My Response to the Council's Survey

What follows is in very broad terms, what actions I would like to see this upcoming Council and Administration take over the next four years to help bring New Albany into the 21st century.

This in response to a posting on Shadow5's blog entitled "A Blueprint? Or Just a List?;


http://nashadowcouncil.blogspot.com/

I reserve the right to tweak these thoughts to a more specific concept as the need in a given area arises over time.

These ideas are arranged in order of importance from most to least as I see them currently;

New Albany Common Council
2008

Goal: To help make New Albany a more productive and progressive city!

1. Leadership;

a. Accountability, teamwork, & communication between all departments & branches of city government and with the public as well.

I. Reorganize/combine city departments to make them more efficient and place new blood in dept head positions

II. Find ways to increase manpower and training where needed to provide better services to the taxpayers.

2. Budget;

a. Explore and actively pursue alternative ways to increase revenue to pay for the city’s needs

I. Federal Grants

II. Increase the tax base

III. Private investments & grants

3. Ordinance & Law Enforcement;

a. Again pursue alternative grant monies to pay for more enforcement officers

b. Revise city ordinances and put some enforcement teeth in them to deter offenders

I. Building code and rental property controls especially

c. Increase the size of the city law department so they have the manpower/resources to actively prosecute offenders

4. Business & Infrastructure;

a. Downtown

I. Make it more business friendly by bringing back two way streets, paving them and repairing sidewalks & lighting.

II. Work with neighborhood groups in areas of image/beautification to help make our neighborhoods more livable and attractive to new business owners and workers to live here. That would increase our tax base better than any other way.

b. Suburban Areas;

I. Actively pursue light industrial and service oriented business for our limited industrial space and for downtown as well.

5. Parks Department;

a. Keep doing what we’ve been doing as I think they’ve done an admirable job with what resources are available.

b. Again, continue to pursue alternative financing for them

c. Possibly look at involving them in conjunction with neighborhoods to manage empty lots that are city owned. Neighborhood gardens come to mind.

6. Environment & Sewers;

As for these two I have no suggestions as we should know by now that we must do whatever we must to keep the Federal Government happy on these two issues. We either pay now or pay later.

Post Script; I'm confident that there will be those who read this both in the private sector as well as elected/appointed officials whose first comments will be "It can't be done!"

My response here and now is "Bullsh..!" Don't tell us Mr. Electee/Appointee why it can't be. Rather take note of item #1 in the above and lead us into the completion of the task at hand. Show us how to help you make it so!