Optimistic Persistence

This past week, the City of Owosso achieved two long-awaited milestones, and the journey to them offers several lessons for those of us engaged in local government and community change.  The first piece of good news was for the Owosso Community Players who received construction loan approval from Chemical Bank for the rebuild of the Lebowsky Theater.  Now, with State assistance, long-term federal financing, and lots of hard-earned private support, the Shiawassee Performing Arts Center will begin its final phase of construction in the next few months.  Second, the members of the City's Park and Recreation Commission realized a three-year goal with the construction of a large playscape at Bentley Park.  This project, the result of a City investment and community donations of time, labor, and money, is the first of several steps in remaking this park into a gateway for Owosso.

Positive Change Takes Time we are reminded by both of these projects.  We live in an era of quick communication and amidst a constant stream of up-to-the-minute news.  Social media makes it possible to share photos, provide updates, and offer opinions in real time.  But reporting is not the same as achieving, and frequently local government does not move as fast as we would like.  We expect results quickly, and the bold step of announcing a goal (e.g. "Rebuild the theater") is sometimes forgotten when it takes months, or years, to achieve the objective.  The typical narrative of news stories leads us to expect a speedy progression of problem statement, resolution, and completion.  Our local newspaper headlined the playscape story with the modifier "finally" reflecting this impatience to get results.

However, it takes time to achieve real progress or make change.  Frequently, the problems are complex, and putting together the right plan of action requires both technical and political analysis.  Upon determination of a solution, the alignment of partners and the assembly of resources takes both skill and time.  Frequently, a project is started without having defined an exact path forward.  For example, the City started the playscape with a commitment of $15,000 several years ago knowing that this amount of funding was insufficient.  It took months before Kiwanis and other service clubs were fully on board, business sponsors had to be approached slowly, and the many fundraising efforts took lots of time and effort to initiate, coordinate and promote.  In the end, close to $100,000 was raised for the project, most of it from local, private donations..

Risk is Inherent to any community improvement effort, especially when not every detail is arranged or known in advance.  Things can, and probably will, go wrong and critics will be quick to point out the shortcomings of any plan that requires modification or is delayed.  Champions of change have to be flexible and be open to hearing the suggestions, or requirements, of other partners as they join in.  Most importantly, as obstacles are encountered, proponents have to be patient while finding additional sources of funds, coming up with an alternative design, or suffering through political attacks.  In both the playscape and the theater projects there were setbacks, and it is a testament to the organizations behind them that people kept moving forward, even when it required a step or two sideways, or backwards, before the goals could be achieved.

Optimistic Persistence may be the most necessary ingredient for any change effort.  I marvel at the people involved with these community improvement initiatives.  Some people had a vision, and would not abandon that dream despite being mocked or criticized.  Other people had the tenacity to keep to their task, whether that be asking for funds or shoveling wood chips.  Several people accepted the challenge to rework the plan and seek out an alternative options. And all of them had persistent optimism, a belief that things would get better if they were willing to stick to it.  Sadly, there are too few people with such an attitude, but I have come to appreciate how important they are to moving our community forward.  (I would add that news of these projects occurred as Governor Rick Snyder announced a cooperative plan with Canada to build a new bridge to support economic growth in Michigan; here too is a leader with optimistic persistence).

Long-Term Perspective is essential in our community if it is to weather the current economic crisis.  We need to look past today's tough times and recognize that the changes we are making now may not show results for several years, perhaps after our terms of service are over.  Policy choices can be distorted when we look for a quick return on our political investments. If creating an entrepreneurial culture in Owosso will take time to take hold, if gaining regional cooperation takes repeated outreach to build trust, if building community facilities requires waiting for the right grant, then we can not be afraid  to pursue such goals. If we avoid the long-term issues, then we might only adopt empty ordinances and resolutions, hire (or fire) staff people to show some sort of action, or take only the most careful and smallest of steps forward.  I am inspired by the examples of those who show optimistic persistence to keep the long-term view in sight.

2010 Goals

Like any successful organization or team, the City of Owosso needs a set of goals to guide its efforts. Otherwise, good initiatives may not be achieved because of a lack of policy focus or insufficient dedication of resources. Without goals, an organization tends to become reactive, not proactive. With goals, an organization states clearly its objectives so that those on the inside know how best to direct their energies; those on the outside can align their efforts to complement or support an organization's goals that agree with their own.

At the first meeting of the year, the City Council continued a discussion of priorities for municipal action in 2010. It is the responsibility of elected representatives to set direction; the execution of goals are the responsibility of city staff. Both activities must be informed by, and actively involve, community residents and others with a stake in the success of the City.

After considerable discussion, the City Council voiced its support for the following seven goals. The language, with some modification, for each goal comes from the City's Blue Ribbon Committee Report completed last year. These goals are still a working draft and have not yet been adopted.

