Five Takeaways from the Rosemount State of the City Address

An increase in residential building, a $400 million upgrade to the Flint Hills refinery, new businesses moving in or expanding.

Mayor Bill Droste painted a rosy picture of the city's economic outlook in 2013 during his annual State of the City address, given on March 20 at the Steeple Center in Rosemount.

But Droste touched on plenty of topics during his lengthy presentation. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Fraud DUIs, Traffic Accidents Spike, Major Crimes Decrease
  The number of serious crimes reported in Rosemount dropped in 2012, but that decrease was met by increases in identity theft and DUI arrests, the mayor said. Police made 121 DUI arrests in 2012, compared to 106 in 2011, and the number of traffic accidents also rose considerably. Burglary, theft and vandalism reports dropped—and while the number of drug cases fell, the complexity of those cases grew, Droste said.

• The Rosemount Economy Showed Signs of Life in 2012
  Local businesses like Proto Labs will likely be adding employees in 2013, Droste said, and next month Hawkins Chemical will open up operations in Rosemount, creating additional 10 new jobs in the city. A massive, $400 million upgrade to the Flint Hills refinery will bring an average of 500 contract workers to the site each day as workers start the five-year project. As icing on the cake, city officials are preparing for the construction of a Country Inn and Suites, which will likely start this year.

• Housing is Back
  At the time of the state of the city address last year, Rosemount city officials had only received building applications for two new homes. This year, the city has already received 17 applications, according to the mayor. After five years of contractions in the housing market, developers have 245 residential lots available or planned in Rosemount. The city also saw a 36 percent growth in the valuation of building activity in 2012, compared to 2011—growth that was largely driven by the housing rebound, according to Droste.

• Public Infrastructure Growing
  City officials are planning a handful of new public infrastructure projects, including a pedestrian underpass below Hwy. 3 near the high school and community center. The heavily-used Erickson Park shelter is due for an upgrade, and new sports fields will be going in on donated land near Bonaire Path and Akron Ave. To improve sustainability, the city may consider creating an environmental task force.

• Experienced City Leaders Retiring
  Rosemount Police Chief Gary Kalstabakken retired last spring, but he wasn't the only veteran city official to hang up the hat this year. Public Works Superintendent Rick Cook retired, as did City Hall receptionist Cheryle Coughlin. Rosemount Fire Chief Scott Aker will be retiring at the end of April.