THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994 TAG: 9408170085
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: IDA KAY'S PORTSMOUTH
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
The most perfect rainbow I've seen in many years appeared, arced over the highway, as I left Smithfield after a day of listening to City of Portsmouth officials brainstorm about what they want to do in the next year and later.
It was so beautiful and vibrant that it seemed like there could be a pot of gold on one end or another. Goodness knows, I was hoping a symbolic one could be found at Smithfield Station, where City Council and three of their staff members spent parts of three days and two nights mulling over Portsmouth's problems and solutions.
Working through lists culled from citizens and city staff as well as from individual interviews with the council members themselves, council concluded that, collectively, their top priorities were a safe community, an increase in tourism, a stable financial situation, economic expansion, a positive city image and quality educational opportunities and facilities.
Actually, all six top priorities are interwoven so tightly that it should not be difficult for the city to make some major strides if it will just do it.
We've seen these lists before - several times, in fact. Most of the lists contain the same goals year after year. Considering the topics, that probably should be expected because the job is never done.
One of the problems, of course, is that nothing seems to happen - or at least not in the eyes of the public - from one year to the next.
Portsmouth, in fact, has had some successes in recent years. The most notable, of course, is the new Children's Museum of Virginia, followed by plans to centralize the Tidewater Community College art programs downtown.
Dating back to George Hanbury's time as city manager, the city has a group of fine restaurants, the Commodore Theater, Portside and PortsEvents, beautiful streetscapes and wonderful City Park.
But the momentum has not been very fast or continuous. There's a lot of talk and time lapse from one good thing to the next. In between, we see the failures.
Over the years, city officials have liked to boast about the successes and blame the media for the failures.
This year's retreat facilitator, Lyle Sumek, suggested a system to eliminate that mode of self-praise and media blame.
Council will post public notices of successes on a wall outside council chambers, a good idea to remind not only themselves but the public that something is happening.
They also will do monthly checkups on progress toward the stated lists of goals to achieve their top priorities and high priorities. Every six months, they will organize a meeting around the goals and do some serious accounting.
At the end of the first year, they will check the realities against the first-year goals. At the end of five years, whoever is in office and whoever is running the city presumably will check realities against the long-term goals begun by the present officials.
By having stated goals and specific identified means of reaching those goals, all of it in writing from last week's retreat, city officials will have a way to show themselves and prove to the public that things are happening here.
As with anything, from housecleaning to putting out a newspaper to moving a city forward, progress depends on doing little things one at a time all aimed in the same direction.
Sometimes it seems like nothing is happening. But if all the activity is focused, one day it will all fall into place.
The Priority Action Plan, implemented under Hanbury, is a good example. The existence of the plan prodded council into doing certain things and downtown became a beautiful place.
Unfortunately, building and expanding on the physical improvements was not quite as organized as it should have been and we lost momentum that might pick up again with new plans and the goal-setting.
The most important aspect of the retreat is the written plan that will force city officials to account for their actions.
As one citizen participant said prior to the retreat, the city needs to move off square one and, even if it is not absolutely on target, correct the course as a project proceeds.
That can happen with the procedure council has set up - if we hold them accountable.
Because we don't have any more time to waste if we're going to grab the pot of gold I thought I saw as I left Smithfield, I hope we do. MEMO: Whether you agree or disagree, The Currents would like to hear from you.
Send your thoughts to The Currents, 307 County St., Suite 100,
Portsmouth, Va. 23704-3702, or fax us at 446-2607.
by CNB