Informal 06/07/11 Work Session - Norfolk City Council

>> I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU DEVOTING THIS WORK SESSION JUST TO PRIORITY SETTING.
BEFORE MELANIE GETS INTO THE PRESENTATION, ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS
THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A WELL MANAGED GOVERNMENT FOR SOME TIME NOW AND WHAT YOU
WILL HAVE IN YOUR PACKET ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE CALL STRATEGIC PLANNING OR OUTCOME
DRIVEN PROCESSES. IF WE ARE REALLY GOING TO BE WHAT WE ARE CALLING
A DATA DRIVEN ORGANIZATION, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THE COUNCIL TO REAFFIRM OR ESTABLISH
WHAT THE PRIORITIES WILL BE FOR THE CITY. WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE BUDGET BOOK EACH
YEAR ARE THESE SIX PRIORITIES WHICH YOU HAVE IN TERMS OF THE AGENDA OVERVIEW, COMMUNITY
BUILDING, EDUCATION, PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP.
I WILL TELL YOU IT WAS A PROCESS THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE MID 1990'S AND THERE HAVE BEEN
ATTEMPTS TO REVISIT IT. WHAT WE HAVE ARE BASICALLY THOUGHTS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THEY HAVE TAKEN THEIR
PRIORITIES AND REALLY HAD PRIORITY STATEMENTS AND BASICALLY WHAT IS OCCURRING IS EACH PROCESS
THAT OCCURS IN THOSE JURISDICTIONS ARE REALLY DRIVEN BY THE PRIORITIES THAT ARE SET.
AGAIN, THE ADMINISTRATION IS VERY PLEASED THAT YOU WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO SET ASIDE
A WORKSHOP JUST FOR THAT PROCESS. I'D LIKE TO STATE WE WANT TO CREATE A HEALTHY
ORGANIZATION FOR YOU. WE ARE NOT THERE RIGHT NOW.
BASICALLY WE NEED TO IMPROVE ON HOW WE DO BUSINESS.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
IT'S REALLY ONCE WE IDENTIFY WHERE THE CORE PRIORITIES OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE CITY,
WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THOSE CORE PRIORITIES AND THEN WE WILL TAKE OUR RESOURCES AND WE
WILL BE ABLE TO SHIP THOSE RESOURCES TO THOSE PRIORITIES.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU WILL SEE IN OUR DISCUSSION TODAY THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T
SEE TRANSPORTATION, MAYBE YOU DON'T SEE THE ENVIRONMENT AS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES.
MY TIME IN RICHMOND, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID, WE REALLY STARTED TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE
CONCEPT OF PRIORITY DRIVEN ORGANIZATIONS AND YOU WILL SEE THAT WHEN WE HAD THAT PROCESS
A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE STARTED OFF WITH BASICALLY 16 PRIORITIES.
AND OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT A YEAR WE GOT THAT DOWN TO ABOUT SEVEN, SO WHAT WE ARE GOING
TO ASK OF YOU TODAY IS WE HAVE SOME EXAMPLES, AGAIN, MISS PURCELL WILL BE OUR FACILITY TODAY.
WE WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU, WE WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF BEST PRACTICE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH THE END BASICALLY BEING IF WE COULD GET TO MAYBE FIVE TO SEVEN
PRIORITIES, WHAT WE WILL DO IN ADMINISTRATION IS BE ABLE TO TAKE GOAL OBJECTIVES, PERFORMANCE
MEASURES AND EVALUATIONS THAT TIE BACK TO THOSE PRIORITIES AND I WILL ASSURE YOU IT
WILL BE TAKEN THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION TO THE LEFT OF PERFORMANCE REVIEWS OR EVALUATIONS.
AGAIN, THAT IS BASICALLY WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE TODAY, IF THAT IS OKAY WITH THE
COUNCIL. >> SURE.
OKAY. >> WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO BEFORE I TURN IT
OVER TO MELANIE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS IMPORTANT, A LOT THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING AROUND
THE CITY AND IN THE COMMUNITIES IS THE CONCEPT OF JUST A HEALTHY CITY.
WHAT WE INTEND TO DO IS COME BACK TO YOU THIS MONTH WITH A HEALTHY CITY INITIATIVE WHICH
IS BASICALLY TALKING ABOUT THINGS, NOT JUST THE WAY WE EAT OR EXERCISE, BUT PARTNERSHIPS
WITH SOME OF OUR DIFFERENT ENTITIES SUCH AS NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT,
WHAT IS BIKABLE, WALKABLE, WHAT CAN WE DO IN THIS COMMUNITY TO HAVE A HEALTHY COMMUNITY.
WE'RE EXCITED, IT DOESN'T JUST GO TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUT ALL THE WAY TO PLANNING, WE
WILL BRING IT BACK TO YOU THIS MONTH. BASICALLY WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER IN THIS
PRESENTATION IN THE FIRST SLIDE, BASICALLY WE TALKED ABOUT AND I THINK AS EARLY AS FEBRUARY
THE CONCEPT OF STRATEGIC POLICY BEING DEVELOPED AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL, DIVISION AS WELL AS
PRIORITY. SINCE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT PRIORITIES,
I WILL TELL YOU THE VISION IS PRETTY LONG, OKAY?
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT IN OUR  IN YOUR RETREAT IN SEPTEMBER THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TALK
ABOUT THE VISION OF THE CITY ALSO AND THE TYPICAL PROCESS YOU START WITH THE VISION
AND THEN GO TO THE PRIORITIES. BUT RIGHT NOW WE BELIEVE THAT THE PRIORITIES,
THAT THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME CHANGES, SO WITH THAT THAT WILL HELP MORE
OR LESS I WANT TO SAY PUT SOME MEAT AROUND THAT VISION WHICH IS VERY LONG AS WE START
TO COMPARE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES. BUT HAVING SAID THAT, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US
TODAY TO FOCUS ON THE PRIORITIES, BECAUSE AFTER THAT IT'S BASICALLY BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION
WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT GOALS, OBJECTIVES, PERFORMANCE MEASURES AS WELL AS EVALUATIONS
FOR RESULT. WE'VE SAID A WELL MANAGED GOVERNMENT, THAT
IS WHAT YOU WILL HEAR FROM US OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
WITH THAT SAID DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS HAVE DIFFERENT TITLES.
FOR INSTANCE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, THEY CALL IT STRATEGIC PLAN AND THEY HAVE FOCUS AREAS AND
PRIORITIES. ALSO IN FLORIDA WE HAVE RESULT DRIVEN ACCOUNTABILITY
FROM DURHAM. THAT IS A GOOD PROCESS, MANY OF THESE PROCESSES
ARE VERY GOOD PROCESSES, I LIKE TO GIVE EXAMPLES. PERFORMANCE BASED BUDGET NOTHING BOLDER, COLORADO,
AS WELL AS QUALITY, THAT IS CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO GET TO WHAT WE CALL WELL MANAGED GOVERNMENT BUT THEY ALL
HAVE CORE QUALITIES, THAT IS OUT COME, IF WE LOOK SPECIFIC RESULTS ARE IDENTIFIED.
EVEN THOUGH WE MAY DISCUSSEDCATION TODAY, AT SOME POINT AS ADMINISTRATION WE NEED TO
GET BACK TO YOU AND ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO US WHEN WE
CALL EDUCATION A PRIORITY. THE NEXT BULLET, THE CHANGES THAT ARE GOING
TO TAKE PLACE WHICH WE TALKED A GREAT DEAL AS ADMINISTRATION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS AT THE
END OF THE DAY. THE PRIORITIES, IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT IS
SIMPLE, IT MAY JUST TAKE A FEW MEETINGS TO GET THERE.
BUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER TODAY?
BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES, IN TERMS OF GOALS OR OBJECTIVES,
THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY, WILL NOT HAPPEN IN 30 DAYS, WILL NOT HAPPEN IN 90 DAYS.
TYPICALLY IT'S A TWO YEAR PROCESS, SOMETIMES A THREE YEAR PROCESS.
WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE THREE YEAR PROCESS, WE WANT TO SEE RESULTS EARLIER THAN THAT.
AS WE GO THROUGH THIS WE WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT DO WE INTEND TO DO IN THE SHORT TERM WHICH
WOULD BE ONE TO TWO YEARS, THE MEDIAN TERM IS 3 TO 5 YEARS AND LONG TERM IS FIVE YEARS
AND MORE. TODAY HOPEFULLY THE COUNCIL WILL GIVE US FIVE
TO SEVEN PRIORITIES WE CAN START TO BEGIN FOR THE FOUNDATION FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION.
AGAIN I MENTIONED THE DESIRED OUTCOME, HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS BOTH IN THE SHORT TERM,
MEDIAN TERM AND LONG TERM. YOU CAN SEE WE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING UNDER TWO
YEARS, WE CALL THAT NOW. SO THE EXPECTATION IS IT'S NOT IN THE SHORT
TERM, IT'S IMMEDIATE. AND AGAIN, OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS, WHAT WE
WILL DO IS DRAFT PRIORITY STATEMENTS, SO AGAIN WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU
JUST HAVE A TERM THAT SAYS EDUCATION. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
YOU WILL HEAR THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN TODAY, THAT QUESTION.
AGAIN WE WANT TO GIVE YOU WE WILL GIVE YOU REGULAR UPDATES ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, WE WILL
ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY. ONCE WE GET THE PRIORITIES IT'S VERY IMPORTANT
WITH ANY SUCCESSFUL PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY BUYS INTO THAT AND WE WILL CONTINUE
TO BUILD ON OUR ORGANIZATION INFRASTRUCTURE. SO, WITH THAT SAID, MELANIE HAS VOLUNTEERED
TO FACILITATE THE PROCESS TODAY, SHE HAS A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA.
MAYOR, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? >> CAN I MAKE AN INTRODUCTION.
FRANK, WILL YOU STAND UP? NEW MEMBER OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE WHO HAS BEEN
ASSIGNED TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE IS BRIAN THOMAS, HE IS A GRADUATE OF BRANDY HIGH SCHOOL, GRADUATED
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, JUST FINISHED LAW SCHOOL AT UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND.
HE PLAYED FOOTBALL, HAS PAGED AT THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND INTERNED AT THE
WHITE HOUSE. IF YOU SEE HIM AROUND, HE'S PART OF THE TEAM.
>> WELCOME. >> HI, THERE.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT IS SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
THERE'S A NUMBER OF PROCESSES LIKE MARCUS MENTIONED, WE HAVE DIFFERENT MEANS, REALLY
THE IDEA IS TO SET SOME PRIORITIES FOCUSING ON THE OUTCOME AND RECOGNIZING THERE IS AN
INVESTMENT IN HOW YOU CHANGE. THE CITY OF BOLDER HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE
PREMIERE EXAMPLES SINCE THEY'VE GONE THROUGHOUT COME BUDGETING.
THEY'VE BEEN OVERCOME WITH EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY ISSUES, THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED THESE AREAS
AS AREAS THAT THEY SEE AS WHERE THEY WANT TO FOCUS THEIR ENERGY AND THE WHOLE PREMISES
WHERE DO WE WANT THE EFFORT PUT. YOU SEE SUCCESSFUL CONNECTED COMMUNITY, HEALTHY
ENVIRONMENT, SOCIALLY DRIVING. THESE ARE JUST TITLES, IN YOUR PACKET ARE
A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT DESCRIPTIONS. BOLDER IS RECOGNIZED AS THE CITY THAT IS BEST.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, IS ALSO ONE. IT IS CONSIDERED WHAT WE TYPICALLY CALL A
PEER 1 CITY. AGAIN I HAVE TO SAY THEY HAVE OVERCOME CHALLENGES 
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVES. I HAVE TO ADMIT I'M A MOVER, SO IT IS DIFFICULT
TO REMIND MYSELF TO STAY STILL. THESE ARE ALL CITIES THAT HAVE REALLY INSTITUTIONALIZED
THEIR PROCESSES AND THEY HAVE DONE IT OVERTIME BUT ESTABLISHED HIGH STANDARDS FOR HOW THESE
PROCESSES WORK. INTERESTING WITH THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE, THEY
HAVE ENVIRONMENT AT THE BOTTOM AND IN THEIR MATERIALS, ENVIRONMENT IS ACTUALLY A CIRCLE
IN THE MIDDLE AND THEY ARE RECOGNIZING THAT PARTICULAR FOCUS AREA TOUCHES ALL THE OTHERS,
SUCCESSFUL ENVIRONMENT WILL IMPACT SUCCESS IN ANY OTHER AREA METRO NASHVILLE, DAVIDSON
COUNTY, TENNESSEE, PART OF LOOKING AT THEM IS THEY ARE A COMBINED UNIT.
MOST OTHER STATES HAVE OVERLAPPING JURISDICTIONS. VIRGINIA DOES NOT, SO METRO NASHVILLE IS AS
CLOSE A COMPABLE OUTSIDE THE STATE OF VIRGINIA THAT I CAN GET TO.
THEY HAVE DECIDED THEY ARE ALL INTERRELATED. CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AUSTIN LIKES TO TELL THE WORLD IT IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE.
PRETTY GOOD COMPETITION FOR US. WHAT WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS RIGHT NOW DATING
BACK FROM 1999 FOR THE CITY OF NORFOLK IS COMMUNITY BUILDING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, PUBLIC SAFETY AND REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP.
THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU IS ARE THESE STILL THE PRIORITIES OR ARE THERE MORE OR ARE THERE
ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE MISSING PERHAPS
OR DO THESE REALLY REPRESENT WHERE WE WANT TO BE?
>> WHAT DO THEY MEAN? >> WHAT DO THEY MEAN?
>> YES, TO SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF, JUST COMING INTO THIS DISCUSSION FOR THE FIRST TIME, THESE
ARE  COMMUNITY BUILDING IS A BUZZ PHRASE THAT I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH, IT MEANS NOTHING
TO ME. >> LET DISCUSS THAT.
>> OKAY. >> THAT WAS GIFT WRAPPED FOR ME, THANK YOU.
>> I'LL PICK UP MY CHECK TOMORROW. >> WE'LL WORK IT OUT, CHOCOLATE CHIP OR RAISINS.
THESE COME FROM OTHER CITIES THAT SOUND LIKE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH THIS GROUP.
THEY'VE CALLED IT NEIGHBORHOOD, IMPROVING DOWNTOWN AND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVING.
EVERYBODY CALLS IT WHAT IT REPRESENT TO THEM BUT THE DESCRIPTIONS IN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN
STRUCK ME AS SOMETHING THAT RELATES SOMEWHAT TO WHAT I'VE HEARD IN TERMS OF THE CONVERSATION.
IT'S AN AREA TO START FROM, I FINE IT'S EASIER TO EDIT THAN DRAFT.
SO, ENGAGING STRONG DISTINCT NEIGHBORHOODS, THE PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE, FACILITATING
A SENSE OF PLACE, THEY ARE ALL DESCRIPTIONS, THEY ARE KIND OF BUZZ WORDS BUT GIVE US SOME
IDEA WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT, SO THE QUESTION I PUT BACK TO YOU IS YOU GET TO TALK A LOT
IN THIS MEETING, WHAT IS COMMUNITY BUILDING MEAN TO YOU?
>> IT MEANS MONEY. >> MONEY.
>> >> IF YOU ARE BEING THE OPEN, IT TAKES RESOURCES,
THAT TAKES CREATIVITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. WE KNOW EVERY YEAR YOU LOOK AT RESOURCES TO
DO SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO TO STRENGTHEN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES, THEN THE ISSUE IS
ALWAYS MONEY. SOME COMMUNITIES ARE FURTHER ALONG THAN OTHERS,
BUT WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE CITY OR TALKING
ABOUT PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY? >> THE QUESTION I WOULD ASK
>> POCKETS IN OUR COMMUNITY OR TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE CITY?
>> WHAT WOULD YOU CALL SUCCESSFUL IN COMMUNITY BUILDING?
IF YOU LOOK A YEAR FROM NOW AND SAY WE ACHIEVED SOMETHING IN COMMUNITY BUILDING, WHAT IS IT
GOING TO LOOK LIKE? >> I COULDN'T ANSWER THAT BECAUSE THAT WOULD
REQUIRE ME TO UNDERSTAND THE FORECAST, UNDERSTAND THE DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING TO BE UTILIZED
THAT ARE COMING FORTH TO BE ABLE TO IMPACT SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES.
>> LET'S GO AT IT, IF YOU DON'T MIND, KIND OF A DIFFERENT ANGLE HERE, WE'RE GOING TO
USE THIS MONEY TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING. WHAT IS IT WE WANT TO SEAT IT ACCOMPLISH.
TAKE MONEY OUT OF THE PICTURE, HAVE AN UNLIMITED POOL, BREAK THE RULES, WHAT WILL IT BE FOR
US? CLEAN STREETS?
FIXED SIDE WALKS? INSTALLATION OF SIDEWALKS, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT
HAVE A CENTRAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT WITHIN THEM?
IS IT GOING TO BE EVERY ONE HAS OPPORTUNITY FOR OWNERSHIP?
IS IT MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT? WHAT DOES THE UTOPIA OF NORFOLK LOOK LIKE?
COMMUNITY BUILDING MAY NOT BE THE NAME WE END UP WITH.
>> IF PEOPLE LIVED IN NEIGHBORHOODS THEY WANTED TO LIVE IN, NOT BECAUSE OF WHERE THEY HAD
TO LIVE BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, YOU COULD ACCOMPLISH, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS WHERE
SOMEBODY WANTS TO BE, NOT BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.
>> A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT COMMUNITY BUILDING IS THAT PEOPLE GET TO LIVE WHERE THEY WANT
TO LIVE. >> NOT HAVE TO LIVE.
>> NOT HAVE TO LIVE. >> NOT BECAUSE OF SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS.
>> YOU NEED A LOT OF MONEY. >> ABSOLUTELY, IF WE TAKE MONEY OFF THE TABLE
>> WHATEVER IT TAKES TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. >> SO, ALL INCLUSIVE.
>> BUSINESS DISTRICTS AND PLAY GROUNDS AND FIELDS, EDUCATION, SCHOOLS, THE WHOLE THING
IN MY MIND. >> TO PIGGY BACK OFF THAT WOULD ALSO BE THE
ELIMINATION OF CONCENTRATED AREAS OF POVERTY. >> THAT WOULD DO THAT.
>> THAT HAS BEEN A COMPONENT. THE BEAUTY OF THIS, UNLIKE A MISSION STATEMENT,
THERE IS  WE WILL TAKE WHAT YOU SAY AND COME BACK WITH STATEMENTS AND YOU WILL SAY THAT'S
WHAT WE MENTOR NOT QUITE WHAT WE MEANT. BUT TO GET A FEEL FOR WHAT THE INTENT IS THIS
CONVERSATION IS PERFECT FOR THIS. THERE WILL BE AT LEAST EIGHT, PROBABLY MORE
DIFFERENT STATEMENTS THAT COME OUT WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU.
>> A CRITICAL PIECE TO THAT IS JOBS. SUSTAINABLE JOBS.
>> SUSTAINABLE? SHOULD WE MOVE FORWARD A LITTLE BIT, WE CAN
ALWAYS COME BACK, LET'S KEEP GOING FOR A SECOND. SOUND LIKE COMMUNITY BUILDING WILL BE A VERY
ENCOMPASSING ARENA WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITIES AND WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD THEM.
>> IN ORDER TO DO THAT YOU HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THE OTHER THINGS, EDUCATION, INFRASTRUCTURE,
PUBLIC S SAFETY, ALL OF IT. >> IT REALLY IS KIND OF THE UMBRELLA OVER
ALL THE OTHER PRIORITIES. >> WELL WE MAY GET TO OUR MISSION STATEMENT
SOONER. TALKING ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UNDERLYING
THIS IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WAY, THE QUESTION I'M ASKING YOU, IS THIS A FOCUS AREA THAT
YOU WANT TO KEEP OR IS IT GENERATING SOME IDEAS FOR SOME WE WANT TO ADD, DELETE OR JUST
CHANGE THE NAME OF. YOU ARE NOT STUCK WITH ANY OF THIS, THIS IS
WHAT THIS GROUP DECIDES IS WHERE WE WANT TO PUT OUR ENERGIES AND RESOURCES AND INVESTMENT
OF TIME. >> JUST SIX OR SEVEN YEARS INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
THE IDEA, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, I DON'T REALLY FEEL WE TRULY GOT OUR FEET WET IN TERMS
OF TRULY UNDERSTANDING THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEANS AS WE TALK ABOUT
THE ENTIRE CITY. I ONCE SAID ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD
TO DO IS TO FIND IN OUR CITY THAT WE LOOK TO FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FOR EXAMPLE.
