Citizens Provide Input At Glenwood Budget Forum

About a dozen Glenwood residents and city officials spent an hour sharing and discussing the city’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats during an hour-long forum at City Hall last Tuesday, Dec. 13.

The forum, a part of the city’s SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis, gave citizens an opportunity to provide input as city officials begin preparing their budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Most of the items compiled during the forum were ideas and issues that have been mentioned or discussed previously by civic and community leaders. Lists compiled at the meeting included the following items:

Strengths – Location, community feel, Town Square, new businesses, small-town friendliness, people, public library, schools, municipal employees, willingness of individuals to contribute their talent, sports, active volunteer groups, public safety, active and engaged business owners, attractiveness to young families, strong traditions, amphitheater, emergency response.

Weaknesses - Lack of identity, streets, sidewalks, nuisance ordinance enforcement, smoking on the square, library in need of repairs, junk properties, small tax base, handicapped- accessible playground needed, larger library needed, infrastructure, wi-fi, follow-through on long-term planning, daycare options, local transportation options, lack of equal representation (old members vs. new members), social services, proximity to Omaha metro area, high taxes, school district debt, lack of accessible housing for aging population.

Opportunities – Glenwood Resource Center area, proximity to the Omaha metro area, annexation, business development center, park activities, continued growth of small businesses, downtown revitalization, rebuild the fire department, tourism, downtown evening hours, available commercial space, cultural education, more housing means more property taxes collected, GRC area,  annexation opportunities, a business development center, enhancements to Glenwood Lake Park, a Rockefeller Center type of skating rink on Town Square, Glenwood needs to capitalize on its small town feel.

Threats - Property taxes continue going up, apathy, non-involvement by citizens, drugs, lack of affordable housing, employment options, speed limit on Locust Street, closure of the Glenwood Resource Center, rapid growth without enough local services, elderly housing, flood plane, aging population and infrastructure.

Some areas of concern that generated discussion at the forum are the flooding issues at the Glenwood Public Library, the need for better sidewalks throughout the city and water loss issues at the Glenwood Aquatic Center.

Resident Barbara Taenzler said it doesn’t make sense for the library to refurnish its children’s library in the basement of the building until repairs are made that prevent water from coming in from the south side of the building.

“They had some good fundraisers,” she said. “They have money to buy new shelving, new carpet, but why put it in until we can address the problem that caused the damage in the first place?”

Glenwood City Administrator Amber Farnan said some work has been done at the library to mitigate flooding issues but specific repairs along the handicapped-accessible ramp area on the south side of the building have not been completed.

Farnan noted that the city does have a sidewalk reimbursement program in place for citizens who make improvements to their sidewalks.

As for the aquatic center, Farnan reassured those attending the forum that the facility remains a high priority.

“It is an absolute priority for us and that’s something we do want to see - it opened,” she said. “It was very difficult last year to make the decision not to open.”

Forum participants were asked to rank the various topics and issues discussed at the forum. The data collected will be typed up and provided to council members as they begin the budget process in early January.

“We’ll type it up so each council member can figure out what their priorities are,” Farnan said.

She also thanked the forum participants for their input.

“I want to thank you for coming and giving us your thoughts. I know it’s hard for us to see our own weaknesses. We know them but sometimes I think it’s hard for us to hear them and think about how we’re going to address all those,” Farnan said. “But, I do appreciate you all coming and taking the effort and time to help make us a little better as we move forward.”