2014 Spring Source - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

2 Spring 2014 Hello Neighbors! News that bears repeating is the fact that the Metropolitan Council will soon remove its growth mandate (and its as- sociated threat of fines) from the City of Lake Elmo. This positive change was brought about by a true team effort con- sisting of our work groups, the Planning Commission, City Council and City staff. I’d like to congratulate Lake Elmo, and offer much thanks to the residents who were involved and did the heavy lifting to “get us out from under.” Speaking of gratitude and heavy lifting, I offer anoth- er “thank you and job well done” to our hard working public works crews. Between last summer’s storms and this winter’s abundant snowfall, they have really been put to the test and have fared very well against the challenge. Nice work gentlemen. Another highlight worth mentioning is that the City was recently recognized by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) for transparency and information dissemination to taxpayers. Several issues of the City’s newsletter “The Source” were added to the organization’s “knowledge network” as model publications for informing residents and engag- ing the community. Finally, as most of you know we are seeking a state bonding request in an effort to provide clean drinking water to areas of our city that need it. If our request is successful, these monies will do much to provide both water and a vastly improved water infrastruc- ture situation. Please consider contacting our local legislators to let them know how important you feel this is for Lake Elmo and ask that they support this reasonable bonding request. They can be reached at rep.kathy.lohmer@house.mn and sen.karin.housley@senate.mn. As always, if you have questions about these matters or any other contact me at mpearson@lakeelmo.org. Mayor Mike Pearson The Mayor’s Corner By Dean Zuleger, City Administrator In an effort to bolster the govern- ing principles of the City Council, the employees of the City of Lake Elmo have developed a set of core success values that fall under four headings: Servant-Based, Team- Based, Operational Excellence, and Results Oriented. The goal of each of these core values is to provide the best service to our taxpayers at the most efficient level possible – get- ting the most out of your tax dollar. First, and foremost, we want to serve our taxpayers with humility. Gone are the days where judgment is passed at City Hall. We want to understand your concerns, be ap- propriately responsive to community needs, and commit to going the ex- tra mile until the job is done. Second, we want to be team-based and used the collective talent of the current staff to our advantage. This begins by checking our egos at the door, establishing a clear collective vision, and serving each team mem- ber to make them as effective in serving you as possible. Collabora- tion is now a watchword as we work with the community. Third, we want to be excellent and continually improve each day. We recognize that we have a long way to go in this area but are committed to adopting best practices especial- ly in the area of front door service – streets, parks, clean water, and public safety. We will use the three word mantra of quality, budget and schedule as our guide. Finally, we are going to get things done by looking forward. Our staff is committed to providing the best win-win solutions for Lake Elmo that build community. We will measure our performance to make sure we keep our word and we will put the old arguments of the past in our rear view mirror and move ahead. These aren’t just my words – but the consensus of a thoughtful staff that comes to work each day with one goal in mind – making Lake Elmo a better place to live. But we are only going to be as good those we are accountable to – the taxpayers. So if we fall down on any of these four principles, let us know. Then pick us up, dust us off and know that we will learn from these mistakes and make Lake Elmo a better place for the ef- fort. Focus on Good Government Leads to a Theory of Success The City of Lake Elmo has developed a set of core success values to ensure high-quality taxpayer service.