City Manager Gilleland outlined accomplishmentsfrom Agenda 2008.

o Establishment of the City Manager’s TaskForce on Business Retention, a group of business leaders to make retentionvisits on the city’s behalf.

o Las Vegas retail recruitment trip and working withTowne Mall owners.

o Working with existing businesses on anyopportunity, providing an atmosphere of cooperation and attention to detail.

o City Manager engaged in Chamber ofCommerce committees and activities.

o Utilizing and integrating the Small Business Development Center.

o Open for business statement, promotion,open during lunch hours and a one stop shop counter in development.

o Reorganization of downtown efforts andstreamlining through the Planning Office.

o Working with the Community Foundation,local banks, and with city funds to incentivize investment/propertymaintenance.

o Working with the Community Foundation tofund a downtown coordinator to integrate financing, renovation, promotions withdowntown activities and recruitment of appropriate businesses.

o Paducah trip with community leaders to examinekey successes and failures of redevelopment with an arts community.

o Diversity training planned for entirecity staff, boards/commissions/ council in 2009.

o Staff person assigned to DiversityCommittee and efforts throughout the year.

o City Managers remains engaged incommunity diversity affairs.

o Regional meetings with all surroundingentities.

o Efforts ongoing to demolish blightedhousing and pursuing Brownfield grants for commercial and industrial.

o Ongoing efforts in housing enforcement ondowntown area and commercial areas.

o Realigned building inspection staff tosupplement code enforcement.

o In the process of selecting a vendor toadminister the Section 8 housing program.

o Ongoing efforts through CDBG,Neighborhood Stabilization Funds.

o Street improvement, citizen-staff-councilcommittee established to examine and make recommendation.

o Overall plan developed for street paving,specifics of individual street

assessmentneeded.

o $7M in paving being done in 2009 – N.Breiel, SR 122.

o Plan developed for 2009 for basic streetmaintenance.

o Leveraging grants, state and federaldollars for street projects.

o Council finance subcommittee established.

o Staff meetings monthly with financialadvisor to review reports.

o Continuous monitoring of revenuereceipts.

o Contingency plan established for short,mid and long term cut backs.

o Integration of budget process throughcity staff.

o Public Safety Committee of Councilmeeting quarterly

o Capital repairs at Fire Stations

o Police Station Painting

o Reorganization of city staff –realignment of duties

o Hiring of key personnel

o Sun Coke Project

o Communication and PR with community, useof weekly updates, newspaper columns, media coverage and water bill inserts.

City ManagerGilleland also mentioned some other accomplishments that included demolition ofthe old hospital and Paychex opening this month. A disappointment that wasmentioned was the Forbe’s article that listed Middletown as one of the tenfastest dying cities in the nation.