THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994 TAG: 9408170139
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 179 lines
The next time you attend a City Council meeting, you might notice that the path to chambers is a little different. It will be a path marked by goals and dreams.
The council hopes to hang the city's goals born out of a three-day retreat in Smithfield. The council agreed to have its priorities drawn up in an attractive way and then to hang them in the area outside council chambers so that citizens can keep tabs on the council's goals and successes.
After spending Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the serene setting, the council had a clear vision for the city and a set of concrete goals for itself and the city manager.
BUT THE RETREAT wasn't about council alone. Lyle Sumek, an out-of-town consultant and facilitator, met with nearly 50 citizens Aug. 3 to hear their dreams and desires for Portsmouth before council retreated to Smithfield.
Before the retreat, council members also had handed in individual lists of city goals, as had the city staff.
When council members entered the meeting room last week, Sumek already had hung several lists of citizens' priorities on one wall.
After Sumek lined the walls with all the information he had gathered, he asked council to discuss and prioritize its goals.
Although no votes were taken there was consensus among council and a plan of action emerged.
Everyone agreed that the city needs to improve its image. Council discussed a variety of ways to reach that goal, but one of the most apparent ways, council agreed, was to get an active public relations department and a city marketing approach.
Citizens had told Sumek that they want the city to ``commit funds'' to improve the city's image and to market the city to its own citizens. Council wants citizens to begin ``a crusade of one'' - they want citizens out promoting the city and talking about its attributes.
To that end, council said it would evaluate the current activities in the public relations department; explore public relations successes in other cities; expand the use of the government-access television channel; and define the role and responsibilities of the public relations director and fill that position.
The council also wants to make Portsmouth a ``desirable tourist destination.'' Some of the benchmarks of its success will be opening the new Children's Museum; developing a waterfront that's the focal point of the city; expanding the marinas and boating opportunities; operating the state's only pari-mutuel racetrack; capturing the potential of Olde Towne and the city's other historic areas; expanding festivals; and promoting the city's museums.
Part of building the city's image, council said, is to provide ``a personal feeling of safety and security in the community.'' Benchmarks of success will be noted by measuring the crime rate and looking for reductions within the next five years; lighting neighborhoods; getting more people involved in neighborhood watches; reducing the flight of businesses and middle-class residents from the city; and increasing the number of people and activity downtown.
Council said it wants to improve its tax base through economic expansion including a racetrack; the regional jail; expansion and retention of local businesses; bringing a grocery store downtown; and bringing more business to the city's commerce parks. The group also hopes to link a tourist economy to its economic development efforts.
Council discussed hiring someone in the field of economic development who could focus exclusively on small businesses and retail shops in the community.
Council also wants a more stable financial situation for city government. Council wants the city to find new sources of money; upgrade its bond rating; entice a large corporation and its headquarters to the city; regenerate retail sales so that it can get more sales tax revenues; reduce unemployment; and begin preparing two-year budgets so the council can set financial goals for the coming year.
Finally among its top priorities, the council wants to provide a range of quality educational opportunities and facilities to its citizens.
Council hopes to work with the School Board to stabilize the school system by perfecting one program rather than experimenting with a variety of programs.
An indication of success would be a stop in the number of students moving out of or dropping out of the public schools system.
The council hopes to work toward: improved test scores; integrating college opportunities in the high schools; adding vocational or technical schools; promoting more involvement with foundations and the private sector, as well as city government and improving parental involvement.
WHILE THOSE ARE some of council's top priorities and some of its benchmarks for success, it's not half of what they discussed nor is it all of their goals.
The council also set out goals for the coming years, as well as other high priorities for the coming five years.
It might sound like a lot of work and an impossible task, but Sumek said the goals can be met.
Many cities set high priorities and have high expectations, but when they don't get immediate results, they put their dreams on a shelf, Sumek said.
To avoid those pitfalls, Sumek said, the city should celebrate small successes along the way and look to past accomplishments. He also applauded the council's decision to post their goals and to have the city manager give monthly updates during council sessions.
Sumek reminded the council of a myriad of city successes in the past year including: the new Children's Museum; the Tidewater Community College Fine Arts Center; new businesses; the racetrack package; no new real estate taxes; festivals on the waterfront; and that the shipyard has continued its operations in Portsmouth.
Citizens have given gold stars to Deloris Overton's efforts as general registrar to promote voter registrations. The public was especially happy with the improved accessibility to the registrar's office, which recently was moved to the first office from the fifth floor.
Citizens also were happy with crime prevention and neighborhood watch programs; improved code enforcement; festivals and events; Cradock Library restoration project; garbage collection; and the process and design of the city's economic development strategy.
Council members hope to post some of their successes at City Hall as well as to tout them on the government channel. The council also wants to air a short program on their five-year goals and priorities.
I'M NOT A big fan of retreats, but I'm really happy with what we've done here,'' Mayor Gloria O. Webb said. ``I may not be so reluctant to go to the next one.''
Most council members agreed that the retreat was successful and that it is good to have a plan to look at and compare with accomplishments in the coming years.
``I was very pleased with the content that came out of it,'' said City Manager V. Wayne Orton. ``One of the things I told Sumek before the retreat was that I wanted a clear statement of the council's expectations of me and of their goals and objectives. When I left I had those things.''
Sumek told the council that if Orton didn't work toward meeting those goals he should be fired.
``I'm comfortable with that,'' Orton said. ``That keeps the review focused on issues and performance. Obviously I won't be able to accomplish all of the things they had down by January or February, but I'll have some goals accomplished and progress toward some accomplishments.
``We came out with real specific and measurable expectations. It's good to start with a new council with specific goals and objections.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by L. TODD SPENCER
Color on the Cover: Although no votes were taken during the retreat,
there was consensus among council members and a plan of action
emerged.
Council member Bernard D. Griffin takes a long look at the posted
goals for the city during the retreat in Smithfield. Beside him is
council member P. Ward Robinett.
The three-day retreat takes its toll on council member James C.
Hawks.
PRIORITIES SET
WHERE COUNCIL WANTS TO BE IN '99
TOP PRIORITIES (in no particular order):
Providing a personal feeling of safety and security for
Portsmouth citizens
Making the city a desirable tourist destination
Stabilizing the financial situation for city government
Creating a positive city image
Creating more quality educational opportunities and facilities
Expanding the city's economic development efforts and its tax
base
HIGH PRIORITIES (in no particular order):
Developing the city's waterfront areas.
Providing more efficient services and better responses to
community needs
Creating healthy and attractive neighborhoods and innovative
neighborhood programs
Creating more leisure and recreational opportunities for citizens
and tourists
Getting more citizens active and involved in the city and with
their government
For Portsmouth to become a respected leader in the region
KEYWORDS: PORTSMOUTH CITY COUNCIL
by CNB