Monday evening’s City Council meeting. I feel strongly that I should support the City I live in by volunteering, so I submitted the application not long after we purchased a historic house in downtown Brooksville earlier this year. While we have operated a business in Brooksville for many years, we decided it was finally time to relocate our residence here as well and are quite happy with the move.

I will say that nearly everyone we talk to asks why we would leave Hernando Beach to live in downtown Brooksville. While being on the water was lovely and it was exciting every time a dolphin swam by, there was no town center, and not enough vibrancy nor character to feel a true connection to the neighborhood in HB. In Brooksville, there are things to do, places to go and friends to bump into at every turn. I try to walk downtown most evenings for exercise and nearly always see someone to wave to. I love that sense of community. That is especially important to me as we socially distance so much these days.

That said, I really was surprised to have opposition to my offer to volunteer, particularly from people that have never met me. As stated, I have a strong architecture and historic preservation background and thought I would be a natural fit for the Beautification Committee, much as I have been for the Brooksville Main Street Design Committee. And as both groups have similar missions, I can not for the life of me think how there could be a conflict of interest. The mistrust of the Brooksville Main Street program comes from those not involved in the program and who don’t seem interested in making an effort to learn more. The program enjoys great support from many business owners and residents who understand what it does and how it impacts the City.  Local merchants will tell you that the people that attend Main Street events and activities do return to downtown and shop and eat as a result. The optimism then results in business and building owners wanting to invest in their properties as well. 

Additionally, I was flabbergasted to be accused of trying to make a profit off the City for putting my licensed contracting company on an application for installing pole banner signs, when in actuality I planned to donate my services for free. This speculation, which went on for a bit in a public forum without my ability to respond, is very troublesome, particularly from our elected leaders. It is hard to not take offense to implications such as these, both towards me and others who are donating their time to the Brooksville Main Street program and in extension, to the City. 

I can assure you that I, and the many others I have met who volunteer their time for Brooksville Main Street do not have any nefarious intentions. What I see from those involved is a desire for the City to become its best version of itself so people can enjoy downtown, whether it be shopping, events, or having wonderful places for guests to stay. If all goes as hoped, Brooksville will benefit from an increased tax base, lifting the whole City up, and the increased revenue that benefits the City will come from visitors rather than from residents. 

Brooksville has such unrealized assets and is the only historic downtown in Hernando County –  the potential here is just waiting to be discovered. The investment that has been made here over more than a century is substantial in the construction of roads, utility lines, buildings, sidewalks, landscaping and so much more. That investment has resulted in a quaint downtown and attracted some wonderful people, many of whom have invested in downtown businesses. Continuing the already substantial investment in Brooksville through the revitalization program of the Main Street Program makes so much sense and leverages so much return for a relatively small investment. Turning your back on Main Street is turning your back on Brooksville in my opinion.

As I mentioned above, the goals of the City, whether it be through the Beautification Board or CRA or other City program should be very much in line with the goals of Main Street. Having us all working together could result in great things for Brooksville, and I would welcome a conversation with any Council members regarding my motivations and thoughts. Alternately, you are welcome to talk to one of the other volunteers, or sit in on committee meetings so you have first hand experience with how things work. 

Sincerely, 

Jo-Anne Peck
Design Committee Chair, BMS

The meeting referenced in this letter can be seen at: http://hernandocountyfl.iqm2.com/Citizens/VideoScreen.aspx?MediaID=7719&Frame=None