Mayor’s Proposed Budget for 2008-09

Pam,

May we ask you and your neighborhood newsletter to  include this information in your next publications.  I've sent it in two formats--Word and as pdf so it everyone should be able to open of them for their use. 

thanks,
Ann Flynn

Ann Flynn
City Council/Clerk Office
City Hall
30 Church Street
Rochester, NY 14614
428-7421, 428-6347(fax)

I opened the Word document and copied/pasted it here for the LONA community:

Dear Fellow City Residents:

I am pleased to announce that the City Council is preparing to review the Mayor’s Proposed Budget for 2008-09.  In mid-May, Mayor Duffy will present this document to the City Council for our analysis, which I believe is the most thorough public review conducted in Monroe County.  This year we have scheduled two all-day budget hearings (see schedule below) that will be broadcast on City’s Cable Channel 12.  My Council colleagues and I hope that the broadcast will provide City residents and business owners with a close look about how we review spending priorities for the City.  Please feel free to attend these meetings in person in City Council Chambers.

 

Thursday, May 29

     9:00-9:10            Council/Clerk

     9:15-9:40            Emergency Communications

     9:45-11:10           Fire

     11:15-12:25          Police

     12:30-1:30           Lunch break

     1:30-2:25            Recreation and Youth Services

     2:30-3:20            Library

     3:25-5:00            Administration (NET, Law Dept., Mayor’s Office, Communications, Office of Management and Budget)

 

Monday, June 2

     9:00-9:55            Community Development

     10:00-10:55          Economic Development

     11:00-11:55          Information Technology

     12:00-1:00           Lunch

     1:00-1:40            Finance

     1:45-2:25            Undistributed expenses

     2:30-4:00            Environmental Services

 

 

We expect that the public hearing on the City’s and the City School District’s Budgets will be held during the week of June; the exact date will be available soon.  Council’s final vote on the two budgets will be held during the June 17 Council Meeting.

 

If you should have any questions, feel free to call the Council office at 428-7538.

 

Sincerely,

Carolee A. Conklin

Finance Committee Chair

LONA MEETING MINUTES from April 14, 2008

MAYOR UNVEILS RESULTS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY (City of Rochester News Release - 04/11/2008)

Results of the City’s Customer Satisfaction (CSI) Survey released today reveal that 84% of residents think Rochester is improving. The survey polled 646 city residents, business owners and landlords from Nov., 2007 -- Jan., 2008, with the question: "On balance and all things considered, do you agree with the following statement? There’s still a long way to go, but the City is improving."

“This is an amazing vote of confidence for our team at City Hall because it comes from our customers," said Mayor Robert J. Duffy. "We are grateful for the recognition, and I am pleased that the overall results of our survey are positive. But our customers also feel we need to improve in certain areas. We intend to keep working hard to make Rochester the best place in the nation to live, work and raise a family.”
 
The Mayor also noted that public safety, the City’s most important priority, weighed heavily on people’s minds. Nearly half of respondents indicated that they do not feel safe and that is a huge concern for the mayor and his administration. “People did have concerns about public safety and that is disheartening,” said Mayor Duffy. “But, by a nine-to-one margin, they overwhelmingly support the City’s efforts to curb violence by continuing to invest resources in public safety. People told us loud and clear that ‘Zero Tolerance’ should be a top priority. I hear them and will do everything in my power to make our community one where everybody can feel safe and be safe on any street in any neighborhood.”

Mayor Duffy and his team commissioned the study, contracting with the Rochester Research Group, to measure customer satisfaction levels in a wide variety of areas. The in-depth, scientifically valid survey gave the people the City serves a chance to offer their input about a range of issues, from their quality of life to City services and programs. The survey was an unusual move for a municipality, because the questions were posed with no realistic expectation as to the outcome and knowing that all data would be released publicly. The City will use this valuable input to focus on areas for improvement and make important budget decisions. In the coming year, the City will convene focus groups and track the results.

Some highlights of the survey include:
We asked what people thought about a number of City initiatives, including:
• 71% think re-opening Durand Beach was a good or great idea
• 94% think Clean Sweep is a good or great idea
• 86% think demolition of the city’s vacant and abandoned homes is a good or great idea

    
On public safety in particular, they said:
• 89% think Zero Tolerance is a good or great idea
• 77% say it should be a high priority
• 85% think hiring more police is a good or great idea                                      

Compared to two years ago:
• 70% of residents say our city is looking cleaner
• 60% say we are better off
• 47% say they feel less safe 

Our customers graded us on a number of services, including:
• Fire Department: A-
• Trash Pick-up and Recycling: B+
• Festivals: B
• Restaurants and Entertainment: B
• Parks and Recreation: B-
• Neighborhood Empowerment Teams (NET): B-
• Public Transportation: B-
• Parking: C+
• Noise: C+
• The condition and repair of the City’s streets: C+

Some other interesting findings:
• We asked people whether they had contacted City Hall over the last year. 22% (or 1 in 5) had. Asked how they would grade their service, respondents gave us a B.
• 75% of respondents said they don’t care who provides their water
• 75% think it’s very important that the City be an environmental leader
• 87% say we are paying enough attention to recreation

  A summary of the City’s CSI Survey results can be obtained from the Communications Bureau by calling 428-7135 or by visiting the City’s website, cityofrochester.gov.

info sheets/letters of interest from past meetings, Sep '07 - Mar '08

 

CITY'S 18TH ANNUAL FLOWER CITY LOOKING GOOD PROGRAM OFFERS SPRING GARDENING OPPORTUNITIES

CITY'S 18TH ANNUAL FLOWER CITY LOOKING GOOD PROGRAM OFFERS SPRING GARDENING OPPORTUNITIES (City of Rochester News Release - 04/01/2008)

The City of Rochester offers gardeners an opportunity to attend workshops, adopt a garden, tour an urban farm and more during the months of April and May as part of its “Flower City Looking Good Program.” For more information on the City’s gardening programs or to adopt a garden within a city neighborhood, call 428-6770 or visit www.cityofrochester.gov.
 
