Page 17 - Scene Magazine 42-06 June 2017

Annual Report
Springfield: Improving on the Fundamentals
Over the last year the City of Springfield has concentrated on improving the fun- damentals of gov- ernment service. What does this mean? We hear
every high school coach say that the team needs to concentrate on fundamentals. What does it mean for a City?
For Springfield, it means first and foremost that we provide essential gov- ernment services as best as we can rath- er than breaking into new public service territory when money is tight and there is still work to be done on the basics that our residents count on every single day. Street maintenance, law enforcement, first responder programs, code enforce- ment, and utility maintenance are gov- ernment service basics that everyone uti- lizes, are the most difficult to maintain, and the most costly – public safety alone accounts for 52% of the General Fund budget. Getting these services right is the most stable bedrock for building community pride, residents’ morale, and taxpayer trust.
This doesn’t sound very innovative... does it? We at the City of Springfield disagree. What it has done is allow us to form new partnerships with non-profit community organizations that special- ize in providing more exciting services
such as community centers, healthy food options, and fun gathering places. The Springfield Farmers Market is now operated by Sprout BC. This saves the City tens of thousands of dollars every year. Sprout was awarded a grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development, in the amount of $65,000 for its Market operations. Several other grant applications are still pending including proposals to the USDA, the Miller foundation, and the Battle Creek Community Foundation. The goals of these funds are to increase value-added food entrepreneurship by fully utilizing the new Springfield space. The larger Hub location will allow Spout to welcome new farmers and producers, and more easily assist in distributing their products to an ever-growing public demand. In addition to the Hub space, budding entrepreneurs will have access to the commercial kitchen, assisting them to move to the next level in their food-preparation businesses.
Focusing on the fundamentals has also created an environment for business investment in the community as well. We have seen a derelict old warehouse repaired and repurposed, commercial property across from City Hall has sold and will be developed for the first time in 50 years, environmental cleanup has been initiated at an old car parts yard and military hospital site, old homes are being bought and repaired, and new homes are
going up in our Orchard Hills neighbor- hood faster than ever. Some of this can be attributed to markets improving. But most of this has happened because of accessibility to top-notch, fundamental public services in the City.
Springfield is now a safer place to live than it was a year ago. Simply put, the City is saving more lives than before. This is because of the addition of our medical first responder unit in the Fire Department. In 2016, the Fire Chief and I decided to repurpose an unused police SUV sitting in storage to serve as our first responder vehicle. After a month of refitting, it was on the road in November 2016. Working in tandem with LifeCare, we have assisted in saving many people that probably would not have had much chance without this new service. It costs more money. Yes. But we found it in or- der to improve our fundamental services – all without asking the taxpayers for more.
Springfield still has many challenges to overcome in the future. Our five-year financial projection – the first in the City’s history – will allow the City to make wise financial decisions ahead of the curve. Pension costs are rising, cost of public services are rising, but tax revenue and state-obligated funds remain flat. By continuing to concentrate on fundamen- tals, Springfield will be able to tackle these challenges head on while remaining a great place to live, work, and play.
BY NATHAN HENNE, City Manager
FOCUSING ON FUNDAMENTALS THAT CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
Building community pride, quality of life, and taxpayer trust.
601 Avenue A Springfield, MI 49037 • 269-965-2354 • www.springfieldmich.com
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