2008 State of the City Address - Mayor Anderson
Feb 14, 2008
Author: Mayor Anderson

I thank the Executive Director of our chamber of commerce Ms. Margaret Dunfee, and her distinguished board members for providing us this opportunity to present to all of you the State of the City Address.

I am joined today by many members of my staff and your city employees. They are dedicated, hard working individuals who continue to make Buffalo such a great place to call home.

As I call your names, please stand and remain standing. I know that there are many here today in this audience who would like to put a face with a name! SO HERE GOES

Julie Silbernagel our efficient and effective Clerk and Treasurer

Colin Betzler our energetic and very young City Planner

Alicia Bankston our new assistant Planner, she comes to us from Billings

Chris Spencer our very able Projects Coordinator/Building Inspector who is known for thinking outside the box

Les Hook our very capable Public Works Director with years of knowledge and plenty of in the trenches experience.

Mike Chapman our Police Chief who sends his best, but had to be in Douglas today on city business.

Lets give all of these fine people a big round of applause.
THANK YOU!
Julie and Colin will give presentations on various aspects of your town in a few moments.

Alicia, Colin, and myself recently attended the Governors conference entitled “ THE WYOMING WE WANT” The conference was held in Casper and there were 538 people who attended. This was a larger than normal turnout, so obviously the attendees felt this subject needed to be addressed and addressed now, rather then later. The Governor told us that he expected maybe 100 to 150, and was delighted that people felt the conference worthwhile.

When the various people were asked what they wanted Wyoming to be in the future, some reoccurring themes began to emerge. OPEN SPACE AND VAST EXPANSES, WILDLIFE, OUR HISTORY AND CULTURAL VALUES PRESERVED, FAMILY VALUES, and communities that embrace those themes.

IT was at this point that we began to feel some real pride for our community as we reflected on our past year in city government.

We had just completed a comprehensive plan for our community with over a year of public involvement to find out what our citizens wanted Buffalo to be in the future. Also we have just completed countywide assessment, thanks to the fine leadership of Ms. Trish Ullery the Executive director of the BIG HORN MOUNTAIN COUNTRY COALITION and of course our planning department. This assessment identified issues that need to be addressed in Buffalo, Kaycee and Johnson County. I am pleased to tell you that the city’s comprehensive plan has been adopted by your city council, and that the countywide assessment has been finalized, priorities identified, and a timetable to accomplish those necessary tasks.
Buffalo is far ahead in identifying how we want our future to look.

The Planning Department and myself were pleased to see that now Counties and the State of Wyoming are starting programs to address development and what we want Wyoming to be in the future.

It will be interesting to see what policies emerge from our comprehensive plan and the assessment, for example we are now in the process of reviewing on subdivision regulations and our walking trails multiple use, as well as other facets of city government based on what the people want!

I am also pleased to tell you that our Main Street study is on track, with lots of positive feed back. It is important to hear what our citizens want their downtown area to be. I personally feel our downtown area is so important to our community and it’s values, that I encouraged your city council to match a Community Development Block Grant provided by the Wyoming Business Council, so that this study could be conducted

I am well aware that that past attempts have been made to formulate a plan for downtown and have failed, but this time it is linked to the economic well being of this town.
THE CITY HAS PUT MONEY WHERE ITS MOUTH IS. SO WE MUST NOT FAIL THIS TIME. This is a grassroots effort, VISION, SOUND JUDGEMENT, and COMPROMISE must prevail. Thanks to all who stepped up to the plate to see these important studies go forward. ITS YOUR TOWN, YOUR COUNTY, and YOUR STATE, the future you want is in your hands. The plan will come from the people not government.

The people who serve on our boards, commissions, committees, and study groups are the true visionaries in this community, it is important to have your voice heard in places other then the RUMORMILLS.

You know we have the coffee going every day at city hall, come
On down and we will be glad to help you sort out the facts from fiction. We have capable staff who can answer your questions or who will get back with you ASAP. The best part is that you can enjoy a cup of coffee and know what’s really going on.

I believe Buffalo is poised to be economically stable for many years to come, as a matter of fact I believe the State of Wyoming is the envy of many other states in this great union.

Our energy based economy is strong and will continue to be strong well into the future. The State of Wyoming currently provides 10 quadrillion BTU of energy a year which provides 10% of this nations energy needs. With a modest 2% growth each year in our nation, by the year 2030 we will need 80 more 1500 MW Coal Fired plants, 13 natural gas plants, 5 nuclear plants and 75,000 wind turbines just to keep pace. If we can acquire the necessary steel to make this happen, then we will indeed be strong. All these plants and turbines may not be in Wyoming, but Wyoming will provide a large portion of what fuels them. Transmissions lines to move the energy out of the state will be needed if we are to have the plants here. Buffalo will prosper from this energy and will prosper from an almost endless supply, one that our state geologist estimates at 400 years. The demands for clean technology will dictate how we must extract and burn our fuels. The viability of underground coal gasification in the deep coals of the Powder River Basin will be one of those technologies that satisfy the demand for clean air emissions.

Buffalo’s economy will also flourish with agriculture and tourism. Indeed the country’s demand and the worlds demand for food continues to grow. Our ranchers will have reason to sustain historic ranches and open space as we continue to plan for our Wyoming’s future. The economic forces of open spaces and wildlife must be sustained and even grow if we want Wyoming to have a future at all.

Tourism will continue to be an economic factor for Buffalo and Johnson County, as our rich history and beautiful vistas continue to draw people to our area, but if we allow development to go unrestrained we will loose our ag and tourism base. The counties and the state must develop plans that address unchecked growth and must do it quickly to sustain our values and our way of life. It is imperative that we preserve that which we hold so dear and encourage our young people to become involved in the process so that we can provide them with the same things we all hold so dear.

We need in this community a represenative democracy and we must get younger folks involved in planning their future here in Buffalo. Younger men and women should be encouraged to run for public office and to serve on commissions and boards, however we must never denigrate the efforts of those who have served in the past and who still serve. I encourage the next generation to step forward and serve so that you can have a voice in the future. Otherwise the alternative is having someone else determining our future.

The plan that needs to emerge must come from you, NOT GOVERNMENT, you will only have one chance to plan the community and state that you want if you do not, others are waiting in the wings to determine your future.

THANK YOU -- NOW AT THIS TIME –

Julie Silbernagel gave her Treasurers report on the finances of the City of Buffalo.

Colin Betzler gave his report from the planning departments view.









I will keep my closing remarks very brief so that we can allot some time for questions.

Again I want to thank the Chamber of Commerce and all its members for providing this forum for the State of the City Address. As a matter of fact, I believe the Chamber should consider making this one of its annual activities; for it benefits the whole community.

I also want to thank Col. Bozemans for providing this wonderful facility and such great food. Thanks Mandy, Mary ---------

OK well Buffalo’s future and our states future will continue to be in your hands, now lets keep the ball rolling. Buffalo will continue to change but keeping what we want will be the difficult part.

GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU AND GOD BLESS THIS GREAT NATION.