Parks Director John Jenkins: ’I Take Offense When Someone Misrepresents What I Stand For’
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After a state representative scolded city staff and council last week for sitting on a $20 million Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grant that’ll expire in a few months, Dallas Park and Recreation Director John Jenkins defended his department and his commitment to the southern sector.
House District 111 Rep. Yvonne Davis spoke during the public comment portion of an Oct. 8 council meeting, implying the city wasn’t doing its due diligence because the parks were for southern Dallas. Because there was no specific Park and Recreation item on the agenda, city staff could not respond.
They did so on Wednesday, as Jenkins presented his side of the story, saying he was offended by the misinformation being spread.
“City staff has done nothing but tried to figure out how we could administer the grant funds within the boundaries of state law and federal compliance, and to meet the timing of this grant,” Jenkins said. “This is not about gouging the southern sector or trying to take $20 million from the southern sector.”
In fact, Jenkins said, Dallas has invested a total of $1 billion in its southern sector from 2017 to 2024, drawing on a combination of bond funds, federal, state, and county grants, city funds, and private donations.
Jenkins, who is African American, took offense to the characterization that he would not treat the predominantly minority southern sector equitably.
“For someone to come in here and misrepresent me that way is unacceptable,” he said. “All I stand for since I became the director is to make sure I address inequity in this park system. I do take offense when someone comes here and misrepresents what I stand for when I was chosen, fortunate, to be the eighth parks director in the history of the parks system.”
View the Parks Department’s slide presentation or watch the Oct. 16 Dallas City Council meeting.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Grant
Dallas was awarded a $20 million grant during the 2021 legislative session from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s American Rescue Plan Act coronavirus recovery fund. About $10 million was allocated to Dallas Park and Recreation, $3.5 million was awarded for digital signage, and $6.5 million would be identified for additional projects in collaboration with TPWD and House District 111.
Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and Jenkins issued a memorandum ahead of last week’s council meeting outlining Davis’ micromanagement of the grant funds and projects. The rep’s office questioned procurement processes, demanded changes to consultant selections, and interfered with public involvement, causing delays and preventing the projects from moving forward, the memo alleges. City staffers have said Rep. Davis either wasn’t familiar with or wasn’t interested in following a rigorous legal process necessary when doling out federal grant funds.
Davis, however, claimed a former assistant city manager didn’t do what he said he would do and the price tags for parks projects presented by staff were unacceptable to her.
Park and Recreation Needs Are Outlined
Jenkins and Assistant Director Christina Turner-Noteware updated the council Wednesday on the $10 million in grant funds slated for parks.
When Rep. Davis and several Dallas residents addressed the council last week, they talked about the dire need to upgrade restrooms, playgrounds, and other facilities at local parks. Davis said staff presented with a proposal to spend $300,000 for a bathroom.
“We build homes for $300,000,” the state representative said. “Yeah, I’m going to object to that. You’re gouging my community from needed resources to do meaningful things.”
Davis explained that the grant funding was intended to fill gaps in the community, and the council unanimously approved a resolution supporting it.
But in Wednesday’s presentation, Turner-Notware said staff actually proposed a design for a $241,000 bathroom; the one Davis wanted was $310,000.
City Council Support for Park Department
Councilwoman Jaynie Schultz and other elected officials highlighted the need to view the city as a whole and identify “park deserts” when doling out grant funds.
“What we need to do now is balance and accept that every part of town has different needs,” she said. “We have the obligation to help serve and make sure that every part of our city’s needs are met. We have to take turns now because there are some areas that are far ahead of others.”
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua thanked the Park and Recreation staff for their patience throughout the process.
“It was disheartening to see that there were headlines that, in my opinion, just perpetuated what is unfortunately, the past, the history of our city, which is negligence to our southern sector,” he said. “I think it is important for you to show the passion that you have. The proof is in the pudding. I’ve seen you fight for the assets. The way that it was framed in the media … I think unfair is an understatement.”
Bazaldua also publicly thanked Rep. Davis — although she was not present at the Oct. 16 meeting — for securing the funds. The councilman added that he won’t stand for “a member of another body micromanaging staff of our city or assuming a role that they don’t belong in.”
Bazaldua requested an audit last week into Davis’ involvement in the disbursement of the TPWD grant funds.
Councilman Zarin Gracey said six of the parks on the list for grant funding are in his southern Dallas district, and he believes everyone involved, including Rep. Davis, wants those facilities to thrive.
“On that part we can all agree because I want to see these parks completed as well,” Gracey said. “What I care about is the solution. Oftentimes when projects come to southern Dallas … there’s always this worry, this concern, are we going to get the same quality that they’re getting across the river in North Dallas? As I looked into the why behind these expenses, I came to appreciate the why … in terms of making sure that we don’t get something that’s going to look raggedy or destroyed in five years.”
The City has to encumber the funds by the end of the 2024 calendar year to meet requirements set forth by the U.S. Treasury.
“We basically need to put these projects out to bid right now to get this money encumbered and meet our final deadline,” Turner-Noteware said.
