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Wanted: City Cheerleader

Sunday, September 27, 2009 by:Lennie Grimaldi
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Bridgeport needs a cheerleader. That’s what I hear from downtown property owners, merchants, workers etc.

The other day the University of Bridgeport hosted a forum featuring Larry Goldman,  chief executive of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center that helped revitalize downtown Newark.

His message: the arts can change perception and transform an image.

Said UB President Neil Salonen:

“The arts are important to us…they’re important to the community. The arts are good for the soul and good for the community in a practical way.”

Amen.

Let’s look downtown and environs: City Lights Gallery, Housatonic art gallery, ballpark, arena, Barnum Museum, Downtown Cabaret, Playhouse on the Green, an emerging restaurant district on Fairfield Avenue, Sweetport Festival, a variety of events at Baldwin Plaza (not just Ann Coulter).

A cheerleader has a lot to work with. So, who’ll step up? It could be the mayor. Cheerleading is not just about we’re great and waving pom poms. It’s about organizing a marketing plan and putting folks in place that can carry it through.

Enthusiasm is one of Bill Finch’s assets. If he can find some breathing room outside the of the grind of running the state’s largest city to focus on marketing city assets the cheerleading becomes contagious. His can pass the baton to his Economic Development Director Don Eversley. “Jesus, Grimaldi, leave me alone. I have enough to do.”

Okay, wouldn’t it be nice if People’s United Bank CEO Philip Sheringham stepped up to help? You talk to anyone about the head of the largest bank based in Connecticut and they’ll tell you Philip doesn’t want to play. He’s from the left coast, no local roots, doesn’t care about Bridgeport. He drives into Bridgeport to work in his Taj Mahal office and drives out of the city when the day is done. Whatever he does to support Bridgeport is tokenism.

Shearingham ordering his marketing department to free up a few hundred grand to support a city marketing campaign is chump change for a bank with billions in assets. Or maybe Shearingham and Finch get together for a you kick in, I’ll kick in exchange? And maybe a few others from the business community play as well.

It’s been proven over and over, market your destination points, promote the arts and people and investors will follow. Gee, what a novel idea.

(Check out my daily blog at www.onlyinbridgeport.com)

Library Book Fight

Tuesday, August 11, 2009 by:Lennie Grimaldi
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Library officials want to throw the book at Mayor Bill Finch. Well, sort of.

They say the library system is woefully underfunded and they haven’t been enamored of the mayor since he described library workers as “non-essential” following layoffs last year to help close a budget gap. The library budget was ultimately rescued during negotiations with the City Council.

Library Board members such as Jim O’Donnell and Sylvester Salcedo support a citywide referendum that would allow voters to decide — based on state statute –  library expenditures. For instance, voters would vote up or down on a proposed mil levy, say three quarters of a mil, to finance library costs.

State statute allows such a referendum and even the City Charter specifies a 2.33 mil levy to fund library services, although city bean counters don’t follow it. The problem with the city ordinance? One mil in the current city budget represents roughly $6 million. The current library budget is roughly $4 million. City officials are against a referendum, including several City Council members that went to bat for the library. Translation: we’ll tell voters not to support this if it gets to a referendum.

The Library Board has a unique self-sustaining system. Existing board members determine future board members unlike most of the rest of city boards and commissions appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council.

Bridgeport enjoys one of the finest public library systems in the state and library officials say the mayor doesn’t appreciate the knowledge and educational tools it brings to an entire region.

Is the referendum threat a negotiating strategy to ensure future library services? Maybe. Or maybe it’s for real and then the voters decide. Other towns have done this. But what’s the down side to other budget-challenged departments if the referendum passes? And what happens if the levy request is rejected by voters?

Look for this issue to take shape over the next few weeks.

From the City Charter

2.112.060 Library fund tax.

To provide for the expenses of the maintenance of the city’s public library and reading room, a tax of two and thirty-three hundredths (2.33) mills shall be levied and collected in the same manner as other city taxes and shall be known as the library fund.

 From Connecticut General Statutes

CGS Sec. 11-36. Town or borough tax. When fifty electors of any town or borough present a petition to the clerk of such town or borough, asking that an annual tax be levied for the establishment and maintenance of a free public library and reading room in such town or borough, and specify in their petition a rate of taxation, not to exceed three mills on the dollar, such clerk shall, in the next legal notice of the regular municipal election in such town or borough, give notice that at such election the question of an annual tax for the maintenance of a library is to be voted upon in the manner prescribed in section 9-369. The designation of such question on the voting machine ballot label shall be “Shall a …. mill tax be levied to establish and maintain a free public library and reading room?”. Such notice and such designation of the question on the voting machine ballot label shall specify the rate of taxation mentioned in such petition. If, upon the official determination of the result of such vote, it appears that a majority of all the votes upon such question are in approval of such question, the tax specified in such notice shall be levied and collected in the same manner as other general taxes of such town or borough and shall be known as the “library fund”. Such tax may afterwards be lessened or increased within the three-mill limit, or made to cease, in case the electors of any such town or borough so determine by a majority vote at any regular municipal election held therein, in the manner hereinbefore prescribed for voting upon such question; and the corporate authorities of such town or borough may exercise the same powers relative to free public libraries and reading rooms as are conferred upon the corporate authorities of cities.

