Portsmouth City Council to develop poverty task force

WE'RE BACK NOW WITH A NEW
INITATIVE IN PORTSMOUTH
AIMED AT LIFTING PEOPLE
OUT OF
POVERTY.
IT'LL BE NO EASY TASK --
BUT TOP CITY OFFICIALS
SAY THEY'RE LASER-FOCUSED
ON MAKING IT
HAPPEN.
10 ON YOUR SIDE'S JOE
FISHER JOINS US NOW --
AND JOE -- THIS ALL
STARTS WITH A BRAND
NEW TASK FORCE.
TOM, ANITA -- THE PLANS
ARE ALREADY IN THE WORKS.
THE CITY WILL BE ANALZING
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
LIVING IN POVERTY OVER
THE
NEXT YEAR -- AND
EXPLORING WAYS TO GET
THOSE RESIDENTS MAKING
MORE MONEY.
DR. LYDIA
PETTIS-PATTON/PORTSMOUTH
CITY MANAGER ((C2 6:37))
"WE'RE HERE TO SERVE THE
PUBLIC."
SIDE-BY-SIDE PORTSMOUTH'S
CITY MANAGER AND MAYOR --
ANNOUNCING A NEW
PLAN TO HELP THE POOR.
MAYOR JOHN
ROWE/PORTSMOUTH
((C2 7:31)) "WHERE ARE
THE GAPS AND HOW CAN WE
FILL
THOSE GAPS?" THE IDEA FOR
THE "CITY COUNCIL TASK
FORCE
ON POVERTY" WAS DEVELOPED
AT LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL
RETREAT.
THE VISION IS FOR A
ROUGHLY 20-MEMBER GROUP
TO OPEN A DIALOGUE,
ADDRESS
ROOT CAUSES AND COME UP
WITH SOLUTIONS.
DR. LYDIA
PETTIS-PATTON/PORTSMOUTH
CITY MANAGER
((C2 5:38)) "ACROSS THIS
NATION, WE KNOW THERE ARE
MANY PERSONS WHO ARE IN
NEED AND NEED SUPPORT AND
HELP IN MANY DIFFERENT
AREAS." FROM HOUSING --
TO EDUCATION -- AND
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
WITH THE GOAL OF
ELIMINATING POVERTY --
THE MAYOR WANTS TO START
WITH LOW-PAID CITY
WORKERS.
MAYOR JOHN
ROWE/PORTSMOUTH ((C2
7:54)) "WE ACTUALLY HAVE
SOME CITY EMPLOYEES WHO
ARE WOEFULLY UNDERPAID
WHEN YOU
THINK ABOUT A LIVING
WAGE?" THAT LIVING WAGE
IS STILL UNDETERMINED --
BUT THE COUNCIL HAS
DIRECTED CITY MANAGER DR.
LYDIA PETTIS-PATTON TO
COME
UP WITH A SUSTAINABLE
SALARY FIGURE THAT WILL
HELP INDIVIDUALS AND
FAMILIES.
DR. PATTON SAYS IT'LL
TAKE A YEAR TO PUT
TOGETHER A FULL REPORT.
DR. LYDIA
PETTIS-PATTON/PORTSMOUTH
CITY MANAGER ((C2 8:57))
"ONCE WE FINISH THIS
REPORT AND THIS WORK
THROUGH THIS TASKS FORCE,
WE WILL KNOW WHERE EVERY
GAP IS AND THEN HAVE
RECOMMNEDATIONS WITH
SOLUTIONS WITH HOW OVER
THE YEARS WE WILL DEAL."
THE TASK FORCE WILL BE
ASSEMBLED IN THE COMING
MONTHS TO INCLUDE ELECTED
OFFICIALS AND PORTSMOUTH
RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO
BRING IDEAS TO THE
TABLE.
IN THE NEWSROOM - JOE
FISHER 10 ON YOUR SIDE.
THE COUNCIL ALSO PLANS ON
CREATING A CONVENTION AND
VISITOR'S BUREAU TO
ATTRACT TOURISTS TO
PORTSMOUTH. THERE ARE
PLANS TO HIRE A TOURISM
DIRECTOR -- AFTER GOING
SEVEN YEARS WITHOUT ONE.
THE MAYOR SAYS THIS WILL
HELP TO IMPROVE THE
CITY'S IMAGE AS A
DESTINATION CITY WITH
RICH HISTORY.

Portsmouth City Council to develop poverty task force

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