My Record

My Record

Economic Reform

• I created the Finance Committee to work on our fiscal issues.
• My budget for 2008 reduced spending for the first time in Isanti's modern history, allowing us to cut property taxes.
• Proposed and passed a Long Term Financial Plan to guide Isanti's fiscal decisions.
• Passed in 2007, the City Council will now know the full impact of their spending decisions in each budget year.
• We passed development fees in 2007 that will for the first time make development pay for itself. No longer will residents of Isanti subsidize development through taxes and fees.
• We passed a Tax Abatement and a Revolving Loan Fund to help spur more commercial growth.
• Over 300 new jobs since my swearing in, a 29% increase in job growth.
• Chamber of Commerce President and I meet with City businesses to thank them for their hard work and dedication to Isanti. We also listen to any concerns or questions. Our personal visits have retained businesses in Isanti and helped foster several business expansions.
• In 2007 we had 15 new and relocated businesses in Isanti.
• Employer Recognition Awards to propmote Isanti businesses.
• The last 18 months has seen great commercial growth in Downtown Isanti with new businesses, relocations and the planned Isanti Retail Meats. This will be a meat and cheese market that will also provide everything from rotisserie chickens, all kinds of side dishes and catering. Isanti Custom Meats will continue to operate in their current location. Isanti Retail Meats planned for 30 West Main St.
• Our hard work is paying off with the locating of the revolutionary/green technology company Ever Cat Fuels in Isanti. This company will provide high paying jobs, greater business travel, increase the tax base and help solve our nations energy crisis.
• 
  Responsible City Government

• Proposed and passed the first codified rules and procedures for the City Council, Boards and Commissions.
• My Development Impact List was put into full force. This tool provides the Planning Commission and Council an itemized list of the complete impact of each development. For the first time true cost can be assessed to a project.
• We passed a new Comprehensive Plan that is no longer tied to a specific time frame but to the growth of our population. We have set the future land uses and borders of a fully developed City. This allows us to plan our future instead of reacting to others.
• I created the Mayor's Great Yard Award to thank those that do an outstanding job creating and maintaining their yards. The top three each month receive a certificate and cash reward.
• I have made protecting our distinct and historic Isanti neighborhoods a priority. We must be flexible enough in our planning and road improvements so as not to destroy our history and city character.
• Improving City communications with our Citizens and Taxpayers is critical to our success. We have created a new City website as an economic development tool. Our City website also has all the information I intended for my Residential Handbook in the Resident section. The newly redesigned Isantian is in full color and through our innovation of selling ads we are able to lower the cost and increase the value to our Citizens and Taxpayers.
• We have started the Board and Commission reforms by having the Council directly interviewing and selecting the members.
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  Citizen Safety
• We have been working on a water treatment plant to eliminate the high levels of cancer causing radium. The planning and design are complete and the construction is scheduled to be finished in 2009. An added benefit will be the tremendous reduction of the iron and manganese in our water which causes the hardness and discoloration.
• We have improved policing with the purchase of an integrated communication system so our officers are able to access information on the County and State levels.
• We hired a Police Lt and Patrol Officer position.
• We replaced a high maintenance squad car with a new one that is less costly to maintain and more fuel efficient.
• Crime rates went down in 2007.
• Our pedestrian bridge project crossing Hwy 65 has received Federal and State support. The intersection of Hwy 5 and Hwy 65 is the 8th worse in Minnesota as disclosed by MnDot. This pedestrian bridge will link the east and west side of Isanti's Hwy 65 commercial districts. This landmark will distinguish us from all other cities along this busy state highway.