YOU HAVE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT OTHER CITIES, I KNOW WHAT IS OFFERED IN CARRITOWN,
OTHER PLACES, THESE PLACES ARE DEFINED, I KNOW WHERE I CAN GO TO FOR CERTAIN THINGS.
I THINK WE ARE WITHIN FIVE WARDS THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THIS CITY PROVIDES IN EVERY
WARD THAT IS DIFFERENT, WHETHER IT BE  IT USED TO BE THAT WAY, I THINK WE TALKED IN
TERMS OF THAT. WE LOOK AT CHURCH STREET BACK IN THE DAY AND WHAT THAT REPRESENTED AS WELL
AS GRANBY STREET. YOU HAVE MILITARY CIRCLE.
SO YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE PLACES BUT WE HAVEN'T DEFINED DESTINATIONS IN OUR CITY, I THINK
THAT'S IMPORTANT. I THINK THAT'S A HARD CONVERSATION TO HAVE
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE A VISION TO MOVE FORWARD IN TERMS OF
BUILDING THOSE AREAS. >> I THINK WHAT HAS HAPPENED ECONOMICALLY
OVER THE LAST  I DON'T MEAN THIS NECESSARILY IN A BAD WAY, BUT WHAT HAS TAKEN AWAY, I REMEMBER
IN THE 70s IN MILITARY CIRCLE, TAKING AWAY FROM WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN WARD'S CORNER, IS
THE EMPHASIS TO COME DOWNTOWN, WE LOOKED DOWNTOWN, 21ST CORRIDOR DEVELOPED OFF THAT, SO, I THINK
WHAT HAS OCCURRED IS THAT IS WITH THAT FOCUS TO SAY AT MILITARY CIRCLE WE USED TO HAVE
THAT AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE, WARDS CORNER WAS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE, THINGS CHANGED BUT WHEN
THEY CHANGED IT BECAME THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND FOR ECONOMIC ENGINE, AND THAT I THINK IS WHAT
HAS HAPPENED. >> IT SOUND LIKE THE CONVERSATION IS WE WANT
TO DEFINE ALL THE PIECES THAT MAKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT KEY.
>> I LIKE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING
>> BUT I TRULY THINK IN ORDER, THIS IS ME PERSONALLY, BUT I TRULY THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE
A HEALTHY DOWNTOWN, I THINK EVERYTHING STARTS THERE, IT'S THE HEART OF OUR CITY, I DON'T
HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. IF THE DOWNTOWN IS HEALTHY IT SHOULD BE RESIDUAL
INCOME THAT FILTERS OUT TO THE OTHER VESSELS IN OUR SIT THAT MAKE THOSE COMMUNITIES VIBRANT
AND THRIVE. >> I DIDN'T SAY IT WAS A BAD THING.
>> I UNDERSTAND. I JUST DON'T THINK WE HAVE DEFINED  SOMETIMES
WE TALK ABOUT CHURCH STREET, I THINK EVERY WARD THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING AND A LOT OF
THESE FRAGILE NEIGHBORHOODS, I USE THE WORD "FRAGILE" THERE HASN'T BEEN THE RESOURCES
TO CREATE ANYTHING. WE DON'T HAVE GROCERY STORES, WE JUST GOT
ONE 30 YEARS LATER IN BERKELEY, BUT IN SOME OF THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES, WE DON'T HAVE
THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN IT, SO WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO REALLY DEFINE, BUT IT ALL GOES BACK TO
RESOURCES. >> A GOOD EXAMPLE, WHAT MAKES CHURCHHILL?
I REMEMBER 25 YEARS AGO YOU DIDN'T GO TO CHURCHHILL, IT WAS SOME PLACE YOU DIDN'T GO TO RICHMOND.
I WAS JUST THERE A YEAR AGO TOURING CHURCHHILL. SO, IT WAS
>> STILL OWE OH. >> YOU ASKED A GOOD QUESTION, WHAT MADE YOU
WANT TO GO THERE? >> I WENT BECAUSE I WAS TOURING ONE OF THE
FAMOUS CHURCHES THERE. >> SO IT WAS A RESOURCE, AVAILABLE ASSET.
>> AND THE PLACE DOES A GREAT JOB. I WAS THERE IN THE MID 80s, YOU DIDN'T GO
OVER THERE. WHY DO TBOW TO CARRIETOWN, YOU GO FOR WHAT
IS THERE. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
THE EMPHASIS MAY HAVE SHIFTED IN MY OWN MIND. WHAT HAS MADE IT SUCCESSFUL.
COLLIER, WHAT HAS MADE IT SUCCESSFUL AND FIND OUT WHAT MADE IT SUCCESSFUL AND BE ABLE TO
TRANSFORM THAT TO CHURCH OR MILITARY CIRCLE WHERE I THINK WE HAVE REALLY SERIOUS ISSUES.
>> YOU MENTION A COUPLE THINGS THAT LEAN ON THE CHARACTER OF A NEIGHBORHOOD, ASSETS AND
UTILIZING THOSE ASSETS. IS THAT IN YOUR MIND A FUNCTION OF SUCCESS
IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH.
YOU MENTIONED BUILDING ON THE NEIGHBORHOODS THE CHARACTER AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE
NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU MENTIONED WHAT MAKES YOU GO TO THESE PLACES, WHAT ASSETS ARE THERE,
WHAT HAVE BEEN BUILT UP ON. IN SOME COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED
A SUCCESS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS BUILDING ON THE CHARACTER OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND
THE ABILITY TO LEVERAGE ECONOMIC RESOURCES. THAT'S AN OPTION IN HOW YOU LOOK AT WHAT IT
IS YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH. PART OF WHERE WE ARE GOING TO GO WITH THIS,
END GAME, ONCE WE ESTABLISH PRIORITIES, THAT'S HOW THE DECISIONS ARE MADE THEN AND BROUGHT
FORWARD TO YOU, HOW THEY FIT INTO THAT MATRIX, SO, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YOU TALK ABOUT RESOURCES,
HOW DO WE PUT THE FUNDING IN, HOW DO WE PUT THE FINANCIALS TOGETHER, THESE PRIORITIES,
WHATEVER YOU CALL THEM, HOWEVER YOU DEFINE THEM WILL GET US THERE.
I THINK SHE HAD A COMMENT. >> I THINK PART OF THE PRIORITY PROCESS WHEN
WE START TO TALK ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS IS WE TALK
TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE CITIZENS WHO LIVE IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
I MEAN THE PRIME EXAMPLE IS THE DOG PARK IN BERKELEY, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T WANT A DOG
PARK AND WE JUST PUT ONE THERE, BUT WE NEED TO TALK TO THE CITIZENS AND GET THEIR INPUT
AS TO WHAT THIS WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND THEN TAKE THAT TO WHAT IS ALSO FEESIBLE IN THE
AREA BECAUSE ALL THE TIMES WHAT SOMEONE WANTS TO SEE AND WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE HAPPEN
THERE OR WHAT WE CAN PUT MONEY BEHIND OR AN ENGINE BEHIND TO ACCOMPLISH, THOSE TWO THINGS
MAY NOT BE THE SAME, SO THEN HOW DO WE COMPROMISE THAT SO THE CITIZENS ARE THERE LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOODS,
OTHER CITIZENS WANT TO MOVE INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS A HAPPY MEDIUM.
BUT I THINK WHEN WE START TALKING PRIORITIES, WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THE CITIZENS
THAT ALL THIS WILL AFFECT. >> ONE OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED SEVERAL YEARS
AGO AT OUR RETREATS IS MY OBSERVATION OF THE UNDERCLASS IN NORFOLK IS RISING AT AN ALARMING
RATE, AND EVEN SINCE THAT TIME THAT I BROUGHT THAT ATTENTION TO THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION,
I SEE THE UNDERCLASS RISING AT AN EVEN MORE ALARMING RATE.
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO DO ANYTHING WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE POPULATION
IN NORFOLK. IF WE HAVE LESS EDUCATED POPULOUS IN SOME
OF OUR COMMUNITIES, LESS CIVIL POPULOUS, LESS MEMBERS OF COMMUNITY THAT ARE SELF SUFFICIENT
ENAND I'M TALKING BLACK AND WHITE COMMUNITIES, I SEE THE UNDERCLASS POPULATION RISING JUST
AS MUCH IN THE WHITE COMMUNITY AS BLACK COMMUNITY. IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN ANYTHING WE DO
WE HAVE TO CREATE A MORE CIVIL COMMUNITY, MORE EDUCATED COMMUNITY AND CREATE MORE MEMBERS
OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE SELF SUFFICIENT SO WE CAN SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT THE VISIONS
AND GOALS BUT UNTIL WE GET INTO THE ROOT OF THE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING WHAT WE ARE TRYING
TO PUT TOGETHER THEN WE ARE SPINNING OUR WHEELS, SO I REALLY BELIEVE WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING
TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM IN TERMS OF THE UNDERCLASS THAT IS BEING  THAT
IS RISING IN BOTH AREAS. >> LET'S KEEP GOING AND SEE HOW THAT TIES
INTO IT AND HOW WE PULL THAT OUT AS >> HOW IT TIES INTO IT, YOU HAVE TO, AS I
SAY, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE LESS CIVIL.
A LOT OF TIMES GOVERNMENT CAN'T CREATE CIVILITY, WE HAVE LAWS ON THE BOOKS THAT PUT PEOPLE
IN OVERCROWDED JAILS. EDUCATION, WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, SELF
SUFFICIENCY, WE CAN TEACH INDIVIDUALS TO BE MORE SELF SUFFICIENT THROUGH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT,
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN DO IN GOVERNMENT BUT THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN'T DO IN GOVERNMENT.
THINGS WE CAN'T DO AS FAR AS CIVILITY, WE HAVE TO BRING IN PARTNERSHIPS SUCH AS OUR
FAITH BASED COMMUNITIES, BOY SCOUTS, SORORITIES, UNIVERSITIES, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE
CAN BRING IN PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP WITH SOME THINGS THAT GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO.
>> I'M GOING TO PIGGY BACK ON THAT AND SPEAK TO WHAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN DO.
I HEARD MISS WILLIAMS BUT I DON'T BUY THE PHILOSOPHY THAT CERTAIN COMMUNITIES CAN ONLY
REACH A CERTAIN PLATEAU IN TERMS OF WHAT TYPE AMENDITIES THEY CAN HAVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES,
AND THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS THESE COMMUNITIES CAN HAVE.
I THINK THE GOVERNMENT CAN ENGINEER WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
I MEAN, IT'S A BOLD UNDERTAKING, BUT IT CAN BE DONE.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE CITY, THAT'S  WHEN I LOOK AT THE CITY, RESPECTFULLY AND I LOOK AT ALL
THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND I WILL GIVE AN EXAMPLE, WHEN I LOOK AT
DOWNTOWN, A PART OF WHY DOWNTOWN IS SUCCESSFUL IN IT'S OWN RIGHT IS BECAUSE THEY CREATED
A SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICT TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO ENSURE THAT THE THINGS THAT NEEDED
TO BE DONE GOT DONE. WE WENT OUT TO OCEAN VIEW SOMETIME BEFORE
MY TENURE ON THE COUNCIL AND WE INVESTED CLOSE TO $100 MILLION IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, SO
THAT ONE DAY THIS COMMUNITY COULD BE VIBRANT AGAIN.
THEN WE ADDED A TIF ON THAT THAT WOULD ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO RISE AND THE REVENUES GENERATED
WOULD HELP PAY THE MONEY BACK. WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, I LISTENED TO ALL THAT
AND TRIED TO UNDERSTAND HOW DO I GET COMMUNITIES I SERVE INTO THE BALL GAME.
WE WOULD COMMONLY JOKE THERE IS NO MONEY BEING GENERATED, YOU GET YOUR SLICE OF THE PIE WHEN
YOU CREATE YOUR SLICE OF THE PIE. I WAS ALWAYS TOLD IN THIS CITY THAT CERTAIN
COMMUNITIES DON'T ADD TO THE OVERALL FORMULA, SO THAT'S WHY THE DOLLARS ARE DISPERSED THE
WAY THEY ARE, I HAD TO GENERATE THE OPPORTUNITY OR MAKE THE ARGUMENT ON PAPER IN TERMS OF
THAT THIS COMMUNITY OR THAT COMMUNITY IS WORTHY OF THE RESOURCES BECAUSE THIS IS THE OUTPUT
THESE COMMUNITIES BRING IN. IN DOING SO WE CREATED A TIF BACK IN 2009,
I WILL SPEAK TO THAT, IN THE BROAD CREEK COMMUNITY. PRIOR TO NO ONE THINKING THE TIF WOULD PERFORM
AS WELL AS IT DID, IT ACCELERATED AND OUT DID ITSELF TO THE TUNE THAT I THINK WE BORROWED
ABOUT $16.5 MILLION, AND WE ARE WAY AHEADED OF THE PROJECTED SCHEDULE TO PAY IT BACK.
TODAY IF YOU LOOK AT COMMUNITIES OF BUREAU CREEK AND SAY THE CITY HAS INVESTED $30 MILLION
OVER I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT TIF IS ABLE TO DO, THAT'S ABOUT
$45 MILLION, SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT A COMMUNITY GENERATING REVENUE THAT IS ABLE TO BE SUSTAINING AND SELF SUFFICIENT IN ITS
OWN RIGHT IN THOSE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS, THAT MONEY IS BEING RAISED RIGHT THERE BECAUSE
OF REVENUE THAT THE REAL ESTATE TAX THAT COMMUNITY BRINGS IN, THAT TO ME, THAT IS CREATIVE, SO
THE GOAL THERE WAS IN ORDER FOR THAT COMMUNITY TO RISE LIKE OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE COME
THE PAST, THOSE RESOURCES WOULD BE INVESTED BACK INTO THAT COMMUNITY SO WE COULD CONTINUE
TO TAKE DOWN BLIGHT, CREATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT WHIP WOULD
BRING MORE MONEY INTO THE FORMULA, AND THEN THOSE DOLLARS THAT, FROM NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS
OR OTHER DOLLARS THAT COME IN FROM CIP STANDPOINT COULD GO TO OTHER FRAGILE COMMUNITIES OR CREATE
TIFS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. I UNDERSTAND SOME IN THE DISTRICT DIDN'T CARE
FOR DOING THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T ALL PERFORM AT THE SAME LEVEL THAT THEY DO.
BUT THIS ONE HAS PERFORMED VERY WELL, AND, SO, TO ME THAT ILLS THE CREATIVE WAY TO BE
ABLE TO GET OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE BOARD ON SOLID FOOTING AND BE ABLE TO HELP OUT WITH
OTHER FRAGILE COMMUNITIES. IF I'M USING THE MONEY GENERATED OUT OF THAT
COMMUNITY, THAT'S LESS DOLLARS I HAVE TO USE COMING FROM THE GENERAL CIP DOLLARS.
BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THOSE MONEYS AND THROW IT BACK IN THE POT AND DON'T REINVEST THOSE DOLLARS
BACK IN THAT COMMUNITY, IT HURTS THE EFFORTS AT THE END OF THE DAY.
>> WHAT IS A TIF? >> TAX INCREMENTAL FUNDING,.
>> YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES INVESTMENT, DEVELOPMENT, CREATIVITY, THIS FIRST EXAMPLE
ON THE RIGHT KIND OF GIVES  THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN MENTIONS THOSE WORDS SEVERAL TIMES.
IS THAT SOMETHING, I MEAN WE'VE HEARD CREATIVITY IN THINKING DIFFERENT, DEDICATED TO SOURCE.
>> BUT INTO ABSENCE OF  IN THE ABSENCE OF THE OVERALL PIE.
LIKE I SAID, YOU CAN ONLY CUT IT SO MANY WAYS, WHEN THE CRETE ATIVETY COMES IN, WHEN YOU
CAN CREATE OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE, THAT IT IS LIKE  WHAT IS THE TERM YOU USED?
OUTCOME BASED >> RESULTS ACCOUNTABILITY?
>> OUTCOME BASED BUDGET. IT'S BASICALLY THAT.
IT BASICALLY SAYING, OKAY, HERE'S THE COMMUNITY, HERE'S THE PARAMETERS WITHIN THE TIF, WE WILL
LET YOU MANAGE THOSE RESOURCES. YOU GENERATE THAT REVENUE, THAT REVENUE GOES
BACK IN. SO, IF YOU DID THAT IN A FEW OTHER AREAS,
IF WE INVESTED, AND I DON'T KNOW THE PARAMETERS IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, OTHER COMMUNITIES,
BUT I DO KNOW OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE THE ABILITY. LOOKING AT ST. PAUL QUADRANT, IT WOULD BE
THE IDEAL OPPORTUNITY, WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, HOW DO WE GET THERE?
HOW DO WE GET THOSE DEVELOPING THE TIFS, THE TYPE OF ENTITIES THAT WOULD BE IN THE COMMUNITY
THAT WOULD BRING THE REAL ESTATE TAXES UP, AND PERFORM IN SUCH A WAY IT DOESN'T HAVE
A STRAIN ON THE OTHER COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE CITY.
ALL I'M SAYING IS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERY CREATIVE WAY OF MAKING THINGS HAPPEN IN THE
CITY WITHOUT ADVERSELY AFFECTING OTHER PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE PIPELINE FOR SOME TIME.
>> LET ME ADD SOMETHING, JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME FEARS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WILL
BE DOING RESEARCH FOR THE CITY. WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB IN THE CITY OF
EXPANDING OUR TAX BASE, OKAY? AND IN '03 THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THE TAX BASE
WAS JUST UNDER $10 MILLION, TODAY AFTER A TERRIBLE ECONOMY, WHAT WAS HAPPENING, WE ARE
JUST UNDER $20 MILLION. IN SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS WE'VE DOUBLED THE
ASSESSED VALUE. WE'VE CREATED A LOT OF JOBS, THE FIGURES ARE
SOMETHING LIKE 223,000 JOBS FOR A CITY OF 240,000 PEOPLE, OVERALL WHEN YOU ADD WAGES
AND YOU ADD BENEFITS, INDIVIDUAL JOB IN THE CITY OF NORFOLK AVERAGES WELL OVER 70,000,
THOSE ARE BENEFITS ADDED. VIRGINIA BEACH IS DOWN AROUND 53 SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW, THE TOTAL ECONOMY IN THE CITY, WHEN YOU ADD IT UP ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL BUREAU
OF LABOR STATISTICS IS ABOUT 13.9 BILLION AND VIRGINIA BEACH IS LIKE 10.4 BILLION, SO
WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF THAT. BUT, MARCUS, WHAT I WOULD FALL BACK ON AND
WHAT WE ARE ALL SAYING, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE MOVED THE POVERTY LEVEL AT ALL.
WE STILL HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF POVERTY IN THIS CITY WE HAD 10 YEARS AGO.
WE STILL HAVE AN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE CITY THAT IS SECOND ONLY TO LINDENBURG, IT
STILL LOW BY NATIONAL STANDARD, BUT SOMETHING WE'VE NEVER FOCUSED ON IS HOW DO WE CONNECT
NORFOLK CITIZENS WITH THIS JOBS THAT ARE IN THE CITY AND HOW DO WE I KNOW WHAT THE CENSUS
INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE, I THINK WE OUGHT TO IDENTIFY WITH THE BEST DATA POSSIBLE THESE
POCKETS OF POVERTY AND CREATE ACTION PLANS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY
SO THEY CAN CREATE WEALTH SO THEY CAN BE PART OF THE SUCCESS THE REST OF THE CITY IS ENJOYING.
THAT WOULD PROBABLY MAKE THOSE COMMUNITIES MORE CIVIL.
WHILE WE HAVE GROWN THE TAX BASE AND GROWN A LOT OF JOBS, WE STILL HAVE THE SAME PERCENTAGE
OF PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY WE DID. I'D LIKE SOMEBODY TO GO BACK AND CHECK THAT
FIG THAT YOU ARE WE HAD 10  FIGURE THAT WE HAD 10 YEARS AGO, 20 YEARS AGO.
WE JUST HAVE NOT FOCUSED ON THAT. WE HAVE GREAT VISION STATEMENTS LIKE BUILDING
COMMUNITIES WHERE EVERYBODY CAN LIVE. THE FACT IS WE HAVEN'T MOVED  PEOPLE CAN'T
DO IT, HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO IT FOR A LONG TIME AND IT SHOULD BE UP TO US TO TRY TO MAKE
SOMETHING MEANINGFUL HAPPEN IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES.
