Author Archives: morris

I can say I was somewhat excited as a City Manager when control of the House and Senate went to the Democrats.  Not for political reasons, but simply because I figured Local Government Aid would get a fairer shake in … Continue reading →

Recently there were several Letters to the Editor questioning the actions of the City of Morris.  While nobody has talked with me personally about these issues, I was encouraged by several people to respond.  This is not typically the philosophy … Continue reading →

What is TIF? Recently I presented information to the City Council about using TIF for the old elementary school demolition project and the follow on development.  The acronym TIF stands for Tax Increment Financing.  TIF is an economic development tool … Continue reading →

As we prepare our budget for the upcoming year and look at our public improvement project for 2013, it is very clear that we need to review how we fund public infrastructure.  I will be making recommendations to the City … Continue reading →

Recently I attended a speech class presentation at the University of Minnesota Morris.  The topic of the presentation was bicycle safety in Morris.  I think the students did a great job, and as a City Manager, I went away from … Continue reading →

The time is getting close for the 2012 road projects to start.  The City will again try to do a number of improvements to include a major underground project on Pacific Avenue from County Road 22 to West 5th Street/Highway … Continue reading →

The City of Morris is in the process of surveying its Citizens on the quality of service it provides.  The surveys are part of a Performance Measure Program the State of Minnesota implemented last year to determine how satisfied Citizens … Continue reading →

The 2012 Legislature is now in session, and despite the recent discussions about a Vikings Stadium, there is a lot more at stake.  I’m particularly concerned about the continued battle between the Democrats and Republicans and what now appears to … Continue reading →

Recently I was approached by a local resident and questioned  about parking in front of her house.  Does the City require people to park in front of their own house and what happens with rental units full of college students? … Continue reading →

Remember what I said about not getting sticker shock when your property tax statements came out.  Oh, and by the way, they aren’t property tax statements, they are proposed property tax statements.  The actual tax statements will come out next … Continue reading →