Former development chief urges restricting role of city officials

Mar 10, 2010 — The Buffalo News

Brian Meyer

Mar. 10, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Community development should not be done from City Hall, a former city development chief and prominent business leader told the Common Council on Tuesday.

Larry Quinn also urged city officials to have the "courage" to say no when they face pressure to use anti-poverty money to create jobs for "someone you know" or to fund outside groups that don't provide services that fit into a long-term strategy.

In a candid conversation, Quinn said managing federal block grant funds requires officials to make "tough political choices."

"You have to make a decision that it's not about City Hall jobs," said Quinn. "I think we all know that a large percentage of the block grant funds go to funding multiple nonprofits and, recently, a lot of employees in City Hall."

Quinn is vice chairman of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. and managing partner of the Buffalo Sabres. He served as Buffalo's economic development chief during the administration of Mayor James D. Griffin.

Quinn was invited to Tuesday's meeting of the Community Development Committee because lawmakers wanted his advice as the city proceeds with an overhaul of its economic development agencies.

Last month, Quinn sent a pointed three-page critique to an outside panel probing strategies for fixing Buffalo's widely criticized anti-poverty and economic development programs. The Buffalo Niagara Partnership was overseeing the review that consisted largely of former and current city administrators. Quinn resigned from the panel because he thought it was studying the wrong things.

Quinn says the changes must go deeper and be more radical than those the panel had recommended. He said the group's draft report "reflects more of the same thinking that has led to failure upon failure."

During Tuesday's meeting, Quinn repeatedly said that community development is best left to outside entities.

"Community development should not be done from City Hall," he said.

The key, Quinn argued, is to find responsible partners to implement well-planned blueprints, holding these outsiders "super-accountable" for their performance.

He also urged city decision-makers to limit the number of things they attempt to do with block grants, warning that trying to tackle too many things can undermine efforts.

Quinn stressed that he didn't attend the meeting to "beat up City Hall" or its beleaguered agency, the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corp.

Mayor Byron W. Brown announced last month that the entity was being abolished and its tasks shifted to the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency.

Quinn said it's not really a question of what city agency will administer an array of programs. The important things, he said, are prioritizing funds, finding responsible outside partners to take the lead and holding all parties accountable.

bmeyer@buffnews.com

Newstex ID: KRTB-0019-42749488