Mayor Jim Dailey
2004 State of the City Address

2003 was a year to tighten our belts. Financial sacrifices were made, but efficiency was improved and services, though strained , for the most part were maintained. It was a year of uncertainty with the use tax unresolved and a year too when we saw crime on the increase in LR and central Arkansas. But it was also a year full of positive events and much was accomplished.

I’ll highlight some of the work of our 17 Departments. But to give a more comprehensive picture, please note the boards around the perimeter of the rotunda …I think you will agree we do get our money’s worth from these 2000 dedicated employees.

• I am proud to report that the Little Rock Fire Department responded to over 10,000 calls in 2003 with only three non-serious injuries. I credit this success to continuing education - including department wide re-certification in CPR and EMT training. We all welcome our new Fire Chief, Rhoda Mae Kerr. I know she comes on board with great confidence, knowing we had a 100% pass rate in the 2003 fire recruit class and that we have secured over $3million in grant funds to keep our citizens and first responders prepared and safe. Homeland Security is critical area of concern at the local as well as the National level.
  
  
• While I am on the subject of Public Safety, I’d like to congratulate our Police Dept for reaccredidation again this year. This is indeed an honor, and clearly shows the dedication and professionalism of the LR police force. Our dept has also been analyzing crime trends utilizing the new COMSTAT program. This process allows the chief and his leadership team the opportunity to systematically review crime data and discuss alternatives to allocate scarce resources to fight crime efficiently. The LRPD has also been busy establishing a Spousal Academy, a volunteer program, reorganizing the investigating units and partnering in a community-wide effort to deal with black on black crime.
  
  
• Your city staff has also been very busy confronting those issues that face our neighborhoods. Housing and Neighborhood Programs staff completed construction of 12 new affordable homes and rehabilitated 15 owner occupied structures. Housing staff also constructed 2 new homes in the Tornado Rebuild Area and working closely with CDC’s completed construction of 11 affordable homes in targeted neighborhoods. I am pleased to report also that our Housing staff organized the City’s first Board and Secure Day - 66 homes that would otherwise have been left to stand vacant were boarded and secured. Our code enforcement staff has been busy as well conducting over 4,500 rental inspections, 21,250 premise inspections, participating in 149 neighborhood cleanups while our Alert Center facilitators participated in over 660 neighborhood meetings throughout the year.
  
  
• On the recreation front, I’d like to congratulate our Parks staff on organizing and hosting Little Rock’s first marathon. Over 2,000 people participated from all over the world. If early indicators hold true, 2004’s marathon will be much bigger. Parks staff has also been busy in our neighborhoods as well establishing after school and summer programs - like the one at Parkview High School. It is my understanding that this program was met with so much enthusiasm that all courses were filled to capacity. The therapeutic recreation division should be congratulated for winning the 2003 Outstanding Service award for the development and support of therapeutic recreation. Parks staff has also been partnering with several jurisdictions to focus on the completion of the Arkansas River Trail. Our Urban Forestry division partnered with several profit and not profit groups to construct two nurseries. The trees grown at these nurseries will be used to sustain our urban canopy and contribute to the quality of the environment for our neighborhoods. The Parks department was also busy securing over $1.5 million in grants and other appropriations to support on-going projects and was instrumental in forming the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Commission.
  
  
• The City Board recently appointed members to a new commission on Children, Youth and Families. Community Programs department staffs this commission which funded over 45 programs in 2003 including new outreach programs to the Hispanic Community. The city began an outreach program to faith-based groups as well, which has proved to be very successful and in the summer of 2003 over 450 youths took advantage of summer employment programs. I must say that I am very proud of our PIT programs and the staff that supports them for being recognized by the National League of Cities and receiving a planning grant to address after school programs. Presently, Director Adcock and I are discussing another NLC initiative with a focus on Fathers.
  
  
• I am also very proud of the city’s management team and our finance department for their professionalism in improving financial reporting and for obtaining the Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement for the FY 2001 Annual Finance Report. I would be remiss too if I didn’t congratulate our Human Resource staff as well for receiving the recent International Personnel Management Associations’ Award for Excellence.
  
