State of the City 2015

Chairman Caserta, Vice Chairwoman Clements and duly elected members of City Council. In accordance with Article 10 Section 2 of the City Charter of the City of Huntington, WV, I hereby submit to you our proposed budget for fiscal year 2015-16. The state of our city is vibrant, teeming with optimism, fiscally sound and is at the beginning of a renaissance unseen in the last 70 years. The 2015-16 budget is a familiar document. The policies set forth over the previous two years are reflected herein. Our revenue is projected to be $1,613,455 less than what was originally projected for the current fiscal year. This budget does not contain raises for our employees, although they certainly deserve one. However, by the time our upcoming contract negotiations mature, we anticipate that there may be a clearer picture of our revenue projections than we have today. We will then confer with our union leadership and advise them of our financial condition to determine what if anything we can do to address compensation. We are asking our department heads to be smarter and more efficient in their operations. Each is being asked to perform in a fashion never previously contemplated. The culture of partnership that we have created with the unions representing our city workers runs counter to what is being depicted in Charleston and Washington. We have a true partnership. When revenue growth is limited or declining, we are demonstrating that such a partnership assures efficient and effective delivery of services. Our partnership with AFSCME, FOP and IAFF enables us to enter into a providential agreement. In exchange for job security and predictability, our citizens are assured efficient and effective delivery of daily police protection, fire protection and neighborhood services. This is the way a vibrant community offers advanced community services. We are not interested in creating a culture of winners and losers. Previous leaders attempted that strategy, and all it provided for our city was limited growth, mediocre operations and a permanent underclass. We are expected to act, because we deal with potholes, sidewalks, garbage pickup, fire protection, law enforcement and upkeep of neighborhoods on a daily basis. Our citizens rightly demand efficient and effective services. This administration does not run from such high expectations and reasonable demands. We embrace this responsibility. We have the talent among us to meet these challenges and to set standards that others will choose to emulate. Last year in my State of the City message, I challenged this City Council, our citizens and the region as a whole to determine whether they were going to accept mediocrity or embrace excellence. We embraced excellence and experienced a level of accomplishment that has not been observed in our city in seven decades.  In June, a comprehensive proposal to address our street flooding issues was adopted after six decades of deliberation with the establishment of the Water Quality Board.

 In August, a limited, free Wi-Fi pilot project was launched in downtown Huntington.

 In September, the first phase of demolition of Northcott Court was completed, setting in motion the eventual transformative mixed-use retail, commercial and residential development of the Hal Greer Boulevard corridor.

 In May, the West Virginia Broadband Deployment Council, under the leadership of Huntington’s own Judge Dan O’Hanlon, chose Huntington as the first city to be the recipient of a Gigabit City study to assess the feasibility of the deployment of high- speed broadband. Released in November, this study provides the foundation for efforts to deploy high-speed broadband in sections of our city.

 In July, City Council authorized the Huntington Police Department to establish a tactical, quick-response unit to aggressively combat street level drug crime. The “River to Jail” strategic initiative resulted in 226 arrests in less than 90 days. The FBI Task Force coordinator, Darren Cox, stated that the “River to Jail” Strategy is a model for other cities throughout the country.

 In July, the Huntington Fire Department, with the able support of volunteer fire departments in the region, successfully saved the destruction of the south side of the 800 block of 4th Avenue when the roof on the Morris Building caught fire.

 Beginning in late August, the Public Works Department quietly began Saturday and Sunday morning cleanups of 4th Avenue from 8th Street to Hal Greer Boulevard and 3rd Avenue from 8th to 10th streets. The purpose was to assure a clean, welcoming downtown to the growing number of visitors who come to Huntington on the weekends.

 In the same spirit, the Huntington Police Department’s Code Enforcement Unit issued more than 3,100 citations in 2014, achieving a 76 percent compliance rate. The Unit also joined the Huntington Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Bureau and our city building inspectors in launching “Project: Safe Housing,” an initiative over the summer to ensure that Marshall University students have safe, quality places to live. The effort resulted in dozens of properties and hundreds of rental units being inspected. Huntington is regularly acknowledged as either a regional or national standard bearer because of the innovative manner in which we address issues. Huntington has hosted regional conferences or been a featured presenter for:

 The Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Brownfields Conference

 The West Virginia Bad Buildings Summit sponsored by the Center for Community Progress

 Create West Virginia – The Value of Arts in the Community

 The Community Leadership Academy – Leadership and Vision

 Substance Abuse Summit – The Director of Drug Control Policy of the United States of America