WE OUGHT TO TALK ABOUT THAT. >> THIS HAS COME UP NOW IN AT LEAST TWO OF
THE AREAS WE'VE COVERED ABOUT ADDRESSING AND CONNECTING AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THE
POCKETS, TO USE THAT TERM, OF THE COMMUNITY ARE CONNECTED AND PARTICIPATING, PEOPLE GET
TO LIVE WHERE THEY WANT TO LIVE, NOT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO.
EVERY ONE HAS ACCESS TO THE JOBS WE HAVE CREATED. >> HALF THE WORK FORCE COMES FROM OUTSIDE
THE CITY. WHY CAN'T WE DO A BETTER JOB OF  I GUESS
ISSUES ARE EDUCATION. >> I THINK YOU SAID IT THERE, EDUCATION.
>> I WILL JUMP AHEAD ON WHAT YOU SAID. >> JUST WHAT MR. RIDDICK IS TALKING ABOUT,
CIVILITY, MAYBE THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO IT. >> SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE BROUGHT UP PARTNERSHIP.
I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO OKLAHOMA CITY, I FOUND IT INTRIGUING BECAUSE THEY WERE
SPECIFIC BUT NOT SO MUCH SO THAT THEY GOT AWAY FROM A PRIORITY STATEMENT.
THEY WERE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT PARTNERING WITH GROUPS.
NOW, THEY LIMITED IT TO CHILDREN AND OTHERS THAT EXCELLENCE FOR ALL.
THEY THREW IN THINGS LIKE THAT AND I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE, I DID HAVE AN AWESOME STATEMENT
BUT IT COULDN'T REMEMBER WHICH CITY I SNAGGED IT FROM, TALKING ABOUT PARTNERING, BEING ENGAGING
AND SUPPORTIVE WAS THE TERMS FOR EDUCATION FOR ALL CITIZENS.
I THINK THE ALL CITIZENS TIES INTO WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT DOES EDUCATION MEAN? WHAT ARE WE A YEAR FROM NOW, BECAUSE A YEAR
FROM NOW YOU ARE GOING TO EVALUATE WHETHER WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS AND WE WILL COME BACK
AND SAY HOW WE THINK WE MADE PROGRESS, WHAT IS SUCCESS IN THE ARENA OF EDUCATION MEAN?
IS IT HIGHER TEST SCORES? MORE PEOPLE GRADUATING?
IS IT MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATING? AT ALL AGES?
IS IT BETTER CIVILITY AND WHAT MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WE TALK A LOT ABOUT EDUCATION, WE TALK ABOUT
FUNDING OF EDUCATION, BUT EDUCATION HAS AN OUTCOME.
WHAT IS THE OUTCOME WE CONSIDER SUCCESSFUL IN EDUCATION?
>> FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS, SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN CROSSING MY MIND IN REGARDS TO THIS
ENTIRE REGION AND HIGHER EDUCATION, WE DO A GREAT JOB OF DEVELOPING THE AREA, NORFOLK
STATE STILL HAS A LOT TO DO, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT ODU, NORFOLK STATE, HAMPTON, AND OTHER
SCHOOLS, SUPPOSE THERE WAS A CONCERTED EFFORT IN THIS ENTIRE REGION TO MAKE HIGHER EDUCATION
A PRIORITY SO PEOPLE WILL COME FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION WHETHER
IT IS SOMETHING HAMPTON HAD TO OFFER, SOMETHING ODU OR NORFOLK COULD OFFER, WHAT IT WOULD
DO IS MAKE CORPORATIONS LOOK AT US, THIS REGION, A LOT MORE SPECIFICALLY, AND IT ALSO WE WOULD
BE GROWING INDIVIDUALS. FIRST OF ALL, ALL THOSE STUDENTS COMING TO
THIS REGION FOR AN EDUCATION WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE TO HAVE AN IMPACT IN TERMS OF THE MONEY
THEY WOULD SPEND AND THEIR PARENTS WOULD SPEND, AND THEN AFTERWARDS THE NUMBER OF PERSONS
WHO WOULD STAY HERE FOR JOBS. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR REGIONAL
COOPERATION FOR US TO LOOK AT THE UNIVERSITIES AND WHERE THEY ARE AND SEE WHAT COULD HAPPEN
IF ALL OF THESE COMMUNITIES CAME TOGETHER AND SAID LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE HAMPTON
BETTER, NORFOLK STATE BETTER, AND JUST LIKE IN SOME PARTS OF CALIFORNIA, SILICONE VALLEY,
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? THAT DIDN'T JUST HAPPEN.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF BRILLIANT INSTITUTIONS THERE, SO FROM THOSE GREATER INSTITUTIONS, SILICONE
VALLEY EVOLVED, AND I'M JUST SAYING WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WE HAVE TO
LOOK AT THE FUTURE AND I BELIEVE WE REALLY PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON OUR HIGHER EDUCATION
AND OUR INSTITUTIONS OF OUR EDUCATION HAS TO BENEFIT THE REGION 20, 30 YEARS DOWN THE
ROAD. >> I THINK PAUL IS SO RIGHT.
THE THING THAT REALLY MATTERS IN YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS HOW MANY COLLEGE GRADS YOU
HAVE. PEOPLE PRESUPPOSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE GETTING
OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, YOU HAVE TO WORK AT THAT, BUT WHAT MATTERS AS FAR AS WEALTH CONCERNS
IS HOW MANY  THE STATE DID THAT AND GROW BY DEGREES, THEY DID THAT STUDY, SAID WHAT
REALLY MATTERS IS HOW MANY COLLEGE PEOPLE WITH COLLEGE DEGREES ARE IN YOUR COMMUNITY
AND ADVANCED GROUPS. IF THERE WAS ONE THING WE COULD DO TO MOVE
THE NEEDLE, IT WOULD HEAVILY INVEST IN ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS AT PLACES LIKE OLD DOMINION AND
VIRGINIA STATE AND SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO HELP THEM BE MORE SUCCESSFUL.
THE STUDIES THAT WERE DONE NATIONALLY YEARS AGO ABOUT THE CITIES THAT REALLY SUCCEEDED
LIKE YOUR AUSTIN AND YOUR SAN JOSE AND SEATTLE IN THE 80s AND 90s HITCHED THEIR WAGONS TO
THESE UNIVERSITIES THAT WERE CREATING THE SILICONE VALLEYS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, UNIVERSITY
OF WASHINGTON WITH MICROSOFT, AND PLACES WHERE A LOT OF REALLY HIGH SKILLED JOBS WERE TAKING
PLACE AND BEING CREATED, THEY HAD A HIGH SCHOOL WORK PLACE.
I THINK THE NOTION THAT THERE IS THIS COMPLETE LINK BETWEEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION
IS BORNE OUT TIME AND TIME AGAIN. ONE OTHER THING THAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT OUR
COMMUNITY THAT MAYBE DOESN'T FOLLOW THESE PATTERNS IS THAT WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION
TO THIS, WE ARE SO HEAVILY DEPENDENT UP ON THE DEFENSE DOLLAR.
NO. 1 I KNOW WE NEED TO DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY AND WORK ON THAT, SOMEBODY HAS SOME STATS
AROUND HERE, NO PART OF OUR SECTOR OUTSIDE OF THE DEFENSE DOLLAR IS LARGER THAN 15% OF
OUR ECONOMY, I'VE SEEN ALL THAT. BUT THE THING THAT HAS GOTTEN US THROUGH THESE
TOUGH YEARS IS THE MILITARY SPENDING. HOW WE FOCUS, HOW THE CITY, TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, IN GOING WITH THE FLOW, HOW DO WE BECOME THE BEST PLACE I THINK IN THE WORLD
FOR THE MILITARY TO DO BUSINESS? YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE  WE DON'T EVEN HAVE IN
THE CITY OF NORFOLK A COMMITTEE ON VETERANS  A VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, I'VE THOUGHT
ABOUT IT THIS PAST WEEK END. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THESE
FOLKS. WHERE THEY WANT TO LIVE, WHERE THEY WANT TO
BE. AND THAT IS ANOTHER ISSUE, BUT THAT IS RELATED.
I THINK PAUL IS RIGHT, THIS NOTION TRYING TO ENCOURAGE OUR UNIVERSITIES, GROW JOBS HERE,
HELPS THE TAX BASE BUT EXPANDS OUR ECONOMY. >> I AGREE WITH PAUL.
I ALSO THINK WHO IS TELLING OUR STORY? WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA AND
WHEN THE GOVERNOR GOES OUT TO LURE COMPANIES AND INDUSTRY HERE, VIRGINIA HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS
JOB OF DOING SO, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY  IF THEY ARE SELLING VIRGINIA, THEY ARE SELLING
NORTHERN VIRGINIA. WHO IS TELLING US?
WHO IS TELLING OUR STORY? WHO IS GOING OUT THERE AND TELLING FOLKS WE'VE
GOT THESE COLLEGES THAT PAUL JUST ALLUDED TO.
WE HAVE A WORK FORCE HERE. WHAT ARE WE DOING IN OUR SCHOOLS?
WHERE IS THE CONCERTED EFFORT FROM A REGIONAL STANDPOINT?
NOT JUST FROM THE CITY'S STANDPOINT IN TERMS OF LOWERING THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO  LURING
THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO THE CITY. WHAT BENEFITS ARE WE OFFERING COMPANIES TO
MOVE HERE? WHAT TAX BREAKS ARE WE OFFERING?
WHAT ARE WE DOING DIFFERENT THAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AREN'T DOING?
WE HAVE UNIVERSITIES HERE, WE HAVE CUTTING TECHNOLOGY HERE, WHO IS TELLING THE STORY,
GOING OUT AND MARKETING THIS REGION AND SAYING WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS?
>> NO QUESTION. >> I WILL TELL YOU, I'M VERY SILENT BECAUSE
WE ARE LETTING  WE ARE LISTENING. >> WE ARE TAKING NOTES, WE CAN COME BACK.
>> ALL RIGHT. >> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATION AND WE TALK
ABOUT HIGHER EDUCATION, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO  IN TERMS OF EDUCATION.
EVERYBODY PITCHES PROGRAMS OR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO STUDENT WHO DO WELL,
RISING STARS, A STUDENTS. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ENCOURAGE OUR SCHOOL
BOARD TO CATCH THE STUDENTS WHO ARE UNDER PERFORMING?
HOW DO WE GET THOSE CHILDREN BACK INTO THE LOOP?
HOW CAN WE CATCH THEM? HOW CAN WE DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE
LEARNING DISABILITIES SO MAYBE THEY DON'T LEARN THE SAME WAY AS SOMEBODY ELSE DOES?
DOES IT MEAN THAT THEY ARE NOT SMART, IT JUST MEANS THEY ARE ACADEMICALLY CHALLENGED A LITTLE
AND WE HAVE TO TEACH TO THEM IN A WAY THEY UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THEY MAY BE THE NEXT BILL
GATES BUT IF WE DON'T CATCH THEM THEN THEY END UP OVER IN THE JAIL SOMEWHERE BECAUSE
THEY GOT FRUSTRATED WITH THE PROCESS AND DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CATCH THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE YOUR C AND D STUDENTS HUH HF THE POTENTIAL
OR HOW ARE WE ENGAGING THEM TO KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL SO THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGES THAT COMMUNITY
COLLEGE OFFERS, THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TRADE
SCHOOL, SOME POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION OTHER THAN  THAT WILL GIVE THEM AN ABILITY TO EARN
A BETTER LIVING OTHER THAN JUST GET YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND GO AND GET A JOB.
SO, THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK OF >> YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT HIGHER SKILLS.
HIGH PERFORMERS, LOW PERFORMERS, EVERYBODY, FUMBLE ACCESS.
>> BECAUSE ALL THE CHILDREN WHO ARE HIGH PERFORMERS KNOW ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS, POSSIBILITIES, MAYBE
THEY CAN GET COLLEGE CREDITS AT TCC EARLY. SCHOOLS MAKE SURE THOSE KIDS KNOW, BUT THEN
THERE IS A WHOLE OTHER BUNCH OF KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE  MAY NOT EVEN HAVE AN INCENTIVE
BECAUSE COLLEGE IN THEIR MIND MIGHT BE OUT OF THEIR GRASP SO THEY FIGURE WHY DO I HAVE
TO WORK HARD IN HIGH SCHOOL? DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE IT CAN'T GO ANYWAY.
MAYBE IF THEY KNEW, THEN THAT WOULD GIVE THEM SOME INCENTIVE ANYWAY.
>> TALK ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES, ABILITY OPPORTUNITIES FOR POVERTY, GETTING OUT OF POVERTY.
MOVING UP. I'M GOING TO MOVE A LITTLE  I'M SORRY.
>> I WAS KEEP ON MINNEAPOLISS PRIORITIES, I THOUGHT OVERALL THEY REALLY, FOR ME, PRETTY
MUCH NAILED THE KIND OF THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE US AS A CITY THINK ABOUT, BUT I PARTICULARLY
LIKED WHAT THEY TALKED ABOUT WITH EDUCATION. IT'S NOT JUST AN ONE BUZZ WORD BUT ONE OF
THE THINGS THEY DO TALK ABOUT IS LIFE LONG LEARNING AND I REALLY THINK THAT IS SOMETHING
FOR US TO THINK ABOUT AS FAR AS REALLY ENCOMPASSING EVERYTHING YOU WANT.
OUR LEARNING SHOULD NOT BE K 12, OUR LEARNING SHOULD NOT JUST BE HIGHER EDUCATION.
FOR US TO SUCCEED IN SO MANY AREAS, YOU KNOW, AS A HEALTHY COMMUNITY, I REALLY THINK WHAT
WE WANT TO DO IS FOSTER LIFE LONG LEARNING AND IF YOU ALL HAVEN'T READ MINNEAPOLIS' PRIORITY
LIST, I WOULD ASK YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT, I THINK THEY REALLY NAILED SOME VERY IMPORTANT
TOPICS. >> THE ONE WE HAVE IN OUR PACKET?
>> I GOT IT, MELODY SENT IT TO US YESTERDAY. MANY OF THEM HAVE GREAT IDEAS BUT MINNEAPOLIS
DEVELOPMENT, THEY HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB IN SO MANY AREAS.
ART, EDUCATION, RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, TRANSPORTATION.
THEY ARE A LITTLE CHALLENGED ON THEIR WEATHER. >> ON A FEW OF THEM, THERE IS A TIME FRAME,
THE 10 YEAR AND 3 YEAR GOAL SETTING, THAT IS SOMETHING WE WILL ADDRESS IN THE FALL.
THIS IS ONE FROM BEFORE >> WE'RE STILL ON EDUCATION, I HAVE ONE LAST
THING. >> FOR ME I WAS READING THEY WERE CUTTING
BACK IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, I THINK AUTO MECHANICS AND SOME OF THE CLASSES THAT THEY ARE LIMITING
THIS YEAR. AGAIN, GO BACK TO THAT RESOURCE, IF THAT IS
THE ISSUE, AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAUNT US FROM A REGIONAL STANDPOINT, WHEN
I LOOK AND THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO THIS, WE HAVE GROWN OUR TAX BASE, WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND THE
REGION THERE'S A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT TAKING PLACE FROM A REGIONAL STANDPOINT, AT SOME
POINT WE NEED TO LOOK AT EDUCATION FROM A REGIONAL STANDPOINT.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO CREATE A REGIONAL FACILITY WITH COLLEGES INVOLVED THAT SPEAKS TO A SCHOOL,
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL, THAT COULD HONE THE SKILLS OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WHERE IF THEY  COLLEGE
IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY, BUT THEY COULD GO TO THIS PARTICULAR SETTING WHERE THEY CAN GET
A SKILL, TAKE SOME COMMUNITY COLLEGE COURSES, AND FROM A REGIONAL STANDPOINT THEY CAN LOOK
AT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST IN THE REGION AND NOT JUST IN ONE PARTICULAR CITY.
I THINK SOMETIMES WE ARE GROUNDED BY TUNNELS AND WATER, THE OPPORTUNITY MIGHT NOT BE IN
NORFOLK BUT I LIVE IN NORFOLK, I COULD WORK IN VIRGINIA SMITH, PORTSMITH OR HAMPTON, BUT
I LIVE IN NORFOLK. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK BROAD NEAR TERMS OF
OPPORTUNITIES AND BEGIN TO WORK WITH OUR NEIGHBORS A LOT BETTER AND CREATE SHARED OPPORTUNITIES.
I THINK EDUCATIONALLY, I KNOW NORFOLK STATE AND OLD DOMINION HAVE A CAMPUS OUT IN VIRGINIA
BEACH. AND, SO, THERE IS NO REASON WHY COLLECTIVELY
THE CITIES COULDN'T GET TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH A VOCATIONAL SCHOOL KIDS COULD GO
TO AND AGAIN WE COULD MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITY BUT WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS THE WAY
WE DO. WE HAVE TO DEFINE WHO LIVES HERE, UNDERSTAND
COLLEGE IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY BUT THERE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE STILL NEED BRICK MASONS, WE STILL NEED AUTO MECHANICS, CARPENTERS.
WE STILL NEED THOSE JOBS. >> I THINK TOO IN THE EDUCATION, GOING BACK
TO THE PIECE IN OUR SCHOOLS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO BETTER PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS, BECAUSE WE CAN PROGRAMS IN PLACE, WE CAN HIRE
THE BEST TEACHERS, WE CAN DO ALL THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN INCREASE TEACHER SALARIES,
WE CAN GIVE RESOURCES, BUT IF THERE IS NOT A LINK BETWEEN THAT TEACHER OR THAT SCHOOL
AND THAT PARENT, THEN TO ME IT'S LIKE POURING WATER IN A BUCKET WITH A HOLE IN IT, WE HAVE
GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THE PARENTS ENGAGED OR INVOLVED MORE, IT LIKE THE PCA.
THE PCA PARENTS ARE GREAT BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER KIDS WHO MAY NOT BE DOING GOOD OR MAY
HAVE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS OR MAY HAVE OTHER ISSUES.
THOSE KIDS ARE IMPORTANT AND THOSE PARENTS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE PARENTS MAY BE STAYING
AWAY BECAUSE THEY ARE AT WIT'S END BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR OWN
KIDS. I THINK WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO ENGAGE BETTER
WITH THE PARENTS IN THIS  IN THIS EFFORT OF EDUCATING OUR KIDS.
>> TOWARD THE END OF THIS, I APOLOGIZE, THIS IS IN DIFFERENT ORDER, WE HAVE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
AND I THINK WE WILL HAVE AN INTERESTING DIALOGUE, IF YOU DON'T MIND WE'LL JUMP TO THAT AND COME
BACK TO PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY. REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT REGIONAL THOUGHT PROCESS. I NOTICED DALLAS INCLUDED IN THE EDUCATION,
THE DALLAS COMMUNITY AND BEYOND. A LOT OF THEM ARE GETTING BEYOND THAT.
A LOT TALK ABOUT PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT. WHAT IS REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP, WE'RE JUMPING
AHEAD A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT'S GOOD. THIS IS ONE I DON'T CONFESS WHICH CITY A SNAGGED
IT FROM. YOU GET EXCITED ABOUT THESE THINGS AND FORGET
TO CITE THE RESOURCES, BUT THE BEAUTY OF GOVERNMENT I CAN'T BE ACCUSED OF PLAGIARISM.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY REGIONALISM? A FOCUS AREA, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EDUCATION, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. >> I MEAN OUR SUCCESS, TO ME OUR SUCCESS IN
THIS CITY OR ANY OTHER CITY AROUND IS REGIONAL. THE MAYOR IS TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE TUNNEL,
THE THIRD CROSSING, THAT IS REGIONAL. WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT OUR FUTURE DEPENDS
ON US BEING ABLE TO FREELY OR BE ABLE TO GET BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE WATER WITHOUT THE
CONGESTION WE'RE EXPERIENCING TODAY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT COMPANIES, THAT WILL BE THE DETERMINING
FACTOR, THEY CAN'T GET GOODS AND SERVICES IN AND OUT OF HERE, THEN THEY WILL GO SOMEWHERE
WHERE THEY CAN DO THAT. SO, TO ME REGIONALISM IS CRITICAL TO THE FUTURE
OF NOT JUST OUR CITY BUT TO THE ENTIRE REGION, AND I JUST THINK THAT WHAT WE LOOK AT ATTRACTING
BUSINESSES HERE, I WILL SAY THIS AGAIN, IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME IF A COMPANY GOES TO CHESAPEAKE
OR NORFOLK OR VIRGINIA BEACH AND THEY LIVE IN NORFOLK, WE ARE GETTING TAXED.
