Rosemount Mayor Delivers State of the City

Exepts from the State of the City speech of Mayor Bill Droste, delivered Tuesday afternoon at Steeple Center.

On the improving economy:

"We have businesses that are opening facilities in Rosemount. We have businesses that continue to operate at a high level, providing jobs for hundreds of people. We have employers who have chosen to relocate or consolidate here. We have businesses that are expanding, rebranding, and demonstrating their commitment to the community.

"We have new subdivisions growing to bring more households to our community, even in a housing market that remains difficult. We are progressing to provide additional housing options for all members of the community, including the growing cohort of senior citizens. We have had a series of ribbon cuttings and welcome events for businesses that want to be part of Rosemount’s existing market and its potential."

On economic development:

"First, for jobs and the economy: the Port Authority, which is the economic development arm of City government, spent much of the past year working on a plan for growing jobs and our economic base. Many of you heard details of it at our business luncheon last fall. In brief, we will work to increase our engagement with existing businesses. We will try to increase commercial amenities of the kind that are currently underserved in Rosemount. We will focus many of our efforts on Downtown and the Business Park. And we will devote energy toward the long-term goal of a world-class development at UMore Park.

"Almost all of these involve public-private partnerships. In some cases, we’re recruiting the partners. As an example, the City commissioned a study of whether there’s a need for a hotel in Rosemount. The answer was that yes, there is a demand here. By making an investment in the study, we hope to attract private developers for such a project."

On city services:

"Our Fire Department put a half-million dollar fire truck into service late in the year. We are developing baseball fields on property deeded by UMore. We have received a grant that will allow us to extend a trail along Highway 3 to Connemara. We continue to protect the City’s investment in infrastructure like the street network with a thorough maintenance plan. We’ve looked for help where we can, and we’ve succeeded by winning grants from the Met Council’s Livable Communities program for $440,000 for amenities like a public plaza and streetlights at the senior development.

"And we are working with the MVTA to get a jump start on funding for a Park and Ride just south of City Hall. In my role as Vice Chair of the Authority, I review ridership figures. For the system as a whole, rides were up 6.2 percent last year. The express routes from Rosemount to Minneapolis were among those showing healthy growth. With a return to higher gasoline prices and the introduction of bus rapid transit service on Cedar Avenue, the demand for those services is certain to grow. A Park and Ride in Downtown Rosemount will meet the need."

In conclusion:

"To review, what will you see in Rosemount in 2012? Those new subdivisions we talked about earlier. The Mississippi River Trail, a bikeway that eventually will run from Rosemount to Lake Itasca and the Gulf of Mexico. We hope to see a start on the senior housing project and improvements at the Community Center. And we especially hope for more companies to follow in the footsteps of Hawkins and Proto Labs, bringing new job opportunities to the City.

"We invite them all to join those of us who make Rosemount our home, and our success story."