Mayor speaks to College Cultural group

Mayor Dayne Walling spoke at the College Cultural Neighborhood Association meeting March 17 about building a strong foundation for the city's future, the Ceasefire Flint initiative aimed at reducing crime and recent legislation providing emergency financial managers appointed by the state to run cities facing financial difficulties.

The mayor said the city received approval of the its request to issue an $8 million bond to cover part of last year's $17 million deficit and $3 million of this year's projected deficit. The Flint City Council will decide March 23 whether to issue the bond. The mayor originally asked the state for permission to issue a $20 million bond.

Walling talked about the recently passed state bill that allows emergency financial managers appointed by the state to run struggling cities with new powers, including the ability to terminate union contracts. According to Walling, if Flint were to have a state emergency manager two options are available — a consent agreement option that allows the city to approve all actions of the emergency manager or an overall takeover that allows the emergency manager to take whatever actions deemed necessary.

"I need to hear from you on this issue," Walling said. "Start weighing in with council members.

"We have years and years of problems that we're dealing with now," Walling said. He spoke about the publication, Building Blocks for Flint's 21^st Century Future — a final report coming out of 40 neighborhood action sessions last year. According to the mayor, the overall vision for Flint includes safe streets, new jobs, strong neighborhoods and opportunity for all. He distributed the 15-page report that calls for people to get engaged and the community to form partnerships to solve problems.

Walling highlighted Ceasefire Flint, a public safety movement with a new approach to crime with a focus on changing lives. The mayor described the program as a cooperative approach with many agencies that offer life-changing opportunities for nonviolent offenders who are receptive to the benefits of intervention.

The mayor asked for support for a 2-mill tax proposal. The city would reopen and operate the city jail if the millage is approved by the voters in May.

"Literally nothing happens to offenders today," Walling said. "Offenders are issued a court appearance ticket and that's it. But, if the millage passes, offenders will spend three days in city jail. Officers tell me they want the jail open," Walling added.

Walling said there are 122 police officers with about 20 officers on the streets on each of the three shifts focused on the highest priority calls.

Walling also endorsed the new Park Tenders Program where neighborhood groups tend city parks with help from a Keep Genesee County Beautiful grant.

"We've removed union problems that in the past had stopped groups from mowing and repairing the parks," Walling said.

The mayor announced master planning for the city began this month with a search for a planner.

"We've posted a job for a chief planning officer, who will work with representatives from the community," Walling said. "We're starting from scratch. We haven't had a master plan since 1960. We're looking to develop a planning framework and define the principles of the plan in the next six months."

Joshua Freeman (Ward 4), councilman and chairman of the council budget committee, followed the mayor's comments.

"One of the most important functions of the council is to review and adopt the  Flint budget. This will happen April 4," Freeman said.

He urged people to get involved by attending the public sessions that will be posted on the council's web site, www.cityofflint.com.

"Last year not one person attended the public hearings on the budget," Freeman added.

Freeman said he favors elimination of the ombudsman office, and passage of the millage to support the city jail.

In other matters:

• Mott Community College spokesman Michael Kelly asked for the association's help in a friendly recycling competition with UM-Flint, Kettering University and Baker College. The event is being held in conjunction with the Earth Day Celebration taking place April 16.
• Kay Kelly, Kearsley Park project director, announced the park received a project of the year award from the Saginaw Bay Conservation region for saving a 60-foot bank along Gilkey Creek from erosion. She provided a calendar of events for the upcoming year available on the city's Kearsley Park web site, www.cityofflint.com/kearsleypark.
• Mott Community College trustee incumbents, Andy Everman and Pam Faris, announced they were running for a six-year term. There are six candidates seeking three seats in the May election.
• President Sherry Hayden announced the beautification work begins at 9 a.m. May 14 at the Family Video.
• Mike Herriman and Craig Wolcott of the neighborhood watch committee announced a reduction of crime incidents in February based on crime statistics provided by the city. The area had eight incidents in February compared to 15 in January.