CITY OF OWOSSO GOALS FOR 2010

1. Public Services. Fiscal soundness and growing revenues sources are required to provide quality services and maintain our infrastructure.
2. Economic Development. Provide leadership and effective policies to encourage the diversification and continued growth of our local economy. We will actively collaborate with our community partners to produce economic benefit to all citizens.
3. Neighborhoods and Housing. Promote comprehensive neighborhood planning and active housing programs to ensure vibrant housing markets, a diversity of housing opportunities, and safe and healthy residential environments.
4. Parks, Recreation and Culture. Promote and maintain a high quality of life by providing diverse opportunities for recreation, entertainment, and physical health. Establish public/private partnerships to develop key facilities for residents and visitors of all ages and abilities.
5. Downtown. Create a sense of place in our community that attracts visitors, new residents, and additional investment.
6. Green Owosso. Promote a sustainable community, conserve natural resources and enhance the Shiawassee River and other natural assets.
7. Communications and Marketing. Utilizing a variety of media and technology, strive to market our services, communicate our mission and values, and engage citizens in the decisions of city government.

The Council has also discussed some specific actions to move toward these goals in 2010. Obviously, more work needs to be done to define these priorities. The Council asked the City Manager to develop an outline and timeline for setting specific action priorities for each of these goals. Finally, all of this work must provide input to, and must be shaped by, the difficult budget exercise the City must undertaken in the next few months.

YOUR INPUT IS DESIRED. Are these the right goals for Owosso in 2010 and subsequent years? Did we leave anything out? Is the language unclear? Importantly, what specific ideas do you have for achieving these goals?

These goals and priorities will be reviewed at the next City Council meeting, January 19 (moved to Tuesday because of the Martin Luther King Holiday)

Six Important Issues

I am motivated to run for Owosso City Council primarily because I feel an obligation to serve my community. However, there are six issues (or opportunities) that I believe the City Council needs to address, and I am committed to pursuing these issues if elected:

ECONOMIC GROWTH – unemployment in our community is at the highest level in decades. Our first priority as a City must be to help the private sector create new jobs. I believe we can make Owosso an even better place to start a business or grow an exisitng one. I have been involved with the Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership since its beginning, and as a part owner of a small business (Wolverine Sign) I understand what the City can do to help industry and commerce grow.

TAX EFFICIENCY – we need to ensure that public tax dollars are well spent in the delivery of municipal services and the promotion of growth. In the current economic climate, the community cannot afford new taxes. Instead, we need to take a close and reasoned look at the services the City provides and figure out ways to reduce costs and serve the public in the most efficient way possible. I also feel that the City has an important role to play in making sure that your federal and state tax dollars are well spent. Some grants are appropriate for our community; others are not. When we secure outside funding, we need to spend these tax dollars in the most effective way to promote economic growth.

HOUSING – we need to protect residential property values in Owosso by promoting homeownership and reducing the number of vacant homes in our neighborhoods. There are a record number of foreclosed and for-sale homes in our community. We need to ensure that these homes do not create a blight in our neighborhoods and we need to take action to help these homes be sold to new homeowners. The City has not taken advantage of private and public programs to reduce foreclosures, promote homeownership, and ensure quality rental housing. I worked for several years as a Deputy Director in the California Department of Housing and Community Development and I will use my expertise to improve our neighborhoods.

QUALITY OF LIFE – we need to create more recreational and cultural activities for youth, families, and residents and tourists of all ages. Owosso has some great parks, but we have not organized ourselves well to maintain or improve our recreational facilities. The loss of Holman Pool was very unfortunate. Likewise, the City could play a much more positive role in encouraging cultural activities for our residents. The loss of the Lebowsky Center was also unfortunate. I would like to work with the public and private sectors to help rebuild a Shiawassee Performing Arts Center, provide a pool, and improve other cultural and recreational opportunities. I think there is an opportunity to work with neighboring local governments and community organizations to help improve the quality of life for all our area residents.

RECYCLING – we need to find a way to promote curbside recycling of household and yard waste. People are concerned with burning in Owosso, and I believe we can help reduce the need for burning if we provide better and more frequent pick up of yard wastes. I also think it is possible to provide curbside recycling of household waste. I will also look into other ways to have Owosso Go Green!

COMMUNICATION - whatever policy issues come before the City Council, I believe our elected representatives have an obligation to engage in respectful, two-way communication with voters, residents, businesses, and all the affected parties. If elected, I pledge to be both a good listener and to share what I learn by serving. I will make time available, attend community meetings, and use this blog and other forms of communication to exchange information and opinions. The more we all know, the better decisions we can make for our future.

MY GOAL is to make Owosso an even better place to live, raise a family, retire, start a business, pursue a career, and enjoy life in a small town. I hope you will join me in this effort.