Goals give focus for year’s progress

By Rachael Martin, Maryville mayor

Serving the community of Maryville often presents opportunities like this article to share the progress and hard work that so many on our team contribute daily.

Our city staff has tackled big projects within each division and is showing no signs of slowing down. I am proud of our crew each year, with no exception for the last year of the decade.

With a pointed focus on the five goals below, I have listed some of the major progress in each category:

• Continue efforts to reconstruct South Main while identifying funding options for all phases. With engineering for Phase I nearly completed, the city sought out and was awarded $10.5 million in BUILD funds. It contracted with SK Design Group Inc., Northwest Regional Council of Governments, Indigo Designs Inc. and Snyder & Associates to strategize and partner for the 2020 project groundbreaking.

• Construct a public safety facility to meet community needs. The city has completed design process and site analysis, completed bid process, broken ground, value engineering analysis, secured partnership for joint 911 consolidation with Nodaway County and completed bid process and purchase of updated 911 dispatch equipment.

• Strengthen economy by promoting and elevating local tourism assets. We have developed a tourism grant program and adopted program guidelines, completed Knacktive partnership to brand Maryville Tourism, developed Maryville Tourism logo, were awarded a marketing platform development grant to build a tourism website, revamped Mozingo website, education and voter approval of Use Tax, facilitated design and efforts for Downtown Pocket Park.

• Redevelop the physical, economic and cultural viability of Downtown Maryville. The 2019 Design Guidelines have been updated and approved, began development of Downtown Overlay District, updated to 2018 international building codes, began Chapter 353 discussions with economic development attorneys and approved a study to analyze City Hall improvements and remodel.

• Maintain and enhance the quality, vitality, and attractiveness of our community, implemented short-term rental regulations, implemented marijuana regulations, and partnered with retail strategies for economic viability data and recruitment.

Completion of 2019 COPS funding, waterline updates, asphalt mill and overlay renovations, annexations, sanitary sewer updates, grant awards for various projects and purchases, and airport updates are only some of the ventures I was unable to squeeze into this piece.

In addition to these lofty and complex accomplishments, the City of Maryville received a clean financial audit and our seventh consecutive GFOA Distinguished Budget Award.

For a more complete picture of what our team has been working on, I invite you to join us. We meet the second and fourth Monday of every month, and hope to see you. Happy New Year, Maryville! Bring on 2020!