Minutes 03/28/1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

052 March 28, 1995 As revealed in City Council's one and five year goals and objectives, clear themes of Portsmouth priorities emerge to include broadly: Positive City Image Public Safety Community and Economic Development Effective Codes Enforcement Citizen Involvement and Partnership Neighborhood Improvement Tourism Effective, Efficient, Responsible, and Responsive Service Delivery A Stable Financial Condition Quality Education This is the scope of our challenge. The budget discussion which follows will reveal recommendations on how we meet these challenges and realize our goals. VISION 2005 "Vision 2005," our City's plan for economic and community development into the 21st century, is the guiding directive and blueprint for many important decisions which must be made if we are to make the vision become a reality. Time is of the essence, and we must move quickly on the priority actions which are identified in the first phase of the plan. The proposed FY 96 budget includes $500,000 to provide the necessary public funds to stimulate private investment for the initiatives specified in the "Vision 2005" Plan. This appropriation ~s made possible by a planned continuation of "right-sizing" of city staff through restructuring of certain departments and re-engineering city services. This funding, and the $500,000 already approved by you in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, provides $1 million in resources for economic development. Also, you have authorized borrowing through the CDBG 108 Loan Program, which could allow a loan of up to $10 million for economic development in CDBG eligible areas. A portion of the annual CDBG entitlement would be used for repayment of the 108 Loan. Resources identified from CDBG and the operating budget total $11 million which could be directed toward "Vision 2005" projects in the very first year. This funding could provide the spark to i~nite our move towards,altering our economic future and changing the image of Portsmouth. Projects already underway include: : o creating an inlet at the foot of High Street, o revitalizing the 600 blocks of London Boulevard and High Street, o including the Frederick Boulevard project in the State Highway Urban Allocation Program, o positioning the new I. C. Norcom High School to include a new civic center area, and o designing a site plan for the redevelopment of River Edge as a single family neighborhood.