This summary of the Monday 6 August Mayoral Debate focused on Wilmington’s Westside and their revitalization program was offered as a comment by Kiki to the thread I posted with notice of this event. I thought this was an excellent summary and worthy of its own post. Hope you agree:
I was at this event and it was very interesting and, for me, informative, as a constituent who hasn’t decided yet who to support in this race. The purpose of the event was not a debate, it was for the candidates to address the West Side Grows Community Development Plan, which is a comprehensive plan for revitalizing the West Side in just about every way you can imagine. The plan was created by the community, with volunteers going door-to-door to residents and businesses to bring everyone to the table.
The candidates were given a paper copy of the plan, which is also available online at http://www.interface-studio.com/isftp/WestSide/WestSide_FINAL_061212.pdf. It was quite clear from the event on Monday which candidates had bothered to look at it beforehand, which had read it through or just skimmed it, and which had digested it and so could speak to it intelligently.
My general impressions as an undecided voter and West Side resident, again with no affiliation to any candidate at this time, from memory/real time reaction (not note):
Williams came across as arrogant and smug, and spoke in sound bytes–commenting at least once that he didn’t need to use up all his allotted time to speak on an issue unlike his colleagues on the dais. He came across as someone who hadn’t even glanced at the West Side Revitalization Plan, and was even quoted thus ” ‘First of all we have to stabilize the area,” Williams said. ‘Then we have to go in and have a community roundtable, along with a business roundtable, to see exactly what the people in the community want.’” He apparently failed to realize, perhaps because he was running so late that he arrived after the event was well underway, that our community had already conducted several residential and business roundtables and had already come up with a plan of action. And that plan was the reason he had been invited to come speak with West Side residents in the first place. Pretty rude. Otherwise, he spoke a lot about fighting and stopping crime and gave an impression that things were so terrible that until crime stopped (helped by his plan of reinstating jump-outs) pretty much nothing else would get done. He seemed to see no good in the City he hopes to run. Also he would make use of the summer jobs program, but only allow to service the “poorest” kids in the city–no jobs for city workers’ kids, middle class or upper middle class in a Williams administration. He also spoke strongly without substance about the deficit and balancing the budget. And emphasized that “people” want “different” and that’s him.
Kelley seems to have a fairly clear focus on what he would like to do for the City, and a few things he said drew very positive crowd response–like cleaning up the Union Street corridor and implementing true community policing. He is very well-spoken and passionate about what he knows. In terms of the West Side Revitalization Plan specifically, he came across as being semi-familiar with it but not especially throwing his weight behind it as a true call to action. I got the feeling he has his own agenda already and this Plan can be a part of it so long as it doesn’t hinder what he has already set out to do, and will complement what he plans to do–like shape up Union Street and Lancaster Aves, as an example.
Spencer also gained some applause for community policing ideas, including more transparency using social media to hold the police department accountable for response times, crime rates, etc. He also advocates a circular bus route. He seemed to have read and digested most of the West Side Revitalization Plan, and was complementary about it without really answering specifically what he would do to help make it a reality. Some good rhetoric and even some good ideas mixed in, but again he is set on his agenda which didn’t seem to account for much in terms of a buy-in for the West Side Grows blueprint.
Montgomery seemed to have read and digested the West Side Revitalization Plan, and recognized it for what it can be–a true community-created model for one part of the city that maybe can be applied/modified to fit other areas of the city. He also comes across as the candidate who does not think the entire City is going down the toilet, and who recognizes that there is a lot of good in our communities and in our “scene” such as it is, and the plan that concerned constituents helped to create was evidence of that. He points out that many of the ideas proposed to fight crime or otherwise improve things by his opponents will raise tax dollars, and that the city needs to invest in things that offer a rate of return–citing the new riverfront hotel as a relatively inexpensive investment when considered aginst the rate of return in terms of eventual job creation and revenue.
Bovell spoke mainly about young people and giving them places to go. He seemed very nice but offered no substance behind his words, aside from a continual cry that we need more community centers and programs for young people. He didn’t come off to me strongly in any way about the West Side Revitalization Plan, he seemed to be present on a different level entirely.
Melloy lives in the West Side and was part of developing the plan, so is very familiar with it and supportive of all its facets. He especially spoke to the notion of redoing 4th street, and suggested it be rebranded as a way to jump-start its revitalization. Said a few interesting things but was probably the least effective of all the speakers that night.
Nowhere near a comprehensive overview, just one person’s impressions (two days later at that) of the West Side event. It was a really good event if a little long. The council candidates also spoke and all were convinced of their “best for the job” platforms, again largely concerned with crime. No one really addressed the West Side revitalization plans.
To read more about the Plan itself, a copy can be downloaded here: http://www.interface-studio.com/isftp/WestSide/WestSide_FINAL_061212.pdf