THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 24, 1995 TAG: 9502230137
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 333 lines
Chesapeake Mayor William E. Ward delivered the annual State of the City address Feb. 16 at the Holiday Inn-Chesapeake in Greenbrier. Following is the text of his remarks.
The past year has been a year of change for all of us. Change, for the most part, is good because it enables us to expand our horizons, seize new opportunities and examine new possibilities. I am pleased with what we have achieved by working together in 1994.
While much work still lies ahead of us, much has been accomplished during the past 12 months to help move Chesapeake forward toward a more vibrant and viable future. I am sure you will recall that, since my election as mayor in 1992, I outlined a number of areas that would be top priority for my term, as well as a specific set of goals that would seek to improve the quality of life for all Chesapeakeans. I think we have made some very significant strides toward achieving the goals we set forth, particularly in such areas as public safety, neighborhood revitalization, economic development and an investment in young people.
In the new year that is now upon us, I will continue to work diligently toward implementing the remaining objectives in an effort to make Chesapeake the very best city that it can be.
The following report has been designed specifically for you, the citizens of this community, as a means of keeping you informed about our progress and to update you on the current state of the city.
If is difficult to outline the many outstanding accomplishments of each city department in this one report. However, I would like to mention just a few departmental highlights that have enhanced the quality of life for our residents during the past year.
Planning
Planning staff has recently completed the new Jan. 1 population estimate for the city. Certificates of occupancy issued during the calendar year 1994 have indicated the addition of 2,704 new dwelling units, resulting in an estimated population of 182,951 persons. This estimate represents a net increase of 7,450 people and 4.2 percent population growth over the Jan. 1 estimate of 175,501 persons.
The Planning Department reviewed more than 700 development proposals during the year.
The Planning Department completed the ``Western Branch Area Plan'' during 1994 and it is currently under city council review. This is the first of a series of plans for different parts of Chesapeake. Each plan will provide a detailed description of the existing conditions, projections for growth, impact of that growth on city services, level of service standards for schools and roads and a land use plan for each area.
The Planning Department has completed a draft city-wide ``Greenways/Trails Plan.'' The draft plan is currently under review by the Planning Commission.
Inspections
The total number of permits issued by the Inspections Department for 1994 was 34,132, which is a 10 percent increase over 1993. The total value of all permits for 1994 was $381,313,488, which is a 9 1/2 percent increase over 1993. The City of Chesapeake has been the leader in residential construction for the past three years.
Economic Development
A strong economic base is essential for the survival and growth of any city, Chesapeake is no exception. During my first year in office, ensuring the continued strength and soundness of the city's economy was my primary priority. This commitment has not changed. Our economic development team worked extremely hard in 1994, both to attract new businesses to the city and to retain those which we already have.
Forty-five businesses located or expanded in Chesapeake during 1994, resulting in more than 900 new jobs and nearly $50 million in new investments.
The Economic Development Department assisted with commercial development through the city including the development of hotels, restaurants, and retail centers such as the 73-acre shopping center project in Greenbrier to be developed by Cousin's/New Market Development Co. This project should eventually produce $2.5 million in sales tax revenue and $630,000 in annual property taxes.
Through the encouragement of my office and the assistance of the Economic Development Department, the South Norfolk Business Consortium was formed in an effort to encourage new business, retain existing business and develop in general the business community of South Norfolk.
Under the direction of the Industrial Development Authority, the Economic Development Department sold 63 acres of land in Cavalier Industrial Park and generated $1.2 million in total land sales.
The airport Authority along with the Economic Development Department engaged in an aggressive three-year capital improvement plan to enhance both the safety and marketability of the airport for corporate and private jet owners.
The Economic Development Department embarked on a new marketing campaign in an effort to establish new ways of generating business for the city. The campaign involves updating sales and add materials and beginning a direct mail program aimed at real estate consultants and potential prospects. All pieces of this new advertising project will carry the common theme - ``Chesapeake - where business comes to life.''
Budget and Finance
The city also received its ninth consecutive award from the Government Finance Officers Association for Distinguished Budget Presentation. This award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting. Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by Chesapeake's government and its management.
The total assessments of the city are over $7.6 billion - up 5.42 percent. The city marketed over $50 million in general obligation bonds in 1994 and refinanced over $8.8 million in water/sewer revenue refunding bonds.
The manager and his staff coordinated a $30 million financing arrangement for the city jail project, consisting of lease revenue bonds through the city's Industrial Development Authority. This was a totally new vehicle for the city and involved a significant commitment of time from the finance staff and other city departments.
The city received the Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement of Financial Reporting for the 1993 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
Education
The Chesapeake school system continues to provide a high level of quality education while experiencing growing pains. In 1980, we had approximately 24,000 students in 38 schools. Today, we have more than 34,000 students in 43 schools. In addition, by this summer we will have built 20 additions to schools and completed the renovations of 15 older buildings.
