|
Hi Friends,
Over the last couple of years, I’ve tried to focus on some key improvements each year. In year one, we upgraded our trash and recycling program, began a multi-year investment in our streets and sidewalks, and developed a stormwater management master plan to tackle one of the most pressing environmental concerns in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In year two, we laid the ground work for creating a more vibrant downtown with the reimagination of the 3300 block of Rhode Island Avenue and the creation of an Arts Commission, and also implemented a quarterly reporting system to better hold the city accountable for delivering on projects.
While not the most exciting, I want to stress how important it was for the city to establish a quarterly reporting system for departments. It enables risks to be presented to the council in a timely fashion, allows us to better judge progress year-in and year-out on strategically important items like developing our economy, and moves us beyond a whack-a-mole approach to governing.
All of those efforts set us up for where I’d like to help lead the city this year – working with the community to develop a strategic vision for Mount Rainier.
Towards that end, I will present a blueprint for a strategic vision this Tuesday night at the city’s work session at City Hall. The plan builds on so much of the work this community and its residents have done to get us to this point, and charts a path forward towards:
- Creating an economically vibrant downtown core;
- Investing in our diverse people and businesses; and
- Investing in a sustainable way of living that promotes community well-being and happiness.
I believe there are targeted projects that can move us in the right direction on each of these themes that I’ll be talking about Tuesday night. Furthermore, I believe those projects are affordable and will help to encourage economic growth which will, in turn, diversify our city’s tax base and allow for future investment or tax cuts for residents.
With some of the foundations we have put into place over the last two years, it’s now time to move forward on a larger scale.
Let’s do this.
Cheers,
Luke
p.s. Tuesday night’s work session starts at 7pm, but we have a packed agenda so I may not present until closer to 8 or 9pm. Be warned!
|