Again, my budget message last year indicated that we have embraced the mantle of leadership. We would become necessarily brave in our efforts to address the capital needs of our community. In the past year, while we have done a lot, we have yet to determine how we expect to address the challenges of our crumbling infrastructure. The fact remains that if we are going to create the innovative city that is acknowledged as the brightest, most luminous mid-size community in the nation, we must establish a long-term capital improvement program. Restating my words from last year, that are even truer today for the 2015-16 budget…and I quote:

“Our capital budget could easily be $2 million to $3 million per year. We have constructed a budget within the limits of our revenues. We will continue to strive for excellence in all that we do. It is necessary for us to determine how we will address our long-term capital needs. Just as we have successfully established a paving program by having a dedicated revenue source, we need to establish a consistent capital improvement program. Our present revenue structure does not allow us to budget for these needs. We face issues today that can no longer be ignored. Our biggest challenge will be to determine how we should respond to that which can no longer be ignored.” My final words were:

“Behold, we are here to do a new thing. It’s been a long time coming, but I know change is going to come.” Those words were purposely crafted at the end of my address to leave a lasting impression that, indeed, we are here to do a new thing. These words ring more true today than they did a year ago. We have addressed this in part. Truly it has been a long time coming. And change has presented itself. As we embrace a new way. As we prepare a new direction. As we direct a new path. We have to acknowledge the issues that confront us. We live in a marvelous city. Our city was constructed in a way that leaves others envious. Our city has wonderful bones. The bones have been allowed to deteriorate. But the structure can be restored to its former grandeur.

But for us to do this, we can’t continue to do things in the same tired, weary way and expect different results. I realize that in order for us to set an example for others to follow, we must address old problems with a new fresh approach. We are entering a competition that is being sponsored by Frontier Communications and DISH Network called America’s Best Communities. Communities with populations between 10,000 and 80,000 within Frontier’s footprint are eligible to enter. It will be a rigorous competition of cities like Huntington across the country. Not only are we entering the competition, we also plan to win. We expect to win. The breadth of our proposal belies the size of our city. I would expect a proposal of our magnitude to originate in a city the size of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Indianapolis or Charlotte, not from a community with a population of 50,000. This competition gives us an opportunity. We have four unique projects that are being combined into one effort. Each project represents different neighborhoods with distinctly different challenges and opportunities. The project areas are:

 The Hal Greer Boulevard corridor, which includes Northcott Court.

 The West End of Huntington, centering on the River to Rail area from Van Buren Avenue to the Ohio River between 5th Street West to beyond 22nd Street West.

 The brownfield industrial area just east of Marshall University and west of the Highlawn neighborhood.

 These three project areas combined with a proposal to deploy high-speed broadband provide our city the greatest opportunity for consistent economic expansion since the 1940s. In a separate endeavor, we will announce in the coming weeks the details of a partnership that the City of Huntington is entering into with the owners of Superior Marine. It might be noted that the principals of Superior Marine are the same principals of Huntington Marine, which was engaged in a contentious lawsuit with the City of Huntington for 20 years regarding the construction of a barge-mooring facility adjacent to the Westmoreland neighborhood. The City and Huntington Marine settled the lawsuit last year. By demonstrating how we can find ways to create partnerships with former foes, the city and the principals of Superior Marine are entering into a partnership for the redevelopment of Harris Riverfront Park. Dale Manns, and his sons, Michael, Matt and Steve, are working with us to create a redevelopment plan that embraces the long-term development plan created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a few years ago. The plan seeks to bring commerce to the river side of the floodwall by developing:

 a state-of-the-art, 260-slip marina

 dry dock facilities to house 260 boats

 a boat repair shop and retail facility

 a boardwalk with retail facilities and restaurants

 potential condominium development above the retail facilities

 spray and splash park

 completion of the skate park, and

 RV riverside camping facilities

The project will be completed in three phases over a six- to 10-year period. The public-private partnership will utilize a combination of private capital with public and private grant sources. Ambitious projects such as these all require a culture of advancement and expectation of enormous accomplishment. Clearly, we must have all hands on deck to compete nationally and internationally. Unfortunately, we don’t have all hands on deck. The single-largest issue we are facing is the level of addiction in our community. We have chronicled all that we are doing to address the drug issue. The focus over the years, though, has been on dealers and not addicts. The level of addiction in our city is a burden that will prevent us from achieving the heights which we are capable of accomplishing. I have said before we cannot arrest our way out of this. We will continue our aggressive pursuit of every dealer who dares to step foot in our city. However, we have to find a way to save our family members, co-workers, friends and neighbors who are fighting addiction. The Mayor’s Office of Drug Control Policy is led by Jim Johnson with the assistance of Huntington Fire Capt. Jan Rader and Scott Lemley, a crime intelligence analyst in the Huntington Police Department. They have conducted meetings with more than 50 community leaders and community groups to assess what should be the next steps. Again, it is clear that the old way of doing things has not created new results. We must have a two-pronged approach. Certainly, we must never lose our focus on our aggressive law enforcement strategy. However, we must simultaneously focus on the disease of addiction. Since January 1, we have had 87 overdoses and witnessed 12 deaths due to overdose. The average overdose age is 34. The average age of death by overdose is 43. The youngest overdose victim is a 13-year-old female. Eighty-seven overdoses! We had 87 missed opportunities to save a person’s life.

