As Mayor, I have to spend a lot of time on things that don’t produce immediate results. I find this difficult because I am not a patient man and I hate the slow pace of government.
It would be easy for me to concentrate on things that produce short term outcomes. Short term projects are feel good projects that are important for the goodwill of our citizens, but frankly the results are not long lasting and the dividends are not nearly enough; like a tree planting, for example.
These small projects occur routinely, but there are many things that I have initiated and are ongoing that will bring long term benefits to the citizens of Derby. These things involve changing the way we operate and creating best practices.
Two years ago, I put together a Housing Task Force consisting of my Building Inspector, Blight Officers, Police Department, Fire Marshall, Public Works Director, Housing Authority Director, Corporation Counsel and other department heads. This Task Force works with the Board of Aldermen to create ordinances, combat blight and ultimately establish a process that will improve our neighborhoods.
As a result of this Task Force, we now have strict blight ordinances that allow us to penalize absentee landlords, owners of blighted properties and individuals who have become a detriment to our neighborhoods. We have a stronger police presence and undercover presence in areas of Derby that are densely populated and have a high incidence of blight offenses. We have also upgraded our sidewalks and curbs in these areas.
We recently paved Elizabeth and Seymour and we will be reconstructing Hawthorne Avenue soon. Just now my Office of Economic and Community Development acquired a $300,000 grant to rehabilitate qualified homes. All of these things will have a huge impact on the quality of our neighborhoods, but these improvements will occur over time and with funding from the federal and state governments.
Another on-going practice I have set in place is the creation of a “one-stop” shop to help foster economic development. My Director of Economic and Community Development, my Building Official, Fire Marshall and Planning and Zoning officials and I all work together to meet with interested developers, discuss future plans and understand expectations.
This panel has helped move large development projects such as Lowes and the Griffin Hospital Cancer Center smoothly and with little or no government obstacles. It is a process I have established that will breed a more positive atmosphere for development now and in the future.
We can improve small things with relative ease, but major improvements to the way we do business take time, dedication and hard work. In the long run, it is a path for a brighter future in Derby. I am looking forward to continuing to play a role in the creation of a strong, solid foundation for Derby.
The writer is a Republican seeking re-election as Mayor of Derby.
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