1. Reduce City Spending a. Eliminate Unneeded Positions i. As City Staff Retires Eliminate Jobs Where Ever Possible ii. Reduce Full-Time Positions to Part-Time When Possible iii. Double-Up Duties for Remaining Staff and Give Slight Pay Increase b. Cut Out Government Waste In the City i. Reduce Energy Costs By Changing City Hours of Operation (1) City offices don't need to be opened 8-10 hours per day (2) Part-time hours would be acceptable if they were set right ii. Cut Back on Purchases of New Equipment - Make Do With the Used (1) You don't get ahead by buying new equipment when the old still works (2) Save money spent on this things, earn interest on it, and buy new equipment ONLY when absolutely necessary iii. Eliminate "Sweetheart" Deals (1) Certain employees within the City have signed 'sweetheart' contracts with former City staff. These deals are contrary to the public s best interest. They should NOT Be honored. (2) Those attempting to protest the removal of these deals should not be tolerated. There is plenty of reason to prosecute for wrong doing. c. Eliminate City Goods & Services to Citizens & Businesses Outside the City Limits i. Out-of-town retailers should be required be within the City limits for (1) Police protection (2) Fire protection (3) City Water & Sewer d. Force All City Departments to Make Mandatory 10% Cuts In their Budgets e. Change System to Reward Departments that SAVE Money NOT Spend It f. Consolidate Services With Surrounding Communities i. Jointly purchase paving equipment, for example (1) Tears up old asphalt (2) Grinds it up (3) Mixes with new tar (4) Repaves the street ii. Share costs of snow removal iii. Buy larger quantities of goods and services, therefore enabling discounts iv. Join forces & combine positions to save money v. Start a Municipal Court to hear petty cases (1) Saves money (2) Fines can go directly to the City (3) Eliminates need to go to County for every little case g. Use Good Business Sense When Granting Revolving Loan Funds & Other Programs i. Too many businesses went out of business the minute they got their money (1) Sign Company (2) Cabinet Shop (3) Auto Repair Shop ii. Fairness hasn't been the benchmark for these programs either (1) Money should be granted solely on the merits of the business (2) Personal favors have no place in government program h. Downsize government operations as much as possible i. Ironwood is no longer a city of nearly 20,000 ii. We are a small town, we need to act like a small town iii. Government services may need to be reduced iv. Charter revisions will be necessary 2. Increase City Revenues a. Better Taxes i. Reduce the Burden of Property Taxes (1) Overly burden property owners on fixed incomes (2) Property owners unfairly targeted while everybody else owes nothing (3) Currently, the ONLY solution for the City to raise revenue ii. Sales or "Road" Taxes (1) Although City Sales Tax is not legal in Michigan, don t give up the idea. Do what can be done to put it in place. (a) Petition the State to allow cities to charge sales tax (b) Call the tax a "Road Tax" (2) Sales Tax is less painful than property tax. Adding 2 cents to every dollar purchased is hardly noticeable. (3) Out-of-towners and visitors pay to repair our roads, etc. (4) Added incentive to have larger retailers in the area. iii. City Income Tax (1) Fairer than taxing ONLY property owners (2) Tends to punish the working class. b. Better Than Taxes i. City Automobile Tags (1) All vehicles in the City could be required to have a City vehicle sticker (2) Money goes towards fixing roads, etc. ii. City Trail Tags For ATV's and Snowmobiles (1) Additional to State & County tags (2) Offer three tags (a) Multi-Year (cheapest way) (b) Yearly (moderately inexpensive) (c) 5-Day (relatively expensive, for casual user) iii. Change City Business Licenses to Be Based on AGI (1) Fees based on adjusted gross income (2) Small businesses pay much less than large businesses iv. City 50/50 Raffle (1) Form a non-profit organization to administer the program (2) Obtain a lottery license (3) Local merchants sell tickets as a service to the community (4) 50 % of all income goes directly to the City (5) 50 % is given as prizes (6) Have weekly drawings (7) Make tickets "progressive" (a) Withhold part of the weekly prize money for grand prize (b) Offer large yearly grand prize v. City Radio Bingo (1) Use same non-profit as 50/50 program (2) Obtain a lottery license (3) Local merchants sell tickets as a service to the community (4) Have weekly, bi-weekly, or even daily bingo games on local radio (a) Good opportunity for local stations