It’s no surprise that events in Springfield made Google’s Year-in-Review 2012 Zeitgeist highlight video. In fact, it also made the broadcast television commercial Google placed on national TV this past month.
The Rev. Phil Snider’s comments during an August City Council meeting were included in the video montage because of the video clip he appeared in on
SpringfieldMo.gov. That clip was rated among the most searched topics in the 1.2 trillion searches the Internet search engine received last year.
The topic certainly drew interest in our community, with more than 500 people overfilling City Hall on that hot, summer evening.
But our 2012 zeitgeist should reflect much more than controversial council meetings. The truth is Springfieldians are not afraid to face the difficult issues. And for the most part, we remain civil in our conversations. When it matters to them, Springfieldians speak up.Collaboration and a rigorous debate of what exactly matters is part of what makes Springfield unique. And it was a theme repeated throughout the entire year.
City staff enhanced the dialogue process by adding additional ways for residents to engage with officials and with one another. Many meetings were both live streamed on the city’s website and discussions shared through enhanced and additional social media sites. Civic engagement Web portals also allowed citizens to vote on their favorite ideas for roadway improvements or make suggestions.
In addition to taking input from the public through open meetings and online dialogue, various committees and task forces were formed to address issues ranging from transportation tax projects to storm water. There were more opportunities than ever for citizens to participate in local government and community initiatives.
The community highlight reel certainly warrants more than the 2.5 seconds Springfield received in Google’s look back. Here are a few of the highlights that I think made the year special. A more comprehensive list and year-in-review photo galleries are posted to
SpringfieldMo.gov.
• The award-winning Springfield-Greene County Park Board hosted the U.S. Olympic Committee, set an all-time record for pool attendance, received reaccreditation status for Dickerson Park Zoo, and attracted 9,000 runners and walkers in this year’s Turkey Trot event.
• The Citizens’ Sales Tax Oversight Committee gave another “clean” report to City Council, indicating that the city is handling and investing the various sales tax revenues appropriately.
• The Police-Fire Pension Fund continues to make progress toward solvency, due to the 3/4-cent sales tax revenues and positive investment returns.
• City officials developed the fiscal 2013 budget and again were able to arrive at a balanced budget without borrowing money, without using one-time funds and without raiding reserves.
• Moody’s reaffirmed the city’s bond rating at Aa1 to reflect Springfield’s large, diverse tax base; its role as a regional hub in southwest Missouri; adequate reserve levels and liquidity; and a leveraged debt position with significant additional borrowing planned.
• The City implemented a new type of Neighborhood Watch program and created new Night Watch and Business Watch programs.
• Officials planned and developed the initial portion of The Link, the north-south bicycle route, tripling the city’s bike lanes.
• The state-of-the-art Springfield-Greene County Public Safety Center opened to be occupied by Emergency Management and Emergency Communications (911).
• The city implemented ePlans – the first in Missouri.
• Officials launched and completed a pilot phase of the Neighbor for Neighbor initiative to assist the Weller and Robberson neighborhoods in hopes to minimize effects of poverty.
• Springfield opened an Environmental Resource Center and was recognized by the U.S. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Agency as a model community for environmental compliance.
• Springfield-Greene County Health Department’s lab was chosen as second runner-up Lab of the Year by Medical Laboratory Observer, a national, peer-reviewed lab resource organization.
Greg Burris is Springfield’s city manager. He can be reached at gburris@springfieldmo.gov.