THEY COME TO HERE AND SHOP, I DON'T THINK THE CITIZENS SEE THESE LINES HOW POLITICIANS
SEE THEM. PEOPLE FREELY ROAM TO VARIOUS CITIES.
WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITIES. ELEVATE THAT TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND PEOPLE
GO TO PLACES FOR A REASON, THEY GO WHETHER IT BE THE TOWN CENTER, DOWNTOWN OR CERTAIN
THINGS. THEY GO TO THESE PLACES BECAUSE THESE PLACES
HAVE THE TYPE OF AMENDITIES THEY ARE LOOKING FOR.
PEOPLE GO TO THE THEATER, THEY COME TO US. THEY GO TO BASEBALL, THEY COME TO US.
HOCKEY, THEY HAVE TO COME TO US, BECAUSE WE HOLD THAT IN THE REGION.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN POSITION OURSELVES BETTER GOING FORWARD,
BUT I THINK FROM A REGIONAL STANDPOINT, OUR SUCCESS IS TIED UP AND WHATEVER WE DO.
>> I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT EVERY CITY NEEDS TO HAVE THE EXACT SAME REGIONALISM
STATEMENT IN THEIR OWN FRAMEWORK AND THEIR OWN CITY BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T HAVE, I DON'T
FEEL, AND THIS IS MY BELIEF, I COULD BE VERY WRONG, BUT I DON'T THINK EVERY CITY THAT YOU
JUST MENTIONED BELIEVES IN REGIONALISM. I REALLY, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS
AND I THINK THAT PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, NORFOLK WORKS BETTER WITH OTHER CITIES THAT MAY BE
LIKE MINDED, MIGHT BE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, PERHAPS PORTSMITH BUT I DON'T THINK ALL THOSE
CITIES YOU MENTIONED BELIEVE IN REGIONALISM. IN FACT I THINK SOMETIMES NEW TOWN ROADS THINKS
YOU NEED A PASSPORT TO GET ACROSS NEW TOWN ROADS.
IF REGIONALISM IS REAL WHERE WE WILL SUCK IT UP FOR EVERYBODY, THEN EVERY ONE OF THE
CITIES NEED TO HAVE THE SAME REGIONALISM MONIKER, THEN WE WILL BE CARRYING THE BANNER.
WE HAVE ONE BANNER WE'RE TRYING TO GET GOING FOR EVERYBODY, IT OUT THERE NOW, UNTIL EVERYBODY
JUMPS ON, THEN I WILL BELIEVE IN REGIONALISM. UNTIL THEY BELIEVE IN THAT, THEN I WILL SEE
IT. NOW I SEE US AS THE LEADER AND I DON'T KNOW
EVERYBODY BELIEVES IN IT LIKE WE DO, I REALLY DON'T.
I HAVE BIG PROBLEMS WITH IT. >> REGIONALISM IS SOMETHING WE PROBABLY WILL
NEVER ACCOMPLISH. WE ARE ABOUT SEVEN STEPS AWAY FROM REGIONALISM.
BUT YOU BELIEVE REGIONAL COOPERATION IS IMPORTANT, WE'VE DONE IT IN TERMS OF OUR JAIL, REGIONAL
JAIL, WE TRY TO WORK WITH SIMPSON AND WE DO HRT FOR TRANSPORTATION.
SOME OF THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAD REGIONAL COOPERATION, LET'S SAY, FOR INSTANCE,
VIRGINIA BEACH, CHESAPEAKE AND PORTSMITH YOU PUT TOGETHER, SAY THEY MADE A GREAT MAGNET
SCHOOL TO BRING IN ENGINEERING AND MATH WE MENTIONED A FEW MINUTES AGO, THAT WON THE
FIRST STEP BEYOND MOVING TRASH AND JAILS AND IT WOULD HELP EVERYBODY'S EDUCATION BUDGET
AS WELL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE ARE RECOGNIZING
IN THE EVENT WE HAVE A CATASTROPHE, WE WORK WELL FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, I THINK THE
REGION WILL WORK WELL WITH IT. NORFOLK AND CHESAPEAKE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB,
GREAT JOB AROUND BERKELEY AVENUE EXTENDED. SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN ON THE OTHER END OF
BERKELEY AVENUE EXTENDED IN CHESAPEAKE, NORFOLK WILL HELP THEM WITH AND VICE VERSA.
AS FAR AS EDUCATING LAW ENFORCEMENT, IF WE COULD REALLY EXPAND THAT, COME TOGETHER WITH
MAYORS AND CHAIRS AND PUT THAT ON THE TABLE, THAT WOULD PROPEL OUR REGIONAL COOPERATION
MORE. >> I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT, I'VE CHAIRED
THIS GOVERNOR'S COMMITTEE ON REGIONALISM ON THE STATE WIDE LEVEL, THE GOVERNOR CREATED.
THE STATEMENT FOR REGIONALISM, I THINK MOST PEOPLE HAVE STUDIED THE NOTION BELIEVE THE
UNIT OF SCALE THAT MATTERS MOST IN GLOBAL ECONOMY IS THE REGIONAL SCALE.
AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO COMPETE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY YOUR REGION NEEDS TO PRESENT ITSELF
TO THE WORLD IN AN UNIFIED FASHION. THE FACT YOU HAVE 1,600,000 PEOPLE HERE SPEAKS
TO THE WORLD MORE THAN 234,000 PEOPLE DO. ANNIE IS RIGHT AND PAUL IS RIGHT.
WE COMPETE, THE REGION COMPETES WITH OSAKA, JAPAN, MUCH MORE SO VIRGINIA COMPETES IN TENNESSEE.
WE COMPETE WITH CHARLOTTE OR JACKSONVILLE. REGIONS COMPETE, STATES DON'T.
IT NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND THEN REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS. IT THE GLOBAL ECONOMY, NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.
IT'S REGIONAL, REGIONS THAT MATTER IN THE ECONOMY.
>> WOULD YOU SAY THIS REGION COMPETES WITH NORFOLK, VIRGINIA?
>> SOME DEGREE, BUT AIL SO WANT TO TELL YOU THAT VIRGINIA IS HAMPERED TERRIBLY IN THIS
EFFORT IN MY OPINION BECAUSE OF SOME VERY OLD PUBLIC POLICY REASONS.
I MEAN FIRST OF ALL I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE WITH 1,600,000 PEOPLE WORK PRESENTING
THEMSELVES, WHAT COLLECTIVELY DO WE DO BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE, WHAT ARE THE FOUR OR FIVE
THINGS WE DO BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE OR NOBODY ELSE DOES AND HOW DO WE MARKET TO THE REST
OF THE WORLD SO WE ATTRACT THAT SHARE OF THE ECONOMY.
THE PROBLEM IN VIRGINIA IS THAT REGIONS, GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS KEPT MOST OF THE CITIES AMONG
THEMSELVES. IT WAS STATED WHETHER COMMONWEALTHS SHOULD
BE COMPETING. THERE WAS A NOTION, IF THEY COMPETED, THEY
WOULD MAKE FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT LIKE GOVERNMENTS COMPETED LIKE BUSINESSES COMPETED, YOU WOULD
BE SHARPER, THAT'S A FAILED NOTION, BANKRUPT IDEA.
ONLY THING THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IS HOW WELL YOU COOPERATE WITH EACH OTHER TO MOVE
THE REGION FORWARD. IN VIRGINIA WE HAD AN UNIQUE SET OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT STANDARD. IF WE HAD THIS INDEPENDENT ABILITY, WE ARE
NOT LOUDING IT OVER A BOARD THAT TAKES CARE OF TRANSPORTATION OR THINGS.
THERE ARE NO LAWS ABOUT ANNEXATION. 20 YEARS AGO CHARLOTTE WAS THE SAME SIZE AS
NORFOLK OR RICHMOND, THEY GREW THEIR ECONOMY BY ANNEXING, THEY CALL IT ELASTIC, THOSE ECONOMIES
WERE ELASTIC, HE SAID VIRGINIA CITIES WERE DOOMED BECAUSE THEY WERE INELASTIC.
THE REASON THEY GREW THEIR ECONOMY WAS BY GOING OUT AND GETTING PARTS OF THE COUNTY
THAT WERE MORE INTENSELY DEVELOPED. AND, SO, THERE WERE NO ANNEXATION LAWS, THERE 
INDEPENDENT CITY STATUS. CITIES IN VIRGINIA ARE HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON
REAL ESTATE TAX. WE HAVE HIGHER LOCAL TAXES AND LOWER STATE
WIDE TAXES THAN MOST ANY OTHER STATE IN THE COUNTRY, AND, SO, THE COLLECTOR OF THE TAXES
WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO DISTRIBUTE THEM TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA GOT EDUCATED
AS WELL AS PEOPLE IN SUFFOLK OR NORFOLK, SINCE THEY DON'T SHARE INCOME WITH US, AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT HAS TO RAISE THEIR OWN MONEY WE FIGHT LIKE CATS AND DOGS.
WE DON'T HALFWAYS CREATING SHARED WEALTH, THERE ARE WINNERS AND LOSERS IN OUR ECONOMY
AND WHEN THE FORD PLANT GOES DOWN, THE REAL ESTATE HIT IS NORFOLKS, IT'S NOT EVERYBODY
ELSE'S. SO THERE ARE SOME WAYS TO CHANGE THE RULES
BUT AS LONG AS THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY KEEPS US BOTTLED UP AND FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER
WE HAVE A TOUGH ROAD. WE HAVE RISEN ABOVE IT, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO
IS ASK YOURSELF, I DON'T WANT TO SOUND DRACONIAN, WHAT ARE THE GREAT CITIES?
THE INTERSECTION OF THE TWO STATE HIGHWAYS, BELOW IS THE STATE CAPITOL, D.C., HOW COME
CHARLOTTE BECAME THE REGIONAL BANKING CAPITAL? THEY ARE A DAY'S RIDE UP THE BAY.
USUALLY AROUND HUGE PORT COMMUNITIES THERE ARE HUGE BANKING SERVICES AS WELL.
WHY, WHAT HAPPENED IN VIRGINIA THAT KEPT US ALL SMALL AND IT IS THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND
HARRY BYRD'S NOTION TO MAINTAIN THE STATE. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO MAKE COMMUNITIES COOPERATE,
THEY ARE LOOKING AT IT HARD, PLUS THE RULE THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR CITIES TO DO ANYTHING
THAT WOULD BE ENTREPRENEURIAL WITHOUT GOING TO ANOTHER COMMONWEALTH.
>> IF WE WERE TO PULL UP CHESAPEAKE'S MISSION STATEMENT
>> IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM OURS. OTHER THAN THE GENERIC STUFF WE HAVE TO SHARE
THE SAME VINS. WE DO NOT HAVE A COLLECTIVE VISION, THAT IS
DIFFICULT FOR US. >> ONE THING I WOULD SAY, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE
TO REPRESENT YOU GOING TO THE DELEGATION WHEN JOE FRANK FROM NEWPORT NEWS, WARD FROM HAMPTON
AND CHESAPEAKE. >> [INAUDIBLE] SOMEBODY ELSE FROM CHESAPEAKE.
>> AND PORTSMITH, WE WENT UP AS A REGIONAL DELEGATION TO SPEAK TO THE MILITARY ISSUES
THAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE JETS AT LANGLEY, THE JETS AT VIRGINIA BEACH.
THE PENTAGON, WE ARE IN FOUR OR FIVE MEETINGS AND AS WE TALK TO THE HIGH RANKING OFFICIALS,
THE FIRST THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ALL OF US, THEY SAID WE'RE GLAD YOU ARE HERE AS A DELEGATION
INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUAL CITIES. WE'VE ALWAYS APPROACHED THINGS AS INDIVIDUAL
CITIES RATHER THAN A REGIONAL STANDPOINT. I THINK THAT WE SPOKE  WE HAD DIFFERENT PARTS,
I SPOKE VIRGINIA BEACH, JOE FRANK SPOKE FOR NORFOLK, WE ALL SPOKE FOR DIFFERENT CITIES
AND HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND I THINK WHAT THEY TOOK AWAY FROM THAT IS THAT THERE
IS AN ELEMENT OF REGIONALISM, IT SHOULDN'T BE WITH OUR BACKS AGAINST THE WALL.
WE REALIZE THAT IF AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER LEAVES NORFOLK IT AFFECT THE REGION.
IF THE F 35'S LEAVE LANGLEY, THAT AFFECT THE REGION.
SO, WITH ALL OF THE JOBS, WHERE PEOPLE SHOP, THAT AFFECTS US.
I KNOW THE MAYOR'S MEETING THIS YEAR >> WE MEET  MAYOR'S ON THE SOUTH SIDE MEET
ONE MONTH AND THE NEXT MONTH THE MAYOR'S FOR THE ENTIRE REGION MEET.
>> I'M NOT SCHOOLED. IT HARD FOR ME TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU IF
I DON'T KNOW YOU. AND, SO, WE DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER OTHER THAN
WHAT WE READ ABOUT EACH OTHER DURING ELECTION TIME IN THE PAPER, WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT FROM A REGIONAL STANDPOINT, WE DON'T KNOW THE COUNCILS, WE KNOW A FEW OF THEM.
I KNOW A FEW FROM VIRGINIA BEACH. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE JUST HAD A CONVERSATION,
SOCIAL WHERE WE GOT TO MEET AND KNOW EACH OTHER, THE IDEOLOGY, WHAT FOLKS ARE THINKING,
WE DON'T DO THAT, WE HAVEN'T HAD THOSE TYPE OF DISCUSSIONS, AND, SO, I JUST THINK THAT 
THAT'S THE FIRST STEP, PAUL WHEN HE SAID THAT, I LAUGHED, I WAS VERY SERIOUS.
THERE ARE SOME FOLKS, A FEW FOLKS THAT HAVE HELD THE REGION BACK.
MAKE NO MISTAKES ABOUT IT, WE ARE IN COMPETITION WITH OTHER CITIES AROUND US, BUT WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE KEEP OUR EDGE AND SAVE THE REGION, THERE ARE SHARED RESOURCES BUT THAT IS KNOWING
WHO YOU ARE WORKING WITH AT THE END OF THE DAY AND I DONE THINK WE'VE HAD THOSE TYPE
CONVERSATIONS, WE CAN BENEFIT FROM IT. >> CAN I ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS?
IS REGIONALISM A PRIORITY OR A TOOL TO BE A PRIORITY.
>> I THINK IT A THING UNTO ITSELF. >> THE CONVERSATION HAS GONE BOTH WAYS.
>> THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DO THAT ARE REGIONAL, LIKE YOU SAID, THERE ARE SHARED SERVICES,
BUT THEN THERE ARE NEW INITIATIVES WE NEED TO EMBARK ON THAT ARE SEPARATE FROM, THAT
GET US TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF REGIONALISM. LIKE I SAID, I THINK OUR RELATIONSHIP IS STRENGTHENED
SINCE THE MAYOR HAS WORKED WITH THAT, THAT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY.
>> I UNDERSTAND HISTORICALLY IT WAS NOT UNTIL YOU AND WILL  IT HAD NOT BEEN STRONG.
>> I THINK THAT'S TRUE. THE LIGHT RAIL SITUATION IS PROBABLY AN EXAMPLE,
WE WOULDN'T HAVE IT  20 YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT LIGHT RAIL.
FIRST DESIGN HAD LIGHT RAIL COMING FROM THE OCEAN FRONT.
THE SECOND SPUR WAS COMING DOWNTOWN. GETTING TO DOWNTOWN NORFOLK WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL
GOAL, IT JUST WE COULDN'T GET THE LEADERSHIP AT THE BEACH TIED TO THE DECISION OF LIGHT
RAIL TO THE WATER AND ALL SORTS OF STUFF. I AGREE.
>> I THINK IT'S A BIT OF BOTH. I THINK YOU UTILIZE THE BEST PARTS OF REGIONALISM,
YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED BUT THEN THE THINGS THAT DON'T WORK YOU PUT THEM ASIDE AND WORK
ON THEM A LITTLE BIT BUT DON'T LET THAT DESIRE OR GOAL OF REGIONALISM OVERSHADOW THE OTHER
THINGS YOU ARE TRYING TO DO, SO I THINK IT'S A LITTLE OF BOTH.
>> SHIFT GEARS JUST A LITTLE BIT. PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT A WELL MANAGED GOVERNMENT, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT AN EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT.
DOES PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY STILL APPLY TO PRIORITIES AND IF SO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
>> BEFORE WE JUMP INTO PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, SOMETHING YOU SAID EARLIER, 10 YEARS AGO THE
CITY OF NORFOLK PAID TO BRING IN A NATIONAL EXPERT ON REGIONALISM.
AND WE HAD A LUNCHEON AT THE MARRIOTT, WE INVITED EVERY MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
IN THE REGION AND EVERY MEMBER OF EVERY CITY COUNCIL IN THE REGION, NOT SURE WE GOT TO
NEWPORT NEWS, WE PROBABLY DID, BUT WE HAD A FULL HOUSE.
EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, ENJOYED, WE MADE SURE EVERYBODY SAT AT DIFFERENT TABLES, CHESAPEAKE
DIDN'T JUST SIT AT ITS TABLE, EVERYBODY HAD TO MOVE AROUND, GENERAL ASSEMBLY GUYS, NO
ONE CITY TRIED TO TAKE THE LEAD, AND IT ACTUALLY WAS PRETTY PRODUCTIVE.
WE TRIED TO DO IT A SECOND TIME AND IT JUST DIDN'T  WE TRIED TO GET ANOTHER CITY TO DO
IT AND IT JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN. BUT IF YOU COULD ROTATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
A LUNCHEON LIKE THAT EVERY COUPLE MONTHS, PROBABLY WE COULD HELP OURSELVES, PEOPLE WOULDN'T
SEE NORFOLK AS THE BULLY AT TIMES OR VIRGINIA BEACH AS THE BAD GUY.
I MEAN THE IDEA OF GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER, RELATIONSHIPS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
SO, JUST THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THE MAYOR HAD WITH THE CITY BECAUSE HE WAS MARRIED  HIS
WIFE IS THE DAUGHTER OF ROY MARTIN. AND JUST THE RELATIONSHIP THAT HE BRINGS BECAUSE
HE LIKES THE CITY OF NORFOLK, I MEAN IT'S HELPING TREMENDOUSLY WHAT WE DO.
I THINK, AT LEAST HE'S SUPPORTING US TREMENDOUSLY ON THIS PATRIOT'S CROSSING.
ESSAYING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS ABOUT LIGHT RAIL.
HE IS NOT IN FAVOR OF EXPANDING THE BRIDGE, IT'S THE FIRST TIME FROM VIRGINIA BEACH ACTUALLY
CAME OUT AND SAID THAT. SO, I TOLD HIM I'M IN FAVOR OF LESS OF A BRIDGE.
HE DIDN'T LIKE THAT VERY MUCH. OKAY, I'M SORRY.
>> GREAT. GOOD DISCUSSION.
THIS MAY NOT BE THE WAY YOU WANT TO GO. PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY OR EFFICIENCY.
>> IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO THAT DOESN'T COST MUCH, WE CAN DO IT QUICKLY.
KEEP SCORE. THIS COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED IN 30 DAYS, NORFOLK
IS AT THE TOP. >> IT SEEMS TO BE SYNONYMOUS WITH WELL MANAGED
GOVERNMENT. >> IT WOULD REQUIRE SOME TYPE OF THING, ALL
WE HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT OUR WORK FORCE AND REALIZE THAT WE RIGHTFULLY NEED TO MEET PUBLIC
ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS MORNING I WAS LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM
AT OUR SOUTH SIDE TASK FORCE MEMBER, I LOOKED AT THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM PUB LIRK PARKS,
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, AND I LOOK AT THESE INDIVIDUALS COMING TO THESE TASK FORCE MEETINGS
FOR THIS PARTICULAR QUARTER OF THE YEAR. AND THE ENERGY THAT THEY BRING, EVEN IN SPITE
OF US NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE OUR WORK FORCE RAISES FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, I REALLY
BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A WORK FORCE THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF AND, SO, JUST ON THE FACE
OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, I BELIEVE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INCIDENTS COME ALONG THAT BECAME
POLITICAL THAT WOULD MAKE IT LOOK LIKE WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY, BUT IF PUBLIC
ACCOUNTABILITY BEGINS WITH OUR WORK FORCE AND I THINK WE HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD OF,
THAT'S WHERE IT BEGINS. >> I GUESS I WOULD PUT TO YOU WHAT IS PUBLIC
ACCOUNTABILITY. I USED EXAMPLES HERE THAT TAKE A LITTLE DIFFERENT
TERMS. BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?
