The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) is hosting Mayor Mary Rossing at a Special Downtown Forum.  The forum is Tuesday, May 18th, 8 a.m., in the Riverview Conference Room (lower level) of the historic Archer House River Inn, 212 Division Street.

The Forum is being held at the request of Mayor Rossing.  She wishes to meet with downtown stakeholders and discuss two topics, the City of Northfield’s plans for financing the Capital Improvement Plan and work to address the budget shortfall in the 2010 budget and a similar challenge for the 2011 budget. In her own words:

I will be covering two very important topics that are at the top of the list of council priorities.

The first will be an update on the Safety Center projects.  I will cover process, timeline, plans in process, and next steps in assuring that Northfield’s public safety needs are met into the future.  We will also cover financing options before the council, the potential impact on property owners as well as highlight the opportunities for public input in the upcoming months.

The second issue is a discussion about the budget shortfall for 2010 and the impact of decreasing revenues into the future–loss of LGA, property valuations, economic impact, etc.  We will look at comparable cities and what makes Northfield unique.  I will also address what types of services can and cannot be cut and why because of mandates on what we do.  Finally I will lay out possible solutions, both short and long term, including the impact of certain types of economic development vs. others.

The NDDC is a non-partisan, non-profit community organization dedicated to the vitality and vibrancy of downtown Northfield. The event is free and open to the public. As always, coffee and cookies will be served.

For more information, contact Executive Director Ross Currier at (507) 663-0319 or rcurrier@nddc.org.