2015 Predictions...

Almost all of the news outlets have recently been reminiscing on the happenings of 2014 and speculating on the prospects of 2015.  I have already heard that this year will bring the total unwinding of international relations on a global scale, that next year holds great potential of bringing peace to war-torn regions, economic destruction, economic prosperity, new tech, old tech coming back, etc, etc...

Needless to say at this point of the year you need to take these things with a grain of salt.  What I know is that I have completed the holiday shuffle and am back ready for the new year and all of its challenges.  There is a small buzz around town as some of our seasonal businesses gear back up for business and new businesses plan their grand openings.  All of this fuels what I am offering as:

Jay's 2015 Predictions for Grand Marais!

*Disclaimer:  This is one of those things that I am sure the advisors of higher up politicians would cringe at and advise against and you should probably take it with a grain of salt too, but these are my thoughts on the coming year.

I believe that 2015 will be a year of quiet optimism.  Through continued efforts to coordinate and organize our economies, we will start seeing efficiencies improving or beginning the process of doing so.  Hopefully we will begin to see improvements in transportation, infrastructure, usage, and environmental impacts that will help to make this a better, safer place to live.

I believe that 2015 will be a year of careful planning.  We are at a place in the city where we can start putting together another 5 year plan, we can draw from the work done on past planning efforts as well as draw in new information from the wonderful city residents who have stepped up to fill our board and commission spots (thank you to you all!).  What does the future of Grand Marais look like?  How can we continue to improve our standard of living here without compromising the village feel that we all love?  These are questions to consider.

I believe that 2015 will be a year of hard work.  Success brings hard work.  Our summer season will hopefully be busy and bustling.  Our spring and fall seasons will hopefully be full of ground work and discussion about future ideas as well as past ones. Finding solutions will take time and a lot of conversation.  Some of those conversations may be hard.  Not everyone will be satisfied, but we will put in the time to make sure that decisions are made responsibly and with support of residents and information.

I believe that 2015 will be a year of fun.  That may seem to be contradictory to the previous prediction, but I have noticed that the number of activities for local residents to enjoy has steadily increased and local resources for recreation have improved as well.  With that said, help prove me right and get out there and have some fun!

 2015 will be an exciting time for me because I get to begin going out and officially representing the City of Grand Marais to organizations and other political bodies to ensure that we do not get overlooked in the considerations for funding or programs (assuming that we need and can use said resources).  I look forward to the opportunity and will keep you all abreast of any developments that happen.

So, there you have it!  Those are my predictions for the next year.  Some may think that I dodged a bullet because I didn't state any specific items that I will be working on.  This was purposeful!  You all need to help direct the issues and items that get discussed.  Please communicate with me your thoughts and concerns about the city as well as any ideas that the city should consider.

Thank you and may 2015 be one to remember!