(Check out my daily blog at www.onlyinbridgeport.com)

The Mayor’s Myopia

Friday, July 17, 2009 by:Lennie Grimaldi
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Mayor Bill Finch reinforces his hopeless case of Mad Myopia in Connecticut Post reporter Linda Conner Lambeck’s feature about the University of Bridgeport’s comeback.

Without doing his homework, without visiting the campus, without the rationale to examine the university’s economic impact on the city, the local kids it educates, the jobs it creates, its impact on one of the finest waterfront parks in the country Seaside Park and vice versa, Finch likens the place to a criminal enterprise funded by that dastardly cult icon the Unification Church.

Well, some folks including a number of FBI agents in the state believe  that dastardly Democratic Town Committee to which Finch is beholden and relies on to fund and turn out the vote for his political allies and his own campaign is a criminal enterprise. Does that make Finch corrupt?

Because the Unification Church gave UB a financial bailout in 1992 to keep it afloat the place should be boarded up?

Tongue getting ahead of brain has always been Finch’s Achilles, and perhaps Chief of Staff Adam Wood should designate someone to stick a rag in the mayor’s mouth every time UB is mentioned.

UB is a fantastic university with good people running it. Let’s look at some of the folks that work there: Mary-Jane Foster, founder of the Bridgeport Bluefish and one of the most respected professionals in the city, George Estrada, who did an admirable job when he served as the city’s director of Public Facilities, Sue Katz, one of the brightest media minds I know who is a professor of communications.

Now I’ve got to wonder since the mayor has  broad stroked all those accomplished folks as being funded by a criminal organization, is he going to return (or reject) past and current donations for his reelection campaign from folks that work at UB?

And what about the 90-member Democratic Town Committee? Tit for tat.

(check out my daily blog at www.onlyinbridgeport.com)

Marketing Bridgeport

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 by:Lennie Grimaldi
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It was 1997 and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim asked me what it would take to turn around Bridgeport’s image.

You take success stories, I told him, and market the city in a statewide radio and television campaign. But first you must build a credible foundation by addressing those issues that concern potential  visitors, and then follow up with economic development and tourist destination commercials. At the time the biggest issue — real or imagined — was crime. People need to feel safe if they’re going to make that leap.

The city has always had a bad knock on crime, even though crime stats consistently show that it has a lower crime rate than Hartford and New Haven. The campaign wouldn’t work if we tried to persuade an audience that the city was some sort of overnight Shangri-la. The campaign was called The People of Bridgeport…Working Their Way Back. Ganim liked the idea and was willing to budget city dollars to improve the image of the state’s largest city. Joe, of course, also liked the idea because it was a way to inflate his profile during his ambitious quest to become governor.

He asked me to help sell it to the City Council. My first call, however, was to city Economic Development Director Mike Freimuth because the campaign would come under his umbrella. If you can get the council to buy into, Mike said, let’s do it.

My next calls went to Bill Finch, Pat Crossin and Auden Grogins, and a few others who were friends on the council. Finch loved the idea. In fact, I explained that we wanted to kick off the campaign featuring a mother who could speak directly into the camera about feeling safe taking her child to a city park. Finch suggested his ex wife Claire who had started a new family. Claire was perfect for the campaign.

Finch helped me line up several of the city residents that would be featured during the early part of the campaign, from all parts of the city. By the time 1998 rolled around, radio and television spots featured the Bluefish, the zoo, Captain’s Cove, Discovery Museum and a bunch more. In one television commercial, Joe was morphed out of the rubble of the old Jenkins Valve site that would become the ballpark at Harbor Yard proclaiming “If we built it…you’ll come.”

They did. That ballpark was full during the years 1998-2000 when the campaign was in full glory. Bridgeport native John Ratzenberger (Cliff in Cheers) eventually became a spokesperson. Did the campaign work? Ask Zoo Director Gregg Dancho, Barnum Museum Executive Director Kathy Maher, or Kaye Williams, operator of Captain’s Cove, if it worked.

Polling and focus groups, validating the city’s marketing campaign, showed increased attendance at city attractions. In fact, there’s a direct connection to the attendance drop off at the city-owned ballpark in 2001, and subsequent years, when the campaign ended after Joe got in trouble. Bluefish attendance has not yet recovered. But there’s a way to fill those seats.

Cities such as Bridgeport must market destination points during good times and bad. For all of John Fabrizi’s love for Bridgeport (it’s real) he failed to invest in city-owned assets. Promoting the city is an investment, not a cost. Invest in the city and suburbanites and beyond will  spend money.

And now nearly two years into Finch’s mayoralty the man who was an enthusiastic supporter of the city promotional campaign when he served on the City Council has yet to promote city attractions. There’s a lot to promote. One of the finest public library systems in the state, a new downtown restaurant district on Fairfield Avenue, Gathering of the Vibes, classic rock concerts at the arena and Klein (both city-owned venues) first-rate shows at the Downtown Cabaret Theater and Playhouse on the Green. Feature the Finch family on a tour of city destination points.

