Letter 16 - Do You Feel It

Feeling - an emotional state, reaction, or belief

Feelings are intangible, unmeasurable, subjective, and personal - but they are real.

Throughout each day I have conversations with the public, department and city staff, council members, and boards. Everyone keeps talking about the energy that they are feeling within the City.

Do you feel it?

Within the last year or so we’ve begun to move the needle in a positive direction. We’d been holding steady at neutral for a while, which was safe and necessary at the time to get us through difficult years, but now there’s excitement. We've begun seeking and grasping new opportunities.

In the beginning, of course, the movement only showed small increments of headway- that’s how initial progress works. We needed to walk before we ran or we’d end up tripping. We started one foot in front of the other until we got our bearings, now we are focusing on our preferred future, and next (which is the fun part) we have the opportunity to give it everything we have to get us there. I am not saying we won’t stumble along the way as we learn and grow, but we are surer-footed and concentrated on future progress and success.

We couldn’t do this without the full help and support of our community.

Margaret Mead said, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

Community-minded individuals and groups have put in the hard work to pave the way for others to join in their successes and for that, we are forever grateful. Leaders are to needed start, but followers are the ones who get things finished. The momentum is building.

Do you feel it?

There is the undertone of enthusiasm and eagerness that hasn’t always been there or been felt before. More and more people are reaching out and wanting to be a part of a solution. Effort is being focused on positive aspects and impacts within our community. These feelings turn into passion, passion leads to action, and action yields results.

So take pride in our City: how you speak about it, how you act within it, and watch the difference that can make. We can all invest in our community, whether its time or talent, to make it better. We all have the opportunity to join in and become part of the momentum. Together we can get that needle moved even further in the right direction. The more we get involved, the larger impact we can have, the better we can be.

Do you feel it?

I do, and I am proud to say I am excited for the future.

Jennifer Wills
Director - Parks, Recreation, and Golf