Coming to the year's halfway point is an excellent time to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and still have to work on. While balancing our budget and keeping the community strong, healthy and vibrant is always our number one priority, there are other things that drive the success of a city.
As exciting and proud as the new pier at Blossom Heath Park is, there’s still a need to update the city’s aging infrastructure. Making the necessary repairs to the 60-year-old pool, aging police and fire stations, facility parking lots, the parks, and continuing our renovation of the historic Blossom Heath Inn are costly and only a handful of the issues we face during budget season. But, our administration is up to the challenge of competing with the other cities around us.
What to spend money on and when are hard choices we have and will continue to make. Labor shortages are still plaguing the economy, making it difficult to get the work done on time. Luckily, we have hard-working and caring city employees who continue to fight through long hours to finish what needs to be done.
As councilpersons, we face some tough decisions and not all of them will be popular. But I believe, for the most part, that we know what needs to be done to keep moving forward, even if that sometimes requires a creative way of getting there.
As a council liaison to numerous committees and commissions like the Memorial Day Parade, Cool Cities and the Waterfront Environmental Committees, I am proud of some of our accomplishments.
We continue to bring you America’s Number One Memorial Day Parade annually, with this year marking seventy years! I am proud of our innovative, progressive and hard-working group that puts this event on. I believe it’s the best homage to the fallen soldiers of this country and I would say it’s the best group I have ever worked with in my 14 years with them. The parade, led by Chair Col. David Ellis, is pointed in the right direction. I can’t even begin to describe the many residents and volunteers that help make this event a world-class affair.
The Cool Cities Committee is another incredible group that’s been a highlight of this city. Day in and day out, month to month, we develop amazing events to promote the city. One of these inspired ideas has been the incredible Social District. It’s helped bring St. Clair Shores into the forefront of Macomb County and a boom to the 9 Mile and Mack downtown area.
Since more young folks are moving into SCS, the downtown businesses strive for new ways to evolve. This year Cool Cities has introduced the Cool Kids Zone to the Social District events, giving kids and families more age-appropriate things to do. All of this new and successful activity has led establish the Downtown Development Authority, which has even more plans for the area in the future.
But this city wouldn’t be what it is without the lake and our Waterfront Environmental Committee is dedicated to protecting that resource. The committee is known for its great protection of Lake St. Clair and is famous for its Waterfront Clean-Up events. They’re constantly introducing new programs to safeguard our waterways and clean our natural areas.
There are a lot of great things happening, and with summer here, it’s the perfect time to enjoy them. I encourage you to visit the third Man Made Wonder of SCS, the new Blossom Heath Activity Pier at the park. It’s a great walk.
Thank you for allowing me to serve you and help shape the city's future. And thank you to the Mayor and Council for your hard work. I will continue to be a voice for the people, listening to and solving resident issues like bettering business environments, supporting city recreation, and controlling blight.