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MOUNDS VIEW CITY COUNCIL <br />FEBRUARY 22,1999 <br />PAGE 2 <br />asset to its people. For far too long, the City has had very little in the way of goals for our future. <br />Each new election cycle seems to bring new faces that are either for or against some specific project <br />or policy, and that perspective is not necessarily a bad one, but it is a reactive stance, not a proactive <br />one. In order for us to become a proactive community, a community finds out what it wants and then <br />runs after it, we must ask ourselves a few basic questions, who are we?; what do we want?; where <br />are we going? Now, could you honestly answer any of those questions for our community. I have <br />my own opinions, but I freely admit that I fall far short in really fully answering these questions for <br />our town. For far too long, we have been asking the wrong questions. We have not figured out that <br />our vision for the future is out there for us to grab. Thus, we are only left to react to situations. <br />Without a set of goals to work by, how are we ever to build a future that we can be proud oV When <br />someone builds a new house they don't first have the lumber and nails delivered to the jobsite. First <br />they plan on what that house is going to look like and then construction can begin. Our community <br />is not any different. We need to stop and figure out what our goals are and then once that is <br />accomplished, the future becomes far more clear. The difference between the reactive mode and the <br />proactive mode is striking. For example, here are two questions that may highlight this point. We <br />want to buy the Bel Rae Ball Room, and make it our Community Center. Or, the second question, <br />do we as a City as one of our primary goals to create places and programs to meet the changing needs <br />of our family's and you? If so, what do you suggest? Both of those questions may have people <br />coming to the conclusion we need to build a Community Center, however the first question only <br />reacts to a building. The second question seeks to find out the heart beat of our community. What I <br />am talking about is more than a call for us to change our perspective. It is actually more just asking <br />• for us to have a change of heart. This is about finally asking the people of this City how they <br />envision the tomorrow for Mounds View. The future is our's to create, and I am here to say that if <br />we are ever truly to aspire to be greater than we are right now, we must resolve in our hearts and in <br />our minds that we are going to work together to create the future that we envision. We must find out <br />what that vision is, take hold of it, and run with it with all our might. There is a proverb that says: <br />where there is no vision, the people will perish. I believe that this community has been suffering the <br />ill effects of not having a vision. Perish does not necessarily mean the death of bodies, it can also <br />mean the death of friendliness, the death of caring, the death of passion, the death of purpose, the <br />death of creativity, the death of cooperation, the death of community. Because we do not have <br />collective goals for our future, I believe that we have a cancer on our community, and it is past time <br />that we do something about it. How do we find out what our goals of the future are to begin to turn <br />this City around. The answer is somewhat easier than one would think. We simply ask the questions <br />and then we compare our answers. I know it is a bit hard to believe, but this City Council here has <br />already expressed a desire to find out what the citizens and residents of this town want our City's <br />future to be like. Imagine politicians caring about what the people want for a change. Although, the <br />preliminary ideas have already been discussed, I would call upon this City Council to press onward <br />towards a comprehensive and ongoing survey of the citizens to find out what our collective vision for <br />the future is. This project will not be easy. This process undoubtedly will require some extra time <br />and effort on our parts in order to do this right the first time. <br />And, to the citizens of this town, I call upon you to consider changing your mind about this City, to <br />commit the belief that we can come together and forge a new and exciting vision for our City. This <br />is not a time for individual egos or fame, this is about never allowing that which is important to fall <br />victim to the trivial. So let us dare to be bold and different, we don't have to do things a certain way <br />