Looking at the Last Ten Years

These were but a few of the tasks which lay ahead for the community, which I thought were important then and tonight I would reflect on how we did or didn’t do. 

We did hire a strong chief executive and he put in place a number of excellent policies, one being the “bucket plan,” which provides a sound budgeting foundation that has served us well over the last ten years, provided those “buckets” were left in place. 

We began a program of “paying down” utility debt, allowing the city to maintain stable water rates during the last ten years.

The Mackle Park Center was finally built but only done so after some costly delays. The Herb Savage Bridge was eventually built and brought in under budget, and two replacement fire stations were brought online in this last decade, ensuring our firefighter/paramedic personnel and residents alike would be well served into the future.

We are still struggling to provide residents with a smooth-running Community Development Department but are inching our way forward.

The efforts to clean up our city’s accounting department have come a long way, and we should be proud.

I’m not sure how you change council relationships. Strong opinions on behalf of councilors are acceptable, so long as the professionalism and civility between councilors is maintained and the highest standards concerning ethical behavior in dealing with each other, the public, and with city staff.

There is still work to be done to ensure accounting, as well as all permitting systems, are capable of talking to each other. These systems should be beyond reproach and free of potential vulnerabilities from outside hackers.

One of the greatest challenges moving forward will lie in maintaining an educated workforce who can afford to live in this competitive marketplace for the best and brightest available professionals. Maintaining the high level of services for the residents who will be demanding only the best in quality services will be hard.

Attracting men and women who are willing to serve on council and other city boards could be another challenge. Just how much more intrusion into the personal lives of those willing to serve should be tolerated? 

Many of the new residents who may come might not have the same affection for our past and for protecting the historical significance that has made the community we know so special. That is why providing them with a deep understanding and appreciation for what has been created here in the community and in our municipal governing documents becomes so important as we seek to protect the Marco Island we know and respect so important.

This will only be accomplished if we don’t lose sight of the welcoming aspect of who we are and what we’ve created here over time.