Northfield Shared Note From The Mayor: Planning For The Future

Press release from the City of Northfield:

February 4, 2021

Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you're going, you won't get there."

Over the next five months, the City Council will be working towards a city strategic plan to guide our work together as a community over the next three to four years.

Our first strategic plan committed us to strategic thinking, measurable results and the delivery of quality services. We now know the benefits of having a multi-year roadmap that keeps us focused on where we want to go.

We have seen improvement in each of the current six strategic plan priority areas: economic development; affordable housing; infrastructure; diversity, equity, and inclusion; operational effectiveness; and climate change impacts.

Now it is time to update that plan with what we've learned, and with what has changed since 2018. Our new strategic plan will continue to ward off complacency and mediocrity by building upon this success.

The more that we are aligned as a community, City Council, boards and commissions, and City staff, the greater the likelihood we will arrive at our destination. And ultimately accomplish our purpose as stated in our City Charter, "to promote and protect the health, safety, morals, comfort, convenience, and welfare of the inhabitants of the city…"

As we look ahead, continuing to improve the collegial and respectful relationship between the City Council and City staff will be important as well as local government transparency and accountability.

Many citizens have voiced their concerns about property taxes. As a prosperous community, we don't receive as much state funding as Faribault, so we must strengthen our businesses and grow our industrial tax base if we want to minimize individual property taxes.

We know Northfield needs a greater variety of housing types—more affordable housing options for seniors and low-income families as well as emergency housing options for families in need.

Transit remains a concern as it is still too hard to get around safely and comfortably using multiple means of mobility—for people of all ages and economic status.

Better access to high-speed internet is more important than ever, and it takes good fiscal leadership to maintain facilities, roads and parks. Developing a sustainable source of funding for maintaining and improving our parks and trails will be important both for community members and as an economic driver for tourism.

We will continue to increase the use of renewable energy, improve building energy efficiency, and enhance urban forestry (trees both store carbon and by providing shade and windbreaks reduce energy use).

We have yet to see what the full fallout from COVID-19 will be. We need to support businesses and individuals hit hard by the pandemic and help each other come out on the other side.

Over the years, I've seen how divisiveness and incivility have derailed our community on more than one occasion and obstructed our ability to work together and accomplish the work of the city. Civility will be foundational to our success.

If you have input on what we should consider in our strategic planning process, please reach out. We welcome your input.

This press release was produced by the City of Northfield. The views expressed here are the author’s own.