[0:01] You're watching [0:04] [Music] [0:14] LMCC. Hello, my name is Tim Eer. I'm the [0:17] mayor of St. Bonafacious and I'm here to [0:19] talk to you about the health of St. [0:20] Bonafacious today. What you're going to [0:22] hear today from me is not flowery [0:24] politician words, just straightforward [0:26] language. Our city is solidly healthy, [0:28] but as always, there's still much room [0:30] for improvement. Of course, first, we [0:33] need more business in St. Bonnie. [0:35] Businesses bring revenue to a city and [0:37] also add a critical sense of community [0:39] vibrancy, whereas residences are overall [0:42] revenue neutral for a city. We've [0:44] established a new economic development [0:46] commission to that end added to begin [0:49] the process of finding and implementing [0:50] ways to attract more business to St. [0:52] Pie. This will be done by helping [0:55] existing businesses grow sales and [0:57] increase the probability of their [0:58] expansion, by improving conditions that [1:01] attract city residents to start [1:02] businesses, and by making the city and [1:04] its situation attractive to business [1:06] investment from outside the city. We're [1:09] also working on better government, but [1:11] notice that I said better government, [1:13] better practices. There's really nothing [1:15] wrong with our city government. In fact, [1:17] it runs very well and it's very [1:18] efficient. Nevertheless, everything can [1:21] be improved. We have good [1:24] infrastructure. Our roads are maintained [1:26] well. Our water and sewer systems are [1:28] also in fine shape for a 100 plus year [1:29] old city. To keep them in working [1:32] condition, however, we must repair and [1:34] replace road surfaces from time to time. [1:36] We must repair and replace water and [1:38] sewer lines from time to time. And while [1:40] those things are inconvenient to [1:42] residents, and we fully understand that, [1:44] it is necessary to keep the place the [1:47] way it is, which is pretty great. We're [1:49] also working to improve the [1:51] attractiveness of St. Bonnie, our parks, [1:53] for instance, updates to the playground [1:55] at Memorial Park are currently underway. [1:58] Plans are also in place to upgrade the [1:59] playground at Missile Park as well. [2:01] We're also working on baseball field [2:03] improvements at Missile Park. Our [2:05] partnership with Crown College remains [2:07] in place. You'll soon see a new [2:09] scoreboard at the ball field. In fact, [2:11] thanks to the very generous donations of [2:13] the JC's along with the Lions and [2:15] others, the purchase is now imminent and [2:17] installation should be this year or [2:19] before the next baseball season at [2:20] least. As a side note, the scoreboard [2:23] that's being replaced will be put up by [2:25] our public works team at one of the [2:26] other ball fields in the city, which [2:28] also improves the city. We also are [2:31] working on a fire joint powers agreement [2:33] or JPA. Our fire department is strong [2:35] and healthy, but as fire engines and [2:37] equipment grow exponentially more [2:39] expensive, it'll be increasingly hard [2:41] for our small city to continue to [2:42] operate without huge taxation levy. Did [2:45] you know for instance that the number of [2:47] fire engine manufacturers has decreased [2:49] by more than half in the last 20 years? [2:51] Experiences are growing. Thus, we're [2:54] exploring that JPA with Minitrista Mound [2:56] and Spring Park as well as with an [2:59] intention to keep the contracts like [3:00] those we have at Lake Town and [3:01] Watertownships alive. City government [3:04] continues to look forward in order to be [3:07] better prepared for the future. Use of [3:09] improved tools like global information [3:12] system or GIS, geographic information or [3:14] GIS will help continue to reduce [3:17] operating [3:18] costs and make it easier for public [3:20] works people to do their jobs and have [3:22] less effect on you the residents. [3:24] Strategic plan development also will be [3:26] starting soon for the council. Council [3:28] wants to look forward and figure out [3:30] what things we need to do to make the [3:31] city better rather than just doing [3:33] things on a reactive basis. In terms of [3:36] communication, we continue to strive to [3:38] bring city information to you rather [3:40] than only asking you to actively seek it [3:42] out. You're all busy people and I know [3:44] you can't all make it to the city hall [3:45] all the time or read the city website. [3:47] Quarterly newsletter continues to be [3:49] distributed to the community. It [3:51] contains information that you want to [3:52] read every quarter, but again, we want [3:54] to reach out to you. So residents can [3:56] also find the newsletter and back copies [3:58] at the St. Bonnie City website. See you [3:59] at the bottom of the homepage. We're [4:01] also working to develop a social media [4:03] presence. I also will be starting [4:05] recurring meetings with you, the [4:06] residents, starting this quarter. Watch [4:09] for information on that. In terms of the [4:11] social media presence, also I want to [4:13] stress that I now have established a [4:16] mayor Facebook presence and I'm working [4:17] on doing the same thing on apps like [4:19] Next Door. So, watch there for also [4:21] information. Connectedness is also [4:24] important. We have things like the clubs [4:27] that have been in the city for decades [4:28] and decades. Clubs like the JC's and [4:31] Lions, the St. Pony History Society. [4:34] These have been strong, continue strong, [4:36] but we'd like to keep them that way. A [4:38] lot of membership is aging away, and we [4:40] want to get newer members involved. [4:42] Those things make the city more vibrant. [4:45] St. Bonnie is becoming also more and [4:47] more a bedroom community with residents [4:49] leaving for work in the morning and [4:50] coming home in the evening after work. [4:52] This has a lot of impacts, all sorts of [4:55] them. So, we are beginning to work to [4:56] mitigate this trend. [4:59] When we're a bedroom community, fire [5:01] department volunteers who are here [5:02] during the daytime to take calls aren't [5:05] very numerous. So, we want to make sure [5:07] that more local jobs are in place. [5:09] Again, that notice that business I [5:11] talked about. So, we could reverse that. [5:13] We'd have more members of the fire [5:15] department here in the town during the [5:16] day. It also makes it less likely that [5:19] residents know much about the city or [5:22] their neighbors from more than a few [5:23] houses away in each direction. [5:26] That in turn reduces the likelihood that [5:28] residents want to participate in city [5:30] activities or volunteer for city [5:31] government positions. We'd like to make [5:33] that better. We'd like to get people to [5:35] be involved. Get to know people from [5:37] across the city. We're certainly not [5:39] going to know everybody in town, but you [5:42] can know more. And the more you know, [5:44] the better the connectedness of the town [5:46] becomes. Connectedness also shows up in [5:48] little things, too. It shows up in [5:50] things like the lack of care for the [5:52] city. For example, residents who fail to [5:55] pick up droppings from their dogs, who [5:57] let their animals urinate uncontrolled [5:59] on public grounds, including in public [6:01] parks, the wellhead protection area, and [6:03] other public spaces. In turn, that [6:06] causes you to be more taxed, to do [6:09] things like putting up fences and having [6:10] the public works team have to clean up [6:12] the messes. Finally, it makes the city [6:15] less attractive, lowering home values, [6:18] making it harder to sell property in the [6:20] city, and making it less likely that [6:22] businesses will be attracted to the [6:24] city. So, why did I bring up that last [6:26] part today? Because I believe it's [6:28] something we can collectively handle. [6:31] Meet more of your neighbors, get more [6:33] involved. Contact me or the city office [6:35] staff if you'd like to know how you [6:36] might help. In closing, St. Bonnie is [6:39] healthy. St. Funny is strong, but we can [6:42] still make it better. But we can only do [6:44] it together. So get involved. [6:55] [Music]