In the past, the city was restricted in funding school construction due to a low local annual borrowing authority, a state literary fund that periodically dries up and the uncertainty of bond referenda. In the 1994 session of the Virginia General Assembly, a breakthrough occurred with the passage of a charter change which allows the city to borrow through the Virginia Public School Authority. The city plans to sell $100 million in school construction bonds later this year using this new funding avenue.
The school board has been highly successful in carrying out its mission. We have one of the lowest dropout rates and one of the highest graduating rates in the Commonwealth. More than 70 percent of the city's graduates go on to higher education.
Much of the credit for the success of Chesapeake's public schools goes to Dr. C. Fred Bateman. For 15 years, he provided the leadership that led to the intellectual empowerment of the thousands of students who attended the city's schools. His most important contribution is that he leaves a legacy of academic excellence. For that, the city will be eternally indebted.
Police
The department received several awards during 1994. They include:
The AAA Award of Excellence for Pedestrian Safety, the top award in the state.
The John Hanna Award for Outstanding Traffic Safety Activism, from CCATS (Concerned Citizens Advocating Traffic Safety.)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Commonwealth of Virginia's Seat Belt Award for 80 percent Plus Safety Belt Use throughout the city. This award, presented to the department, recognized the city's combined efforts.
We received approval from the Department of Justice to hire seven officers under the ``Cops Ahead'' program of the Crime Bill. The federal government will pay 61 percent of the costs for these officers. The officers will be utilized in our Community Policing efforts.
The Juvenile Court Building in South Norfolk is being remodeled and should be completed in May. The building will replace the existing 2nd Police Precinct and will house the Crime Prevention and Community Policing Units.
Juvenile detention
The 48-bed addition is due for completion Feb. 27.
Around March 15, renovation of the present building will begin, to be completed by December 1995.
Along with restructuring, we plan to hire 42 additional employees to staff the expanded facility.
In 1995 we will continue our efforts to increase public safety and citizen involvement in the well-being of our city.
Public utilities
In response to the results of the citizen survey and Federal Safe Drinking Water Act Standards, city council approved a project at the Northwest River Treatment plant to install membrane technology in the water treatment process. This will provide the ability to treat the Northwest River raw water during times of salt water intrusions. By adding four deep wells to the raw water stream, the treatment plant will maintain 10 million gallons daily yield. The upgrade is nearing completion of the preliminary design with construction to begin in December this year. The project is planned to be completed in July 1998.
Public works
In November 1994, voters approved a road bond referendum for $76 million of road improvements throughout the city.
Public information meetings on the specific projects are now being held throughout the city.
Design consultants are now being interviewed for individual road projects.
Phase three of the Automated Solid Waste collection service is scheduled for late summer of 1995. This phase, approximately 17,000 additional containers, will bring the program to 75 percent implementation.
New city jail construction is well underway with most of the structural concrete now in place. (Total project cost is $36 million).
Public Works is looking to expand privatization services in the city by going to more contact services, rather than expansion of the municipal work force. These areas include expansion of grass mowing services and a portion of solid waste collection.
Progress is being made on Battlefield Boulevard South and the Jordan Bridge with the possibility of public-private partnership similar to the Dulles Toll Road project in Northern Virginia. Enabling legislation is now being considered by the state legislature in Richmond.
A public information meeting on Route 168 South will be conducted by VDOT tonight at Southeastern School on Battlefield Boulevard S. between 4 and 8 p.m.
Fire Department
A new fire station was opened on Hanbury Road in 1994.
Department of Libraries and Research Services
It is significant that in 1994, 1,400 people a day passed through the doors of the new central library. Systemwide, 20,564 new library cards were issued for a total of 104,576 citizens with library cards and 1,550,000 books were checked out in 1993-94. This equates to one book being checked out every eight seconds the library was open. In the past, I have used the term ``the people's university'' in reference to the use the public made of their library system. I am proud of the city's commitment to our libraries.
Internet resources are now available to staff through the Virginia Library and Information Network.
Without the incredible support of the library's faithful volunteers, like ``good citizen'' Steve Shils, 20 percent of the books would not get back on the shelves at the central library. That would mean that 130,000 of the 650,000 books checked in and out last year at the central library would not have made it back on the shelves in a timely manner.
Parks, recreation and building maintenance
A skateboard facility built entirely by material donated by community leaders and businesses, and with labor donated by the fire department was completed and opened in the spring.
The State of Virginia designated Northwest River Park as an urban trout fishing site and stocks the park's lake with 9,000 trout per season, greatly improving visibility of the park and its winter revenues.
One of the largest, state-of-the-art playground designs in Virginia is scheduled to be built by approximately 5,000 volunteers in May, 1995. The park is designed as a playground, imagination center and general family adventure and will accommodate children with special needs. It is scheduled to be completed in May.
An acceptance ceremony was held in December when the property deed to the historic 38-acre Cornland property was received and plans were developed for a park.
Community Services Board/ Mental Health Division
In December 1993, outpatient services, emergency services, medication management services, resource management services and mental health administration moved to offices located in the Island Wharf Center at 127 North Battlefield Blvd.
