Update from the Mayor – March, 17 2006
March 17, 2006
The Third Great City Forum: "Closing the Gaps: A Community and Economy that Works for All"
I am writing to ask for your help as I shape my second term as Mayor. I’m asking for a bit of your time, your energy, your ideas, and your partnership as we build Minneapolis into the great city of our time. In my Inaugural Address I outlined three key values that will support and motivate my work for the next four years:
1) Laying the groundwork for the next generation
2) Reweaving the urban fabric
3) Closing the gaps between haves and have-nots
On Wednesday, March 29th from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. I will hold the third of three Great City Forums to outline my vision for Minneapolis, engage a public dialogue, and call for action from citizens to get involved. This forum is titled "Closing the Gaps: A Community and Economy that Works for All" and will be at St. Stephen's Catholic Church, at 2211 Clinton Avenue South.
Minneapolis, should be a city where every child can have a dream and the opportunity to achieve it, where every neighborhood is an incubator of hope. Minneapolis should be a community where human potential leads investment: we must build safe communities by addressing crime wherever it appears; we must link families to jobs and economic development where it does not exist; we must ensure that everyone has a home. Accomplishing these and other goals requires closing the gaps that separate us, building connections between people, and embracing a unified community of One Minneapolis.
Minneapolis cannot lead as the Great American City of our time with gaps between our people and our neighborhoods. We have work to do. We need to avoid short-term thinking and plan for the future. With better planning we can strengthen our economic engine and create a future with good paying jobs and strong communities. Creating a community for everyone means ensuring that opportunities to succeed are accessible to everyone. We all have a role to play in building a strong, thriving community where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
I hope that you can attend this important community forum and will spread the word about this to others who may be interested. To register for this free public event, contact jacob.brown@minneapolismn.gov in my office.
I am very excited about what we can accomplish in these next four years and I welcome your partnership to help build a great city. I hope that you will join me at this Great City Forum on Wednesday, March 29th. For more information about the Great City Forums, please contact Jeremy Hanson in my office at (612) 673-2785 or jeremy.hanson@minneapolismn.gov. Thanks and I hope to see you there!
Mayor R.T. Rybak
Published Mar. 17, 2006