Mayor's Progress Report
Mayor Masiello's Office
Buffalo, NY

 

Table of Contents:

I.) Government Reform
II.) Economic Development
III.) Parks & Neighborhoods
IV.) Housing
V.) Miscellaneous

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GOVERNMENT REFORM

Charter Revision

In February 2000, Governing Magazine, in conjunction with the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, ranked Buffalo 34th of 35 cities in a survey of city management practices. The city received a C- grade; only New Orleans fared worse in the survey.

But what the study analysts acknowledged and what has since transpired, is that Buffalo demonstrated significant signs of positive change for the future. Indeed, the study identified the City's New Charter as a powerful indication that change in the city government was not only imminent but a central element of the Masiello Administration's effort to make city government more efficient, responsive and productive.

The new charter includes the following reforms:

- A rigorous and accountable strategic planning process, encompassing not only the city government proper, but also the independently elected school board, and public sewer, housing and economic corporations.

- A comprehensive five-year capital programming and budgeting system.

- A new commission on Citizen's Rights and community Relations with the power (among others) to oversee the police department's community relations and handling of complaints of police misconduct.

-Integration of human resource functions in a new department, charged with responsibility to develop a system for annual performance review of City employees.

-Consolidation of public works, parks and street functions for more efficient use of personnel and equipment.

Streamlining of building Permit Procedure

The Mayor has implemented the recommendations of a Mayoral task force, including the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, to reorganize the city's building and permit inspection functions. The result, with a new Commissioner of Permits (as created in the new City Charter), will create a speedier, more efficient and user friendly procedure for development in Buffalo. In addition, the Mayor lobbied successfully in 1999 to have the New York state building code changed from a previously balkanized, regional system to a unified building code consistent with 48 other states in our country.

Joint School Construction Board

Even before the Charter revision Commission recommended a strategic planning process to coordinate the planning and development by the city government and the Board of Education, the Masiello Administration took the initiative in creating a joint board to plan and encourage development of new school and community buildings. after decades of delay, the City has now achieved success in recently passed state legislation that will facilitate the construction of six new -state of the art school buildings, utilizing public/private financing and development techniques.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Inner Harbor

Construction has commenced on the $27 million Inner harbor redevelopment project, although the city had entered into a 60 day study with Erie County to determine the feasibility of incorporating additional historical elements (e.g., Commercial slip, Central Wharf) of the western terminus of the Erie Canal.

Recent agreement between the city, county and state with Adelphia Communications will bring the firm's national operations center to Webster Block and approximately 2,000 good paying jobs to the Inner Harbor region.

Buffalo Byte Belt

The buffalo byte belt, designed to capitalize on the city's dense complex of fiber optic and telecommunications facilities, inexpensive office space and productive workforce, has attracted more than 25 companies and 2,000 jobs to downtown over the last 18 months. This one of the reasons that the city's rate of job growth, lagging badly for years, has in the past month and a half surged to 1.9%; well ahead of statewide and upstate rates.

Brownfield Redevelopment

Buffalo's Brownfield redevelopment program has earned international recognition. A former steel industry site is now in use as a hydroponics tomato farm. The administration's plan to redevelop 1,500 acres of abandoned industrial land in South Buffalo for office, light industrial, and waterfront recreational use will enable the City to compete successfully with suburban areas for high quality office and industrials park development.

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PARKS AND NEIGHBORHOODS

Restoration of Olmstead Park System

Buffalo is fortunate to have a magnificent parkway system designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead. Working closely with the Buffalo Olmstead Parks Conservancy, the parks and parkways are being restored after many years of neglect (e.g., tree and shrub planting effort in April 2000 in MLK park; Scajaquada expressway study ; Scajaquada Creek bike path connecting Delaware park to Niagara river).

Neighborhood Improvement

Buffalo's neighborhoods are looking much better. Working with community organizations, the city is planting trees, replacing curbs, sidewalks and street lights, rehabilitating deteriorated houses and demolished abandoned buildings. the Mayor's Impact Team brings coordinated cleanup, demolition and repair work to bear on severely blighted areas.

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HOUSING

The local housing market has heated up, with the sales running nearly 11% above last years pace through the end of may. Local Realtors say competition for homes in the city, which are deemed very affordable and desirable is intense.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Jobs/Unemployment

Through May, Buffalo, according to the NYS Labor Department saw a surge in seasonal hiring at local construction and service firms, thereby pushing the region's unemployment rate to 4.4%, our lowest unemployment rate in 26 years.

Simultaneously, the hiring surge drove the total number of jobs in Erie and Niagara counties to its highest level ever. Buffalo's job base swelled to 564,100. as mentioned earlier this job rate growth -1.9% -- surpassed the statewide average of 1.1%. Fewer people were without a job in Erie County in May 2000 than at any other time since 1974.

Air Service

With JetBlue and Shuttle America paving the way, Southwest Airlines last month announced its arrival to the Buffalo Market. Southwest is a carrier known for innovation and shaking up the industry, and while they may be somewhat unconventional according to air industry standards, they don't enter any market unless they see an advantage for doing business successfully. Their arrival in Buffalo should not be underestimated. They obviously believe it good to establish business here.

Chase Manhattan Bank

In March 2000, Mark Goloven, Senior regional Economist for Chase Manhattan, stated, "Buffalo has emerged as one of the fastest growing metros in the Great Lakes region. by the fourth quarter [1999], the total job count in the metro area was expanding at a speedier clip than the job count in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburg; Buffalo's total job count, in fact, is growing just as fast as that of sun-drenched San Diego."

 

Inc. Magazine

In December 1999, Inc. Magazine ranked Buffalo among the top fifty cities in the country in which to start and grow a buisness (Buffalo was ranked 46th).

 

Site Selection Magazine

Site selection Magazine, in February 2000, placed Buffalo among the nation's top 25 metropolitan areas with the most comany openings or expansion announcements. All before the Adelphia and other deals being completed.

The Buffalo-Niagara Falls area, according to the magazine, landed 102 corporate location or exapnsion projects. These developments are expected to create 5,400 jobs for the region.

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