Several new down county and New York developers have recently invested dollars downtown. Use them as testimonials in a radio campaign to reach New York-based investors, with the city’s economic development department as the point of contact.

Ganim budgeted upwards of $1 million for the yearly campaigns. Doesn’t have to be that much. A concentrated, organized campaign of $200k can do a lot. And perhaps ask the business community to be a partner in the promotion. But if they won’t do it, the city should pony up.

The city spends money on all kinds of crap. It can find the money to invest in its assets. City residents will feel good about their city and visitors will plunk down moolah to support restaurants and attractions. It’s worth it.

(Check out my daily blog at www.onlyinbridgeport.com)

Why Strong Department Heads Matter: John Marsilio

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 by:Lennie Grimaldi
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Joe Riccio’s departure as executive director of the Bridgeport Port Authority buoys the importance of strong decision makers in department and agency roles.

Riccio, a good guy who had a mighty run as head of the port authority, signed a separation agreement following revelations he had lobbied state legislation that placed the quasi city agency under the umbrella of the state Department of Transportation. In response to losing home rule the City Council freaked out, dissolving by ordinance the authority it had created in 1993.

The port authority mess was as much about Riccio as anything else. City Hall was looking to get rid of him, and Joe obliged by not telling his commission members what was in the works. Joe took a walk. Governor Jodi Rell vetoed the state legislation and Mayor Bill Finch vetoed the city ordinance. The port authority lives.

Now what? Finding a new executive director (Chief Administrative Officer Andy Nunn is handling duties on an interim basis) that can justify the reason the BPA was created in the first place: marketing and building up the waterfront, maximizing state and federal revenue sources, making the ferry terminal safe, secure and hospitable to thousands of passengers here and on the other side of pond on Long Island.

Do department heads matter? You bet. I worked for two mayors — Tom Bucci and Joe Ganim — and both came into City Hall with completely different perspectives. Bucci had filled key department head positions — public works, parks, economic development, etc — with political operatives that for the most part  hadn’t a clue about managing an agency and the people that work for it.

Ganim filled those positions with brain power concerned about getting a job done without political distractions of taking care of this campaign operative or that one. Bridgeport under Bucci was adrift in litter, inaction and constituent complaints. Bucci, honest and decent (full disclosure: he was my brother in-law many years ago) had handcuffed himself governmentally out of political expediency. He was much better in his second term but by then tax increases had burned voters beyond their breaking point. Voters elected Mary Moran who lasted one term.

Ganim’s approach? Govern well and the politics will follow. Example, Ganim’s hiring of John Marsilio as director of Public Facilites, an umbrella agency that oversees sanitation, street paving, plowing and sweeping, parks and the airport. It requires a manager that understands infrastructure, landfills, machinery, landscape, and unionized personnel.

Marsilio hadn’t a city vote to his name, no political godfather, no district leader pumping him up. He had a lot of  experience in the private sector. Under Marsilio the city was cleaner, streets swept, plowed and paved, garbage picked up on time and parks vastly improved.

Ganim had 10 straight balanced budgets without a tax increase; a ballpark, arena, new home for Housatonic Community College downtown. You think the city Mayor Bill Finch inherited from John Fabrizi was in trouble financially?

It was worse when Ganim took over in 1991. The city was literally in bankruptcy court with crime soaring and companies leaving, a financial review board scrutinizing the budget. UB law school bailed out for Quinnipiac in New Haven. Joe stopped the bleeding with a lot of help from then Governor Lowell Weicker. The city had turned the corner.

Joe’s successes were overshadowed by his idiotic decisions (mine too) and unfortunately some of his best department heads such as Marsilio were unfairly soiled as a result of the federal government’s investigation into Joe’s mayoralty.

I know a little bit about the Ganim case. Marsilio had nothing to do with it, but Johnny Fabs came in (when Joe resigned) and out of media and public reaction replaced Marsilio. (The good news: Fabs replaced Marsilio with the effective George Estrada who now works for UB.)

Returning to the private sector, Marsilio did something for the city that he had wanted to accomplish when he was director of Public Facilities. Marsilio  came up with the idea to seek state legislation to fully tax the  garbage-to-energy plant in the city’s West End that processes garbage from a 16-town region.

The Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority had signed a sweetheart 20-year deal with the city that provided Bridgeport payment in lieu of taxes.  When the deal ended in 2006 the city was receiving roughly $2 million a year. Marsilio went to Fabrizi, the person who canned him, and said don’t miss this opportunity to tax the garbage plant at its full value. But such a move required legislative action. Marsilio urged Finch, then a state senator, and State Senator Ed Gomes to sponsor legislation.

The city of Bridgeport received this year, as a result of Marsilio’s idea and follow up by Finch and Gomes, a first-year payment of $10 million.

That’s why guys like Marsilio matter.

(check out my daily blog at www.onlyinbridgeport.com)