The City Council met last week to discuss upcoming goals for 2016-17. The following issues and trends were hot button topics.
- increased regulations ie. stormwater
- military budget cuts
- economic impact on small business
- government dependency on jobs
- sales tax – urban/rural divide
- state legislation – can be bad for cities
- ready & prepared for growth
- poverty
- degrading of neighborhoods
- needs vs. resources
- big industry – been a few years
- growing our tax base
- seeing urban flight
- deployments
- collaboration within the city
- providing water and sewer countywide
- customer service – permits
- Ft. Bragg – becoming more self sufficient
- race relations
- increased apartments and rentals
- impacts on single family housing from too many rentals
- out of state owners
- seasoned commercial property – problems selling, UDO complications, competition with other properties
- cleanliness of city
- youth and economic opportunity
- digital media opportunities
- more franchises to the city
On day 2 the council condensed their top priorities.
- economic development
- public safety
- beautification and maintenance
- infrastructure investment
- intergovernmental and stakeholder collaboration
- parks & recreation
