Looking back: Building quality relationships throughout the community

Over the past 8 years, a great deal has been accomplished to enhance the reputation of St. Charles as a community that is admired and an organization that is respected. My vision for the City has been defined by four (4) main principles. Those are as follows:

1. Providing quality service at the best overall cost.
2. Constantly seeking to improve by embracing change.
3. Improved cooperation, coordination, and collaboration.
4. Demonstrating a commitment to achieve, not just do.

The City's Strategic Plan identifies 6 main "vision areas." They are:

• Quality of Relationships - Our City fulfills its commitment to building quality relationships throughout the community.
• Sense of Place - Our Community generates an appealing sense of place and fosters a welcoming, sustainable environment.
• Service Delivery, Resources and Needs - Our City organization maintains an optimal service delivery framework that balances resources with needs.
• Economic Vitality - Our Community prospers in a diverse, self-renewing climate of business, industry and housing.
• Vibrant Downtown - Captivating downtown St. Charles, rich with social, cultural and economic vibrancy, is a distinctive element of our community.
• Mobility and Connectivity - A quality transportation system assures community access, mobility and connectivity.

This week, I am sharing the City's "Top 10" achievements that I am most proud of in the area of Quality of Relationships. They are as follows:

• In 2008, all local governments in St. Charles entered into an intergovernmental agreement to evaluate substantial property assessment appeals and to share the costs of contesting those appeals, if warranted.
• In 2010, the City deployed My Neighborhood, a free application accessible from the City's website that allows St. Charles residents and business owners to get information about their properties from multiple sources.
• In 2010, the City Administrator’s blog – insidestcharles.com – was established to communicate important information to residents, businesses, and other St. Charles stakeholders.
• In 2010, an orientation guide was produced for members appointed to advisory committees, commissions, and boards to help in the recruitment of new volunteers, as well as explain their role and provide guidance on interaction with staff and the City Council.
• In 2011, LEAD was developed as a collaborative learning initiative by the cities of Batavia, Elgin, and St. Charles to provide opportunities for personal and professional growth amongst their employees to help fulfill its mission - developing leaders to build a stronger community.
• In 2011, the City of St. Charles and the Village of Wayne approved a new boundary agreement with a term of 20 years. The document includes agreement regarding future annexations of properties that are located on or near the boundaries of the communities.
• Increased community pride and resident satisfaction as demonstrated by 96 percent of respondents in biennial survey rating St. Charles as a “good” or “excellent” place to live. The number of respondents who rated St. Charles as “excellent” increased to 57% in 2011, the highest percentage ever achieved in the survey of residents.
• In 2012, a new website was deployed highlighting the City’s services and programs. The new site features a fresh new look and more multimedia content, with improved search capabilities and site navigation. More importantly, the website has been restructured to make it easier for residents, businesses, and visitors to find the information they need quickly and easily.
• In 2013, the City of St. Charles launched a new mobile application called St. Charles Connect gives citizens direct access to the City of St. Charles right from their smartphones.
• The City of St. Charles and the City of West Chicago are poised to enter into a new boundary agreement with a term of 20 years. The document includes agreement regarding future annexations of properties that are located on or near the boundaries of the communities. It also establishes a process for future cooperation regarding the reconstruction of Kautz Road.

Next week I will share my "Top 10" achievements in the area of Sense of Place.