The state of the city
Julie Johnson
Originally published 12:40 p.m., January 17, 2008
Updated 12:40 p.m., January 17, 2008
As I ponder the political landscape, both on a national and a local level, a sentence that comes to mind is from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” Dickens reminds us that our perception of events is determined by our own attitudes and perspective. There are those who would look at 2007 in Emporia and think of it as the “worst of times.” I prefer to think in terms of “the best of times” and to continue to work for the “times that will be even better.”
What are some of the “bests” from 2007?
1. We celebrated our sesquicentennial — 150 years of being a city. From the birthday party in February to the Street Fest and Fireworks on the Fourth of July, I think we have shown ourselves and others that we know how to celebrate.
2. We hired a new city manager who brings much energy and new perspectives to the city.
3. The next thing that I am going to mention probably falls into the worst category for some of you — the turnpike/I-35 project and the exit ramp onto Industrial Road. Right now it is a challenge to get into Emporia from the west. But when all the projects are completed, I believe that we will all first give a big sigh of relief and then come to recognize that traffic moves a lot better out there. The message that we hear from voters again and again is their desire that different governmental units work together. This is an instance where the Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Turnpike Authority, and the city of Emporia are working together to get the best value for our tax monies.
4. For many Emporians “the best things about Emporia” are the zoo and the parks. And this is another area where the city works with other groups to make park improvements that add value to our lives here. In 2007 we completed the sale of Lake Kahola and invested the $1.5 million in proceeds. The intent is to use the income from that investment on special projects to upgrade our parks. In addition, we continued to work with local volunteer groups, charitable and fraternal organizations, and local foundations to share the cost of park improvements. These cooperative efforts enabled us to complete improvements to the Soden’s Grove baseball field, plan for a new play area in Peter Pan Park, and continue improvements in the All-Veterans Park. Working with the Eastside Community Partnership, the city began Phase 1 of the Eastside Memorial Park by combining $130,000 from the Jones Trust, $25,000 from the Emporia Eastside Community Group, $17,500 from the Sunrise Rotary Club, and $105,000 of city money. For the Soden’s Grove Improvements, the city contributed $175,000 along with $225,000 from the Jones Trust and $50,000 from USD 253.
5. Economic Development is another area where the city enjoyed success in 2007. We are happy to welcome REG and Hills Pet Food to our community. The jobs that are created by these companies will certainly benefit our workforce and the community as a whole.
6. The City Commission and City staff spent much time working on the 2008 budget. Although public budget meetings have been part of the process for as long as I’ve been on the commission, this year we decided to have several budget meetings in different neighborhoods and were gratified by the number of citizens who came to share their opinions about city government and its funding. We wrestled with difficult issues — wages, health care costs, capital improvements. Not everyone is satisfied with the budget that we adopted, but I believe that it is a fair, but austere budget. In addition, the careful monitoring of the 2007 budget by all city staff enabled us to carry forward a healthy balance of approximately $1.2 million into the 2008 budget year.
7. The commission adopted a retail incentives policy to compliment the existing incentives policy for industrial development. The goal is to improve the “quality of life” in the community by increasing retail opportunities.
What do we have to look forward to in 2008?
1. We will continue working to bring good manufacturing jobs to the community and expanding our efforts in the technology area. Success here will be vital. The retail incentives policies that we adopted in 2007, as well as the anticipated information generated by the Buxton study, will prepare us for possibilities in retail development. However, these efforts will in no way dilute our commitment to improving jobs and wages.
2. As I mentioned before, one of the messages that we received from voters is their desire for cooperation among governmental units to stretch tax dollars as far as possible. To that end, the commission will continue to work with the County on such items as Law Enforcement consolidation, with the Library Board and the School District on issues that may arise in 2008, and with the Recreation Commission. The city and the Recreation Commission will study the best ways to use City and Recreation facilities, and review the governance structure. Through these efforts we hope to find areas to consolidate facilities, programs, and personnel, thereby reducing costs and providing better service.
3. In cooperation with various community groups we will complete several studies that will provide planning tools for the entire community. These include the Buxton study on retail development in the community; the Building Futures campaign, a blueprint for growth and development, and the Main Street Community Initiated Development downtown area study. The city will complete the wage and classification study for city employees and adopt a new comprehensive plan, the first update since 1998.