IS IT A WORK FORCE OR PRODUCT? >> THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO ME, A PORTION PUBLIC
ACCOUNTABILITY, OUR CITIZENS WHEN THEY CALL, HAVE AN ISSUE OR PROBLEM, IF OUR WORK FORCE
IS ABLE TO GET OUT AND FIND A SOLUTION OR LATER DOWN THE ROAD FIND A SOLUTION, WE ARE
BEING ACCOUNTABLE TO OUR PUBLIC. NOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET INTO THE POLITICS
OF THINGS, I FORGOT THE PHRASE THEY USED, I CAN'T EVEN THINK OF IT, THAT THEY USE IT
SO MUCH SO, IT'S A TIRED EXPRESSION. >> TRANSPARENCY.
>> TRANSPARENCY. I REALLY BELIEVE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR WORK
FORCE AND PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE OUT IN THE FIELDS AND THE WAY THAT THEY APPROACH OUR CITIZENS,
IN MY OPINION, THAT'S PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY BECAUSE THIS IS WHO WE DEPEND ONTO TAKE CARE
OF OUR CITIZENS AND THAT IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE ABOUT, TAKING CARE OF OUR CITIZENS.
>> A CITIZEN FOCUS, EMPLOYEE DRIVEN. >> I KNOW THIS IS A COUNCIL DISCUSSION, MAY
I BUTT IN FOR A MOMENT? I BLIEF PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY IS FOUNDATION
AND I TRULY BELIEVE YOU HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE I'M GOING TO HAVE A WELL MANAGED ADMINISTRATION
WHERE YOU WILL BE CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTED, EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE, ACCOUNTABLE, INCLUSIVE,
SO, TO ME THAT'S A SLAM DUNK AND EVEN IF IT DOESN'T END UP IN YOUR PRIORITY, IT'S THE
FOUNDATION OF WHAT WE DO IN OUR WORK. >> I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY CULTURE EATS STRATEGY
FOR BREAKFAST. YOU CAN HAVE GREAT PLANS BUT IF YOU DON'T
HAVE CULTURE, PEOPLE WHO DOES WHAT IS RIGHT, AND DO IT, IT BECOMES PART OF YOUR LIFE, YOU
HAVE TO CREATE THE CULTURE WITHIN CITY GOVERNMENT TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
I STILL KEEP COMING BACK TO THAT DAY THAT I STOOD IN MY OFFICE WINDOW, WE HAD  YOU
WEREN'T HERE AT THE TIME. WE HAD A GUY WORKING FOR US IN PUBLIC WORKS,
WE HAD A STORM IN DOWNTOWN AND HE, I'M NOT EVEN SURE HE WAS WORKING THAT DAY, HE WADED
OUT IN WATER WASTE DEEP, STOOD WITH A BROOM TRYING TO KEEP A DRAIN OPEN SO WATER WOULD
DRAIN. NOBODY TOLD HIM WHAT TO DO, IT WAS A CULTURAL
THING, HE PICKED UP THE BROOM AND WENT TO WORK.
HE HELPED A COUPLE LADIES WHO WERE GETTING STRETCHED ACROSS THE STREET.
WE BROUGHT HIM UP HERE THAT DAY, ABOUT A MONTH LATER, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE  THAT HAS TO
BE A CULTURAL THING WITHIN  YOU HAVE TO WORK FROM THE  IT START AT THE TOP AND GOES TO
THE BOTTOM ABOUT DOING THE RIGHT THING AND GIVING US A DAY'S WORK FOR A DAY'S WAGES AND
BEING COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE SIT IT. >> WE STILL, I AGREE 95% OF OUR WORK FORCE
OUT THERE, WE STILL RETURN ON COST, THEY ARE STILL NOT RESPONDING TO RESUMES OR QUESTIONS.
I CAN'T TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO SAY I SENT IN A RESUME AND NEVER HEARD ANYTHING.
PEOPLE SAID THEY THE FIX MY SIDEWALK ON SUCH AND SUCH A DAY, I STAYED HOME AND THEY DIDN'T
COME. THEY ARE OUR CUSTOMERS, WE NEED TO TREAT THEM
LIKE CUSTOMERS, THEY ARE PAYING THE BILLS. WE HAVE SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE PEOPLE ON A CREW,
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE EFFICIENCY. WE HAVE GREAT PEOPLE BUT WHEN YOU HAVE EIGHT
OR NINE PEOPLE, FOUR OR FIVE TRUCKS AND ONE IN THE HOLE WORKING AND DIGGING AND ONE SITTING
LOOKING, ONE SITTING ON THE BACK HOE AND TWO OTHERS WALKING AROUND, WE HAVE TO  MAYBE
THAT IS CERTAIN SITUATIONS THAT IT IS NEEDED BUT I THINK WE NEED TO OPERATE LIKE A PRIVATE
BUSINESS WHEN WE GET OUT, WHEN WE ARE OUT DOING PUBLIC WORK OR WHATEVER WE ARE DOING.
I GIVE A CALL, WE HAVE TO COME LOOK AT THIS, EIGHT GUYS WITH ONE BACKHOE.
I THINK WE CAN OPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY. THEY ARE DOING WHAT THEY ARE TOLL, I'M NOT
SURE WE ARE DOING IT RIGHT. I KNOW WE ARE NOT RETURNING PHONE CALLS IN
SOME CASES, RESPONDING TO INQUIRIES OR RESUMES OR WHATEVER.
IF SOMEBODY CALLS, WE NEED TO RESPOND, TELL THEM WE CAN'T HELP YOU, I'M VERY SORRY, GO
TO HELL, WHATEVER IT IS, WE NEED TO RESPOND. NOT CALLING BACK IS NOT GOOD.
NOT RESPONDING TO AN E MAIL IS NOT APPROPRIATE. AND I WILL SAY, WE HAVE HAD A CULTURE OF NOT
DOING THIS. YOU IT STARTS AT THE TOP AND FILTERS DOWN.
I DON'T KNOW WHY EVERYBODY IN OUR CITY GOVERNMENT COULDN'T RETURN A PHONE CALL WHEN THEY GET
HOME AT NIGHT. YOU DON'T GO HOME UNTIL YOU RETURN YOUR PHONE
CALLS. YOU MAY HAVE TO SAY I WILL GET BACK TO YOU.
IF YOU SAY YOU WILL DO SOMETHING CALL THEM AND SAY I CAN'T GET THERE BUT WE WILL BE THERE
IN TWO WEEKS. COMMUNICATION TO ME IS THE KEY AND YOU CAN'T
ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR BUT YOU CAN RESPOND TO IT.
I THINK MANY PEOPLE ARE VERY RESPONSIVE, NOT A BLANKET ON EVERYBODY.
[INAUDIBLE] WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE SAY AND SAY WHAT WE
WILL DO OR CALL UP AND SAY WE WON'T. >> I WANT TO JUMP ONTO WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT
COMMUNICATION. I BELIEVE AS GOVERNMENTS ARE EVOLVING AND
DEVELOPING THAT WE SHOULD ACTUALLY, THE ACCOUNTABILITY NEEDS TO BE MUTUAL, THAT IF WE GO OUT AND
EDUCATE THE CITIZENS ABOUT HOW GOVERNMENT OPERATES, THEN THERE WOULD BE LESS RELIANCE
IN A SENSE ON WHAT WE ARE DOING. THOSE PHONE CALLS AREN'T BEING RETURNED OR
E MAILS AREN'T BEING RETURNED BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY ARE THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS REQUESTS BECAUSE
CITIZENS DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW GOVERNMENT OPERATE. I HAVE A CONSTITUENT THAT HAS CONTACTED SENATOR
NORTHRUMM'S OFFICE ASKING FOR A REQUEST THAT ARE CITY RELATED AND THE SAME CON STATE YOU
ENHAS BEEN CONTACTING ME AND I TRIED TO EDUCATE HER ON THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE CAN'T DO
AND WE SOMEWHERE IN PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY SHOULD BE A PLAN TO EDUCATE THE CITIZENS MORE
HOW GOVERNMENT OPERATE, WHAT THEIR ROLE IS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT.
THE NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM, WE'RE IN TIGHT ECONOMIC TIMES, WITHOUT THAT, EVEN IF WE HAVE
MONEY PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR MONEY.
THEY SHOULD BE TAUGHT THEY HAVE MORE POWER AND VOICE THAN WE CAN, THEY CAN INFLUENCE
MORE IN THE COMMUNITY THAN WE CAN. AS I GET OUTRAGEOUS REQUESTS, I'M BEING EDUCATED,
THESE CITIZENS WANT YOU TO MAKE THE SUN RISE AND SET AT TIMES THAT IT CAN'T, BUT WHEN YOU
TALK TO THEM, YOU LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THIS IS HOW YOU CAN DO THIS NEXT TIME, YOU CAN
CALL THIS NUMBER, CALL THIS DEPARTMENT. THEY ARE LIKE, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
THESE ARE PEOPLE NOT ENGAGED IN CIVIL LEAGUES, WE ARE EDUCATING THEM.
WE RELIED ON EDUCATING THROUGH CIVIL LEAGUES. HOW ARE WE GETTING TO PEOPLE NOT ENGAGED IN
THE GOVERNMENT, I THINK THAT'S WHERE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY IS.
WE SAW WITH THIS BUDGET CYCLE THAT THERE WAS LESS CRITICISM OF HOW OUR BUDGET WAS BEING
OPERATED BECAUSE WE INCLUDED PEOPLE, NOT JUST INCLUDED THEM BUT THEY WERE EDUCATED ABOUT
HOW THE BUDGET PROCESS WORKS. YOU DID THAT, MARCUS, YOU BROUGHT YOUR STAFF
AND YOU EDUCATED THE PUBLIC ON HOW IT WORKS, THERE WAS LESS CRITICISM.
THAT'S WHERE THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES COME FROM, THE TRANSPARENCY ISSUES, THAT'S WHEN
PEOPLE START QUESTIONING OUR GOVERNMENT IS WHEN THEY DON'T FEEL THEY ARE INVOLVED OR
DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT OR HOW OUR GOVERNMENT OPERATE.
THEY DON'T KNOW WET ARE DEALING WITH REAL ESTATE, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T JUST
COME IN AND TEAR DOWN APARTMENTS ANYMORE BECAUSE THE LAW CHANGED.
I TELL PEOPLE THAT, THEY SAY I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
I ASK THEM TO CONTACT THEIR DELEGATE AND ASK THEM TO CHANGE THE LAW.
SOMEWHERE IN THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY WE NEED TO HAVE EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON HOW OUR
GOVERNMENT WORKS. >> I THINK THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE,
IT LIKE GOING INTO A STORE AND HAVING SOMEONE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE BE RUDE TO YOU AND YOU
ASK TO SPEAK TO THE MANAGER AND THE MANAGER IS MORE RUDE THAN WHO YOU JUST TALKED TO.
YOU KNOW I KNOW WHERE I GOT THAT, THE MANAGER WAS RUDE AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE RUDE.
I HAVEN'T HAD THE BENEFIT OF WORKING WITH DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS, BUT I THINK THERE
IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT YOU BRING TO THE CITY, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT
ENERGY IS LIKE A DOMINO EFFECT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND, SO, BY OPENING UP OUR MEETINGS,
TELEVISING OUR MEETINGS, PUTTING INFORMATION OUT, GETTING OUT AND WORKING IN OUR COMMUNITY
FORUMS AND IN THE PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS, THAT HAS GONE A LONG WAYS IN RESTORING THE PUBLIC
TRUST AND YOU CAN'T FIX SOMETHING OVERNIGHT BECAUSE IT DIDN'T BREAK OVERNIGHT OR DIDN'T
GET OFF THE TRACK OVERNIGHT SO THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE IN YOU AND THE FACT THAT
I BELIEVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR CITY EMPLOYEES BELIEVE IN YOU AND BELIEVE WHEN YOU SAY, YOU
KNOW, OUR CITY WILL BE WELL MANAGED, OUR CITY WILL BE DATA DRIVEN.
WHATEVER WE DO THERE WILL BE A REASON FOR IT, IF WE DON'T DO IT WELL WE AREN'T GOING
TO DO IT AT ALL. THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT CAN GRAB, BECAUSE WHEN
THEY GO TO WORK ON THEIR JOBS THEY HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO SOMEBODY, THEY HATE CITY
EMPLOYEES WHO ARE LOSEY GOOSEY, I THINK WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK TO HAVING OUR CITY
BECOME WELL MANAGED AND WE'LL RUN, IT NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN HAPPEN OVERNIGHT BUT I
BELIEVE WET ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BOTHERS ME HAVING BEEN
ATE CITY EMPLOYEE, WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG IN THE CITY AND IT ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE
NEWSPAPER ABOVE THE FOLD, EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE IS AFFECTED BY IT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THEIR DEPARTMENT, DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT THEY
HAVE DONE BUT EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE IS AFFECTED AND IT AFFECTS THEIR MORALE.
SO IF WE CAN  ONCE WE BECOME A WELL MANAGED GOVERNMENT AND ONCE WE BECOME COMPLETELY DATA
DRIVEN, ONCE WE GET ALL THOSE THINGS CLEANED UP AND WE ELIMINATE OR AT LEAST MINIMIZE THE
NEGATIVE STORIES THAT ARE ABLE TO BE PRODUCED OUT BY THE "PILATE" THEN IN ADDITION TO ALL
THE THING WE ARE DOING NOW, I THINK THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE A MUCH MORE FAVORABLE OPINION OF
THE CITY OF NORFOLK, BECAUSE THAT EVEN IN MY OPINION AFFECTS OUR DEVELOPMENT EFFORT,
AFFECT OUR HOUSING EFFORT. WHEN YOU PICK UP THE DAY AND ALL YOU SEE IS
WHAT IS GOING WRONG WITH NORFOLK, WHO WANT TO MOVE HERE?
WHO WANTS TO SEND THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL HERE? I THINK THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE HAS
A LOT TO DO WITH FRAMING NOT ONLY WHAT WE DO BUT HOW OTHER PEOPLE SEE US.
>> ON THE ANTEDOTAL STUFF SAYS WE GREW BY 3.5% AND VIRGINIA BEACH GREW BY 3%.
STICK TO THE FACTS, I TELL PEOPLE. WE GREW FASTER THAN VIRGINIA BEACH, WE ARE
GOING TO OVERTAKE THEM ANY DAY. >> THEY ARE ALL IN MY WARD.
>> THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE, I MEAN THAT HAPPENS TO ALL THE AREAS WITH MILITARY.
SOMETIMES THEY HURT US, SOMETIMES THEY HELP US.
MARCUS, WHERE DID THE STRATEGY THING, PLOT OUR COURSE, WHERE DID THAT COME IN?
I UNDERSTAND ALL THIS, BUT HOW DO YOU MAKE THE STRATEGY THAT WE IMPLEMENT?
>> IF YOU LOOK AT, I THINK ONE OF THE GOOD EXAMPLES IN YOUR SECOND SHEET, IT'S ACTUALLY
RICHMOND EXAMPLE >> CHARLOTTE HAS A CITY STRATEGY.
>> WE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION YESTERDAY, THE QUESTION IS IF WE GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE
PROCESS IS SOMEBODY GOING TO SAY WHAT IS THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE SAY THIS IS IT. WE DIDN'T WANT SOMETHING THAT WAS CONNECTED
TO THE BUDGET AND CALLED PERFORMANCE BASED DOING HING.
EVEN WHEN FRANK HAS THE GENERAL PLAN, THEY ARE LOCKING IN ON WHAT YOU DECIDE TODAY.
EVERYTHING WE DO FROM THIS POINT ON IN THIS ADMINISTRATION WILL BE DRIVEN BY WHAT THE
PRIORITIES ARE OF THE CITY. SO I'M NOT SAYING THERE IS A GLOSSY DOCUMENT,
BUT WHEN WE ARE DONE YOU WILL HAVE A PLAN MUCH LIKE THAT IS AND WILL BE DRIVEN BY WHAT
YOU SAY THE PRIORITIES ARE. I SAID THIS IS LIKE RICHMOND, THIS IS WHAT
I DID WHILE I WAS THERE. A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T THINK IT COULD HAPPEN
ON SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THEY CHANGE THE WAY THEY BUDGET, WE WANT TO
DO THE SAME THING. WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY NEXT.
BUT IF WE THINK PUBLIC SAFETY IS JUST RETRIEVED POLICE I THINK WE'VE MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY
BECAUSE IT'S ALSO THE PERCEPTION OF SAFETY. WE'RE TALKING GRAFFITI.
SO, MAYOR, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THIS IS REALLY THE STARTING POINT THAT SOMETHING AT
A BEAR MINIMUM OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS WE ARE GOING TO DEVELOP EVERYTHING WE DO WILL
BE RELATED WHAT HAPPENS TODAY, EVEN THE MASTER PLAN FOR PARKS AND WREAK REATION.
WE WON'T STOP WHAT WE ARE DOING. >> WHAT ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.
IF YOU ARE NOT  PEOPLE SAY IF YOUR COMMUNITY DOESN'T INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION CENTERS THAT
CONNECTS YOU TRYING TO BUILD CITIES AROUND AIRPORTS.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE TRANSPORTATION AND ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO GET IN AND OUT OF HERE IS WORKED
INTO ALL OF THIS? WE CAN HAVE WELL EDUCATED WORK FORCE, BUT
TRANSPORTATION IS IMPORTANT. >> WE KNOW THIS IS PART OF THE PROCESS.
WE'D BE SURPRISED IF TRANSPORTATION IS NOT ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES OR BUILT INTO ONE OF
THE PRIORITIES BEFORE WE LEAVE TODAY. WE STARTED WITH SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN
THE MID 1990'S AND TODAY WE ARE SAYING THESE ARE THE SIX YOU HAVE BUT EVEN IF YOU LOOK
AT THE BACK OF THE PRESENTATION WE GAVE YOU EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE CALL DIFFERENT WAYS TO
LOOK AT IT BUT MOBILITY. SO WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
RIGHT NOW IT NOT VERY CLEAR AND I THINK COUNCILMAN PROTOGYROU SAID, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FROM THESE SIX OR SEVEN OR FIVE, WE'LL GIVE YOU A STATEMENT SO WHEN
WE GO ABOUT DOING THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY WE UNDERSTAND WHAT EDUCATION MEANS OR MOBILITY
MEANS TO THIS COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT.
>> DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN. >> I WANTED TO ASK YOU HAVE A TIME LINE OF
18 MONTHS, I UNDERSTOOD YOUR BUDGET NEXT YEAR WOULD REFLECT THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES, SO NEXT
YEAR BUDGET BOOK WILL IT BE DIVIDED IN THE COUNCIL PRIORITIES OR LOOK THE SAME?
>> ALL MY STAFF WOULD SAY IT'S 18 MONTHS BUT I WILL TELL YOU YOU WILL NOT HAVE SEEN MUCH
OF IT THIS YEAR. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF GRUMBLING OVER THERE.
WE CAN'T TELL YOU ONE THING AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
IN A PERFECT SENSE ONE WOULD SUGGEST THIS IS A TWO TO THREE YEAR PROCESS BUT I'M CONVINCED
OVER THE SHORT TERM WE HAVE MADE SO MUCH PROGRESS IN TERMS OF SETTING A CULTURE, THAT WE CAN
AT LEAST CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE DISPLAY INFORMATION TO YOU SO IT IS MORE CORE SERVICES AS OPPOSED
LINE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET. >> TO CLARIFY, MARCUS AND I ARGUE FREQUENTLY
THAT IT TRAS A YEAR TO CREATE PROCESS, THREE TO INSTITUTIONALIZE IT.
WE WANT TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN AN ORGANIZATION THAT THINKS IN TERMS OF EVERYTHING IT DOES
FEEDING THE PRIORITY SET BY THE COUNCIL, IT'S IMPLEMENTING THEM.
YOU ARE NOT LOCKED INTO A SINGLE THING ON HERE AND THAT IS WHY WE WANTED YOU TO TALK
TO TELL US WHAT IS IT YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE HAPPEN.