  
• The Public Works Department made great contributions to the city’s financial well being in 2003 through a strategic partnership with Johnson Controls. Thru energy conservation improvements, the city will save $300 thousand a year in utility costs. These improvements include a city-wide traffic signal retrofit using high efficiency LED technology, building lighting, heating and air conditioning controls, new windows in city hall, geothermal heat pumps at Public Works and a first of its kind HVAC system at War Memorial Fitness Center Pool. In addition to dollars saved, the environmental impact will be the equivalent of planting 1100 acres of trees. Our Public Works department has also remained committed to providing the best service possible in other areas as witnessed by the successful takeover of solid waste collection in the city.

Possibly the most significant happening of 2003 was the successful city bond election.

• In November, with the full backing of all 11 city board members and the relentless commitment of individuals like Johnny Heflin and Janet Berry, the citizens of LR overwhelmingly approved a $70 million dollar bond proposal. With that, in spite of a tight operating budget, GOOD THINGS WILL BE HAPPENING FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS …I’m talking streets and drains and traffic signals and community center upgrades (like Dunbar community center)…I’m talking… parks up grades, Zoo improvements, side walks around schools, public safety communications systems, a 311 system, tornado sirens….etc. etc… This translates into good, positive, needed improvements for our city, but also tremendous economic impact… a perfect intro to another city board priority…economic development.
  
  
• 2003, was a banner year for economic development. Thru the efforts of the LR Chamber, Downtown Partnership and business leaders, LR was recognized by Forbes as number 21 of 150 cities nationwide for Forbes 2003 list of “Best places for business and careers.
  
  
• Forbes also recognized Heifer International as one of ten charities spotlighted in the annual issue on the top 200. In Oct we all shared a most inspiring groundbreaking of the new $15Million Heifer International world headquarters.
  
• Then there was the Winrock International…$3.5million groundbreaking in Riverdale. This is the 50th anniversary year since Winthrop Rockefeller came to Arkansas. What wonderful contributions the Rockefeller family has made to our world and what a honor it is to have this headquarters in the Capital city.
  
  
• In June Acxiom opened its $35million architectural gem. And incredible things continue to happen at Children’s Hospital, and at Philander Smith College and at UAMS.
  
  
• Banks are popping up all over and I suppose it speaks to the good times when TCBY Tower goes from cookies and yogurt to “dollars and cents” as it this year becomes The Metropolitan National Bank Bldg. Family Life dedicated its $11.6million corporate office headquarters in October…debt free incidentally. This building will house 500…With Heifer and Family Life as wonderful examples, I think we should go after more non-profit headquarters.
  
  
• The list goes on… Remington College grand opening, LR Port Authority, LR National Airport, Dassault Falcon Jet, Raytheon, GC Services, Arkansas BioVentures(former Transportation Secretary, Rodney Slater, Dr. Tim O’Brien, Mayor Herenton of Memphis and I are working to develop a plan for a Bio Medical Corridor along I-40 between Memphis and LR), I’d say this is a pretty impressive list and it barely scratches the surface….WOW!

There’s another group I want to thank…

I want to thank our extended staff… the hundreds of volunteers that give countless hours to do the work of our boards and commissions. We don’t say thank you enough nor do we often enough discuss your accomplishments. This year we will remedy that by hosting the first annual “Mayor’s Volunteer Recognition Luncheon” for our 30 commissions represented by over 300 dedicated volunteers. This long overdue recognition will serve as a way to say thanks but also a way to inform and report to the public the work of these commissions. We do not do an adequate job of informing the public of what we are doing and this year the city manager and I will make this a priority. As example, Mr. Moore and I will re-institute the “Talk-Live” call in show on our LR access channel. In addition, I will add a weekly entry to the LR WEB Page, called the “Dailey Journal. This will be my personal way of informing the public of my activities as Mayor.

- I will be taking on some new responsibilities at the National level as well. NLC, Chair of Public Policy Comm on Finance, and along with Michael Keck will serve on the NLC Advisory Board. I have in addition, been appointed by Chairman Michael Powell of the FCC to chair the newly formed Information Advisory Committee (IAC). This 15 member committee makes recommendations to the FCC on matters that impact other levels of government.

Now let’s talk about 2004. During our two working retreats, the city board elevated Public Safety to the number one priority for LR. Crime is on the rise and dealing with crime will be my number one focus during this year.

