No predictions: promises for city projects this year

From 1990 to 1999, the city of Springfield has invested almost $300 million of your dollars in improvements to roads, traffic lights, storm sewers, school sidewalks, fire stations, airport facilities, and parks.

This commitment to infrastructure is significant and represents a time of catching up to the city's changing needs.

Because virtually all this money is spent locally, it also represents a significant economic impact.

It has been a balanced program. The investment of your money has been made through all parts of our community: north, south, east and west.

There is a balance in who pays for these improvements: 40 percent of this money has come from user fees. From the airport to the zoo, you pay for the service only if you use it.

Another 30 percent comes from sales tax, and 30 percent from property tax. All of these investments have been made while maintaining one of the lowest tax rates in our state and region.

This has been accomplished by having a community-based Vision 20/20 plan, and a six-year Capital Improvement Program Action Plan that is used to implement the vision.

It is important that catching up and now keeping up with infrastructure improvements continues in the first decade of the new millennium. Your city's commitment is to:

Have a plan

Identify specific needs

Ask for the community's support

Do exactly what we say we are going to do on budget and on time

Keep you informed about what we are doing.

The community's expectation from your city government for 2000-2001 is "A Promise Not a Prediction." Our No. 1 priority will continue to be traffic improvements including:

Republic Road Scenic to Kansas Expressway

Norton Maranatha Village to Summit

Fremont and Sunset intersection

Fremont widening in front of Disney School

Jefferson Sunset to Seminole

Eighth-cent projects, including:

West Bypass widening of center bridge between Kearney and Chestnut Expressway

West Bypass extension from Sunshine Street to James River Freeway

Sunshine and Highway 65 first phase improvement, Ingram Mill and Eastgate relocations

A key question for our voters in 2000 will be to continue or increase the current eighth-cent transportation sales tax to accomplish intersection improvements at:

Kansas and Kearney

Kansas and Chestnut Expressway

Kansas and Sunshine

Kansas and Battlefield

Glenstone and Kearney

Glenstone and Division

Glenstone and Chestnut Expressway

Glenstone and Sunshine

Access management improvements such as transit turnouts and intelligent transportation systems

City match for state and developer traffic and parking improvements

In addition, here are some other important infrastructure improvements that will be completed in 2000-2001:

Jordan Valley Park

Demolition of buildings

Streetscape improvements on Boonville

Construction of a recreational ice facility

Construction of the first stage of greenspace.

Park Improvements

Chesterfield Community Center

School-park projects at McBride and McGregor schools

Improvements at 17 existing parks throughout Springfield and Greene County

More than three miles of new Ozarks Greenway trails.

Sewer improvements

Completion of phosphorous treatment improvements for the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant (to be completed in 2002)

Beginning expansion of Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant

Sewer expansion in west, northeast and northwest Springfield to encourage balanced growth

Completion of the Farmer's Branch Trunk Sewer

Completion of the Pierson Creek Trunk Sewer Extension phase I.

We appreciate our citizens' support and are committed to providing the infrastructure to continue our community's wonderful quality of life.

Working as promised: That's a promise, not a prediction.

(Tom Finnie is city manager of Springfield.)