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ATLANTIC CITY - Mayor Lorenzo Langford laid out 12 issues the city faces to a collection of casino executives, state legislators and neighborhood representatives Tuesday and listened to feedback on how to narrow them down to form attainable goals.

The high-profile summit scheduled earlier this month was the first of what could become a bi-weekly event, with the next date tentatively scheduled for Dec. 8 at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

Langford would not discuss his goals with the media after the hourlong meeting Tuesday, but The Press of Atlantic City obtained a list the mayor handed out to those in attendance. The initiatives ranged from broad problems such as crime, employment and cleanliness to specific concerns such as synchronizing traffic signals and demolishing abandoned city buildings.

"I'm guarded," Langford said about the specifics of the meeting. "I don't want to talk about it, I want to be about it."

Langford did say he solicited the thoughts and priorities of each of the attendees and left them with a "homework assignment," but would not elaborate. Others at the meeting said they will bring a concise list of priorities to discuss at the meeting early next month.

The city administration organized Tuesday's summit after Kevin DeSanctis, CEO and president of Revel Entertainment Group, issued a near-ultimatum that cooperation among the city's stakeholders must start now to save the city and its dire economy.

DeSanctis emerged from Tuesday's meeting pleased and said the cooperation among the group was promising. 

"They all see that Atlantic City has to move in a forward motion," he said.

State Sen. Jim Whelan, a longtime Langford rival, said the meeting was "very positive" and was pointed more toward "issue identification."

"I think we'll get into more specifics going forward on Dec. 8," said Whelan, D-Atlantic.

 

Langford's priorities:

Cleanliness

Coordinated advertising efforts

Crime

Customer courtesy

Demolition of derelict properties

Employment

Events

Intergovernmental agency cooperation

Non-gaming attractions

Property taxes

Regulatory relaxation

Traffic synchronization

 

The meeting was closed to the public, but the following were among those seen arriving for the event:

Revel CEO Kevin DeSanctis

Pinnacle CEO for Atlantic City Operations Kim Townsend

Trump Entertainment CEO Mark Juliano

Resorts CEO Nicholas L. Ribis

Tropicana Casino and Resort President Mark Giannantonio

Atlantic City Council President William Marsh

Atlantic County Freeholder Charles Garrett

Assemblyman Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic

Assemblyman John Amodeo, R-Atlantic

State Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic

Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce President Joe Kelly

Chelsea Heights Civic Association President Carol Ruffu

Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority Executive Director Jeff Vasser

Casino Control Commission Chair Linda M. Kassekert

Casino Reinvestment Development Authority Executive Director Tom Carver

Atlantic City and Cape May hotelier Curtis Bashaw

The Walk/A.C. Outlets General Manager Kim Butler

 

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

7 comments:

• saywhat (14) posts 8:03 pm

  Coordinating advertising efforts!!!! That's on the list? Are you kidding me? What about the billboard from HARRAHS at the foot of the Expressway that said "Welcome to LAS VEGAS!" It was there all summer! Harrah's VP Mike Walsh is on the CRDA Board of Directors. Maybe someone should tell him that AC businesses don't appreciate his company directing our visitors to Vegas. But what does he care, he is happy if they go to one of his other 50 casinos including Chester, PA. CRDA should be ashamed to have him on their letterhead.

• Lew Carroll (410) posts 7:51 pm

  the picture's worth a thousand words. two local boys, under order of the Superior Court to pay back the monies their fellow "elected" homies "awarded" them, despite written warnings from the DCA and state AG NOT TO TAKE THE ILL-GOTTEN LOOT, are lost in conversation with a local casino exec. Imagine the conversation: "Can you find the money, boys, to keep the boardwalk bathrooms open, and the panhandlers and feral cats under control? Let's start with baby steps, fellas." Napoleon would trot out some polysyllabic words to show the casino guru he was mildly educable. The Dynamic Duo of Speedy & Napoleon took the dirty $$$, spent it, hid it, and continue as Deadbeats-In-Chief in Chitty Hall. Tell me what part of the foregoing, not between quotes, is not factual, Babbitt.

• BernieSchwartz (645) posts 5:55 pm

  Let's appoint 2 committees for each point, make recomendations, do studies (taxpayer paid), wait 3 years, then maybe actually do something. You need one person to take charge and make sweeping changes, someone from the outside with no connections to AC or it's politics or this will never work. You're already wasting time Rennie, we all know what needs to be done, just do it!

• WIZARD (24) posts 5:52 pm

  Amazing, again Labor is not invited to the table, maybe one day AC will realize that it takes more than their money and ideas to get things done. this who deal is a slap in the face to all Labor involved in the Casino industry.... Will they ever get respect......

• yearight (15) posts 5:20 pm

  Thought I saw a few drug dealers and pimps from Pacific av. going in to the summit.... Seems they are not mentioned in the article, think they want to lobby for better lighting and cut outs for drive by customers

• loveall (50) posts 3:30 pm

  Rennie you should have cut the over $1,000,000,000 funding for the AC Special Improvement District years ago when it was brought to your attention that they only employ Approx. 20 people and dont really do much for Atlantic City. WOW the city is still dirty ??? But the SID does such a great job right ?? NOT !!!! Rennie cut their budget, hire more city workers in the public works Dept. and make them do their job !! The SID is nothing more then a scam !!!!

• BernieSchwartz (645) posts 3:15 pm

  Alot, if not all (less civic assoc.), of the people on that list have their hands in the AC till. Well, the till is shrinking and these guys are scrambling. Actually nice to see.

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