IT A LOT HARDER IF WE GIVE YOU A BLANK SLATE AND SAY WHAT DO YOU WANT?
IT WOULD BE A LONG WEEK. WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO WHAT IS THE MEAT?
WHAT HAVE WE HEARD A LOT. I PUT THESE UP HERE, WE'LL COME BACK TO THEM,
SOME OF THE THINGS WE SAW FREQUENTLY WITH OTHER CITIES IS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY,
LIVEABILITY, MOBILITY, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT INCORPORATE A LOT OF
WHAT YOU HAVE SAID, SO, IF WE GO BACK QUICKLY TO PUBLIC SAFETY THAT IS CURRENTLY ON THE
BOOKS, SOMETHING THIS COMMUNITY HAS SAID IS A PRIORITY, IT'S A NICE WORD BUT IT CAN MEAN
A LOT OF THINGS. SOME OF THE EXAMPLES, ROCK HILLS IS VERY BROAD,
THEY TALK ABOUT POLICE AND FIRE INCIDENTS BUT THEY ALSO TALK ABOUT LIFE, HEALTH, PROPERTY.
THE OTHER ONE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE AND SECURE. WHERE THEY LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.
WHAT DOES PUBLIC SAFETY MEAN TO THIS COUNCIL OR IS IT EVEN SOMETHING WE FEEL THE NEED TO
STATE AS A PRIORITY? NOT EVERY CITY HAS IT AS A PRIORITY.
>> IT ALMOST A GIVEN. >> IT'S A MANDATED SERVICE.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF  I'M THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX.
IT'S SUCH A CORIST KNEW ANY CITY, IS IT ALMOST TOO BASIC?
>> IS IT PART OF COMMUNITY. >> IS IT A WHOLE OTHER CATEGORY.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT  I HAVEN'T SEEN FUN YET.
FRANKLY, THAT IS WHAT MAKES PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE HERE, AND
>> LIVEABILITY. >> LIVEABILITY, YES.
OR AT SOME POINT GET TO THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF PUBLIC SAFETY REALLY IS  IT ALMOST
>> IT'S A GIVEN. >> IT'S ALMOST SENDING UP WARNING FLAGS THAT
WE PUT IT UP THERE AND IT BECOMES: WHY DO THEY HAVE TO HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY ONE OF THE
TOP FOUR OR FIVE THINGS IN THE CITY, IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG?
I'M PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING ABOUT THIS, NOT ADOPTING THE PO EXIST GLUN NOT EVERYBODY,
YOU WILL NOTICE NOT ALL OF THESE HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY.
>> I THINK IF WE MOVE TO A PLACE WHERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE LIVE WHERE THEY WANT
TO LIVE, REGARDLESS OF ECONOMICS, IF WE TAKE AWAY THE CONCENTRATED AREAS OF POVERTY AND
WE HAVE PEOPLE DIVERSE WHO ARE PRESENTED OUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY, BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE
HIGH CONCENTRATION OF POVERTY AND YOU HAVE SOME POVERTY LEVELS THAT ARE REALLY HIGH IN
SOME AREAS, YOU HAVE MORE CRIME. AND I VENTURE TO SAY MAYBE THOSE PEOPLE WHO
LIVE IN THOSE AREAS MAY NOT FEEL SAFE, NOT THAT THEY ARE BAD PEOPLE, BUT THEY HAVE TO
LIVE IN A CERTAIN PLACE BECAUSE OF WHATEVER THE REASON IS, IF WE CAN DO AWAY FROM THE
HIGH AREAS OF CONCENTRATED POVERTY, THEN WE SPREAD PEOPLE OUT AND WE DIVERSIFY THE CITY,
THEN I THINK PUBLIC SAFETY DOES BECOME A NONISSUE  NOT A NONISSUE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY A PRIORITY.
BECAUSE I LIVE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND I GREW UP, WE NEVER HAD CRIME ON OUR STREET, NOBODY'S
CAR GOT BROKEN INTO, NOBODY'S HOUSE GOT BROKEN INTO, IT WAS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.
IN SOME CASES IF YOU LOOK AT CRIME STATS AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODS, SOMETIMES THEY ARE GREAT,
SOMETIMES THEY ARE NOT. MY QUESTION IS WHERE IS ALL THE CRIME HAPPENING
BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN ON THE STREET I GREW UP ON OR THE STREET I LIVE IN NOW.
BUT IF PEOPLE ARE SPREAD OUT, I THINK THE PUBLIC SAFETY PEOPLE WILL FEEL WHEN THE PLACE
WHERE THEY LIVE, WORK AND HAVE FUN, THEY WILL HAVE THAT AND IT WILL BE LESS OF AN ISSUE.
I COULD BE WRONG. >> YOU'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT COMMUNITY, A
LOT ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS, PERHAPS FOR NORFOLK PUBLIC SAFETY IS AN EXTENSION, A TOOL.
IN THIS CASE PUBLIC SAFETY MAY BE THE MEANS TO THE END RATHER THAN THE PRIORITY.
>> I WANT TO PLAY QUICKLY, I HAPPEN TO REALLY LIKE OUR SLOGAN LET'S CELEBRATE DAILY.
I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WANT TO GET RID OF IT, BUT I LIKE IT BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT USING
IT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PRIORITIES, YOU CAN SEPARATE IT AND YOU HAVE LIFE, YOU HAVE CELEBRATION
WHICH ANDY WAS TALKING ABOUT AND THE DAILY STUFF, THE DAY TO DAY THINGS AND YOU TAKE
THE DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT STUFF OF THE CITY AND YOU PUT IT UNDER THAT WORD, GIVE THE CELEBRATION
STUFF AND YOU PUT IT UNDER THERE THAT ARE RELATED THIS AND YOU HAVE THE LIFE, THE STUFF
THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE AS PART OF OUR LIFE, COMMUNITY AND YOU PLAYOFF THOSE THREE WORDS
UNTIL OUR PRIORITY ACE ROUND THOSE THREE WORDS IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO KEEP LIFE CELEBRATE
DAILY. BOB IS SHAKING HIS HEAD.
THOSE COULD SHAPE WHERE WET ARE GOING, WE JUST HAVE TO FIND WHICH PLACE IT GOES UNDER.
COMMUNITY IS ABOUT CELEBRATION WE PUT COMMUNITY UNDER CELEBRATION PART OF THE CITY AND BUILD
FROM THERE. I WAS JUST LOOKING AT OUR WORD AND WANTED
TO MAKE SURE, WHEN YOU SAID CELEBRATION, IT MADE ME THINK WHAT PEOPLE, ARE THEY HAPPY
TO LIVE IN NORFOLK? ARE THEY PROUD OF NORFOLK?
THAT IS A PIECE THAT IS  WE NEED TO ADDRESS AND MAKE SURE IT IS CONSTANTLY THERE.
I LOVE LIVING HERE, I DON'T PLAN ON MOVING. I HAVE SOME FRIENDS THAT DON'T FEEL THAT WAY,
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO GET THEM TO STAY HERE, RAISE THEIR KIDS TO DO THE LIFE STUFF,
THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS OF THE CITY AFFECT THEM.
WHAT DO WE DO TO CELEBRATE AND MAKE THEM STAY HERE?
>> WHETHER YOU MAKE IT A PRIORITY OR NOT, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE WHERE
THEY LIVE, YOU MAY NOT WANT TO PUT IT ON A BILLBOARD BUT IT A DAMN IMPORTANT PART OF
THE CITY. IT'S A DAMN IMPORTANT PART OF THE SIT IT.
YOU HAVE TO BE SAFE WHERE YOU LIVE. YOU CAN'T DOWN PLAY THE PRIORITY.
>> EVERY SURVEY WE'VE EVER DONE, EITHER PUBLIC SAFETY OR EDUCATION POPS UP AS ONE OR TWO.
>> BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE ALL SAYING THE SAME THING, WE ARE ALL JUST GOING ROUND AND
ROUND ON THE SAME IDEAS. THE IDEA IS THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE NORFOLK
A PLACE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE AND TO GET PEOPLE TO WANT TO LIVE HERE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
SAFETY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EDUCATION, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ABLE TO HAVE ADEQUATE TRANSPORTATION,
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK WE ARE ALL TRYING TO DO THE EXACT
SAME THING, TALKING ABOUT HAVING FUN, TALKING ABOUT RECREATING, ALL OF THOSE ARE THINGS
PEOPLE WANT TO DO WHEN THEY LIVE IN AN AREA. HOWEVER WE WANT TO SLICE IT.
FRANKLY, I THINK THERE ARE SOME GOOD WAYS HERE THAT I THINK FOLKS HAVE DONE THIS.
YOU KNOW, I REALIZE ALL THE BULL  THE BUZZ WORDS.
>> YOUR MIC IS ON. >> ARE WE ALL JUST SAYING THE SAME THING THE
ONLY THING I WILL ADD, IF YOU LOOKED AT WHERE WE WERE 12 YEARS AGO, IT REFLECTED OUR ENVIRONMENT,
WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THE ENVIERPMENT AS A PRIORITY, IF YOU WANT AN UMBRELLA BRINGING
PEOPLE TO STAY IN NORFOLK, YOU HAVE TO INCLUDE ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY, HOWEVER YOU WANT
TO SLICE IT, I THINK THAT IS A PRIORITY WE HAVEN'T DEMONSTRATED 12 YEARS AGO THAT NOW
WE NEED TO ACCEPT. >> THAT'S WHAT THE MAYOR WAS SAYING THERE'S
NO GREAT CITY IN VIRGINIA BUT HOW ABOUT NORFOLK BECOME THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIT IT ON THE EAST
COAST. WE HAVE SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY ECONOMIC WISE
BEING ON THE WATER, WE SHOULD BE BUILDING THE WINDMILLS VIRGINIA BEACH MIGHT END UP
PUTTING THERE, BUT WE COULD BE A MODEL CITY FOR THE EAST COAST ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND
IT NOT TALKED ABOUT, ADDRESSED. OUR INDUSTRY COULD BE AROUND THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE COULD DO WORK FORCE TRAINING ON TRAINING PEOPLE ON ENVIRONMENT, THAT IS WHERE THE BIGGEST
BUSINESS. >> WE ALSO ALREADY HAVE CULTURE FOR THE ARTS,
THAT SHOULD BE EVOLVED. >> THAT'S THE FUN PART.
>> THAT GOES UNDER FUN. CULTURE AND ART HAS TO BE CONSIDERED, PUBLIC
AND PRIVATE ART. >> A COUPLE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD.
CULTURE AND THE ARTS. FUN.
THE ENVIRONMENT. YOU TALKED ABOUT CIVILITY AND THAT COULD BE
RELATED ENVIRONMENT, SAFETY, EDUCATION, COMMUNITY. THE MILITARY RELATIONSHIP THAT CAME UP.
>> I THINK YOUR MIKE ROW PHONE HAS MOVED. MICROPHONE HAS MOVED.
>> BASED ON THAT TOO, A COUPLE THINGS, WE HAVE HEARD MOBILITY, TRANSPORTATION, MOBILITY,
THE ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURAL ARTS. PRIORITY IS THE INITIATIVE AS WELL AS PUBLIC
SAFETY, I FLIPPED THROUGH THE PAGES, SOME PEOPLE CALL IT SAFE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY SAFETY,
EVEN LIVEABILITY. I GUESS THE QUESTION IS AT SOME POINT WE HAVE
YOUR IDEAS, YOUR CONCEPTS AND IF YOU TRUST US TO GO BACK AND BE ABLE TO TAKE THESE AND
GET THEM DOWN TO MAYBE SAY FIVE TO SEVEN RANGE BUT NOT LOSING SITE OF ANYTHING THAT WAS BROUGHT
UP TODAY, MAYBE EVEN IN THE PRIORITY STATEMENT, I JUST THINK IN MY OPINION THIS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY
SUCCESSFUL AND I DON'T WANT TO GET US TO A.WHERE WET ARE GOING ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND.
BUT UNLESS I'VE MISSED SOMETHING IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS THE WANT OR WILLINGNESS OF THE
EXPECTATION THAT MOBILITY, TRANS POR SHAYTION, ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURAL ARTS BE SOMEWHAT
CAPTURED IN WHAT WE HAVE. >> HEALTHY COMMUNITY.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY  A HEALTHY COMMUNITY IS ONE WHERE WE ARE REMEMBERING REATING, HEALTHY 
RECREATING. A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT.
>> THE QUESTION REALLY WHAT YOU WANT IN PUBLIC SAFETY, SOME OF THE COMMENT CAME BACK IS IT
A PRIORITY OR PART OF CREATING A COMMUNITY WE WANT TO BE IN, SO THAT IS WHERE A LOT OF
THE DIALOGUE HAS BEEN WHETHER OR NOT PUBLIC SAFETY IS A PRIORITY UNTO ITSELF OR A PART
AND PARCEL BEING THE NORFOLK WE WANT IT TO BE UNDER ANOTHER UMBRELLA, HEALTHY AND SAFE
COMMUNITY, LIVEABLE COMMUNITY, QUALITY COMMUNITY, THE TERMS HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT.
IT SOUND A LITTLE MORE ENCOMPASSING IT UNDER ANOTHER AREA OTHER THAN HIGHLIGHTING IT.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU PROVIDE? YOU ARE ASKING US WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO US?
PUBLIC SAFETY? >> WE START OUT WITH WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU,
WHAT I HEARD BACK FROM THE MAJORITY OF THE GROUP IS REALLY PUBLIC SAFETY IS A GIVEN,
WE NEED A SAFE COMMUNITY, WE NEED PEOPLE TO FEEL SAFE AND IT PART OF THE HIGHER PRIORITY
OF BEING A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE.
AND THEN WE GOT INTO THE CONVERSATION WHAT IS THAT COMMUNITY, WHAT IS THE DESIRED COMMUNITY,
WHERE IS THE FUN? WHERE IS THE TRANTS PORTATION TO GET AROUND
IS, THE HEALTHY COMPONENTS AND OTHER THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
IT REALLY SOUND LIKE THE GROUP FEELS PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH SAFETY BEING A COMPONENT
OF THE COMMUNITY ASPECT, DESIRABILITY ASPECT, FOR SOME, NOT ALL.
>> DOES THAT MEAN AT SOME POINT WE WILL GET DOWN TO NUTS AND BOLTS?
>> YES. >> NOT JUST THE SAFETY THING.
>> RIGHT. >> BUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE PREVALENT
IN SOME OF THE PROBLEMATIC COMMUNITIES, THAT WOULD SPEAK TO THE WORD PUBLIC SAFETY.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN SOME FRAGILE NEIGHBORHOODS WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH STORES OR DRUG HOUSES
OR YOUNG MEN OUT THERE SELLING DRUGS, GANGS, WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND, SO, IN SOME INSTANCES IT'S TAKEN US YEARS TO CLOSE DOWN THE PROBLEMATIC SITUATIONS IN
THE COMMUNITY. SO, FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY STANDPOINT, IF I'M
LIVING NEXT DOOR TO THAT AND MY QUALITY OF LIFE IS INTERRUPTED BUT I REACHED OUT TO YOU
AND IT TAKES ME A YEAR TO GET IT DONE, THAT DIMINISHES MY QUALITY OF LIE, I'M SAYING TO
YOU, WHAT IS THE STRATEGY TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS THAT WE SEE IN CERTAIN
COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS THAT EXIST IN ONE COMMUNITY MIGHT NOT BE THE PROBLEM
THAT EXISTS IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY. ONE COMMUNITY MAY SIMPLY NEED LIGHT CONTROL,
ANOTHER COMMUNITY MAY NEED THE, WHAT IS IT, THE
>> IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY. >> I UNDERSTAND.
>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I WANT TO DRILL IT DOWN TO I UNDERSTAND WHAT
I'M GETTING. >> IF WE TRY TO DRILL TOO FAR DOWN
>> I HAVE TO UNDERSTAND. >> DRILL, BABY, DRILL.
>> THE SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM IN ONE COMMUNITY  TO ME IT GET DOWN TO LOOKING AT
>> I DON'T THINK >> YOU'RE TALKING QUALITY OF LIFE, IF YOU
CAN'T DEAL WITH THE ISSUES HERE. >> I KNOW THAT.
>> WHAT MAY BE A QUALITY OF LIFE IN ONE COMMUNITY MAY BE HELL IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE GET TO THE POINT WHETHER YOU USE COM STAT, WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THE CITY AND ABLE TO PINPOINT STRATEGIES, NOT JUST POLICE, BUT DO HAVE A STRATEGY TO
END THOSE PROBLEMS. EVERY YEAR WE SHOULDN'T CONTINUE TO SEE THE
SAME PROBLEMS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. WE DON'T HAVE A STRATEGY FOR AN END GAME WHEN
WE GO IN THERE BECAUSE IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A WELL MANAGED GOVERNMENT, AND YOU ARE
LOOKING AT DATA, THEN YOU ARE GOING TO COME UP WITH RESULTS.
YOU WILL HAVE RESULT AT THE END OF THE DAY, SO IF I'M GOING INTO A COMMUNITY IN THE SAME
SITUATION THAT EXISTS TODAY AS FIVE YEARS AGO, I'VE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL.
WHO DO I GO TO AND SAY, LOOK, WE'VE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN THIS.
WE CAN'T POLICE THE WAY WE'VE BEEN POLICING WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM, SEND A BIKE PATROL
IN THERE, SEND NARCOTIC PATROL IN THERE, AT THE END OF THE DAY THERE IS A WHOLE NEW SET
OF PEOPLE TAKING THEIR PLACE AND WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS.
I WANT A STRATEGIC PLAN, HOW WE WILL COMBAT THE ISSUES, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF I LOOK
AT IT TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO IT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE BECAUSE WE PUT THE CORE SERVICES IN
PLACE, NOT JUST PUT A BANDAID ON IT. SO THAT COMMUNITY WILL HAVE QUALITY OF LIFE.
>> WE START THE DATA AND WE BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND AND WHAT WILL BE THE DESIRED OUTCOME
FOR THE COMMUNITY, YOU ARE RIGHT, IT NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
>> I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE TALK PUBLIC SAFETY, IT PART OF THE CONVERSATION AS WE DRILL DOWN,
YOU COME BACK WITH A STATEMENT AND SAY PUBLIC SAFETY IS IMPORTANT, YEAH, WHAT DOES THAT
MEAN, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE. >> I AGREE.
>> WE'LL BRING THIS BACK, SOUND LIKE  >> [INAUDIBLE]
>> OKAY, WE HAVE A COUPLE OTHER THINGS TO GET OUT ON THE TABLE BEFORE WE BREAK, MR. WINN
AND THEN COME TO ANDY. >> I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP TO THE MANAGER,
WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT [INAUDIBLE] WHERE WE ARE.
CONCEPTUALLY WE HAVEN'T TIED DOWN ANYTHING. THERE ARE 800 YOUNG PEOPLE BEING DISPLACED
IN CASE NOBODY KNOWS THAT, WE NEED TO FIND THEM A PLACE TO PLAY FAST.
>> COUNCILMAN WINN, I BELIEVE LAST TIME WE MET THAT CAME TO MY ATTENTION AND I SAID I
WOULD GIVE YOU A PROGRESS UPDATE. WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT WHATEVER WE DO, IT
IS GOING TO  AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS, I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH DARRYL AND HIS FOLKS, AS
WELL AS SOME OUT REACH EFFORT, BUT BOTTOM LINE IS WHATEVER WE DO IN THE SHORT TERM IS
GOING TO HAVE TO BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, WE HAVE AT LEAST
FIVE WHAT I CALL LEAGUES OUT THERE, HAVING FIVE DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE THEY ARE PLAYING,
AND BECAUSE OF THE LIMITATIONS WITH FIELDS, IT GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT THERE IS SOME
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE FIELDS SOME WHICH
THE LITTLE LEAGUE PLAY ON, WE HAVE FIELDS THE OCEAN VIEW LITTLE LEAGUE PLAY ON.
