The Spring Lake Board of Commissioners held a strategic policy planning session Wednesday night, collaborating with town department representatives to create a blueprint for the next phases of the town’s development. The meeting was focused on identifying key priorities for the future as the board works to refine its goals for the coming years.
The board discussed a list of 10 potential focus areas for the town’s continued growth, Commissioner Raul Palacios said. The board, along with management and department supervisors, divided into groups to prioritize the goals that will shape the town’s future.
Town leaders identified six primary focus areas during the meeting but will choose the top four to hone in on before their next meeting in January.
“We, the board, broke out into groups with management and supervisors to prioritize four top goals for our town in this next phase we are in,” Palacios told CityView, referring to the future of Spring Lake overall. “We came up with six. The next step is to narrow that down …” Palacios acknowledged the positive work that has been done in Spring Lake in the previous four years, but emphasized that the board’s greater vision for the future of the town will “require continued focus.”
Though faced with an abundance of items to address, there were a few top issues on which everyone aligned, according to Palacios.
One key objective — the revitalization of utility services like water and sewer systems — has been the topic of discussion at several board meetings in recent months. In a recent one, commissioners approved several water and sewer fee increases in order to generate revenue for the system’s overdue repairs, which could include measures to fix leaks or the replacement of some sections of the system altogether.
In Wednesday’s meeting, this key objective was reiterated and emphasized. Commissioner Marvin Lackman said the water and sewer repair projects were a high priority, and stressed the importance of making the necessary repairs to these systems.
“It has been neglected for several decades,” Lackman said. “It’s coming to light now that we haven’t invested in these infrastructure capital improvement programs. It’s coming due now and we have to address it.”
Lackman noted, however, that some repairs are already being made in the Caelin Farms neighborhood on Odell Road.
These repairs align with town leaders’ goal to provide Spring Lake with “safe, reliable and sustainable utility services,” Palacios wrote in an email to CityView. “These objectives will be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.”
Lackman and Mayor Pro Tem Soña Cooper stressed the importance of repairing underground utility services like water and sewer lines before focusing on objectives like revitalizing infrastructure such as city streets.
“We can’t put the cart before the horse,” Cooper said.
After the top four priorities for the town have been finalized, which could include potential topics like infrastructure revitalization, utility reliability, and community wellbeing, the board and town representatives will reconvene on Jan. 22 to develop two actionable objectives for each of the four focus areas.
Lackman stated that communication among town staff will be key in ensuring that these goals are translated into concrete plans that can be implemented successfully.
Cooper said she was happy with the participation of Spring Lake staff and residents.
“What I loved about it was that it was people from all parts of the town working together,” Cooper said. “‘One Spring Lake,’ is what I like to say.”
For Spring Lake residents, the outcomes of these discussions are expected to shape the town’s policies and initiatives for years to come. These policy priorities will help in laying the groundwork for another key goal of the Town of Spring Lake, according to Palacios, “a more safe, vibrant, and healthy community.”
The next Spring Lake Board of Commissioners meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Monday, Dec. 9 at Spring Lake Town Hall, 300 Ruth St.
