Laserfiche WebLink
"...found <br />our citi <br />represent <br />continue <br />Partners~ <br /> <br /> Port <br />Dickens' <br />times, il <br />now belie <br />taken tho <br />City. "T <br />the Commo <br />poor econ <br />as local, <br />economic <br />older cit <br />entity, i <br />potential <br /> <br /> Thi <br />been, in <br />posture t <br />suspicion <br />we have e <br />our emplc <br />to assure <br /> <br />589 <br /> <br />Ap~ii ~0, 1991 <br /> <br /> This <br />a brief <br /> <br />o Incre <br /> <br />in the strength, determination, and collective wisdom of <br />~ns, civic and business l'eaders, and their eiec~ted <br />~tives, the "Workable Partnership." This year we must <br />to build upon these now established "Workable <br />ips" as the cornerstones of the Portsmouth CommMnity. <br /> <br />smouth now finds itself, as the opening line of Charles <br />novel, A Tale of Two Cities, reads, "It was the~ best of <br />was the worst of times .... " "The best of time~s" for we <br />~e in ourselves, our C%~y and our opp0rtunities~, and have <br />se difficult steps to make and realize our d~ee~ms as a <br />~e worst of times economically for our ulty] ~he region, <br />nwealth, and our nation. Fortunately, the referenced <br />pmic climate is a temporary qondition. I am celrtain that <br />regional, state, and national conditions ma~e an upward <br />turn, our City will emerge as a "New Model" of how an <br />~ can re-establish itself as a competitive mRnilcipal <br />%e have just begun to realize our full municipal <br /> <br /> realization will not come without resistance. There has <br />~ome instances, rathe~ intense resistance to oqr changed <br />his year. "Good old soys," "good old systems,~ "good old <br />s," and feelings. .°f mistrust do not die easily.~j But, as <br />npowered our citizens, our elected representatives, ~nd <br />,ees, we have firmly established the necessa~y~beachnead <br />future successes. <br /> <br />has been an exciting year for our City. Let us look for <br />)ment at some of our many accomplishments: <br /> <br />sed the General Fund balance by $2.gmiltion <br /> <br />o Purchs <br /> the Ci <br /> <br />o Maint~ <br /> over <br /> <br />o Elimi <br /> <br />o Took <br /> <br />o Establ <br /> felon~ <br /> <br />o Establ <br /> Build~ <br /> <br />sed three buildings which resulted in overall savings to <br />ty annually of S126,000 <br /> <br />ined a stable bond rating despite diminished Fund Balance <br />he years and during recess~onary times <br /> <br />ated 35 positions to date through Workforce Management <br /> <br />reliminary steps to implement Quality Manage~e~n <br /> <br />tshed a Community Diversion Program for non-V~olent <br />offenders <br /> <br />ished "The Downtown Marketplace" at the former ILeggett <br />ng which attracted over 8,000 shoppers <br /> <br /> Engaggd a design architect to establish the new child~ren's <br /> museu <br />o Contracted for the establishment of the South Har~o~ Pavilion <br /> for t~e Performing Arts -- a 7,500 seat regional ~ntertalrn~ent <br /> facility <br /> <br />o Succeeded in preventing exp~ns-i~n ~ the Craney Island Disposal <br /> Area - <br /> <br /> Wha~ have been the keys to our many and substantial <br />successeS? The answer is very simple~ -- our elected and~ <br />administrative leadership has started to pay more careffil and <br />precise ettention to our "customers" -- the citizens. ~ur <br />taxpayer.= have not been overly concerned with budgetary ~detail. <br /> <br /> <br />