Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 15, 1994 TAG: 9403150139
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
City Council on Monday authorized City Manager Bob Herbert to execute a notice of intent to participate in the Urban Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Communities Program, a centerpiece of the Clinton administration's community revitalization agenda.
The program will provide $100 million to each of six selected "empowerment zones" and $3 million to each of 65 localities designated as enterprise communities.
To compete, localities must develop and submit a strategic plan that includes an overall vision for revitalization of the areas targeted for improvement. In Roanoke, those neighborhoods are expected to include Gainsboro, Gilmer, Loudon/Melrose, portions of Melrose/Rugby and Hurt Park.
The plan must involve participation from citizens, local and state agencies, private businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Council authorized Herbert to negotiate for professional services to assist the community planning group. Strategic plans must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by June 30.
Roanoke will go up against a significant number of localities in and out of state. The program has generated huge response since HUD advertised for applications in the Federal Register in January, a department spokesman said Monday.
"It will be competitive - highly competitive," the spokesman said.
In another matter, council received a report on the city's minority recruitment efforts, particularly in the police and fire departments.
Ken Cronin, the city's personnel manager, said efforts to increase the number of minority police officers have been successful. The current Roanoke Police Academy class includes three black men, one black woman, one white woman and seven white men. The previous class included several black recruits, one Asian and one Hispanic, he said.
Efforts have not been quite as successful in the Roanoke Fire Department, Cronin said. Recruitment of women has been an issue, as the department has no women firefighters.
"We are addressing the problem, but we do not have a significant number of openings," Cronin said. The city has not hired a new firefighter since December 1992. By contrast, 12 to 15 police officers are hired each year, he said.
The city is exploring ways to attract women to the firefighting profession, Cronin said. Of the 81 applications on file, only one is from a woman, he said.
"We need to do things to meet these challenges - to determine what changes we can make to attract women," Cronin said.
Councilman Delvis "Mac" McCadden, while thanking Cronin for the report, said he looks forward to the day "when we will not have to have a report, when we will not have to identify staff."
\ IN OTHER ACTION:\ ROANOKE CITY COUNCIL\ \ Consummated a deal struck a year ago with First Union Bank to provide training incentives - reimbursements to the company for employee training costs. A year ago, City Manager Bob Herbert recommended a policy in which a company creating 200 or more jobs in the city's enterprise zone would be eligible for training incentives of up to $2,000 per employee or a maximum half-million dollars a year. The number of employees could be no more than 250 and no less than 200.
Council on Monday adopted a resolution that provides a training incentives agreement with First Union, the first company to enter such an agreement with Roanoke. The Fifth District Employment and Training Consortium also is a party to the agreement.
\ Approved the Virginia Museum of Transportation's application for $228,000 in federal funds available through the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. The museum would use the money to pay for the first phase of planned improvements, including a new entrance, landscaping, neon signs, a pedestrian plaza and enhancement of the facade with paint.
\ Referred to Herbert a request from Roanoke Sister Cities for office space in the Municipal Building. The request followed recognition of visitors from the Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Pskov, Roanoke's sister city in Russia.
by CNB