What are the key changes you see occurring in Mt. Washington over the next 10 years?

Population growth both within existing city limits and due to our expanding the geographic area of the city through annexation

Within the city limits, 21 subdivisions have been approved but most not yet fully developed. Hence, we have about 1,500 lots available of which about 300-400 have been built. So we have a significant amount of potential growth already on line.

We are currently experiencing rapid population growth and this is likely to continue given already approved lots. We need to ask:

Is this rate of growth good for Mt.Washington?

Do we need to consider how much to grow and what types of growth are in the best interest of Mt. Washington? For example, what kinds of residential growth is best for the community? What kinds of industrial growth is best for the community?

Does the community need to be sure that the services to be provided to annexed areas are in fact fully paid for by revenues from the annexed areas?

Growth is putting pressure on the community to expand the personnel and level of services provided in all city department, especially the police force

We have an aging infrastructure that is being asked to provide a higher level of services to more users.

The lift station on Hwy 44 Water and sewer lines Storm water drainage

Existing community amenities, such as community parks, are being strained due to growth

We have had industrial growth but need more. Need to continue development and expansion of the business park

Increasing problem with traffic congestion, especially all along Hwy 44 and at the intersection of Hwy 44 and 31E

We might be facing a situation of increased crime due to growing population

We have changing demographics in the community

Enforcing existing laws and ordinances could become more or less difficult with the growing population

Our planning and zoning ordinances may not be us to handling current and future rates of growth

As we grow we might reach a population size for a different class of city which could require us to meet new mandates for levels of services, for example, in certain class cities a paid fire chief is required

What do you want Mt. Washing to have, do and be in 10 years? In other words: What kinds of services and opportunities should the city have for its residents?

A balanced community with both residential and commercial growth and job opportunities but no heavy industry
A community with more industrial job opportunities

A community with wide range of services and products available
A community with more shopping opportunities, more local businesses and more restaurants (possibly selling alcohol by the drink?)
A community with lots of local commerce

A community with good traffic control and easy access

A community with an updated infrastructure

A community where utility rates cover the costs of expansion

A community with better sewer and storm drainage

A community with accessible sidewalks

A community with rates that are fair and cover our expenses

A community with more recreational and entertainment facilities
A community with recreational facilities

A community with good educational facilities including a place for post-secondary education

A place with active community involvement through groups and boards

A community with business and educational partnerships

A place with a good positive community image

A community with a strategic marketing plan

A community that promotes industrial and commercial growth

A community that has become more aggressive in seeking financial assistance and grants

What should residents be able to do in this city in 10 years?

Residents would have access to upgraded utilities and roads

Residents should have access to expanded sewers

Residents should feel safe and protected

Residents should be able to find employment here
Residents can find local jobs

Residents should be able to shop in the city and eat in good restaurants
Residents should not have to travel to Louisville for goods and services

Residents should be able to obtain medical services here

Residents should have access to recreational facilities and entertainment
Residents should have parks and sports fields

What do you want people in other places to think of when they think about Mt. Washington?

A community with controlled growth

A community with good and safe schools
A community with good schools

A community with an accessible city government

A community with a spirit of cooperation

A community that is progressive and looks to the future
A community that is progressive in its thinking

A community that is clean and beautiful

A community open to all

A community that is safe
A community with a safe environment for kids

A community with a pro-development attitude

A community with good jobs

The long-term budget planning exercise

Group A All city capital improvements to be paid for with a bond

Purchase property for a new recreational park (1st year)

Road improvements - widen and extend roads, construct a new arterial, improve access (2nd year)

Phase 1 is a study by KIPDA

Business Center expansion and infrastructure construction

Phase 1 (1st year) on site
Phase 2 (2nd year) on site
Phase 3 (2nd and 3rd years) off site
Phase 4 (3rd and 4th year) purchase additional land Paid for with a bond and/or future sales of land in the Business Center

Storm sewers on Snapp Street
Phase 1 (3rd year) sewer upgrades
Phase 2 (4th year) curbs and gutters