During the late eighties and early nineties we went through a huge upsurge of crime and in light of today’s increases I would like to put some of those facts in perspective. At that time, a citizens goals process…Future LR put Public Safety as the top priority and during a fairly brief period, with crime numbers increasing, two significant tax proposals were approved…a 1-cent for one year to build a new regional detention center, and a ½-penny to accomplish Future LR recommendations including hiring 135 additional police officers and funding Prevention Intervention and Treatment programs. All of these combined, along with the Neighborhood Association movement, have been enormously successful. In fact, even as we see crime increasing today, we are still 22% below 1991 figures overall and 48% below ‘91 figures for youth crimes.That said, we are still headed in the wrong direction and thus, the reason, I will make “Safe Neighborhoods”, my number one focus.

The Cornerstone of this “Safe neighborhoods” initiative, will be a Criminal Abatement Program…something neighborhood associations and board members have been seeking for some time.

In the past several years the Little Rock Police Department, the Housing and Neighborhood Programs Department and the Fire Marshall’s Office of the City of Little Rock have worked in concert to identify and abate structures deemed a nuisance. We’ve boarded up houses, declared some unsafe and posted notices of occupancy prohibited.

However, what we have heard in numerous neighborhood meetings over the past year is the problem still exists and is not being addressed fast enough. As a result, I recently asked the City Manager to examine our current strategies, review programs of other municipalities and develop a plan of action to fully and quickly focus our full resources on nuisance abatement.

Today, I am pleased to announce that the City has redesigned and refocused our overall nuisance abatement program. This program referred to as CAP - Criminal Abatement Program - will continue the City’s effort in ridding the criminal element from our neighborhoods. This cooperative effort has led to a formalized process being identified and developed with input from the City Manager and City Attorney’s offices. This new process will include not only the Police and Housing and Neighborhood Programs, but also the addition of the City Attorney office as the prosecuting authority for cases present for nuisances and abatement prosecution. This change in our procedures will allow police and code enforcement to move quickly to abate, board and secure targeted properties.

This new process has led to a more formal coordination between all city services that will include regular scheduled monthly meetings to review the progress and report the findings of the program by key city departments.

One reason for these monthly meetings is to assure that the various enforcement arms of the City - police, fire, animal services, code enforcement, zoning - as well as MEMS and other governmental agencies share information on neighborhood trouble spots. Sometimes some or all of these groups can deal with the same house and yet not realize that other City agencies have recently done so. We shall share this information, plus that from neighborhood associations and Alert Centers, and make sure that those structures which adversely impact a neighborhood will be swiftly and surely shut down.

Part two of the “Safe Neighborhoods Initiative” is this. I will be personally spending even more time in the neighborhoods and business districts identifying the problems and working with staff and neighborhood leaders to aggressively attack the criminal elements. I’ll have staff help but I’m calling on neighborhoods and Churches to mobilize and partner with us…as in the early nineties. It will take all of us to win this war on crime.

As an example of this partnership, I want to introduce Mr Hylton who called and asked to meet with me about crime in his neighborhood. The somewhat unique aspect of this meeting was his bringing several neighbors in, stating the problem and then offering solutions. Currently, we are proceeding to use his ideas. Other examples include Fowler Square and Paris Towers where we are working with tenants, owners, neighbors and our staff (police, codes, public works) to jointly address crime issues. We then schedule monthly or quarterly progress report meetings. I am pleased to say that this process is working and I will be doing more of this in 2004.

The third part of “Safe Neighborhoods” is the Twelfth Street Corridor Faith Based Coalition. This actually began development last year based on suggestions from Father Fleger, a Chicago Catholic Priest and keynote speaker at the Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission’s Summit on Race. You will hear more about this in the near future but the basic concept calls for Churches along twelfth from Battery to University to work together to identify and address crime and social needs along this corridor. Hopefully, this pilot initiative will expand to other targeted areas of our city.

Finally, I will be working with our manager and Police Chief to bring other municipal leaders of central Arkansas together to discuss the over crowded jail and other broader community crime issues. We know, simply adding more cops won’t solve the problem.

Clearly, Safe neighborhoods and safe communities are in all citizen’s minds today and I know my job as mayor will be judged by our success in addressing Public Safety. We did it before, and I KNOW WE WILL DO IT AGAIN.

