Letter from the Mayor: June 2023

May 30, 2023

Growing and improving the community is a lot easier said than done. City leaders have tough decisions to make at times, and we can’t always directly influence the roadblocks to progress. If I could snap my fingers to get everything our community wants and needs, I would have already done it. I might have already tried, not gonna lie.

One thing that does help leaders make better decisions is having constructive input from the community. In 2020, the city went through a strategic planning process based on input and ideas from the community. A Strategic Planning Advisory Committee made up of a diverse cross-section of community members was created and their job was to review the community input and consult with subject matter experts to identify a list of action items for the city to work on. Each action plan falls under one of six priority areas. I am committed to guiding the city to follow through on the priorities identified in that plan.

The key priorities that were identified in the strategic plan are: High-Performance Government, Safe Community, Reliable Infrastructure, Sustainable Economy, Fun & Unique Places, and Hometown Spirit. The volunteers on the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee voted unanimously to adopt the exact wording of each action plan, and those plans define what it takes to be successful in achieving these 6 priorities. This process gave us a vision, provided by those who took time to share their ideas, defined by the committee, and endorsed by city council. Since the adoption of the Strategic Plan, we have been working to complete the action plans and fulfill that vision.

The Strategic Plan is not where community feedback ends. We as municipal government leaders must continue to listen to our community members to understand both what we are doing right (so we can build upon our strengths) and what we can do to improve. You will notice soon that we are going to be asking for additional input from the community. We want to continue to hear from you so we can identify what we can do to ensure an exceptional quality of life for all our amazing citizens.

While we are working on all six key priorities, my focus is on infrastructure. I believe that if we continue to invest in our infrastructure, it will benefit our other key priorities. Expanding our infrastructure will help bring in new businesses which will increase our sales tax revenue which we can invest back into our community. Expanding our infrastructure will play a big role in creating new, fun, and unique places, enhancing our hometown spirit, and growing our local economy in a sustainable way. Having reliable and safe infrastructure also contributes to ensuring we remain one of the safest cities in the state. When we ask for your input, please help us by providing honest and constructive feedback we can use to make this amazing place a little better each day.

Sincerely,

Mayor Jarad Giddens