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Progress, Police and Potholes
on a 24-unit single-family residential development. Second Ave. S will receive two roundabouts over the next two years. “Sauk Rapids has 65 miles of roadway,” Mayor Hunstiger said. “From 2022 to 2025 when we are done with this, we will have resurfaced about 25 percent of them.”
Leaders from Sauk Rapids, St. Cloud, and Waite Park reflected on 2023 and looked ahead to the future at annual State of the City reports. By Emily Bertram
ST. CLOUD
Left: Waite Park State of the City Address City Administrator Shaunna Johnson; Above: St. Cloud State of the City Address Mayor Dave Kleis
The City of Sauk Rapids has been purchasing and restoring prime properties in the downtown area, such as vacant houses, to prepare them for private investment. “The city’s economic development authority has invested in downtown properties creating places for people to invest
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decrease in serious, violent, and property crimes (part one crimes)
decrease in robbery crimes
decrease in all other property crimes
18%
In 2023, the City of St. Cloud saw a decrease in crime and an increase in traffic stops.
21%
BY THE NUMBERS
from $29 million in 2006 to under $12 million today. Funding provided by the municipal liquor store ($256,000 in 2023) supports capital expenditures and helps reduce property taxes. Other highlights: The Sauk Rapids Fire Department received a record 240 calls in 2023. The city has budgeted to purchase a new fire engine at the cost of about $500,000. Housing remains tight. The city and Benton County are partnering to provide funding to a local developer who is working
12%
SAUK RAPIDS
in,” Community Development Director Todd Schultz said. One investment that is already paying off is The Clearing, which will host season four of the Rock the Riverside concert series, a community favorite. On the recreation agenda are pickleball courts at Bob Cross Park and baseball fields at Mayhew Creek Park, with hopes for a future aquatics center. Mayor Kurt Hunstiger praised the administration’s fiscal responsibility, which has resulted in reducing city debt
51%
E
conomic development, roads, and public safety dominated recent presentations by area mayors, city administrators and staff.
The City of St. Cloud conducts a survey of residents each year. In 2023, survey responses outlined public safety, road conditions, and traffic congestion as priorities. “Public safety is and always will be a priority for us,” Mayor Kleis said. The community’s biggest crime issues are shoplifting and behavioral calls. The city would also like to build an additional fire station on the south side of town to improve response time. A ballot question in November will address this need. St. Cloud is a world leader in sustainability, thanks in large part to the work being done at the St. Cloud Nutrient Energy and Water Recovery Plant. The facility has a digester that converts industrial waste, such as used cooking oil, into energy. Within the next year, the city will offer this service for commercial and residential food waste. Other highlights: In 2023, the city used 6,208
increase in traffic stops