AT SOME POINT ALL THE FIELDS WILL HAVE TO COME INTO PLAY FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT
WELL AS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THEIR CHILDREN PLAYING.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, I THROW IN THE FIELD WE HAVE OUR OWN PROGRAMS.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF GETTING FIELDS BETTER PREPARED, BUT I WILL
TELL YOU THAT WE WILL NOT BE SUCCESSFUL UNLESS THE DIFFERENT GROUPS ARE WILLING TO ALSO COLLABORATE
AND THAT WILL BE THE KEY. I THINK THIS MEETING TODAY REALLY PINPOINTS
HOW YOU GET THINGS DONE WITH COLLABORATION. >> WE CHATTED EARLIER IN THE WEEK AND WE WILL
CHAT AGAIN, WE NEED TO SIT DOWN WITH DARRYL AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DIFFERENT LEAGUES,
FACILITATE SOME PLACES THAT HAVE DRY FIELDS. WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE LEAGUES, THE LEAGUE AT
OCEAN VIEW, THE FIRST PASS WASN'T VERY  WE COULD GO TO OCEAN VIEW ELEMENTARY, THAT ENTAILS
THE SCHOOL BOARD. ONE OF THE OPTIONS WOULD BE TO BUILD FIVE
FEET, SEVEN FIELDS, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PLAY TOGETHER, THEY COULD PLAY SEPARATELY AND HAVE
THEIR OWN LEAGUE, MAYBE SOME OTHER PLACES. I THINK THE KEY IS THAT THE CORE GROUP, AS
I EXPLAINED TO YOU, STAY TOGETHER AND WE DON'T WANT T BALL HERE AND THE COACH PITCH OVER
HERE AND MAJORS OVER HERE. I THINK THERE ARE SOLUTIONS TO THAT, I DIDN'T
REALIZE BEYOND AZALEA. I THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE SOME QUESTION, BUT
WE DO OWN THE AZALEA, HOW MANY FIELDS OUT THERE?
>> SEVEN. IS IT SEVEN AND FAIR FIELD OVER THERE?
>> YES, THOSE ARE OUR FIELDS. >> THERE'S THE POTENTIAL OF SHARING AND KEEPING
THE LEAGUES SEPARATE AND PUTTING THEM TOGETHER, I THINK WE NEED TO GET WITH THE LITTLE LEAGUE
NEIGHBORHOODS, DARRYL, YOURSELF, I'M HAPPY TO BE INVOLVED, AND MAYBE THE PEOPLE THAT
RUN THE OTHER LEAGUES, DO IT FAST TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND IF THEY WANT TO STAY SEPARATE,
TOGETHER, WHATEVER. IF WE COULD HAVE THE FACILITY THEY COULD STAY
TOGETHER, HAVE THEIR OWN PLACE OR THEY DECIDE IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE  I DON'T KNOW,
BUT CAN WE FACILITATE THAT MEETING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER?
THERE IS A LOT OF ANGST, WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS MEETINGS, DARRYL AND I HAVE WITH THE LITTLE
LEAGUE REPRESENTATIVE, SENATORS, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK.
WHEN CAN WE DO THAT? >> WE CAN DO IT THIS WEEK, COUNCILMAN.
THE KEY IS OUR GOAL TO HAVE BASEBALL BE IN PLAY NEXT SEASON.
>> WE NEED IT TO BE  THE LEAGUE NEEDS TO HANG TOGETHER.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. >> NOT GO OVER HERE WITH THEIR T BALL KID,
OVER HERE WITH THEIR NIEP YEAR OLD. >> CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE LITTLE LEAGUES PLAY
NOW? >> TARRELTON, LEAGUE PARK AND AZALEA.
>> AND OCEAN VIEW. AND THEN TARRELTON IS OUR PARK, AM I RIGHT?
>> WE OWN ALL THE FACILITY EXCEPT FLEET PARK WHICH WE ARE BEING EVICTED.
>> THE BASEBALL PLAYED AT LAKEWOOD IS REC LEAGUE AND NORTH SIDE AND THAT IS ADULT LEAGUE
REC? >> NORTH SIDE IS ADULT SOFTBALL, COMBINATION
OF TRAVELING TEAMS AS WELL, BUT LAKEWOOD, THAT IS ACTUALLY
>> IT AMERICAN LEGION. >> AMERICAN LEGION PLACE AT LAKEWOOD AS WELL.
>> THEY DON'T PLAY SOFTBALL THERE ANYMORE. >> NOT THAT MUCH.
YES, THE ADULT LEAGUE BUT NOT YOUTH. >> THE ADULT LEAGUE.
>> WHY DON'T WE LOOK AT LAKE HILLS, THEY HAVE FOUR OR FIVE FIELDS THERE.
>> I'M DEFERRING TO DARRYL, SOME OF US HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BY PEOPLE, BUT
>> I THINK ANY OPTION IS OPEN TO KEEP THE LEAGUE TOGETHER IN A REASONABLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UNLESS THERE'S A CONFLICT WHERE  WHEN DO THEY PLAY?
WHAT TIME? >> ALL DURING THE WEEK FROM APRIL TO JUNE
AND THEN THEY HAVE A FALL LEAGUE. >> THE LAST TIME STEVE CLARK WAS BEFORE US,
DID WE HAVE A FINE RAN CHAL INVESTMENT OR  FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS OR [INAUDIBLE] STRIP
MALL THERE? >> HOLD ON A SECOND.
AT FLEET PARK 20 YEARS AGO THE CITY INVESTED $400,000, IT WAS A PARTNERSHIP, NAVY OWNED
THE PROPERTY, ACCESS WAS DOWN A RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY, THE CITY PAID A SHARE OF IT, THERE
WAS A LOT OF COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING, LIGHT RAILS CAME FROM AN OILED PARK AS WELL AS STANDS.
STEVE BALLARD, A LOT OF GUYS PITCHED IN AND TRIED TO BILL THE THING, SOME OF US RAISED
MONEY AND >> WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN THIS PARTICULAR EFFORT,
SAME THING? >> YES, WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN YET BUT I WOULD
THINK IT WOULD INVOLVE >> THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO MOVE TO GET OUR PLAN.
>> WE HAVE TO GET A LOCATION, THE OTHER THING WE HAVE TO WORK ON FOR LONG TERM IS THERE
IS NAVY PROPERTY WHICH IS SUBSTANTIAL PIECE OF NAVAL PROPERTY WHICH THE NAVY IS LOOKING
AT SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ABOUT IT, WHICH HOPEFULLY, I MEAN IF APPROACHED IN THE RIGHT
WAY THIS COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE CITY FOR RECREATION USES, IT'S A BIG PIECE OF PROPERTY,
BUT WE ARE PROBABLY TALKING A COUPLE YEARS OUT BY THE TIME WE COULD GET TO THAT POINT.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK SOME DAY THAT WILL HAPPEN. >> WHERE IS THAT?
>> IT'S OUT THERE ACROSS FROM CAMP BALLARD. >> I REMEMBER MY SON USED TO PRACTICE BACK
THERE. >> THAT'S THE TYPE FACILITY YOU COULD HAVE
SOFTBALL, LITTLE LEAGUE, LACROSSE, IT WOULD BRING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
>> IT'S 50 ACRES. >> AS YOU SAY, WE NEED TO BRING THIS THING
TO A HEAD QUICK. >> THAT'S THE LONG TERM THING FURTHER A COUPLE
THINGS AS FAR AS THE PARK IS CONCERNED, YOU SAID IT ABOUT 700
>> 800 BALL PLAYERS. >> OKAY.
>> 600 STUDENTS AND KIDS. >> I BET THERE'S A GROUP AT THE CAMPUS, I
DON'T THINK THEY ARE COMFORTABLE COMING OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE, BUT THAT'S 55 ACRES.
IT COULD BE REALLY DEVELOPED INTO A COMPLEX, A COMPLEX YOU COULD HAVE BASEBALL, PEOPLE
COMING, PLAYING REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS WHENEVER OTHER LEAGUES ARE NOT PLAYING, JUST LIKE WE
HAVE THE DIFFERENT FOOTBALL COMPLEXES IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I REALLY BELIEVE IF WE DO SOMETHING
TO HELP THESE LOCATIONS, WE WOULD ASK THEM TO GO TO WHEREVER THEIR GOVERNING BODY IS
TO EXPAND THE DISTRICTS. RIGHT NOW
>> I THINK NOW THEY HAVE TO DO IT, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO.
>> THEY ARE A GOVERNING BODY AND WE WOULD ASK I BELIEVE WE SHOULD ASK TO GO TO EXPAND
THE DISTRICT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, CAMPUS AND BERKELEY ARE THE ONLY TWO COMMUNITIES BEYOND
THE WEST SIDE SO IF WE COULD PUT ACOUPLE OTHER COMMUNITIES TO EXPAND IT.
MY SON HAS BEEN PLAYING THERE SINCE THE COACH PITCHED AND I THINK HE'S IN HIS NEXT TO THE
LAST YEAR OF PLAYING BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION, REALLY A TIGHT SHIP, AND I SUPPORT
IT, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME EXPANSION OF IT, SOME PEOPLE HAD MENTIONED LAFAYETTE PARK,
I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD DO WELL BECAUSE WE PUT THE MONEY IN FOR THE ZOO AND WITH POSSIBILITY
OF THE ZOO CONTINUING TO EXPAND, THAT WOULDN'T WORK.
THE PARK IS UNDER UTILIZED, IT DOES HAVE GROWTH POSSIBILITIES IN TERMS OF OTHER LOTS THAT
COULD BE AVAILABLE  HOW MUCH MONEY DID THEY SPEND ON THE PARK?
>> RVI. >> THE TWO ISSUES IS THERE IS A MASTER PLAN
TO RENOVATE THAT PARK, SO >> BUT I THINK WE WERE TALKING A FEW MINUTES
AGO ABOUT REGIONAL COOPERATION, EVEN IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH CAMPUS LANDFILL AS
FAR AS BASEBALL, CHESAPEAKE AND NORFOLK SHOULD LOOK AT THE LANDFILL, IT'S 55 ACRES, I DON'T
KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN UP THERE RECENTLY, BUT YOU NEED TO GO TAKE A LOOK AT IT, YOU
CAN SEE THE ENTIRE CITY OF NORFOLK. WHEN WE WERE THERE WE HAD PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
JOHN AND SOME OTHER ENGINEERS, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO BE EXTREMELY INTRUSIVE AS FAR AS THE
LAND IS CONCERN, AS FAR AS DIGGING DOWN AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THAT IS AN IDEAL PLACE
FOR A COMPLEX. AS I SAID THE WEST SIDE DIDN'T WANT TO COME
OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE. >> IT BEEN A WHILE.
I'LL COME BACK. >> I TELL YOU, IT'S AN IDEAL LOCATION FOR
TO US CONSIDER. >> SO, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT?
>> SHORT TERM. >> SHORT TERM WE ARE GOING TO
>> SHORT TERM WE ARE LOOKING AT [INAUDIBLE] >> WE COULD GET RID OF THOSE
>> I HAVE ANOTHER SENSITIVE ISSUE, IT BEEN MENTIONED BUT OUR GOLF COURSES AND DO WE NEED
THREE GOLF COURSES IN NORFOLK AND HOW MUCH LAB IT TAKES UP AND IS THERE POTENTIAL WITH
ONE OF THOSE. >> WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
>> I HAD TO BRING UP GOLF. WHO IS NEXT?
>> ALL RIGHT. >> THAT'S THE CRAZIEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD.
>> WHEN WOULD YOU CLOSE. >>
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW MUCH OUR GOLF COURSES BRING IN.
>> IT IS DOWN RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY. >> THERE'S A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS
IN THE BUDGET. >> WE ARE JUST TALKING ABOUT HAVING FUN.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU. >> IT'S SWITCHING THE FUN.
I DON'T GOLF. YOU NEED TO TAKE ME OUT.
MY ONE CONCERN IS WE HIRED CONSULTANTS TO DO A PARKS AND RECREATION STUDY, I DON'T KNOW
WHEN THAT WAS DONE IF THEY CONSIDER THE ISSUE OF WADE PARK, I DON'T KNOW WE KNEW I WAS CLOSING,
I WONDER IN OUR PARK STUDY IF WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT IN THE BIG PLAN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S
BEEN DONE AND HOW IT IMPACT IT. IF WE DON'T HAVE THE ROOM OR FACILITY FOR
IT, HOW CAN WE MAKE THAT WORK AND YOU GUYS ARE GETTING READY TO PRESENT THIS OR
>> THIS MONTH. >> THIS MONTH, I DON'T KNOW IF
>> IT'S COMING FROM THE COMMITTEE. >> I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NEEDS TO BE RECONSIDERED.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, AS WE CLOSE SCHOOL BUILDINGS, THERE'S POTENTIAL
FOR OPEN LAND THERE. YOU LOOK AT CORANADO, IF THAT BUILDING IS
NOT GOING TO BE UTILIZED CAN YOU PUT BALL FIELD THERE, IT CLOSE ENOUGH TO WADE PARK
AREA, BRINGS IN THE UPPER CITY, WE CAN EXPAND. I UNDERSTAND THE POLITICS BEHIND THAT, BUT
I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST SAYING, AND I DON'T WANT TO OFFER TEARING DOWN STEWART BUT THERE
MAY BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, IF WE TAKE THE BUILDINGS DOWN, IS THERE ENOUGH LAND.
>> THAT MIGHT BE A PERMANENT SOLUTION. >> MEADOWBROOK.
>> THESE KID NEED TO START PLAYING NEXT BRING. WE'VE BEEN 
>> IT CAME UP ON US KIND OF FAST AND IT MIGHT MEAN A TEMPORARY LOCATION FOR  UNTIL WE GET
A MASTER PLAN THAT INCLUDES THE BALL FIELDS. I KNOW WE DON'T WANT TO JUMP ON ANYTHING TOO
QUICKLY, IF WE HAVEN'T CONSIDERED THE DATA AND WHAT IT IS.
I WAS LOOKING BEHIND LARRY MOORE ELEMENTARY, I BROUGHT IT UP TO MARK CUES, THERE ARE TWO
BASEBALL FIELD COVERED IN GRASS THAT HASN'T BEEN UTILIZED.
THIRD IS A PARKING ISSUE BUT YOU CAN PUT ALMOST FOUR BASEBALL FIELD ON ONE SIDE AND TWO SMALLER
ON THE OTHER. >> WE TOOK THIS TO MARCUS AND DARRYL TO EVALUATE
EVERYTHING WE HAVE. I AM ALL ABOUT THE PARK BEING CENTRALLY LOCATED.
ANYWHERE IN NORFOLK IS 10 TO 15 MINUTES. >> ANDY IS THE HIGHWAY SAFETY COMMISSION.
>> THEY MET TODAY, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A BRIEFING OF WHAT WAS DISCUSSED?
>> I WOULD SAY NO. >> I WANT TO SAY A COUPLE THINGS WE HIT ON
TODAY BECAUSE SOME OFITY THINK THAT DEALS WITH A COUPLE OF THE WARDS.
SAFETY CITY, WE WERE BRIEFED TODAY ABOUT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, IT WILL HAVE TO MOVE FROM
WHERE IT IS, THIS SIG WAYS PERFECT, THE ZOO WAS EXPANDING THE HOSPITAL THERE, THEY ARE
TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CO LOCATING IT WITH THE SCHOOL, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL
HAPPEN BUT IT WAS DISCUSSED, THERE WAS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND SCHOOL BOARD
THERE. WITH REGARD TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, IF COW LOOK
AT THE ORDINANCE INVOLVING RIDING BIKES ON SIDE WALKS AND WHERE WE ARE ON THAT AND WHAT
ARE OTHER CITIES DOING AND IS IT ILLEGAL PER SE OR CAN WE GET AWAY FROM THAT?
>> IT COUNCIL'S DISCRETION. >> THE ORDINANCE, I KNOW THERE IS ONE NOW,
AND WHERE WE ARE AND YOU AND I CAN TALK OFF LINE ABOUT THAT.
PAUL, YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT THE HAMPTON BOULEVARD ACCIDENT.
DID YOU EVER GET AN ANSWER? >> NO.
>> I ASKED THEM TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT. >> I SAW THE TWO PAGE MEMO, BUT THAT WASN'T
>> I KNOW, TERRY, YOU WANTED TO KNOW IT. I ASKED THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM NORFOLK PD
YOU HAD ASKED AND WANTED A REPORT AS TO WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT WENT ON WITH REGARD TO THE
TRACTOR TRAILER FLIPPING OVER. I DID RECEIVE AN ANSWER, WHETHER IT THE OFFICIAL
ANSWER BUT I SAID YOU WANTED A MEMO BACK. THEY ARE FOLLOWING UP.
>> I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A POLICE INVESTIGATION, REPORT THE GUY TOOK ON THE SCENE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO BELIEVE THERE WERE GUYS RUNNING THE TRACTOR TRAILERS
HAVE A BAD TRACK RECORD OUT THERE AND THERE WERE PEOPLE  THERE IS  I DON'T WANT TO GO
INTO ALL THIS, BUT THERE ARE  I MEAN WE HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN JUST  HOW COME THIS TRACTOR
TRAILER TURNED OVER AT THAT CORNER, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK BE KNOW THE CONCERNS.
EVEN THE GUYS AT THE FORT, IF YOU JUST PICKED UP THE PHONE AND CALLED THEM, THEY HAVE A
WHOLE DIFFERENT ATTITUDE ABOUT THIS THAN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE THE GUY SAID THE LOAD
SHIFTED IN THE TRAILER. >> THIS SPEAKS TO THE OWNER OF THE TRUCKING
COMPANY, AND WHILE THEY STUCK TO THEIR STORY, I GUESS WOULD BE 
>> OF COURSE HE WILL STICK TO HIS STORY. >> THE TRAILER THEY HAD WAS LOCKED IN TERMS
OF IT SHIPPING TO HERE, AND THE TRUCKER DID NOT DO ANY, DID NOT UNLOCK IT, GO INSIDE IT
TO CHECK THE LOAD OR ANYTHING, SO THEY JUST TOOK THIS BIG TRAILER AND PUT IT ON A CHASSIS
AND HE HOOKED IT TO HIS VEHICLE AND LEFT. THERE WERE NO SKID MARKS ON THE ROAD TO SUGGEST
SPEED OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE, EXTERNAL THAT WOULD CAUSE IT TO OCCUR.
WE NOW ARE TAKING THAT INFORMATION AND TALKING WITH NIT AND WITH THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY GENERALLY
TO TELL THEM THIS IS JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE. >> AND THERE MAY BE RECOMMENDATIONS COMING
OUT OF WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE, THAT WAS MENTIONED, SPEED LIMIT RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU AND CARRY HAD BOTH ASKED ABOUT IT, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW UP ON IT.
>> MAYBE AT SOME POINT I WILL TELL YOU AT LEAST WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE GUY THAT REPORT
WHAT THEY THINK, OKAY? AND IT ISN'T JUST THAT A LOAD SHIFTED, OKAY?
>> ALSO I ASKED NORFOLK PD, THIS MAY HAVE TO BE COORDINATED FROM YOUR OFFICE, I DON'T
KNOW IF IT IS YOUR OFFICE, BUT THE ISSUE OF THE BUSES, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, CHINESE
BUSES, THERE WILL BE AN ISSUE REGULATING THEM. I UNDERSTAND THEY WOULD MEET WITH YOU TO SEE
WHICH ORDINANCES ARE APPLICABLE, GO OUT THERE BEFORE THE BUSES LEAVE, THEY STOP THE VEHICLES
BEFORE THEY LEAVE >> THAT IS THE CITY ATTORNEY OFFICE.
>> THE IDEA WAS BEGIN ENFORCEMENT LOCALLY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT FEDERAL STATUTE, GO OUT
AND CHECK THE BUSES, CHECK THE DRIVERS, CHECK THE QUALIFICATIONS, CHECK TO SEE IF THEY ARE
REGISTERED AND INSPECTED, GET IT DONE NOW, WE CAN GET IT DONE AT A MINIMUM, THEY ARE
SUPPOSED TO GET BACK. >> ANDY, I READ IN THE PAPER, WAS IT A MILITARY
HIGHWAY THEY WERE STOPPING. THAT'S AT THE BEACH.
>> MY DAUGHTER HAS RIDDEN THAT THING >> MY STAFF RIDE IT.
>> THERE IS ONE IN MILITARY CIRCLE. >> THERE WAS A COMMENT IN THE PAPER WITHIN
THE PAST FEW DAYS ABOUT IT BEING IN NORFOLK. I WASN'T AWARE OF ONE IN NORFOLK.
>> THERE IS ONE IN ATLANTIC SIT. >> MAYBE IT THE ATLANTIC CITY BUSES.
>> THERE'S ONE IN NEW YORK. >> THERE WAS ONE IN NORFOLK THAT RAN PEOPLE
BACK AND FORTH TO NEW YORK, THERE WAS ONE IN NORFOLK.
THERE WAS ONE RIGHT THERE. IT WAS RIGHT THERE, THEY WERE OPERATING.