to sell ads (i) Mentioning all participating merchants is payback for community service of selling tickets (b) Merchants could buy ads (i) On backs of tickets (ii) During radio broadcasts (5) After prizes are paid out, proceeds go to the City vi. Conventional Bingo Games (1) DOVE currently holds Bingo games at the Memorial Building (2) Hold Bingo games there that benefit the City (3) Proceeds go to the City vii. Pull Tabs (1) Form a non-profit or use the same one as the 50/50 & Bingo programs (2) Obtain the proper licensing (3) Local merchants (taverns) sell the pull tabs as a community service (4) After prizes are paid out, proceeds go to the City viii. City Lottery (1) Obtain a lottery license and sell City lottery tickets (2) Local merchants can sell the tickets as a community service ix. Legalize "8-Liner" Video Slots (1) Wisconsin taverns all have video slots, the State of Wisconsin 'overlooks' them (2) Pass a City Ordinance that allows similar games in City businesses (3) Be ready to fight Lansing on this one! 3. Improve Education a. Public Schools i. Consolidate ALL area local schools into ONE district (1) Eliminate duplicated services and waste (2) Cut back on overall costs ii. Require that ALL graduating high school students become computer savvy (1) No matter what career chosen, computers are needed (2) IT certification is easy and inexpensive (make it available to h.s.) (3) Computer literacy makes high school graduates marketable for job placement (4) IT certification can me good employment right out of high school iii. "Money Education" should be included for our students (1) Credit (2) Checking (3) Banking (4) Business (Reality) (5) Investment (6) Loans & Interest iv. Provide incentives for students to excel (Start by offering GCC scholarships) (1) "A" students pay 0% of freshman costs (2) "B" students pay 25% of freshman cost (3) "C" students pay 50% of freshman cost (4) "D" students pay 75% of freshman cost (5) "F" students pay 100% of freshman cost b. Gogebic Community College i. Enhance computer and technology education (1) IT programs (2) Strong focus on Internet business applications (3) Website design and maintenance (4) Increase overall emphasis on computers & technology ii. Allow college vo-tech classes to rehab old abandoned houses (1) Properties the City gets from delinquent taxes (a) Allow college to rehab and share profits (2) Properties that are in violation of blight ordinances iii. Allow college vo-tech classes to build new houses on old city lots (1) Tear down abandoned houses that cannot be rehabbed. (2) Allow college to build on site homes (a) Share profits with City 4. Improve the Employment Situation a. Co-Op Existing Industrial Park Businesses i. Set up new businesses using existing businesses (1) Build Game Tables & other furniture (Example) (a) Hardwoods from Bratu (b) Plywood from Bessemer Plywood (c) Veneers from Mellen (d) Upholstery from Jacquarts (e) Plastic components from Ironwood Plastics (f) Welded metal components from Cramblit Welding (g) Trucking and transportation through Basom Trucking b. Entice New Industry to Locate Here i. Create a High-Tech IT Zone Downtown ii. Offer incentives to small to medium industrial manufacturers c. Hire a Full-Time Industrial Promotions Advocate i. Travels to industrial manufacturers and pitches Ironwood ii. Full color brochures and sales aids iii. Face-to-face contact is much more effective 5. Create a "Business Environment" In Ironwood a. Re-Establish a Downtown Merchant's Association i. Work to establish a viable downtown business district (1) IT High-Tech District (a) Helps local building owners rent space (b) High-tech businesses could be enticed to the area (i) Excellent bandwidth through Charter (ii) Cheap rent (iii) An abundance of recreation during off hours (2) Groceries (3) Clothing & Shoes (4) Meats (5) Hardware (6) Variety (7) Gifts (8) Books & Videos (9) Toys and Games (10) Specialty Shops b. Establish a "Home Town" Mail Order Catalog/Internet Business i. Offer local goods, services and merchandise (Some Examples Below) (1) Food Items (a) Joe's Pasties (b) DeMasi's Pizza (c) Nibble Sticks (d) Trinko's Sausages (e) Trolla's & Talaska's Sausages (f) Bell Chalet Pizza (2) Retail Clothing (a) Jacquart's Stormy Kromers (b) Arts Unlimited Products (3) Furniture (a) Game Tables & Furniture (Industrial Co-Op Manufactured) (b) Timber and Log Cabin Furniture (4) General Merchandise (a) Kaufman's Snow Scoops ii. Create New Jobs and Expand Current Work Forces (1) Telemarketing catalog/internet items (2) Shipping and packaging work (3) Increased sales could