Minutes 03/26/2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

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March 26, 2018 Portsmouth HIRE is a new strategic initiative aligning partnerships in workforce development, education, and economic development through reinforcing strategies that will provide for job seekers and workers high-quality career services, education, training, Portsmouth and support services to get good jobs and remain employed. HIRE will also help employers find skilled workers and access other services, including education and training for their current workforce. Continuity of Investment: The third strategic budget initiative is Continuity of Investment. Continuity of Investment is the creation of strategies that require masterful focus and planning in four critical areas.  Becoming Information Technology – In support of City Councils Four Big Things, a SMART CITY , the core foundation of connectivity is a critical part of this process. The city’s foundation is in the beginning stages with the Portsmouth Community Broadband Network (PCBN). This network when complete will consists of fiber connectivity for all municipal facilities, community anchor institutions, and is a catalyst for economic development fostering partnerships with providers and inclusion of regional collaboration resources.  Implementation of Downtown Master Plan – the city has invested in several plans that identified ongoing revitalization efforts for downtown and conducted a market analysis. We are implementing parts of various plans and taking advantage of the city’s investment in upgrading utilities in the downtown area.  Strategic Capital Improvement Plan – the FY 2019 Capital Improvement Plan encompassed strategies that impact Municipal Facilities and Portsmouth Public Schools Facilities.  Housing and Community Planning – the housing stock in the city and region are vastly changing. The housing component in a city determines the types of housing available in the community and the types of housing needed for the future. This budget starts the Housing and Community Strategy by developing principles, goals, and strategic tools to address and guide future housing needs. Unique Financing Opportunities: The fourth and final strategic budget initiative is Unique Financing Opportunities. Due to the uncertainty of federal and state legislative changes, we must pursue alternative funding sources for existing services, programs, and find avenues to increase the cultivation of public/private partnership opportunities, continue having a strategic focus on debt structuring, and maintain the discipline for appropriate use of one-time funding. As City Manager, I will immediately begin exploring new revenue sources to support the on-going debt service financial challenges that lie ahead. Capital Improvement Program : The city’s Capital Improvement Program supports projects that improve the economic development and infrastructure needs of the city and our public schools. I am proposing in the Capital Improvement Program funding for the continuation of the following municipal projects:  The Churchland Bridge Replacement is totaling 35.5 million dollars appropriated to date, of which the Virginia Department of Transportation funds 21 million dollars.  The Seawall Replacement project is in its third phase from High Street Landing to the marina.  The Sanitary Sewer Overflow Elimination Program, which reduces the overflow of sewage into Portsmouth's sanitary sewer system.