Replace pump station on Bardstown Road In phases Paid for with rate increase

Code enforcement and beautification
Limited direct costs

Group B

City Budget Items

Business Center infrastructure development and expansion
In phases
Land acquisition for New city police department
Recreational facility (10 year phase project, first phase land acquisition)

Complete city plaza

Immediate city outlay, fund raisers to offset costs and any excess funds generated earmarked for the Snapp Street project

Contribution to Economic Development Authority

Annual contribution
Capital improvements

Lift Station #1
Upgrade city and rural water lines
Total costs,
phased project

201 Facilities plan
Total for 2 years for completion of plan

Water pump station and a second tie-in to the Louisville water line into Bullitt County

Group C

Year One
Acquire property and relocate police department
Completion of City Plaza project
Code enforcement
officer salary and benefits
Acquisition of land for new city recreation park/facility
Business Center infrastructure development
Lift Station #1
Sewer plant expansion

Year Two

Construction on recreation park/facility
Business Center infrastructure development
Sewer plant expansion
Upgrade water lines
Upgrade Bardstown Road pump station

Year Three

Construction on recreation park/facility
Business Center infrastructure development and acquisition of additional land
Sewer plant expansion
Upgrade water lines
Upgrade Bardstown Road pump station

Year Four

Business Center infrastructure development
Sewer plant expansion
Upgrade water lines

Year Five

Business Center infrastructure development
Sewer plant expansion
Upgrade water lines

Consensus Priority Actions
Identified by All Three Groups

Purchase land for a park and recreational facility
Infrastructure development and expansion of the Business Center
Lift station #1
Water pump station
Upgrade water lines

Identified by Two Groups

Completion of city plaza
Code enforcement
Acquire property for new police station

What was hard about identifying budget priorities?

Building consensus on both the priorities and the timing of improvements

Figuring out the real cost of a project which can be affected by the availability of land, when existing infrastructure deteriorates, and changes in the economy which could affect inflation rates

Concerns about how improvement ought to be paid for and can be paid for, particularly weighing the risks and benefits of capital improvement bonds

What will be the cost of bond monies?

How will bonds affect the budget flexibility of future city governments?

How important is it to factor in the cost of money for projects today and the value of those dollars as they are paid back over time?

Accepting the fact that there is only so much you can do in any one year

What do our priorities say about what's important to us?

We need to talk to our respective Boards to see if there is consensus on our capital improvements priorities

We want to be a progressive community and upgrade and enhance our community facilities before major problems develop

We want to sustain positive growth and match capacity to demand

As a city council we want to be proactive on change

We will be creative on finding ways to fund critical projects

We are concerned about our citizens' needs, interests and quality of life

We have a good sense of the amount and sources of current revenues and seek to use these resources wisely for both operating and capital improvements budgets

What strategies for funding do we need to pursue?

Rate increase
Clearly link to the cost of delivering services (cost/mile)
Need to show a comparison to the rates in other counties
Need to compare the cost of having a cistern and water hauled with the rate for public water
Need to establish a plan for periodic rate increases tied to the cost of living or inflation
Need to consider the effects of rate increases on people with fixed incomes

Impact fees

What should be the use or purpose of our impact fees?

We need to re-evaluate the structure of our impact fees and the system we have developed to implement them
We need to have a brochure explaining the level and use of our impact fees

Administrative/permit fees

We need to target these cost returns for maintenance and improvement of city services
We need to be sure that the real (total) administrative fees are paid for by users
We need to have a brochure explaining the level and use of our administrative/permit fees

Capital improvements bonds
A bond issue allows us to use today's dollars for capital improvements but to pay back with tomorrow's dollars
Bonds allow us to plan for major projects without affecting our operating budget
With bonds we can plan our budget given the fixed costs of paying back the borrowed monies
But, bonds are debt owed by city government and so we must be sure we don't use these monies for frivolous projects
We should only use bonds for major capital improvements projects such as water, sewers, and roads

Borrow short term monies
We should only do this for projects that will generate the funds to pay back the short term loans

Grants
We need to explore applying as a Renaissance community
We need to be more aggressive in seeking out federal and state grant programs

Noneconomic strategies
Limit cul-de-sacs in new subdivisions to ease traffic flows
Mandate sidewalks in new subdivisions
Consider new ordinances
Nurture your network of contacts outside the community, especially your political contacts

Identify projects that have a greater likelihood of success through collaboration with other communities and/or county government
Volunteers in service to Mt. Washington – work with local organizations (e.g., civic, schools, churches) to find persons who have the skills and interests in helping with specific projects. For example, find someone who is willing to help keep the city's website updated

What will be the process for re-evaluating your plan?

