Agenda - Council - 03/27/1990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS In 1989 our citizens showed how working together can pay off for Ramsey: We cleaned up the Rum River with the citizens of Anoka County and were recognized nationally for that effort. We continued our efforts to recycle and exceeded the expectations of Anoka County and the region. We developed a Volunteer Fire Department and are now ready to save lives and property when called upon. We worked through differences of opinion as our community :developed and have reached workable compromises. We delivered public services at acceptable quality levels and at a cost that we can all afford. All in all we have worked together and it is paying off. Ramsey is now a respected community in the northern Metropolitan Area. In years past Ramsey was a community where people moving away from the big city would choose to locate. Now we find many of our residents are choosing Ramsey because it's a better place to live than just about anywhere else in the northern Metropolitan Area. As we look into 1990 and beyond, I would like for you to think about these challenges and ways in which we can "work together" to make Ramsey a good place to live, work and play. Economic Development In order to have a healthy community, we need to find the right balance of business and residential land uses within our community. U.S. Highway #10 and parts of State Highway #47 have been designated by their zoning to be commercial and industrial uses. The City of Ramsey should encourage quality development in these areas that meets the standards of our community. We have proposed a Mississippi River bridge crossing near Ramsey Boulevard that would eventually connect to the new State Highway #610 as it travels westward through Maple Grove. We're often asked by our business residents what services are provided to businesses that correlate with the property taxes paid. I often have difficulty answering that question and would like to propose that on alternating years the City of Ramsey sponsor a market survey and a labor survey designed to benefit our corporate citizens. Public Facilities I believe we need to continue to develop our parks into useful and safe recreation areas, but there are other facilities for recreation and community activities that are needed as well. I would like to see developed in Ramsey a major community recreational center that includes a swimming pool, playing courts, meeting rooms and a library. The City Hall complex also needs to be expanded to make room for the equipment necessary to service the 130 miles of roads, public utilities and 30+ parks. Services Our City government should provide, along with the traditional services of snow plowing, road repair, utilities, land use regulations, etc., a system of information that will give our residents greater access to these services and make Ramsey a truly welcoming community. This information should be available to every citizen and serve as a guide to the many services offered.