Q&A With Annette Brower

This is the second of two installments of the Observer's question and answer interview with new Kimball administrator Annette Brower.

Which department needs the most attention right now and which department has had the most success?

Our departments are successful together, as a team. One of the greatest aspects of the city department personnel is their willingness to come together and help each other out whenever needed, regardless of busy work schedules which has been prevalent over this past year. Each department has had their own growth and successful projects; Electric Dept. has been diligently working to update utility mappings, the installation of a second feed for additional power source to the town, and preparing for automated meter read installations; the Water Dept. is working through projects, tackling aging infrastructure and overseeing the completion of the water-loop project; Wastewater Dept. continues to maintain exceptional levels of safety at our treatment plant while assisting in other areas of the city with additional duties. Landfill Dept. continues to work on ways to maximize the use of our landfill air space and preparing for new processes in the near future to accommodate for growth. Streets and Parks Dept. has bolstered their department with additional members to tackle issues more efficiently and to allow for the planning of upcoming projects to address maintenance and repairs. Cemetery has worked through equipment flaws and drought conditions and is working on more efficient processes to keep grounds maintained at the desired level. The Library has made some creative additions to assist the public with more than just reading books – go check out the 'Library of Things'!

Each Department has their different needs, however, our main goal is finding additional qualified personnel and to maintain full staffing levels to prepare for upcoming growth and changes.

How do you go about preparing for any growth to the population in your city?

We have already begun preparing from the smallest ways such as "rebranding" ourselves with a new logo to updating our website to have a fresh, positive feel and is easy to navigate. From an economic development view, we know that we need to stay up to date and most of our exposure comes from having an online presence that everyone can access from a web browser. We are updating all of our processes to be efficient and moving along with technology from utility mapping to online bill pay. With the future installation of automated meter reads we will be working smart and effectively while also allowing the consumer to access their own utility information from their own online account which will empower the citizens to have more control over their own utility usage.

We need to demonstrate our commitment to welcoming new businesses with personal attention walking them through the process of building. At the same time, we need to continue to offer funding and grants to our current businesses to emphasize their sustained success within the City.

What are the consequences associated with being ill-prepared?

In the past, we have made short-term decisions based on the needs at that moment.  We're behind on getting housing developments to town because for a long time we were in a state of decline in population. However now, as we look to the future, we need to make tough calls that aren't just for the here and now. We need to look forward to 5 years, 10 years, 20 years and prepare in advance so that when change comes we are able to embrace it and move forward with the change to empower the community to become a success story.

It is understandably hard to embrace the uncertainty of the known growth that is coming with the Defense Department's missile project, Clean Harbors' expansion and possible commercial projects such as the proposed racetrack and resort. Details are not yet tangible and we need to continue to inform the community as soon as we receive information on projects and growth that will be impacting citizens and businesses.