It should be done annually as a part of our day-long budget workshop

We should set aside a specific time for evaluating the long-term plan and have the following participate in the evaluation:
All council members and supervisors as well as the city engineer
Invite our elected representatives (county, state and federal)
Members of the EDA
Members of the School Board

The criteria we should use for evaluating the long-term plan:
Begin by reviewing our accomplishments – where are we at
Do we need to revise the scope of a project
Do we have the funding
Are there new needs that should be added to our plan

What would you want your constituents to know about what you have done today?

We are being pro-active and we have been working through a process for long-term planning for this community. We see the needs and want to act before there is a crisis

Our focus is what is in the best interests of the citizens in this community, their quality of life and what will make Mt. Washington a good place to live

We have all taken a day from our regular jobs to work together for the community's benefit and to address community needs

We have been looking for ways to keep a balanced budget, meet the needs of the community, and insure that the financial burden on residents is reasonable

We are trying to insure that we can continue to provide a high quality and level of public services in Mt. Washington

We are also trying to create jobs within Mt. Washington so that we can generate additional revenues to support enhancing public services without diminishing our operating budgets

We believe the day-to-day services (water and sewers, police and fire protection, recreation) are essential for a high quality of life and must be maintained to assure a continuation of our ability to meet citizens' expectations. These may not be glamorous but they are essential

Many of these projects (e.g., the Business Center and community recreational land) bring other advantageous development with them. For example, they increase the tax base, encourage other commercial and retail development, and the dollars spent circulate through our local economy

How can you market the process of long-term planning?

Prepare an informational brief that explains each of the projects – the cost of the project, how it will be completed, the reasons for the project and the advantages of the project for the community

This informational brief should be placed on the Mt. Washington website and posted at the City Hall

A shorter version of this should be submitted to the local newspaper and possibly sent to all residents as a newsletter from local government

We can visit with local organizations and explain the long-term planning process

We can host an open house and invite citizens to a special informational meeting on long term planning

We need to celebrate our successes and when a project is complete, remind citizens of when we started and what we have accomplished and how it will contribute to the quality of life in this community

We can develop an informational brochure to be made available through real estate agents, banks, etc. that explains how city services are funded (Mt. Washington's revenue sources) and how they are spent to enhance the quality of life in this community

What needs to be done after we leave today?

Invite someone to come and talk about bond issues (Barry will make this contact)

Receive the minutes of this meeting and make these available to the public (Gale will take the minutes and post them to the web, send a copy to all the participants and civic groups, and work with the newspaper on developing a new story)

Develop a proposed long-term capital improvements plan based on these minutes (Gale and Brent will work to develop the first draft)

Initiate some public relations and marketing efforts:

Develop a list of volunteer opportunities and seeking volunteers for specific activities
Work with the local newspaper to re-institute the Mt. Washington column

Evaluating the day

Positives
Change Having the day for this purpose
Lori needs new tape and markers
Good food!
Better cost estimates of the projects
Being away from the city
Lori is pushy about staying in time
Well organized
Some had to leave early
Openness of the discussions
A better awareness of the process
The 2 minute warnings to bring us back together
All council members attended

The Idea Bin – good ideas that we need to follow up on

Should Mt. Washington be divided into wards?

Should we have 2 year staggered terms so that we don't have the whole council change at the same time and therefore we have continuity in our understanding of past decisions and actions

We need to think about what the City Council can do to promote more commercial and retail development in the community

We need to follow-up on marketing this process and our commitment to long-term capital improvements planning