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2017/10/23 - Walter's Blog: Voice of the People Award

Democracy on the Front Lines
City Administrator’s Blog
Walter Denton
 

October 23, 2017

When people ask me what a city administrator does, I tell them that my statement of purpose is to help democracy work and to build-up the community. I do this by seeking to understand the priorities of O’Fallon residents and aligning city government resources to accomplish those priorities. That’s why we have conducted the citizen surveys to learn the opinions of O’Fallon residents on City services. Our efforts were recognized recently as O’Fallon was named as a Finalist for the 2017 “Voice of the People Award” for Transformation in Recreation and Wellness.

The Voice of the People Awards, presented jointly by National Research Center and the International City/County Management Association, are the only awards given in local government based on the opinions of residents themselves. This year’s Voice of the People Awards were very competitive. Award winners were selected because they had the highest or most improved ratings on the 2016 National Citizen Survey and illustrated actions taken to benefit their communities.

The primary reason for the award is O’Fallon’s efforts for Destination O’Fallon and recreational opportunities for O’Fallon residents. The 2016 Citizen Survey indicated that recreation and wellness are important to O’Fallon residents:

  • 91% of residents believe O’Fallon’ s Quality of Life is “Excellent” or “Good.”
  • 96% believe O’Fallon is a great place to raise children.
  • 93% believe O’Fallon parks are “Excellent” or “Good.”
  • 82% believe health and wellness in O’Fallon are “Excellent” or “Good.”
  • 81% believe fitness opportunities are “Excellent” or “Good.”
  • 79% believe recreational opportunities are “Excellent” or “Good.”

Destination O’Fallon continues our efforts to provide an excellent quality of life for O’Fallon residents. The Family Sports Park expansion is substantially complete with seven new all-weather soccer fields, new restrooms, and additional parking. Because of these improvements, a 300-team soccer tournament was in O’Fallon last weekend that brought visitors to O’Fallon hotels, restaurants, and stores. The economic impact was substantial to O’Fallon businesses and will bring tax revenue to the City budget.

The second aspect of Destination O’Fallon is a Downtown Plaza with additional parking for downtown businesses. The 2016 Citizen Survey indicated that 90% of O’Fallon residents believe that Downtown Redevelopment is a “High” or “Medium” priority. In addition, a recent Downtown Plan revealed that O’Fallon residents and merchants want a public space for community events and markets. The City Council approved a contract on October 2 to design a plaza and parking lot for festivals, farmers markets, and other events. A new plaza and parking should be built in the spring.

O’Fallon’s other parks provide a multitude of wellness opportunities, whether it is the Rock Springs Dog Park, Community Park Pool, or the Hesse Park Pickleball Courts. We are honored to receive the Voice of the People Award and will continue to listen to the people, so we can provide high quality services to O’Fallon residents and businesses.