By Erin McIndoo
On June 14, Mayor Ryan Fitzthum gave the state of the city speech at the monthly Sartell chamber meeting at Waters Church. The two big themes that Fitzthum outlined were “active” and “emerging.” A good representation of these themes is the economic development vision statement, which is the following:
“Support our Sartell businesses so aggressively that they wouldn’t want to be anywhere but here, and support our businesses so much that when new businesses are looking to add locations they pick Sartell because of the overwhelming city, chamber and community support.”
In 2021, there was more than $45 million in commercial and residential development in Sartell, and in 2022 there has already been $6 million with a slow-down in residential development. It is important for Sartell to continue this growth and attract more new and growing businesses to the area as it helps the city and school district tremendously from a tax perspective, said Fitzthum.
“I have personally been meeting with more businesses in the last 60 to 120 days than I have in the last four years combined,” he said. “Businesses that are in neighboring communities that are looking at Sartell as their destination for them to continue to be successful. Where they’re at today they don’t have that connection to the community, city staff, council or representatives that the city of Sartell offers through this vision.”
Fitzthum went on to say how important it is to continue to support, help grow and listen to the businesses that are already call Sartell home. There are also plans on how businesses and community members can report issues more easily so they can be reviewed and fixed quicker.
There are many visual plans in action to make the city of Sartell more enjoyable and help people to get outside more and also create safer spaces. Some of these projects include construction of CR 1, using the river more by connecting trail gaps in walking and bike trails and adding a pedestrian bridge, golf cart ordinances, finishing up a mountain bike trail at Sauk River Regional Park for use in all seasons and trying to think of how to renovate the old paper mill as it is “a blank canvas on the river” and big part of Sartell’s history.
Fitzthum noted that Sartell is fast-growing and about to grow even more commercially and residentially this year. He urged everyone to continue to support neighbors and local businesses and take care of all that Sartell already has.