We have 87 families devastated. We have 87 neighborhoods disrupted. Twelve deaths by overdose should be sounding the alarms. Delegate Matt Rohrbach, who is also a physician, placed this in the proper context when he queried how we would react if the 12 deaths by overdose had been by small pox or influenza? There would be a massive outcry in our region and across the nation. I agree with Delegate Doctor Rohrbach. This is a moral outrage and we ALL must claim ownership. We know there is an abundance of efforts to fight this war. I admire the fortitude of all the efforts on the national, state and local level -- governmental, non-profit and corporate. Many have dedicated years to battle this scourge. It is time for a call to arms. Old strategies of yesterday no longer address new challenges of today. I am issuing that call…a call for all participants in Cabell County and the surrounding region to fight addiction with the same objective. It is time to begin saving lives one addict at a time. It is time to begin creating strategies that fall out of line with traditional sensibilities. It is time to quit discussing platitudes. It is time to establish a comprehensive plan that is inclusive of government agencies, recovery programs, recovery houses, hospitals, medical centers, medical schools, pharmacy schools, physicians, nurses, clergy, and private enterprise, and elected officials. It is time for us to act. Our Office of Drug Control Policy is prepared to organize that effort. Certainly, we don’t have legal authority in city government to direct this effort, but the horrible epidemic that is affecting every one of us in this region gives us the moral and ethical responsibility to utilize our voice, our minds and our hearts to join arm in arm. Our entire legislative delegations in Charleston and Washington are committed to this effort. I have discovered one resource in our community that is underutilized – our young people. We often times place this group aside and somehow expect them to sit back and listen rather than be heard. When we turn a deaf ear to this group we lose insight and a fresh perspective. I’ve had opportunities to meet with the youngest of our citizens as I have visited our schools. I always leave invigorated and impressed at their passion, intellect, ingenuity and incredible patience. One group I have had the privilege of meeting with is the Wellness Council of Huntington High School. This group of women and men are led by two passionate and gifted teachers, Ms. Karen

Canfield and Ms. Deborah Chapman. The Wellness Council has stated that its mission is to raise awareness of local programs that promote health and wellness of student and families of our school community. They intend to improve the overall quality of life of participants through education initiatives that:

o Provide resources to facilitate understanding of healthy lifestyle choices

o Inspire and empower individuals to take responsibility for their own health

o Support a sense of community

Our community’s health has been called into question. The level of addiction we are facing is a leading indicator of the problem. It occurred to me as I met these students of Huntington High School that the model needs to be reversed. Instead of placing these youngsters in positions to follow our lead, why not place them in a position to lead the community. Our high school students are residents of every neighborhood in our region. Why not engage their ideas and passion to begin addressing a fundamental problem in our community? Our community needs to become healthy if we hope to have a healthy future. So, I am engaging the Wellness Council as a first step. The students of the Wellness Council of Huntington High School are prepared to lead this effort. I am certain that as our young residents become engaged, their families and neighbors will not be far behind. Our effort to restore wellness and health in our community is going to be led by our youth. I have observed the same level of power at Marshall University. We all hold Marshall and Mountwest Community and Technical College in high regard in our hearts. I meet with students at Marshall on a monthly basis and realize their concerns mirror the same ones expressed in every neighborhood meeting in the city. The students at Marshall and Mountwest simply want to be safe, want to live in safe and sanitary conditions and want the streets to be in good condition and clean. I had an opportunity to observe the incredible level of talent that is being developed at Marshall. Brianna Jarvis is a sophomore art major from Princeton, WV. Last year, Brianna entered the competition for the design and art work to be placed on the bison positioned across from the Marshall Visual Arts Center in front of Pullman Square on 3rd Avenue. Brianna’s proposal was the most fascinating, detailed presentation I have observed in my professional life. The explanation and detail guided the observer through her thought process, research, experimentation, conceptual framework and metaphorical considerations. I was amazed at the professionalism and mastery demonstrated by a then college freshman! Brianna was selected to be the artist to paint the bison. Also, she has since been selected to be one of the artists in the Artisans Express exhibit that will benefit the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital later this spring. We have utilized interns from Marshall University within our operations at City Hall the last two years. The quality of work has been outstanding. They have assisted us in the creation of our comprehensive plan, design and printing of code enforcement literature, the publishing of our quarterly newsletter and assisting in our social media communication.

