THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 26, 1996 TAG: 9605240192
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 55 lines
What makes a city succeed?
City Manager Ronald Massie raised that and some other interesting questions in a speech Wednesday night at a Portsmouth Police Auxiliary and Volunteer Banquet.
First off, it takes ``connectedness of the parts,'' Massie said.
Goals, strategies and resources are all linked and so are the city officials, staff and citizens.
As stakeholders, all of us are connected and concerned with the future of the city.
Massie talked of ``building capacity,'' of developing strategies to use resources of money, people and equipment to accomplish goals.
Instead of going off in all directions at the whim of one group or another, the city must decide what it's going to be and head forward in that direction.
``We can't be, nor do we want to be, a Virginia Beach or a Chesapeake or a Norfolk,'' Massie said. ``We are Portsmouth and we are unique; but exactly what kind of Portsmouth do we want to be?''
Massie's talk raised some interesting points.
Everybody has different notions of what the answers should be. However, there are some things that must be overcome before this city can move forward in a positive direction.
Sometimes the very things that make this city a good place are the things that cause problems.
Take Portsmouth's legendary neighborhoods as an example. Many people like living in defined communities and being associated with a small group of citizens with common interests and common goals. That's what is good.
But neighborhood groups sometimes see the city only from one perspective - their own. In demanding certain considerations, whatever they might be, some of them ride roughshod over the best interests of the entire city.
There are some people who would rather spoil everything than give a little on their own narrow perspective.
On the campaign trail last month, it became pretty evident that a majority of citizens do not understand the strategy of Vision 2005, a major economic development plan that has been under way for more than a year. Many seem unable to see the plan in terms of economic development, seeing it instead as somebody else taking something from them.
In fact, Vision 2005 is a way to make the best use of limited resources for the good of all by boosting the city's tax base with new business developments. It is aimed at making the entire city healthier - economically and socially.
The plan is focused on the area of the city from Downtown to Midtown that needs bolstering if the city is going to retain any commercial tax base at all. Since Portsmouth has no place to grow, it must rebuild and reuse what it has and that is what the plan tries to do.
The misunderstanding of the plan may be a good example of a lack of connectedness of many citizens who do not seem to understand that whatever happens in one part of this small town will affect all parts of it. by CNB