{"id":1614,"date":"2012-05-23T23:24:51","date_gmt":"2012-05-23T23:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesecretnewsonline.com\/?p=1614"},"modified":"2012-05-29T00:10:50","modified_gmt":"2012-05-29T00:10:50","slug":"to-the-editor-emeryville-can-be-creative-smart-in-using-staff-saving-money-and-dont-forget-the-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesecretnewsonline.com\/?p=1614","title":{"rendered":"To the Editor: Emeryville Can be Creative, Smart in Using Staff, Saving Money. And Don’t Forget the Arts."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Re: “The City’s Financial Future” (May 8, 2012)<\/strong><\/p>\n

(City Council Special Meeting to Discuss the Budget 5:30 pm Today, Emeryville City Hall)<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I look at the staff cuts, I only see people in the front lines getting cut. Why does the city need a Director of Redevelopment at $180,000 a year when there won’t be a redevelopment agency?\u00a0 A lot of smaller, innovative cities have combined economic development and planning. On Monday night, at an Emeryville budget meeting, the City Manager said he does his own clerical work. Get him some help and free him up to do some of his old duties as head of Economic Development. And he won’t be as busy because he won’t have the redevelopment funds to cut deals with developers.<\/p>\n

I heard on Monday night that the two people who the Director of Economic Development wants to cut is Nancy Templeton, the person handling everything from graffiti abatement to community gardens and more, and another person who only makes $35,000 and whose job it is to run the public art program part-time. She has a background in the arts, and according to what I heard on Monday night, has taken the arts to a new level. The arts and a clean city will be important to economic development after redevelopment. How about eliminating the director position, and moving the few remaining economic development staff to other departments — Nancy Templeton to Public Works, the grants person to Public Works, the two housing and real estate staffers to Planning, and the arts person to the City Manager’s office?<\/p>\n

It seems we ought to get the word out more for the arts. The city has a public information person and it seems like some of those duties could be given to the arts person, who spoke at Monday’s meeting and seems smart. That job was $80,000. So keep Helen Bean (Director of Economic Development) for a few months to wrap up the paperwork for end of redevelopment and create a new city that runs more lean, with more interdepartmental collaboration. That is what the private sector firms who pride themselves on creativity and innovation would do. I have to be out of town tonight, but I hope someone will say this to the City Council. OUR FUTURE IS AT STAKE. Thanks.<\/p>\n

Joe (last name withheld)<\/em><\/p>\n

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