I got a chance to catch-up with one of Raleigh’s At-large City Councilors, Mary-Ann Baldwin, to let her know about our efforts for southwestraleigh.com. She agreed to provide an  update on a few City Council topics.

Councilor Baldwin brings a marketing and communications background to Raleigh City Council and understands business principles such as communication, customer service, and team work. She’s also interested in business innovation and economic development.

I asked Councilor Baldwin what’s she’s looking to accomplish this year on council, if there’s any progress with the Lightner Center, and much more, in the following interview.

1) What are you hoping to accomplish on City Council in 2011?

One of my priorities for 2011 has already come to fruition.  Earlier this year, our streamlined Office of Economic Development was organized in the Planning Department.  Already we’re seeing improved communication among all of our economic development partners and new enthusiasm for working together for a common goal–making it easier for businesses to locate, grow, and expand here. In today’s economic climate, this is critical to Raleigh’s future success. But what’s more impressive is we’re accomplishing this without increasing staff or adding costs.

I also hope we can gain consensus on a budget that doesn’t severely impact City services and enables us to continue human services support for people who need our help the most in these tough economic times. And I will work for the passage–by the Council and ultimately the voters–of a bond referendum to fund multi-modal transportation and other important road projects.

Since the City created its Sustainability Office several years ago, we’ve made great strides in reducing our energy expenses and our carbon footprint. It’s also helped to create awareness of the issue among all City departments.  I’m looking forward to expanding our success in this area for even greater impact.

I’m also committed to getting our new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) approved. Our current zoning system just doesn’t work. It pits neighbors against developers, and in some cases neighbors against neighbors. It’s outdated. There’s no level of predictability, no certainty. I like how the new code is being developed because it clearly spells out what can be built, and how things can be built, with agreement on development opportunities upfront. I hope this will be a win-win situation where neighborhoods get real input and a say in their future–which is the way it should be–and developers have a clear understanding of what to expect in the process.

Another goal, as the City’s liaison to the Legislature, is to lobby against unfunded mandates being passed on to the City or major revenue grabs by the state. Either scenario could have major budget implications at a time we can least afford it. Right now we’re operating a no-frills government. We have 200 fewer City employees than we did three years ago, which means we’re doing more with less even as our population continues to grow. We’re putting off capital improvement projects, as well as road repaving and other critical maintenance. I’m not sure what we will cut if we lose millions in revenue due to Legislative decisions. But it won’t be pretty.

2) What’s the latest with the Lightner Center?

Sad to say, we could not come up with a compromise to move forward on a new public safety center. So it will be up to the next City Council to decide how we proceed. I still believe that it needs to be built.

The unwillingness of some to move forward on this project is also disappointing because years of planning have gone into this project. Many votes (most unanimous) were cast over five years and $25 million in taxpayer money has already been spent on the building design and temporary relocation of police officers.  At the very least, we need to address the status of our 9-1-1 call center. If we don’t, I’m afraid service will degrade to unacceptable levels.

3) Has there been any progress on Raleigh’s gang issues?

This is the issue that speaks to my heart. And absolutely, we’re making progress, due in part to a comprehensive approach we’re taking.

On the prevention side, The Youth Collaborative that I originated with former Councilor (now County Commissioner) James West is gathering steam. The program received a $1.25 million award from the Rex Endowment to support and enhance the effort, which focuses on bringing governmental agencies and non-governmental youth-oriented organizations together to provide services to our at-risk youth and their families. This is the largest award ever granted from the Rex Endowment, and it shows a real effort on behalf of the City, Wake County, and the Wake County School System to work together on this important issue. The City’s effort also includes creation of a pilot program in the Tarboro Road area to determine the best ways to get services to young people and their families. The results of our work will be measured, and hopefully we’ll be able to expand the pilot program to other areas of the City and the County.

The Raleigh Police Department also created a Youth & Family Services section within the Detective Division to help it better focus on youth/gang-related issues. We have a gang outreach coordinator whose sole function is to bridge the gap between police and community resources. Since 72 percent of the documented gang members in Raleigh are between 16 and 25 years old, this seems like the best strategy.

On the suppression side, we’ve seen a 34 percent reduction in citywide gang-related crime in 2010 as compared to the previous year. Southeast Raleigh continues to be the most vulnerable area with 478 gang-related incidents. But the good news is the numbers are down from 795 incidents in 2009. The Police are also focused on gang suppression, intelligence and training. There are also gang unit liaison officers in each of the six police districts, and aggressive enforcement of gang violence.

What’s most impressive to me is that RPD, Raleigh Parks & Recreation, and Community Services are all working closely to create programs to address youth needs. The opening of the St. Monica’s Youth Center, the first in Raleigh, is a prime example of our city staff working together. I’m really proud of our team for giving this issue their utmost attention and care. We’re truly making a difference, but the best is yet to come.

4) Since this is an election year, do you see any issues that citizens should pay attention to, that may impact October?

The economy, the public safety center, and transit–especially as the price of gas continues to rise upwards toward $4 or even $5 per gallon. And although it’s not a city governance issue, the Board of Education races are going to have an impact.

5) How can Raleigh move towards being more innovative and having a Gov 2.0 style of government?

We need to continually look at ways that technology can be used to help us communicate with the public (and vice versa) and improve our efficiency.

We need to think “collaboration”–and by that I mean identifying ways we can work with the private sector, non-profits, and our local universities. For instance, there are some initial discussions taking place with NC State University about ways we might work together in the area of sustainability. I’d like to see this type of thinking become commonplace. It’s really all about expanding our networks and being open to a new way of doing things.

We also have to keep ahead of demographic changes and trends. For instance, our population is going to double over the next 20 years. We’re preparing for that with our new Comprehensive Plan, a proposed transit initiative, and other infrastructure improvements. But what we’re not talking about is how we’re going to accommodate a growing senior population and minority population, both of which will have specific needs. Getting our head around these demographic changes will give us the opportunity to plan for the future in terms of human resources. We need leaders in place who understand that you can’t just serve for today, but you have to be thinking 20 years from now–and then communicate to and build that vision with constituents.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I play a little golf, take my energetic little dog Jack on nice long walks, have friends over for dinner (I love to cook), and I always have a book going. I’m also writing a blog about my 88-year-old mom living with me. Shameless plug here … It’s called www.mommovesin.wordpress.com. It’s a good release. You’d be amazed at the number of people I meet who are dealing with aging parents and the issues that go along with that.

Thanks Councilor Baldwin for answering our questions.

• Follow Mary-Ann Baldwin on Twitter: @maryannbaldwin.

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