>> THEY ARE GOING TO CHECK AND IF THAT BE THE CASE I ASKED IF THEY COULD GET WITH THE
COUNTY ATTORNEY OR CITY ATTORNEY ON THIS. IF WE COULD, MARCUS, THERE WAS DISCUSSION
LAST YEAR WITH DARRYL AND PARKS AND REC PLAN, REMEMBER THE FUN WE TALKED ABOUT?
IF WE COULD SEE WHERE IT IS? PART OF THAT IS PART OF THE BIKE PLAN, BIKE
SHARE, TERRY IS BIG INTO THIS, WE HAD 600 BIKERS IN THE MONTH OF MAY THAT PARTICIPATED,
THEY WANT TO DO IT AGAIN, PAUL FORDHAM, TALKING ABOUT DOING IT AGAIN IN THE FALL, SEE WHERE
WE ARE. >> THERE IS SOME IMPORTANT THINGS WE DID DISCUSS
WITH CERTAIN LANES TRYING TO GET ONCE THE UNDER PASS IS DONE TO TRY TO GET TO THE BASE,
WITH EITHER SHARE A LANE, WHATEVER IS APPROPRIATE. AND LASTLY, PALITAN, THERE IS NO PLACE TO
PARK A BIKE. ODU HAS BIKE RACKS EVERYWHERE, WE PUT THREE
BIKES AND WE WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES TO PUT THEM ON A LIGHT POST.
MAYBE THAT IS A GOOD PLACE TO PUT A BIKE RACK. OF ALL THE PLACES ODU HAS IN FRONT OF ALL
THE BUILDINGS, I DIDN'T SEE ANY ON THAT SIDE OF PALITAN.
>> THERE ARE SOME FURTHER DOWN AT THE ATHLETIC BUILDINGS.
>> I LOOKED, I DIDN'T SEE THEM, I WAS MORE FOCUSED ON PALITAN.
THAT MIGHT BE IF WE HAVE IT IN THE BUG TOTE PUT ONE THERE.
DID I MISS ANYTHING, BRYCE? >> YOU WANTED TO FIND OUT WHERE WE WERE ON
THE MASTER PLAN. >> MARCUS SAID NEXT WEEK.
>> AND A BIKING COMMISSION. >> I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT, IF WE COULD
INFORMALLY DO IT, IT SHOWS WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT FUN.
>> ANOTHER SECTION OF THE RIVER TRAIL IS OUT >> WE DID TALK ABOUT THAT TOO.
>> WOULD THAT BE 1/8 OF A MILE. >> THAT IS TO ADD TO YOUR UNDESIGNATED FUNDS.
>> IT GOES BEHIND. >> OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. WE WILL SEE YOU AT 6:00.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO GET WITH  >> MINE WAS TO TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED AT THE
SAFETY COMMISSION, I DON'T HAVE COUNCIL CONCERNS. I DON'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS.
>> >> I'LL HOLD OFF.
>> I HAVE ONE MORE THING AND I'VE TALKED TO YOU, PAUL, AND THE CITY MANAGER, WE HAVE PREQUALIFICATION
OUT, WE TALKED ABOUT NOT COURTHOUSE AND IT IS SO STRINGENT NOBODY IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA
CAN DO THAT, ARE WE WORKING ON THAT IN. >> YES, WE MET YESTERDAY TO WORK ON THAT.
>> VERY STRICT SET OF RULES, IT RESTRICTED EVERY CONTRACTOR OUT OF VIRGINIA.
>> WE HAD LANGUAGE, IT WAS NOT EVERY OVERATTEMPT TO RESTRICT IT OTHER THAN TO TRY TO GET COMPANIES
THAT WERE STEEPPED IN LARGE COURTHOUSE TYPE PROJECTS.
>> YOU NEED TO GET A HANDLE ON IT, THERE ARE TWO ISSUES ABOUT TO QUALIFY.
>> RATINGS. >> THE SAFETY RATING ISSUE IS SO TIGHT NOBODY
IN VIRGINIA CAN QUALIFY THAT I'M AWARE OF. UNLESS A GENERAL CONTRACTOR WHO COMES IN AND
HIRES LOCAL SUB. AND THE OTHER IS YOUR EXPERIENCE BUILDING
COURTHOUSES $75 MILLION OR MORE, THERE'S NOTHING THAT HAS BEEN BUILT AROUND HERE.
THAT TYPE STUFF, I'M GLAD YOU MADE THAT STATEMENT, STANLEY, BUT IT LOOK LIKE IT IS YOU ARE GOING
TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAN BID ON THIS THING, WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN
BECAUSE IT WILL DRIVE THE PRICE UP AND EVERYBODY WHO BIDS ON IT WILL COME FROM OUT OF STATE.
>> ITAL MOST LOOKS LIKE THE ARCHITECT AND ENGINEERS WERE TRYING TO STEER IT TO A CERTAIN
>> NATIONAL. >> CONTRACTOR.
I'VE HAD A CALL AND PAUL HAS HAD A CALL, WE NEED TO FIX THAT.
>> WE DON'T WANT TO PUT IT OFF ANYMORE. >> OKAY.
>> JUST PREQUALITYCATION. >> WE DON'T WANT TO
>> WE DON'T WANT TO BUT THE TIME LINE BACK. HE'S AGREEING WITH YOU.
>> RIGHT. >> VERY QUICKLY, WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A REPORT
ON LIGHT RAIL AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHAT OUR PLANS ARE AS FAR AS ADVERTISING THIS,
THE SEND OFF, WHAT WE ARE DOING? S TO SAY NOTHING OF START DATE AND FINANCES,
BUT I THINK IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER UPDATE. >> WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THAT FOR
YOU ON THE 21ST OF THIS MONTH, ACTUALLY IT WILL BE OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
>> I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO BE SOLD TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE I HAVE
HEARD NOTHING OTHER THAN A LITTLE BIT ON TV AND I HAVE PEOPLE SAYING TO ME WHERE DOES
IT START, WHERE DOES IT END IN OH, YOU MEAN THERE WILL BE PARKING?
NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING, WE NEED TO GET THIS ON A GREAT START.
I'M HAPPY TO HAVE A RIDE BUT I NEED MORE THAN THAT.
>> AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT, THE FOCUS HAS BEEN ON CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY,
I'VE HAD A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WE NEED TO SWITCH THE FOCUS TO THE WHOLE MARCUSING
AND BOB HAS BEEN WORKING VERY HARD, AS HAS JOHN, WE'RE GETTING THERE, NOT WHERE I WOULD
LIKE TO BE AT THIS DATE BUT WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF PROGRESS, NOT JUST DAY 1 BUT ALSO
THE WHOLE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY IN TERMS OF RIDERSHIP.
>> ARE WE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE MARKETING SKILLS OF SOME OF OUR SKIT INCIDENCE
AND FIRMS IN TOWN  CITIZENS AND FIRMS IN TOWN?
>> YES. >> THERE ARE SO MANY THAT ARE ANXIOUS TO SELL
THIS, YOU NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR SKILLS.
>> WE MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A A DAY TO TALK ABOUT THE PLAN, WHO IS GOING TO CLEAN IT, IF IT'S
HI TU THAT JUST WON'T WORK. THEY WILL NOT MAINTAIN THE STATION THE WAY
WE WANT IT MAINTAINED, WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH ABOUT IT, THEY WON'T MAINTAIN THE ONE AT THE
MEDICAL SCHOOL OR, I MEAN, WHO IS GOING TO  WE NEED AN OPERATIONAL PLAN THE CITY IS WORKING
IN CONJUNCTION WITH HRT, WE NEED A MARKETING PLAN, WE NEED THE KICKOFF PLAN, HOW WE WILL
CELEBRATE. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS INVESTMENT IN THE CITY'S
FUTURE, INVESTMENT IN OUR ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT AND WE ALL NEED TO BE SAYING THE SAME THING
AT THE SAME MOMENT AND GET UP AND SAY THIS IS ABOUT THE FUTURE FOR THE CITY, YOU KNOW,
AND WE NEED THAT TYPE OF STRATEGY HERE, OKAY? WE ALL NEED TO BE LIKE ONE BIG TEAM OR WHATEVER
YOU WANT TO CALL IT, WE NEED A COMMON STRATEGY THAT WE ARE ALL SAYING THE SAME THING AT THE
SAME TIME. IN OUR HEARTS WE FEEL THE SAME WAY, OKAY?
AND TIME IS PASSING. THIS IS YOUR 198TH DAY.
>> A LOT HAS CHANGE IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS IN RESHIFTING THE FOCUS, I'M NOT PLEASED WHERE
WE ARE, BUT I'M PLEASED WITH THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF DISCUSSION.
>> OKAY. >> I WILL GO BACK AND THIS IS AN ISSUE WE
NEED TO TALK ABOUT WITH SCHOOLS, I HAD A COUPLE FOLKS CALLED ME ABOUT THE TRACK, SAID THEY
SAW SOMEBODY TAKING A KEY, OPENING UP, RUNNING AROUND THE TRACK, COMING OUT AND LOCKING THE
TRACK BACK UP. THAT TO ME IS UNACCEPTABLE.
AGAIN, THAT TRACK BELONGS TO THE TAX PAYERS OF THIS CITY.
I CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT, I DON'T KNOW WHO WE CONTINUE TO TALK TO.
WE CAN'T HAVE FOLKS HAVE PRIVATE KEYS COME IN, WORK OUT ON THE TRACK AND THEN LOCK IT
UP AND THE COMMUNITY CAN'T ACCESS THE TRACK. SECOND THING IS I WAS OUT DOING MY RUNNING
THIS MORNING AND I WAS OUT AT THE PARK AT BROAD CREEK AND I UNDERSTAND THEY DID SOME
DIGGING TO PUT THE UP LIGHTING IN AND WHOEVER THE ELECTRICIAN IS CONNECTED THE ELECTRICAL
TO THE PLUMBING, THE WATER, THEY TOOK THEIR CONDUITS FROM THE ELECTRIC AND TIED THEM INTO
THE WATER. >> DID THEY GET SHOCKED?
>> YES, I WAS OUT THERE THIS MORNING, THEY WERE TAKING IT ABART.
>> WE'LL GET IT TOGETHER. >> THAT IS JUST SHOCKING.
[LAUGHTER] >> THE MAYOR, WE WERE GOING TO START THIS
YOUTH AND GANG TASK FORCE. I'M VERY COMMITTED TO THAT AS WELL AS THE
MAYOR, I KNOW THE COUNCIL IS. ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REAL CONCERNED WITH
IS PAUL THINKS SOME OF THE GUYS, THE GANG SQUAD.
IT KIND OF BEEN LEFT, THEY WERE  IT WAS NEVER A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING, IT WAS  SUPPOSEDLY
THAT'S THE WAY THE LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS WAS SET UP, I ALWAYS THOUGHT BECAUSE THEY
ARE OUT THERE DOING THE DAY TO DAY, THAT THEY SHOULD BE DRIVING THE TRAIN AS IT RELATE TO
THAT WHOLE EFFORT. THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE
THAT IS TODAY, BUT I DO THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT AS THE GANG SQUAD IS OUT THERE DOING THEIR
JOB, THAT WE PUT TOGETHER THIS TASK FORCE BECAUSE THAT IS THE OTHER CRITICAL PIECE OF
IT, TO PUT ALL OF THESE SERVICES TOGETHER SO WE CAN HELP YOUNG PEOPLE OUT OF THE GANG,
THE FOCUS SHOULDN'T BE TO LOCK  TO INCARCERATE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, IT'S TO GIVE THEM ALTERNATIVES
TO A GANG LIFESTYLE, AND, SO, BY PUTTING ALL THESE PROVIDERS, THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE, HUMAN SERVICE, SOCIAL SERVICES, CITY'S RESOURCES, NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS, GETTING
EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE, AND HAVING THIS TASK FORCE SO WE CAN HAVE SHARED RESOURCES.
WHEN WE ROLLED OUT THE VIDEO AND WENT AROUND AND I HAD THE TOWN HAUL MEETINGS, THERE WAS
A PROMISE MADE FROM THE CITY IN TERMS OF GETTING INFORMATION, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS HARD
TO GET WELL, IT'S HARD TO GET OUT OF A GNG AND WE WOULD HELP THESE PARENTS WHO NEEDED
HELP IN TERMS OF TRYING TO GET THEIR KIDS OUT OF A GANG AND WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE
IN PLACE RIGHT NOW TO HELP THESE FOLKS. I'M STATING THAT'S IMPORTANT, THAT'S A COMMITMENT
WE MADE AND THAT IS ONE WE SHOULD KEEP, AND, SO, YOU ARE HERE NOW, I KNEW THAT THE MANAGER
IN THE PAST DIDN'T WANT COUNCIL PIMPLE INVOLVED WITH THAT TASK FORCE.
WELL, I WANTED TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE TASK FORCE, THAT'S WHY THE MAYOR SAID WHAT HE SAID,
BECAUSE I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU NEED COUNCIL, PEOPLE COMMITTED TO THE OVERALL
EFFORT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE IN THE STREET.
SO I'M PUTTING THAT IN YOUR HANDS IN TERMS OF SETTING UP A MEETING SO WE CAN GET FOLKS
TO THE TABLE BUT AT THE SAME TIME ASKING YOU TO GIVE THE GENTLEMEN AND YOUNG LADIES OUT
THERE, THEY ARE OUT THERE DAY TO DAY AND NIGHT TONIGHT TO HELP THAT THEY NEED OR RESOURCES
THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN TERMS OF BATTLING THESE ISSUES.
I GOT A MAY POLE AVENUE, 1046, 1048 AND 1050, THESE HOMES HAVE BEEN VAGUE AND FOR THREE
YEARS, I WILL TRY TO FIGURE OUT IF THEY ARE ON THE DERLICT LIST.
THERE ARE A COUPLE BUSINESSES SAYING THEY WILL HAVE TO RELOCATE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I TALK ABOUT IS BUSINESS RETENTION.
WE ARE MOVING THESE BUT TELLING THESE BUSINESSES THEY HAVE TO GO, SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE ARE
ASSISTING AND HELPING THESE BUSINESSES FIND OTHER LOCATIONS AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT
THESE BUSINESSES, BECAUSE OF OUR  DUE TO OUR INSISTENCE THAT THESE BUSINESS DO NOT
GO OUT OF BUSINESS, THAT WE WILL GIVE THEM SOME RELOCATION ASSISTANCE OR HELP THESE BUSINESSES
TO BE STABLE. SO I'M HOPING THAT THAT WILL TAKE PLACE BECAUSE
I'VE GOTTEN A FEW CALLS ABOUT THE BUSINESSES, THEY GOT LETTERS SIX MONTHS BUT YOU DID GIVE
THEM A YEAR, SO THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK THAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES,
WE CAN'T  WE ARE FORCING SMALL BUSINESSES OUT OF BUSINESS, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE SHOULD
BE IN THE BUSINESS OF DOING. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
>> ANNIE. >> I WAS OVER IN [INAUDIBLE] WITH THE CIVIC
LEAGUE AND I DON'T TOTALLY UNDERSTAND IT, BUT THERE IS A GUN SHOP THAT IS OPEN THAT
IS RIGHT IN  OVER AT BEST SQUARE, AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WERE LOOKING
AT CURLY DRIVE, GONE UP AND ABOVE EVERYTHING REQUIRED FOR THEM TO BE SAFE, THAT'S WHAT
WE CAN ASK, BUT THE RESIDENTS WERE CONCERNED A GUN SHOP WOULD OPEN IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD
WITHOUT SOME NOTIFICATION TO THEM, I EXPLAINED THEY ARE IN THE ZONING AND GO AND GET A BUSINESS
LICENSE THERE IS NO NOTIFICATION. HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO GUN SHOPS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD
AND BEING SO CLOSE TO A SCHOOL, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT OUR  THAT WE CAN CREATE AN ORDINANCE
FOR PERHAPS THAT REQUIRES A GUN SHOP OWNER OR POTENTIAL, REGARDLESS OF THE ZONE THEY
COME FROM OR SOWNS ILL, THAT WE HAVE TO NOTIFY THE NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFICALLY?
I MEAN SOME KIND OF NOTIFICATION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE IN ANYTHING OTHER
THAN >> OUR FRIEND, THE GUN LOBBIESTS HAVE OUR
HANDS TIED. THE REGULATION OF THE SAIL OF GUNS.
WE CAN'T REQUIRE THEM TO PROVIDE NOTICE, THEY ARE THE TYPE OF RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT THAT
HAS TO HAVE A RETAIL LICENSE. IF THERE IS ANYTHING IN OUR SYSTEM WHERE WE
CAN GET THE INFORMATION OURSELVES BUT BECAUSE OF GUN LOBBY STATUTE PROHIBITING OUR ADDRESSING
GUNS AND SALE, WE CAN'T DO IT BY SPECIAL EXCEPTION BUT WE COULD PROVIDE NOTICE IF WE HAVE A MECHANISM
TO KNOW AND IT MAY BE THAT, THE BUSINESS LICENSING PROCESS, THAT THE ASSESSOR INFORMS, THE COMMISSIONER
OF REVENUE IS INFORM THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS, SO IF WE GOT THAT INFORMATION WE COULD ENDEAVOR
TO PROVIDE. >> AND ZONING, WHEN THEY COME TO GET A LICENSE
THEY HAVE TO GO UP TO ZONING, HAVE TO PROVIDE PROOF OF LOCATION OR HAVE TO PROVIDE A LEASE,
SO EITHER THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE OFFICE WHEN THEY MAKE APPLICATION AND/OR THE ZONING
OFFICE CAN AT LEAST LET US KNOW THIS IS  AND THEN THE NEIGHBORS CAN BE
>> WE'LL LOOK AT THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO AND HOW FAR THE NOTIFICATION
CAN GO, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. >> MR. RIDDICK ALREADY BROUGHT THAT UP AT
ONE OF THESE MEETINGS, HE IS AWARE, HE MENTION IT TO THE MANAGER, EVERYTHING IS CONCERN.
EVERYBODY IS CONCERNED. >> TWO QUICK THINGS, ONE, CAN WE GET A CODE
SWEEP THROUGH LITTLE CREEK ROAD, EAST LITTLE CREEK ROAD.
I DON'T THINK IT HAS BEEN DONE IN A WHILE, YOU GO LOOK AT SOME OF THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES,
THEY ARE TRYING TO GET AWAY WITH STUFF. I'VE ADDRESSED THE SIGNS.
I THINK THE WEEK AFTER YOU WENT OUT TO ADDRESS THEM THEY PUT THEM BACK UP.
I SENT STANLEY A LIST OF COUNCIL CONCERNS AND I THINK THREE OR FOUR OF THEM WERE PROPERTIES
ON LITTLE CREEK ROAD, THEY ARE GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER OVER THERE, IT LOOKS BAD.
PARKWAY PROBABLY HAS AS MANY COMPLAINTS. THE OTHER ONE IS WE HAVE A LOT OF BOARD AND
COMMISSION MEMBERS THEIR TERMS ARE GOING TO EXPIRE, I WAS HOPING BEFORE WE GO ON OUR BREAK
FOR THE SUMMER WE CAN DEDICATE ANOTHER MEETING FOR APPOINTMENTS AND GET THE INFORMATION TO
US SO WE CAN START NOW TRYING TO FIND PEOPLE WITH IT BECAUSE IF WE BREAK FOR JULY, I THINK
THERE IS ANOTHER 30 COMING UP FOR EXPLORATION THIS SUMMER, SO THEY JUST KEEP ON DRAGGING
ON. >> THERE ARE A COUPLE THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED
WHETHER THEY ARE COMING OFF OR NOT. >> WE HAD TALKED THAT WE WOULD GET TO IT PERHAPS
ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, BUT THAT'S A GOOD IDEA TO GET THE INFORMATION AHEAD OF TIME, IT SHOULDN'T
BE DONE SPORADICALLY, IT SHOULD BE DONE QUARTERLY ON TIME.
>> WE DISCUSS IT, WE HAVE ONE WEEK FOR FIVE PEOPLE.
>> IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW. >> IF YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED THE CLERK'S OFFICE
HAS DONE A GREAT JOB MAKING THE APPLICATION ON LINE, YOU CAN SUBMIT IT ELECTRONICALLY
AND IT MUCH USER FRIENDLIER AND WE CAN GET IT OUT TO CONSTITUENTS AND LET THEM KNOW.
>> OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
>> WE'RE MEETING AT 6:00 OR 7:00.