We literally have a power plant at Marshall University, Mountwest Community and Technical College and our high schools. By finding ways to harness this energy, we have an opportunity to create relationships with these talented, young citizens that will likely keep them here and create a commitment to the advancement of our community. They truly love this city and area. The dreams of leading this community begin with a simple engagement in policy formation at an early age. I was an intern here at City Hall 36 years ago. The President of the Huntington Area Chamber of Commerce, Cathy Burns, began her career right here in City Hall as an intern in 1985. The talents we have walking through these halls also walk through the offices of businesses throughout the Tri-State. We all need talented employees. All the talent we need is walking right by our store fronts. Our community has observed from afar troubling scenes played out in television news reports, our newspapers and on the Internet. The troubles displayed in Ferguson, Missouri, Cleveland, Ohio, and New York City is a clear indication that there is work to be done. My vision for our city is that we become a city that embraces our diversity and actively seeks inclusiveness as we learn to stand as one people celebrating our differences. There are those among us who still experience the loneliness and pain of exclusion. Ferguson, Cleveland, and New York City could have ignited a powder keg in our city if it were not for the able and wise leadership of pastors, professional, business, and community leaders in the black community. Patience and measured tones should never be misinterpreted as a lack of concern. I have had the opportunity to meet with the Black Pastors Association led by The Rev. Franklin Murphy of Calvary Baptist Church and a Committee on Diversity, whose members include Council Vice-Chairwoman Sandra Clements, Bishop Sam Moore, The Rev. Reginald Hill, Municipal Court Judge Cheryl Henderson and Attorney Dwight Staples. It is clear that the separation and exclusion of some in the black community still exists in Huntington. While monumental strides have been taken in recent years to bridge the divide between law enforcement and the black community, the fact of the matter is more work needs to be done. Chief Ciccarelli and Chief Eastham will be organizing a coalition of individuals known as the Community Coalition on Public Safety that will be representative of a broad cross-section of the city. The purpose of the coalition is to open a dialogue with each chief to establish a free exchange regarding the police and fire issues facing the community. The chiefs will meet with the coalition on a regular basis. It will be the key communication point in the event of an urgent concern. Communication is the key to advancement in any community. I meet regularly with business leaders and labor leaders. I meet regularly with persons of disability and with our military veterans.

I receive counsel from clergy of all faiths – Protestant, Orthodox, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu – and have enjoyed joining our citizens in their faith traditions. The annual Thanksgiving Ecumenical Worship Service where Christians, Jews, and Muslims join in common prayer and worship to give thanks for blessings experienced in our community is a special event each year. On December 23, 2013, this City Council took a bold and historic step to clarify and assure that equal opportunity in the areas of employment, public accommodations and the sale, lease, rental, and financing of housing accommodations include persons without regard to veterans’ status and sexual orientation. The vote was unanimous. I commend City Council and the leadership Councilman Ball and Council Vice Chairwoman Clements to promote inclusion and diversity in our city. Their personal counsel is invaluable to me. Citizens of Huntington who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered have approached me to assure that their voice is not just heard but that their concerns are addressed. I have formed an LGBT Advisory Council. We have created a liaison between the LGBT community and my office as well as with the police chief and fire chief. We do not have the time or luxury, nor should we ever be inclined, to exclude anyone from the table of community affairs and field of mutual ambition. We need all hands on deck. Our ambitions for our city are great. We have enormous opportunity before us. The projects that I have outlined are substantial in scope. What will the state of city affairs look like in 2065? What will people walking down the hall of this building during the 200th anniversary of the construction of this temple of public policy be contemplating? The only way we will be able to transform the next 50 years and the ensuing century is by assuring every person in our city has a seat at the table and a voice to be heard. As I said earlier, my vision for our city is that we embrace our diversity and actively seek inclusiveness as we learn to stand as one people celebrating our differences.

As we achieve that objective, our city will not only experience wealth beyond imagination, but the wealth of our spirit will shine into the future as a brilliant jewel with a luster that reflects the optimism and aspiration of a diverse family settled in the hills of Appalachia on the southeastern banks of the great Ohio River. Behold, we are here to do a new thing. It’s been a long time coming, but change has finally come. May the Lord bless our efforts and continue to lay His blessing on the citizens of our city.