MAYOR JACQUES HOLDS A RETREAT

Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy and his staffers plan to meet at a retreat over the next two days to discuss major initiatives for the next fiscal year, which begins in May. (See: "Alexandria officials focusing on upcoming initiatives").


It beats the Hell out of me why our City tax dollars have to be spent on a retreat when Mayor Roy and his staff could accomplish the same things at a meeting at City Hall with their calls being held up.


"Some of the ideas Roy said his executive team will focus upon will be the streamlining of the city's permit process and making it available online; enriching parternships for education and the arts; continuing to focus on Holocaust/World War II and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. memorials; moving ahead on SPARC projects on Masonic Drive and Bolton Avenue; and attempting to rebrand the city for marketing purposes." id.


"Allowing the permit process to be done electronically can aid small businesses, particularly those businesses hoping to locate in the city's Special Planned Activity Redevelopment Corridors target areas, Roy said." id.


Jacques SPARC (CRAPS) began in 2009, and I can't think of a single business or job that has been created in those corridors yet.


"Roy also said plans are being developed for a dog park, tentatively slated for Masonic Drive, as well as an inner-city community garden" and "City officials have targeted the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Murray Street for a future King memorial. Roy said he hoped to also tie in an "allegory park" where historical figures from the civil rights period will be sharing allegorical stories" id.

Like an emperor of ancient Rome, Jacques plans to build City beautification projects in the Black parts of town and along Masonic Drive as a monument to his own greatness. All the while, Alexandria will still have drainage problems, no new jobs or businesses, or an improved quality of life for the majority of us citizens of Alexandria.
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See Also:

JACQUES' 12 TRIALS

and

ISSUES REMAINING FOR THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN 2012