|
March 28, 2000
<br />
<br />Public Safety - The protection of the health and safety of our workforce being of
<br />utmost importance, the number one equipment priority of the Department of Fire,
<br />Rescue and Emergency Services is replacement of the 15-year-old self-contained
<br />breathing apparatus (SCBA). The SCBA is the most vital piece of protective equipment
<br />used by firefighters. Equipment now in use no longer meets the standards
<br />recommended by the National Fire Protection Association for structural firefighting. The
<br />new technology meets all current standards and is easier and safer for the firefighter to
<br />use. This budget includes funding of the department's request to replace the SCBA at a
<br />cost of $380,000 to be financed through a five-year lease purchase.
<br />
<br />For the Police Department, their number one equipment priority is the replacement of
<br />their weapons system, their most important tool in protecting the lives and safety of their
<br />officers. According to industry weapon standards, the current firearms have exceeded
<br />their useful life. The cost to repair the current weapons continues to rise and the
<br />occurrences of malfunction and breakage is also more frequent. The Police
<br />Department has spent the last year evaluating the different weapons available, giving
<br />consideration to the durability, reliability, safety, cost, and ease of transition. I support
<br />their selection of the Glock 9mm pistol and recommend a complete replacement of the
<br />department's weapons at an estimated cost of $80,000.
<br />
<br />Marketing
<br />
<br />As I mentioned earlier, one of our priorities is to invest wisely. One of the ways we
<br />invest is through our marketing program. Done correctly, marketing does not cost over
<br />the long haul; it pays. At the City Council retreat in February, our new three-year
<br />marketing plan was presented. This plan, developed by the Department of Marketing,
<br />Museums and Tourism and our new marketing and advertising partner, Hambright,
<br />Calcagno and Downing, includes a new set of guiding principles and a brand positioning
<br />statement for Portsmouth. Over the last three years, the City's investment in marketing
<br />has been constant, at a level just under a half million dollars a year. As new Portsmouth
<br />products come on-line such as: the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel and Waterfront
<br />Conference Center, the Portsmouth Performing Arts Center, the refurbished Bide-a-Wee
<br />and The Links at City Park golf courses, an expanded Children's Museum of Virginia,
<br />enhanced shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities in downtown, and new
<br />economic development initiatives to attract and retain businesses, our need for
<br />additional marketing activities dramatically increases. To continue our marketing
<br />program and take it to a higher level, I am recommending an additional $200,000 in
<br />marketing funds for fiscal year 2001. Our analysis of expected results from this
<br />additional investment indicates at least a dollar for dollar return in revenues, and we
<br />believe that number to be conservative. Therefore, I am also budgeting for increased
<br />revenues in entrance fees, lodging taxes and restaurant food taxes that offsets the
<br />additional expenditures, creating a zero effect on the overall budget. I believe this is a
<br />wise investment in Portsmouth's future.
<br />
<br />Investment in City Employees
<br />
<br />A previous section in this message highlighted some of the major equipment upgrades
<br />recommended to enhance employees' abilities to perform their jobs effectively.
<br />Because we value building human capacity, employees not only deserve quality tools,
<br />they merit our commitment. You are aware that we have established a multi-phase
<br />initiative to build a solid foundation for our pay systems and to ensure that our
<br />employees are fairly compensated in a fiscally responsible manner. We have adopted a
<br />pay philosophy to serve as the principle on which our system is built. Given the
<br />importance of our pay philosophy, I believe it is worth repeating:
<br />
<br />"We believe our workforce is committed to do the best job in delivering services to our
<br />citizens. In order to attract and retain this highly prepared workforce, our pay plan must
<br />be stable, clear, equitable, flexible, predictable, simple and objective. To achieve this:
<br />pay will be market based and Portsmouth's market shall be defined in reference to
<br />salaries paid in the Hampton Roads cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News,
<br />Norfolk, Suffolk and Virginia Beach."
<br />
<br />Once the fundamentals were established, we were able to take the steps necessary to
<br />fulfill our goals. These steps have included:
<br />
<br />
<br />
|