THE MAYOR’S

Well, I think we finally made it to spring… I hope! Spring is the time of the year when we start going back outside for work and fun. It’s also the time of the year when road construction and repairs start back up, so please be patient, careful, and slow down. Don’t forget that people are out and about more, so look out for bikes, pedestrians, and kids playing in and near the street. Speaking of warm weather and construction, I want to shed some light on how the city prioritizes projects. We start by examining the maintenance needs of existing city facilities, streets, and utilities. Next, we consider projects outside of our existing infrastructure, and this requires really honing in on the benefits and costs of such projects to our community. For instance, the topic of setting aside funds for a city-owned ice rink was brought up at a recent council meeting. Like you at home, we have more things we would like to buy than resources set aside to purchase them. Sometimes there are items on our wish list that we have to keep on hold to ensure we remain responsible stewards of public funds. We often have to say “no,” or “not right now,” to a lot of good projects for the sake of making sound financial decisions. So how do we make these prioritization decisions? Well, the process for putting projects on our calendar involves two important pieces: the City Council’s budget planning and CIP workshops. In addition to discussing the community needs these projects would fill, we use workshop time to look at the city's fi nancial picture for the next three to six years. This is a crucial step to make sure whatever “fun” projects we decide we like will not do any financial harm to our future financial ob ligations.

Creating the city’s work and budget plans this way helps stau stay focused and on task. It helps us, your elected ovcials, communi cate what we have heard from the community as important priorities, so we can set aside the time and money to get them done. This approach is why we are able to accomplish so much each year at the city.

Right now, we are in the middle of an indepth comprehensive planning process, Focus River Falls, which also includes a bike & pedestrian plan and an outdoor recreation plan. This is the perfect opportunity for community members to let us know what you think about the city facilities, amenities, and services we already have, as well as gaps we need to fill. Once you help us determine those priorities, we have great stau who will help us put them into action. As always, take care of each other and be kind to one another.

Go Pack GO!

BY DAN TOLAND

MAYOR OF THE CITY OF RIVER FALLS