Health Department
The successful absorption of maternity clients into private sector practices, with the Health Department providing case management, was a successful public-private endeavor. Health Department case-managed maternity clients have demonstrated significantly better outcomes than the overall population of Chesapeake's maternity clients.
The School System and Health Department were the recent recipients of more than $250,000 in grant funds to perform health screening on Medicaid eligible children, and help them to access that resource in order to provide them with the health benefits for the EPSDT program.
Public Information
Tasked with the enormous job of encouraging citizen participation in government and keeping the city's diverse public informed about services, events and policies, the Public Information Department has made significant strides throughout the year to achieve these objectives. First, a successful and complete consolidation of services of the School Board's and city's cable television operations. This consolidation created one television production division within the City's Public Information Department, which produces over 300 original programs yearly. Second, the WCTV-23 program ``This Week in the General Assembly'' recently received national recognition by winning first place in the 14th annual City Hall Digest Public Information Awards' Video Production Division. And third, the staff has completed an extensive update on the Automated Citizens Information System, ``Answerline.''
A new focus on community partnership
At the beginning of my address, I stated that the past year had been one of change. We saw significant political change take place in the nation's capital, the state's capital and at City Hall. In addition, Chesapeake was subject to demographic and physical changes in our neighborhoods.
Change often brings on personal and societal disruption. This was not the case in Chesapeake. Elsewhere, citizens are fed up with politicians and governments that raise their taxes and waste their money while failing to halt the decay of America. To the contrary, a recent telephone survey of Chesapeake residents revealed that 88 percent rated the overall quality of life in Chesapeake as excellent or good. Sixty-five percent felt the the city . . . is doing an excellent or good job in serving the residents.'' The survey also indicated that Chesapeake residents are comfortable living in the city. Ninety-two percent of them feel safe in their neighborhoods. Ninety-one percent think the library system is excellent or good, 86 percent rated police protection as excellent or good and 77 percent think that the public school system is excellent or good.'' Compared to last year, more residents have a favorable opinion on the growth issue. ``Seventy-three percent of those surveyed felt that the recent growth in Chesapeake has been good for the city.''
We cannot rest on our laurels, however. The city must be productive rather than reactive. The future of the city lies with all of us. If Chesapeake is to continue to grow, to thrive, to flourish, it will take the combined efforts of everyone. Last year, I spoke of the rising tide of communitarianism throughout the city whereby residents were expressing a new sense of community by organizing in their neighborhoods. In many instances, to protect the quality of life therein. I acknowledged, however, that the city lacked a collective vision.
I subsequently established a Long Range Study Task Force to ``bring life to the collective vision we all have of Chesapeake to offer alternatives for the best use of resources we have available to us and to determine how to preserve the family community and quality of life we enjoy.'' Dr. Tim Kerr agreed to chair the task force. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Kerr, his associate Dr. Peter LeRoy and all of the citizen members who worked so hard and so long to complete their mission.
Other than some localized overcrowding in some school buildings, I think that most would agree that growth in Chesapeake has not caused serious disruptions in our lives. Furthermore, the citizens have been wiling to support school and road referendums. Nevertheless, the city council, in its efforts to provide a high quality of life for all our citizens, was forced to oppose abolition of the BPOL Tax, which would reduce our annual operating budget by $10.4 million. A majority of city council supported impact fees in the city's legislative package and are now considering a more specific level of services, in addition to other factors as criteria for evaluating rezonings requests.
Undoubtedly, each of these actions by council is unpopular with various sectors of the business community. Now is the time, however, to end the debate over who should pay for growth but rather to engage in constructive dialogue and seek ways to allow for managed growth while maintaining a dynamic business climate in the city. In my opinion, the primary disincentive to attracting and retaining businesses would be the inability of city council to fund the necessary infrastructures that make a city livable, i.e., schools, roads, libraries, museums, parks, water and sewer.
Dr. Kerr's long-range study task force has provided us a visionary blueprint with which to proceed. Therefore, I am appealing to all of the city's constituent groups (business, political civic, religious, medical) to join Dr. Kerr, City Manager Jim Rein, members of council and myself in developing strategies to accomplish the goals and achieve the vision set forth in the task force report.
A simply stated vision can unify, mobilize, and keep a partnership effort on course. But, it is essential to link vision with reality. The need for a vision must be balanced with a realistic understanding of what is possible given the constraints of the situation. A practical vision requires that partners move beyond generalities, come to terms with the assumptions underlying the vision and consider the compromises that may ultimately be required. Members must participate in a self-conscious process that asks not only what has brought them together, but where they hope to go, and, more important, what they have to lose. Be guided by the prophecy that a people without vision will perish.
For those of you who have contributed your time, your energy, your ideas and your talents to this community, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you. With your continued help, I remain convinced that together, we can accomplish great things for the City of Chesapeake. We can allow Chesapeake to continue to be a vibrant place where people and business can work together to reach their highest potential. I look forward to working with you to make this happen. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Mayor William E. Ward
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE by CNB