The State of the City: City of Choice

KNOX's Dakota Huseby has managed to get a hold of the draft for tomorrow's State of the City address by Mayor Brown. Check it out here.

I've read the the text of the speech and it looks pretty good. Several interesting sections popped out at me...

•Our latest population estimates from the Metropolitan Planning Organization exceed 53,000. This is up nearly 4% from just a couple of years ago, and has surpassed our previous peak of a pre-flood 52,500. My goal of 60,000 in 2010 is within reach.

•Working together, it is also possible for our community to develop a signature winter experience or series of events in the Greenway. Structured around a stretch of the Greenway in the downtown area, Greenway staff is in the early workings of an idea for a winter playground with facilities to host snow boarding, hockey, skating paths, tobogganing, curling and ice fishing. With the partnership of various community entities and organizations, I believe these facilities will not only promote yearlong activity in the Greenway but will open the door for a signature winter experience, including a Sertoma Fourth of July-like set of events for our community, the region and visitors.

•I propose one way to strengthen our relationship is to have an official UND presence Downtown. We have students living, working and playing Downtown – this is wonderful – what we need now are students learning Downtown. I will be asking President Kupchella to ask his long-range planners and facility personnel to work with our staff to develop an off campus UND site, located in the Downtown area that will stimulate a new spectrum of opportunities and partnerships between the community and campus.

•I’d like the community to have a conversation about increasing the pay of City Council positions. This could say thank you for a job well done but, more importantly, it could open the position to more people. I have to be perfectly clear this has no reflection on the ability of current members, but perhaps the stay-at-home mom or dad, a retired person or a young person starting out would be more willing and able to serve if the sacrifice was softened.

•There are two types of communities these days. Those who have seen their glory days and have slipped into listless decline. And those who are driving in the other direction, poised for greatness, with the best days ahead. Grand Forks’ best days are ahead.