City Council Platform
CITY COUNCIL PLATFORM – 2008
I. Downtown Projects
• Attract at least 100 hotel rooms adjacent to or in walking distance of the Hotel Roanoke to make-up for the loss of the Patrick Henry Hotel rooms.
• Develop an amphitheater of 1,500-3,000 seats in the current footprint of the Elmwood Park stage area. Part of the project would consist of a covered stage, bathrooms and dressing rooms.
• Give the bookings and operations of the expanded and improved amphitheater to existing, local non-profit or governmental entities. EventZone will continue to use the amphitheater as it does today, the Jefferson Center staff will have a certain number of days to book local, regional and national acts and the Civic Center Staff will be involved with maintenance. This will build tremendous local capacity in our non-profits while saving the cost of bringing in an out of town operator.
• Renovate the City Market Building in a first-class manner that results in additional rentable space. Protect the current tenants in the building and provide them space for rent at a rate that allows them to make a living.
• Freeze all parking rates downtown for at least 3 years and pay future debt service for parking garages from the General Fund. Experiment with free valet service in the City Market area.
• Identify a location for a new parking garage that can support new activity from the Art Museum, new activity from an expanded Hotel Roanoke and new activity from a potential mixed-use project on top.
• In Partnership with Downtown Roanoke Inc. and the Economic Development Authority take a long-term lease on the former Heironimus Building on Jefferson Street and have the Partnership renovate the building for retail use. Through the lease provide the necessary incentive to attract the type of retailers needed on Jefferson Street.
II. Economic Development Initiatives
• Develop a clear aggressive set of financial incentives available to approved entities that meet the minimum criteria. The level and type of incentive should be tied to the amount of investment made, and/or the number and quality of jobs and/or is in a part of the City for which the City has designated as severely distressed.
• Move Economic Development back to City Hall and have it take its direction from a new group consisting of the EDA and a City Council member.
• In cooperation with the building owner, recruit a major employer with high paying jobs to the Johnson & Johnson building.
• Create an ombudsman from the Economic Development Department to assist existing and new businesses in navigating the City bureaucracy.
• Strike a deal with Governor and Key General Assembly leadership before next session to approve a Cultural Funding program made up of an additional $.25 rebate to the City from the State’s $4 cents share of sales taxes collected in the City of Roanoke.
III. QUALITY OF LIFE
• Develop a position in the City called the Green Coordinator or Director of Sustainability, where the majority of their salary will come from a percentage of their energy savings ideas for both the City and School System.
• Develop a policy that encourages City residents and City government to co-exist with animals such as Deer.
• Develop and operate at the City’s expense 1-2 off-leash dog parks
IV. GOOD GOVERNANCE
• Move Monday morning Council briefings from the basement up to Council Chambers and tape for reply on Channel 3. Provide written explanations of briefings in advance of meeting.
• Send out Council agenda at least 1 week from the meeting.
• Save Closed Sessions for real closed session items
• Recreate Council liaisons to groups like Downtown Roanoke and the Chamber.
• Recreate Council working committees to take-back some power from the City Manager.
• Hold at least one evening Council meeting per quarter in one of the 4 city quadrants.
• Allow residents to have a referendum on a Council Ward System and on moving the elections from May to November.
V. EDUCATION
• Allow residents to have a referendum on Elected School Boards
• Move teacher pay to National Average
• Create significant Alternative Education Programs like former Blue Ridge Technical Academy
• Provide financial support to critical community Programs like the West End Center and use existing educational resources again like the Achievement Center
• Have an all-out City and Community effort to have all of the City schools accredited and the Drop-out rate cut in half by June 2009.
