Dispatch from the Roy Transition Team Yesterday, Mayor-elect Jacques Roy's transition team met for four hours at the Riverfront Center and attempted to produce a list of priorities, which will be analyzed by members of Roy's Executive Transition Committee. The Executive Transition Committee is chaired by Pineville Mayor Clarence Fields. Fields and others will review and prioritize recommendations made by several transition committees and subcommittees, including Community Development, Infrastructure, Housing, Community Health, Healthy Communities, Recreation, Economic Development, Children, Workforce Development, and Education. During the first Executive Transition meeting, community leaders and key advisers presented their reports on Alexandria's top priorities. Several advisers expressed, among other things, the need for a city grant writer and public relations department, marketing our downtown, increasing the police force, an effective and comprehensive city-wide marketing plan, and increasing opportunities for workforce education. The Economic Development Committee made several recommendations concerning affordable housing and the need for a consolidated Mayor's Office of Economic Development. Secondarily, the committee also suggested wireless Internet access in parts of the City and in following with the models of Lafayette and Austin, laying down fiber-optics cable throughout the City. Mayor-elect Roy reaffirmed the need for inclusive and smart growth throughout the meeting. When Key Adviser Bill Hess noted that South Alexandria is a retail and restaurant "desert," Roy stated that South Alexandria cannot afford to be neglected. He explained that the lack of basic services in South Alexandria (such as a nearby ATM, a fast food restaurant, or a post office) is a burden to many residents and that smart growth must be a plan that includes all parts of Alexandria. I was in the Community Development Committee, and our number one priority was creating a comprehensive city-wide marketing plan. So: Later: An Effective and Comprehensive Marketing Plan for Alexandria (And What It Would Mean)

This entry was posted by Blogger, on Tuesday, November 28, 2006.