Mayor Roberts delivered the annual State of the City before the regular City Council meeting on Thursday, February 23. The theme of the 2023 speech was “All of Us. Together” to spotlight the accomplishments that can happen when everyone works toward bettering the community.
Mayor Roberts highlighted the success of the past year, including the announcement of a new 275 home residential housing development, the widening of 8th and Braun intersection, and a new attendance record for parks and recreation events and programs.
Additionally, he announced that the City accomplished the March to Zero in 2022, which is a street maintenance program dedicated to touching every road in the residential core. In the last five years every street has received at least some type of maintenance, from chip-seal to UBAS overlay to complete reconstruction.
The Mayor previewed major activities for 2023 as well.
- A new recycling education campaign
- Water pipe inventory
- Streetlight study and analysis
- Envision Edgerton update
- New recreation programs and events
Mayor Roberts was joined by Commissioner Shirley Allenbrand, the District 6 representative on the Board of County Commissioners and Dr. Brian Huff, the Superintendent for USD 231.
Commissioner Allenbrand highlighted many of the accomplishments of Johnson County. She lauded the County’s awards for resident satisfaction, the park system, and the county museum’s accreditation. She also discussed the new no truck routes on County-owned roads and micro-transit options for Edgerton residents.
Dr. Huff showcased the Gardner-Edgerton school district’s major initiatives: the strategic plan, safety and security, and special education. He highlighted student reading and math scores, telling the audience students are achieving at a high level in USD 231. Dr. Huff congratulated the football team making it to the State Championship and announced that Shelby Davis is the new KSHSAA Girls Wrestling State Champion.