EMMIE BOESE
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Interim City Manager Mary Grace Clements said Wednesday that collaboration, compromise, communication and consistency are the main factors for a strong city and community in 2024. Clements gave the State of the City address at the Hutchinson and Reno County Chamber of Commerce membership breakfast on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at the Sand Hills Event Center.
Clements reflected on the positives and negatives of 2023 from each city department. She also addressed the continued need for community collaboration across organizations and city goals for 2024.
" The perception of how the city runs is challenging," Clements said. "The perception of what they do every day is thankless. We have 40,000 sets of eyes watching what we do every day. And it's challenging, I'm going to tell you. But what these folks show up and do every day, for us, I choose not to live in the negative. I choose to make that conscious choice every day."
Clements reported the 2023 statistics from each city department at the state of the city address:
The general fund balance for the city in 2023 was $10.40 million. There were $15.51 million reported from the collection of annual tax receipts.
A total of 491,000 people visited Carey Park. The Hutchinson Zoo received 56,000 zoo visits, 26,282 rounds of golf were played at Carey Park Golf Course and Hutchinson Regional Airport received an 8% increase in traffic.
The Public Works Department filled 570 potholes and 253 alleys were graded. There were 80 water main breaks in the city and 184,000 linear feet of sewer pipe was inspected.
The Hutchinson Police Department saw a 5.77% increase in crimes. There was a decrease in violent crime and an increase in property crime.
The city opened station #1 for the Hutchinson Fire Department. There was a 3.8% reduction in call volume and 57% were EMS related calls.
Prior to the address, the Hutch Chamber presented the January Small Business Award to Aaron Hill of Anchor Grill. The chamber reported that Hill stayed open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and has had the same set of employees for the past three years. He also has the same cook since Anchor Grill opened.
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