Maggie Blackwell for Council

Council Goals 2010-2011

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• Last Updated on Monday, 08 March 2010 10:32

It’s official! Your City Council met early in the month to identify our goals for 2010-2011, and in City Council meeting yesterday, we unanimously voted to affirm them. As the year progresses, we’ll have quarterly status checks to monitor our progress on them. Here is the list in its entirety.

1) Create a culture of excellent customer service.

1) Develop and implement a comprehensive customer service plan for the City organization.

2) Improve neighborhoods and safety for all areas of the City.

1) Complete the North Main Street Small Area Plan impact project.

2) Implement objectives of the Consolidated Strategic Plan for housing and neighborhood revitalization.

3) Pursue implementation of the commercial property maintenance code.

4) Appoint a task force to pursue implementation of the better housing code & formation of a Housing Commission.

5) Develop a fundraising plan in partnership with the Dixonville Cemetery Task Force.

3) Safeguard our youth and proactively address gang activity in Salisbury through gang awareness education, information sharing, enforcement, and implementation of the Salisbury-Rowan United Action Plan.

1) Explore the development of a comprehensive neighborhood-based youth initiative.

2) Continue partnering with Rowan County & municipalities in order to promote the importance of reading among our youth.

4) Enhance and support a creative enterprise economy with the best educated workforce, the most competitive infrastructure, an environment for creativity and innovation, a positive business climate, and supportive government in Salisbury and Rowan County.

1) Implement the Fiber to the Home business plan.

2) Strengthen our unified community image through implementation of the wayfinding and signage plan.

3) Implement strategic planning process with Salisbury Tourism Development Authority.

4) Explore ways to encourage support of local business.

5) Provide quality Parks and Recreation services.

1) Begin implementation of the Comprehensive Master Plan.

2) Implement Phase 1 of the Master Plan for Lincoln Park.

6) Attract, retain and develop high quality City employees.

1) Implement strategies to recruit employees from diverse populations and develop strategies to attract and retain quality employees.

2) Implement employee training and development plan.

7) Partner with Rowan-Salisbury Schools and Rowan County Government.

1) Meet with school officials to determine needs with which the City can assist.

2) Meet with Rowan County Commissioners to identify partnership opportunities which would be mutually beneficial.

3) Partner with Rowan County on a joint telecommunications plan.

8) Improve overall strategic management of City and departments.

1) Incorporate “Good to Great” and “Servant Leadership” concepts into the City’s culture.

2) Develop future growth strategies for the community.

9) Improve and enhance Downtown Salisbury.

1) Assess community parking needs (Hall Gym, Lee Street, Rowan Helping Ministries.)

2) Develop a downtown streetscape plan.

10) Streamline development review process and ordinances.

1) Seek local permitting authority for utility extensions.

2) Conduct round table discussions with the local development community to improve communication.

11) Provide quality water and wastewater services to Rowan County that protect the environment, promote public health, improve the quality of life, support planned growth, and maintain public trust.

1) Safeguard Salisbury’s interests on the Yadkin River by participating in relicensing of Alcoa’s Yadkin Project.

2) Explore water sales agreements with Kannapolis and Concord.

I heartily endorse each of these goals. Here are a few that I was especially pleased to vote in.

Goal 2.4, “Appoint a task force to pursue implementation of the better housing code & formation of a Housing Commission.”

This goal came to us directly through a grass-roots effort. The Neighborhood Leaders’ Alliance, a group that meets bi-annually, identified this need in their work to improving housing in all neighborhoods. They related this need to their parent commission, the Community Appearance Commission. The Commission presented this request to City Council on 19.January in their annual report on achievements and goals.

Council members discussed the proposal at our annual retreat and agreed that indeed, this does warrant study. It’s always a great thing when citizens speak and government listens. Isn’t that why we’re here?

Goal 3.1: “Explore the development of a comprehensive neighborhood-based youth initiative.”

One of the speakers at our retreat was George Kuhn, COO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, a program I’ve long admired. The HCZ serves a 100-square block area of one of the US’ toughest areas, Harlem, NY. They provide a charter school, after-school-care, mentoring, health care, and extra-curricular classes for the children aged 0-17 in the belief that a good education can lift a child from the rolls of government subsidy to being a contributing citizen.

Our goal is to look into a way to have a significant impact on one of our poorest neighborhoods, helping the youth through mentoring and/or other services. Details at this time have not been identified, but we are committed to improving the lot of our city’s youth: a child with a good education is less likely to join a gang; he is less likely to drop out; and he is more likely to attract a good job. An educated adult with a good job is less likely to commit a crime; incarceration costs government’s money. As they say, “Pay today for the education of a young person or pay tomorrow his prison.”

Finally, Goal 4.4: “Explore ways to encourage support of local businesses.”

Money spent locally goes right back into our local economy and our Council committed to find ways to encourage others to buy locally – and to purchase our own items from local vendors as allowed by the State laws that control our munic