Ramsey Resident - 2018 - January/February

Home

Ciek /f/ ;�,st ato, s &rnre 2017 - A Year in Review Kurt Ulrich, City Administrator In a recent report to the Ramsey City Council, I out- lined some of the key accomplishments to date in 2017. In reviewing these accomplishments, I referenced our four organizational goals of: • Financial Stability • A Connected Community • Smart, Citizen -focused Government • An Effective Organization One of the key measures for the community are the fi- nancial benchmarks that are a sign of balance and stability. Once again, in 2017, the City had its AA+ bond rating reaffirmed, giving third -party validation to the fact that the City has sound management practices and is in strong financial health. In addition to a positive bond rating, the City also strives to maintain a stable tax levy rate, and seeks suc- cess in attracting quality economic development. To this end, I am pleased to report that the City has established a stable tax rate for 2018, and enjoyed success in 2017 with the establishment of a new business park. The new business park is located west of Armstrong Boulevard, just north of U.S. Highway 10, and is currently home to two new 60,000 square foot buildings under construction. Increased economic growth and development is critically important in gaining additional tax -base, jobs and services that make for a robust local economy. The City also uses more customer feedback to assess the public services that we provide. The most recently completed citizen survey showed that we were making progress in the areas of overall customer service, includ- ing improvements in public safety areas ofpolice and fire services. The data also measures our improvement. For example, emergency response time for police has improved from 4 minutes and 33 seconds to 3 minutes and 23 seconds. Likewise, the response for fire has shown steady improvement and now stands at 8 minutes and 23 sec- onds. Importantly, the City's insurance ratings, for areas with City water hydrants, has improved from a 5 to a 4, meaning that homeowners in those areas may now qualify for reduced home insurance premiums. The City also continues to move forward with its third year of a road repair and maintenance program. This program identified the streets that need maintenance to reduce further deterioration, and the streets that need total reconstruction in order to provide a suitable roadway. This year the City rebuilt 1.26 miles of City streets using a combination of general funds, enterprise funds, and local assessments. As part of serving the customer, the City has commit- ted to improving its communication and transactions with the public. Our communications improvements include launching a new website in 2018. The new website will have a number of new features including an online reser- vation system for City Parks and facilities. In addition, customer transactions are now easier with online submittal and processing of building plans, licenses, and job applica- tions. At the City of Ramsey, each employee strives to create a helpful work environment that consistently meets or exceeds the customer's expectations. If you are interested in finding out more about the City's organization, our strategic plan, or performance measurement, check out our website at wwwcityoframsey.com Our mission is to work together to responsibly grow our community, and to provide quality, cost-effective, and eficientgovernment services. City of RAMSEY Marketing Opportunities in the Official City of Ramsey Newsletter Distributed to more than 9,500 Homes and Businesses in Ramsey Plus Online Digital Edition Ads Starting at $299 Contact Scott Robinson at 612-730-3719 for more information Ramsey Resident • January/February 2018