Mayor Davis shares progress toward goals

Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend the State of the City luncheon where Edmond Mayor Darrell Davis shared the City Council’s strategic plan goals.

He shared the following goals with a target of less than two years:

1. Support Capital Improvement Projects
2. Make Downtown Edmond a destination
3. Monitor and improve mobility
4. Improve Brand identification, place marking, and tourism way finding
5. Focus on tree and open space preservation
6. Edmond Veterans Memorial
7. Water Resources Recovery Facility
8. Water Treatment Plant expansion plan
9. East Edmond 2050 Plan
10. Arcadia Lake Visioning
11. Modernizing lodging tax
12. Collect trash from Arcadia Lake
13. Beautification project for I-35
14. Diversity and inclusion initiates with the Edmond Chamber
15. Water & Electric Smart Meter implementation
16. Identify leadership to reinstate the Edmond Land Conservancy

The following were goals with a timeframe of greater than two years:

1. Become a preferred destination / Performing Arts Center
2. Economic development of I-35 corridor
3. Livable community with access to recreation and transportation:
   1. Commuter rail project
   2. Bike and multi-use trails
   3. Recreational sports facilities
   4. Acquire public open space for parks
4. Covell Parkway development
5. New City Administration building
6. Encourage low impact development

Naturally, not all of the goals may come to pass, especially the longer-term goals. But the City of Edmond and Mayor Davis himself has been working toward many of the goals. I’ve personally attended some of the Diversity & Inclusion sessions the Edmond Chamber has put on and am excited to see the headway being made toward many of the goals.

The City of Edmond gets its revenue almost entirely from sales tax. That means that without businesses in Edmond, none of these projects would be possible. While some of them are funded in part by other sources like federal money, businesses and business people make the city run.