The October meeting of the Mayor’s Roundtable for the 7th District met tonight at EDI on 25th Street. Not counting the folks directly involved in running the meeting or presenting, there was an audience of 5. It was a small but feisty gathering, with a presentation on the City of Richmond 2008-2013 Consolidated Plan and Central Montessori School on the agenda.

Daniel Mouer from the Department of Community Development presented information about the City of Richmond 2008-2013 Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan serves as the City of Richmond’s Community Development Plan and for submission for funding under HUD programs. The presentation was mildly informative, with charts of nonspecific statistics and stuff about HUD, and consultants, and plans, and strategies yada yada yada — abstract bureaucratic speak that felt like hot air and was generally frustrating.

They asked for input as to what we, the citizens, felt the goals of the new Consolidated Plan ought to be. In response, it was commented that “a new conversation needs to happen about what our priorities ought to be in the East End”. The situation is different now than they were 15 years ago. The push used to be getting the housing market going, which seems to have been fairly successful. The question was asked: How can we really have a conversation what should happen now in this “community of choice”, the East End?

The conversation then took on 2 of the common threads: the desire for better schools, and economic development. It was opined that the neighborhood schools need to be better to help ensure that gains made in housing can be sustained. I brought up that is seemed like it was difficult for new businesses to open, even with community support.

At the bidding of the audience, this discussion went over the initial time timeframe. This pushed back the Pishko’s presentation on Central Montessori School until next month. The short version is that they are not open yet due to continued difficulties with the city, but that they could be ready to go any day now.