4. In spite of a number of efforts, housing is an area that we cannot count as a “best.” We must continue to work on ways that we can improve the housing not only around the university, but also in the community as a whole. We looked at a rental housing inspection program during the latter part of 2007. The city commission gave the HRC the difficult task of developing a program that would be self-funded. As a result of several public meetings devoted to the issue, the City Commission will continue to seek a way to provide safe housing for renters and safeguards for landlords, either within the ordinances that currently exist or with a less costly program to administer. During the public meetings, it was emphasized that rental housing was not the sole culprit in the derelict property inventory in the city. Therefore, the commission must also review the “property maintenance” ordinance passed in the 1990s.
5. Development of the 2009 budget will undoubtedly occupy much of the commission’s time between April and August. As part of the 2009 process, we will be examining the fairest and most equitable means of funding local government. These discussions will undoubtedly include the role of user fees, franchise fees, property tax, and sales tax in the overall mix. 6. One of the budget areas that the commission must seriously address is the Capital Improvement Program. The information from city staff and the city manager about what the city needs to be addressing in terms of infrastructure, repair, and new construction, along with input from the public, will enable the commission to set priorities for the expenditure of tax monies and identify funding sources for those priorities. With no specific funding sources for the $7 million in the General fund for CIP, the commission must balance the budget with a mix of operating and CIP expenditures.
7. The Natural Resources Advisory Board, a group of hard-working citizens dedicated to recycling and wise use of natural resources, has challenged us to expand our recycling program. We have directed staff to investigate the cost and feasibility of a curbside recycling program. If this can be accomplished without a significant increase in rates, we would hope to have a program in place by 2009.
8. We receive many complaints about storm water drainage problems. They occur across the City, from the heart of the community, which has the oldest infrastructure, to areas that are only a few years old. The five-year CIP includes $970,000 in storm water projects. In 2007 we began investigating a storm water utility as a means of a dedicated funding source for these repairs and improvements. We must continue this study or look for other ways to fund these storm water projects.
9. Last, but certainly not least is the issue of diversity. At the street fair last July, I had the opportunity to watch a group of Hispanic dancers; a bagpipe group; and a group of Somali women showing us their beautiful clothing. To keep Emporia on the leading edge of diversity efforts, as well as to continue our successes in integrating our community, the Commission, working with the Human Relations Commission, will study the National League of Cities Diversity Community standards to determine how the city can cost-effectively became a certified Diversity Community. Emporia is changing; our population is different from what it was twenty years ago. I truly believe that this kind of diversity is what has made our country the leader that it is. We all must learn about each other, accept our differences, and create a better city based on our similarities. Change is not ever easy; change is not always fast, but it is relentless. If we are not willing to adapt to change, we will surely be left behind in today’s world.
In closing, I would like to share with you a couple of examples of city government at work. Two were reported widely in the local media; the other I know about only because someone took the time to send us a letter. Early Monday morning, police and fire responded to a fire in the southeast part of the city. The efforts of the firefighters prevented the fire from spreading and actions of the police saved several lives. On December 26, the PD Communication Center received a 911 call that advised that 2 boys were in the middle of the frozen pond at Peter Pan Park. The courage and quick action of officers Todd Ayer, David Holmes, and Lt. Larry Adams prevented a potentially serious tragedy.
This letter is from an Emporia couple whose credit card was stolen. They wrote to compliment Officer Kevin Risley, the policeman who responded to the call for assistance, indicating that he “was on the case immediately, he followed up on leads, he pursued reports right away, he took all calls, he never thought that anything was unimportant and took good notes. This seems to be the epitome of fine, sound police work — the kind of stuff of which law enforcement is made. Thank you to the EPD and the officer. Your work is appreciated and admired.”
This is our tax money at work for us. When we call, the police come. When we think we smell natural gas at 11 p.m. and call the fire department, someone comes to check it out. When we get up in the morning and put water in our coffee maker, we can be sure that it is safe, good-tasting water. In December we enjoy the beauty of the Christmas lights and decorations downtown. In the summer we show visitors the lush landscaping at the zoo. None of these services is cheap. The city of Emporia is a 24 hour a day, seven days a week operation. The challenge for Commissioners Agler, Kessler, Longbine, Nelson, and me in 2008, as it has been since the city was established in 1857, is to provide the services and amenities that we need and want in the most economical way possible. If we meet this challenge, then 2008 will once again be the “best of times” in Emporia.
This is the full text of the State of the City address delivered by Mayor Julie Johnson to the Emporia City Commission on Wednesday night.