Activities include:

Spring Garden Talks: 7--8:30 p.m., Wed., April 9, 16 and 23.
• April 9: All about Hydrangeas. Discover hydrangeas: blooming patterns and pruning techniques. Rochester Civic Garden Center, 5 Castle Park.
• April 16: Butterfly Gardening. Learn easy steps to creating a beautiful butterfly garden and how to monitor and track Monarch butterflies during migration. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Auditorium, 249 Highland Ave.
• April 23: Urban Gardening.  Insights on how to succeed at urban gardening--from wind tunnels to wildlife, excessive shade to super heat. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Auditorium, 249 Highland Ave.

Rose Workshop: Pruning Roses. 10 a.m.--12 noon, Sat., May 3
• Greater Rochester Rose Society members provide expert advice on roses and hands-on demonstrations. Meet by the fountain at the Maplewood Rose Garden, corner of Lake and Driving Park Aves.  Free admission and no prior registration.

Free Urban Farm Tours:  Begins Sun., April 20 (3rd Sunday of each month through Nov.)
• Visit city farms which harvest herbs, vegetables and fruit. Tour mini vineyards, rain collection systems and clever composting projects. Visit www.savorlife.com for details.

Flower City Garden Contest -- 18th year!
• Any city gardener may nominate his/her own garden or a neighbor’s garden. Recognition and prizes are awarded in the following categories: 1) Best Use of Container Gardening; 2) Best Use of a Water Feature; 3) Best Educational Garden Project; 4) Best Neighborhood Enhancement; Garden 5) Best Wildlife Habitat Garden and 6) 2008 Butterfly Garden. Call 428-6770 or go to www.cityofrochester.gov for an on-line entry form. Enter by July 31.

 

LONA NOTE: I am confident that we have many talented gardeners in the Lyell-Otis Neighborhood, so I look forward to seeing many winners of the contest come from our neck-of-the-woods! Don't forget to enter!! And please contact us here in LONA so we can let others in the community know of your accolades! :)

MAYOR ANNOUNCES EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES (City of Rochester News Release - 04/02/2008)

Mayor Robert J. Duffy today announced activities for youth and families at City Recreation Centers to celebrate Earth Day, 2008. This year RG&E joins the City as its corporate sponsor for a “Cache In, Trash Out” event and a series of environmental and educational programs through the “Sprouts Kids Gardening and Environmental Club.”
“Cache In, Trash Out” participants will meet at 9:30--11:30 a.m., Sat., Apr. 19 at Tay House Lodge, 85 Hillside Ave. in Cobbs Hill Park and use hand-held GPS devices to navigate the park, pick up trash and find clues along the way. Walks, games and demonstrations will be aimed at educating families about the natural environment. Tools will be provided or bring your own gloves, folding saws, hand pruners and rakes. The first team with a full trash bag wins! Preregistration is advised by April 11.  
In addition to GPS activities, earth-friendly information and demonstrations will be available at various booths:

• Wind energy
• Water and recycling
• Organic food and local organic food outlets
• Free ‘Laughter Yoga’ class uniting family and friends at 11 am
• Debut service project by the “Sprouts Kids Gardening and Environmental Club” 

Throughout the year, “Sprouts” will also create gardens, learn about trees, assist with outdoor community projects and explore the natural environment. Interested youth and family members may contact their nearest City Recreation Center for club and registration information or call 428-6770.
Earth Day activities are a part of the City's Flower City Looking Good Program, sponsored by the City with support from Preferred Care, the Democrat and Chronicle and Wegmans. For information about the City's Earth Day or any Flower City Looking Good activity call 428-6770, or visit www.cityofrochester.gov.

THE BIG READ COMES TO MONROE COUNTY! (City of Rochester News Release - 03/24/2008)

The Big Read is coming to Rochester. The Monroe County Library System is inviting everyone to read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and participate in numerous events that will be taking place at the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, city branches, and town libraries from April 13-May 31.  Copies are available at Monroe County libraries.

The Big Read is an initiative from the National Endowment for the Arts to encourage lapsed readers to start reading again.  Most of us are born wanting to read but as we grow up there is less and less time to read and many just stop reading anything for the pure enjoyment of it.  The program aims to remind everyone of the joys of reading.  Over 100 communities from around the country have already participated in the program.

The program will begin on April 13th with a “Set Your Mind on Fire:  The Big Read Kick-Off” celebration.  Mayor Duffy and other local dignitaries will be on hand to start the event.  The Genesee Valley Storytellers will entertain the younger set in the Children’s Center’s Secret Room.  A group from the Eastman School of Music will perform.  The Friends of the Library will be offering a simple book-making project in front of the Library Store.  But that is only the beginning of six weeks of programs!

From April 14-May 31st there will be speakers, film presentations, Random Acts of Reading, book reviews and of course, book discussions. On May 4th, Thomas Olson will present “Gutenberg and the Invention of Print:  Revolution or Evolution.  Julie Wosk will discuss “Alluring Androids and Robots in Film, Photography and Art on May 13th.  Authors will discuss having their books banned.  And there will be a tour of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection at the Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester.

See www.libraryweb.org for a complete listing of events.