02/23/2009 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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2009 STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS Each year it is my duty and privilege as mayor to address the citizens of Lino Lakes. I've given numerous State of the City addresses, but when I look back over this past year, I realize it was different from any other. It has made me more convinced that we as a city council, with staff and dedicated citizen advisory boards, are doing the right things. Our collective talents will weather the recent economic downturn and keep us on solid ground. We have dedicated the past several years to our future. It was 2006 when we began our three - step planning process with a community survey, followed by a Vision Plan, and lastly the update of our Comprehensive Plan. I will admit that such planning sometimes works slower than I would prefer, but the process is working, and we have come a long way in accomplishing our goals. Our draft Comprehensive Plan was based on a lot of community input, detailed data gathering, multi - agency collaborations, and, last but not least, common sense. I believe it is a good plan; it protects our natural assets, and provides for systematic growth and affordable housing opportunities. Our resource management plan is farsighted, and has become a model that other cities are emulating. I want to thank the thoughtful and dedicated group of citizens who worked so hard on this Comprehensive Plan, and am hopeful we will have something we can all be proud of when it goes to the Metropolitan Council for review. Lino Lakes has not been immune from all recent the grim economic news. New home construction has declined over the past few years, but in 2008 a noticeable slowdown occurred, with only 31 new single family and townhome permits issued. Commercial growth slowed dramatically also, from $9.5 million in new construction in 2007 to $1.5 million in 2008. Much of the revenue that the city receives from building permits came instead from storm - related roof and siding replacements. Our building department issued more than 2,700 roofing permits and 1,600 siding permits. While that revenue helped to make up for the slowdown in new construction, we certainly hope to do without damaging hail and winds in 2009. 1