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"For more than 15 years, Green Lake has been a dream vacation destination for me and my family. In 2022, we decided to make it our forever home, bringing our four children along for the adventure. For me, this is about a passing of the baton and an opportunity to build on the legacies created before me. It's about continuing to improve the infrastructure and encouraging sustainable investment while also safeguarding the town's cherished charm. Together, let's create a brighter future for our beloved Green Lake."
AREAS OF FOCUS
CITY PLANNING AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
The most current City Master Plan is dated from 2002. Back then it talked about a 20 year vision of accomplishing a balance between economic growth and the conservation of our natural, cultural and historic resources.
It talks about proper planning allowing commercial and economic growth in the city and focusing new residential developments in designated areas. It encourages a strong diversified economy, including a healthy tourism market that supports our hard working citizens with well-paying jobs. It also talks about preserving family farms and our productive agricultural land as well as our water resources such as the Lake, the rivers and the streams.
Ultimately they talk about the city remaining safe in 20 years and it having kept it's small town charm.
Sound familiar?
The plan talked about all of that being the case in 20 years and achieving that in the year 2022. It feels like looking into a time capsule and all of that is still very relevant today!
There are obviously some updates required to the data from that plan, now 22 years old, but the priorities and goals are still relevant. Protect our natural assets, support housing growth in designated areas and encouraging well-paying jobs with a balanced way of life.
My goal is to support refreshing the city plan and by doing so creating a list of priorities that help achieve this vision and taking action to ensure each of them is implemented.
This is easier said and done though.
It requires building on recent efforts of stringent financial planning allowing for long term budgeting for capital expenditure. We also can't do all of this a silo though. We'll need to work with our local, County Government and our State Representatives, ensuring those relationships are strengthened and having a clear City Plan helps do just that.
We will work to seek grant opportunities that are leveraged by our clear City Plan. All of this must also be done with clear and transparent communication with all residents. It'll take a team effort. One I'm excited to help lead.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Economic Development walks a fine line. We must focus on preserving our small town charm that so many know and love yet build an environment that supports the sustainability for local businesses throughout the year. If tourism traffic falls off, there are still at least 1,001 of us that seek products and services throughout the winter months.
It is my goal to collaborate closely with business owners to ensure Green Lake provides a friendly environment to succeed. We have so many local business owners that care deeply about our beautiful town and they stay open during the winter months, sometimes at a loss, just to ensure our downtown has some activity.
I plan on working with local landlords of vacant spaces, helping to understand their plans and needs and supporting their efforts to find new tenants that'll enhance our downtown experience.
I will continue my efforts on the Adhoc Committee for Economic Development and Revitalization, helping with projects that enhance the downtown experience and provide an atmosphere for our residents and visitors to enjoy.
I will work closely with the Chamber of Commerce and local business owners to plan and execute events, activities and packages for visitors and residents to experience and ensure they're marketed to a wide audience, ultimately resulting in more dollars spent in our local stores.
PROTECTING NATURAL ASSETS
Our surrounding Parks, Trails and our beautiful Lake are our most important assets. They're our economic engine. Many people visit the area for everything outdoors - our fishing, boating, hiking and biking and the economic impact of it all this is currently being studied by the Green Lake Association.
It's my goal to work closely with Green Lake Association, Green Lake Conservancy and other local non-profits in their efforts to protect these assets. I will do so by supporting ordinances and incentives that protect those natural resources, our lakes shoreline, it's parks and reforestation efforts to ensure that they are all available and in pristine condition for our children, their children and many generations to come.