Sartell residents can be proud of the many achievements and developments accomplished this year in their city, and they can look forward to even more bright spots in the new year.
The following are just some of the good things that occurred:
Planning and coordination continues to create a multi-use riverside for the “Mill District,” the razed site of the doomed paper mill, which closed after a fire-explosion disaster in 2012. Sartell has long been a city “in search of a downtown.” The Mill District developments just might fill that bill, with its dynamic blend of shops, housing, special events and recreational opportunities right in the heart of the city.
On another parcel of land formerly owned by the paper mill, along Fourth Avenue S., the city has come to an agreement to allow Niron Magnetics to build a branch manufacturing plant there (see related story in this edition of the Newsleaders).
Once again, perennially popular events were big crowd pleasers in the city: the Sartell SummerFest Parade and the related Libertyville Family Fun Day, a street dance and fireworks display, the high-school Homecoming parade, the open house at the Safety Facilities center (police and fire departments), National Night Out neighborhood gatherings, beautification projects, the opening of the pedestrian river bridge and much more.
Under expert forward-looking leadership, the Sartell Fire Department and Police Department strengthened their safety strategies with new hires, a reinvigorated K-9 service and up-to-date ways to make the city safe for all residents and visitors.
Sartell City Council members and city staff participated in a series of workshops that focused on effective communications, accountability and transparency strategies to maximize service for the public good. Most public governance boards would no doubt benefit from such workshops.
The local Lions clubs raised funds to build a regional all-inclusive playground in Lions Community Park, which was warmly welcomed by many families and their playground-loving children.
Sartell schools continued to receive high marks in statewide rankings, including well above average test scores, excellent graduation rates and a wide range of achievements in academics, sports and civic-service projects.
On the not-so-bright side, tensions and disagreements at times divided the Sartell-St. Stephen School Board. One rift developed when three members insisted that non-union employee contracts be scrutinized one by one by board members. That action held up contract approvals, but in the nick of time the contracts managed to get approved by the deadline, July 1.
Another testy disagreement occurred over the need for repairs-replacement of old, inadequate HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system in Riverview Intermediate School. The faulty system endangers the comfort and health of staff and students alike.
Those same three board members stalemated funding for the HVAC system and demanded it be put before the voters in a referendum set for this Feb. 11, along with a ballot question about proposed high-school physical education and outdoor sports facilities.
Let us hope those questions can be decided amicably citywide so Sartell residents can all be on the same page as the new year gets underway.