Moving now to another top priority of the city board…Economic Development. 2003 was a great year. However, by comparison, in my opinion, 2004 will be the most significant and exciting year in LR history.

• First, let me thank General Wesley Clark for opening his national headquarters in LR. Having the opportunity to host a second presidential campaign is an honor and an economic plus for our city.
  
  
• In March the National Tour Association will hold its spring meeting here. This association is made up of motor coach operator and owners who plan locations and routes for bus tours. My thanks to Barry Travis and his staff for bring this prestigious group to LR.
  
  
• Later this year, we will see River Rail in operation, bringing street cars back to LR for the first time since 1947.
  
  
• We will see the opening of the new First Security Center, a $25 million mixed use, 14-story building including a Marriott Courtyard Hotel. What a wonderful addition to the 2003 openings of the Holiday Inn pres center, the Raddison, the Legacy and the Comfort Inn.
  
  
• We will see additional service at LR National Airport such as the most recent non-stop LR/Minneapolis announcement by Northwest Airlines. Along with Airport mgmt and Commission members I will continue to visit the corporate offices of major carriers to discuss more and better air service to and from LR.

This year there will be a series of world class events and activities that will bring attention and visitors from all over the globe to our Capital City:

• The first I will announce, though it will not occur until 2007, is the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the integration of Central High School. I think this is significant enough to begin the planning process this year and I am pleased to announce that Virgil Miller and Nancy Rousseau have agreed to co-chair this major event. National Parks Superintendent, Mike Mardell will work with them as a committee and agenda is developed.
  
  
• In August over 1500 legislators, families, staff and guests from 16 Southern states will be here for the Southern Legislative Conference. This will be a great event for our city and state.
  
  
• Few know that from 1942-1945, in the name of national security, 110,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes on the Pacific Coast and moved to internment camps watched 24-7 by armed guards. Two of those camps…Rohwer and Jerome were in Arkansas and thanks to Dr Johanna Miller, Chair UALR History dept and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, the story of these camps will be told this September in LR.
  
  
• Our neighbors, Pine Bluff, NLR, Hot Springs and other central Arkansas cities are planning events, expansions and community activities this year too. One idea I am exploring is hosting at least one leadership meeting of central Arkansas cities to discuss ways we can work together and how we can better inform our citizens as well as our targeted visitors.
  
  
• In October, Heifer International will host its 60th anniversary with major events planned. Thanks to Jo Luck, the Clinton Presidential Center and an dedicated Heifer Board, one of the worlds finest humanitarian organizations is not only staying but expanding. People from all over the world will be here in October and then again in 2005 when Heifer opens it’s international headquarters. Again, Jo Luck, thank you for keeping Heifer here.
  
  
• Now …for the event of all events….In November, the Clinton Presidential Center will open with a full week of activities planned and visitors from all over the world. It not only will be, but already is an important economic engine for our city and state. We have recouped our investment many times over in addition to this being the largest private sector construction project in the city’s history. I’ve said it before and I say it again, “Thank you President Clinton” for choosing Little Rock.
  

  There’s a special synergy programs such as the Clinton Library, Heifer Project and the Central High School National Historic Site brings to our city. These programs, combined with efforts of our Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission, truly gives this area the opportunity to understand our differences, to accept our diversity and to build on our relationships. It will take these kinds of efforts to extinguish the hatred that led to tragedies such as 9/11. I believe these programs give Little Rock a unique opportunity to reach out to all peoples and indeed help the City of Roses become the City of Understanding. May this process begin in more earnest in 2004.

In closing, Let me say this out loud: “ THE STATE OF OUR CITY IS GOOD AND THE OUTLOOK FOR 2004 IS EXCELLENT”.

I’d also like to take a moment to recognize that 25 members of our city staff are actively serving in our nation’s military at this time and say that our thoughts and prayers continue to be with them while they are away. For departments who have staff members away, I want to acknowledge the additional hours and duties you may be undertaking in their absence as a way of serving our country and to thank you for that service. To all of you, thank you for the honor afforded me to serve as your mayor. May 2004 be our best year ever.

God Bless You, God Bless our Troops, God Bless America and God Bless Little Rock.