expand many local businesses (4) Catalog could serve as a promotional tool for the area (a) Ski hills (b) Cross Country Trails (c) Retail Businesses (d) Snowmobiling (e) Restaurants & Eateries (f) Motels, Hotels, Condos & Lodging (g) Tourism c. Create "City Bucks" To Encourage Local Trade d. Initiate a citywide "buddy system" i. Buy something at business "A" and get something discounted at business "B" and vise versa. ii. Spend so much at business "C" and get something discounted or free at business "D" and vise versa. e. Welcome new businesses with FREE advertising (good way to encourage future business for local media.) i. Radio Ads ii. Cable TV Ads iii. Daily Globe & Shopper Ads f. Do Tourism Right i. Work towards making Ironwood the "go to" place (1) Improve accommodations (2) Improve night-time activities (3) Offer alternatives that attract people (4) Have festivals & "doings" that bring in crowds ii. Exploit what we have (1) Lake Superior (2) Clean Air (3) Ski Hills (4) Ski Trails (5) ATV and Snowmobile Trails (a) Start Guided Tours of the Area (6) Copper Peak (7) Airport (8) Hospital iii. Get what we don't have (1) Go Karts (2) Horseback Trails (3) Rock Climbing (4) Mini-Golf (5) Water Park (6) Casino iv. Work with neighboring communities to draw even more people 6. Make Needed Infrastructure Improvements a. Roads i. Pave 'x' miles of City streets per year (by ordinance) (1) Survey the current roads (2) Start with the worst and continue until finished ii. Co-Op with other communities and purchase paving equipment iii. Allow contractors to bid a road with 20- to 30- year service (1) In Germany contractors bid to not only build the road (2) But also, to maintain that road for up to 30-years. (3) I think Ironwood would be better off to bid maintenance as part of construction b. Sidewalks i. Whenever a street is paved, new sidewalks should be installed (if needed) c. Lighting i. Lighting on all streets needs to be upgraded ii. Proper modern lighting can be cost effective to buy and operate iii. Consider motion detect lamps on side streets iv. Keeping the downtown well-lit will reduce vandalism and break-ins d. Water supply i. Whenever a new road is built, examine the supply lines and replace as needed e. Waste lines i. Whenever a new road is built, examine the waste lines and replace as needed f. Reduce Blight i. When buildings and properties are sold in Ironwood require blight compliance (1) Without blight compliance certificate, the house CANNOT be sold (2) Everything must be up to code before the house can be sold or given away (3) If new owner agrees to bring the property up to code, it must be done in a predetermined amount of time g. Skate Park i. Let skaters help in raising funds and building (1) Gives sense of pride (2) Makes skaters feel like it's their park (3) Significantly reduces chance of vandalism & abuse ii. Let skaters self-patrol the park h. Walking Trails i. Guided Tours of the City j. City Centre at viaduct (Extremely accessible) i. Businesses ii. Mall Complex iii. Community Center iv. Museum v. Recreation Facilities 7. Improve Relationships Between City and Residents a. Improve sound quality at meetings i. Have proper sound equipment on hand and use it properly b. Have more town hall meetings c. Properly Inform the public i. Quit allowing the Globe to cover meetings until they learn how to do it properly ii. Televise meeting whenever possible (1) City Commission (2) Planning Commission (3) Housing Commission (4) Parks & Recreation Committee (5) Blight Committee iii. Post minutes from all Commissions and Committees on City website iv. Create a forum on the City website that would allow citizens and concerned people to voice their opinions directly to the commissioners and to the City staff. 8. Make Ironwood a Community Again a. Work together to 'help' our neighbors i. Use people that are serving community service to help the elderly or disabled with household chores (1) Painting (2) Mowing (3) Cleaning (4) Shopping ii. Encourage kids to volunteer to help keep our parks clean and in good repair iii. Stop buying the Daily Globe until they learn to fairly and properly report the area's news iv. Start programs like "Free Ride Home" where people needing things from out-of-town can have them purchased, picked up and delivered here by college students that need money to get back home. b. Require City (In fact, All local tax-supported entities) to Accept Local Bids OVER Out-of-Town Bids i. Provided local bid is within 10% of the lowest out-of-town bid ii. Provided the bids are supplying exactly the same quality and quantity of goods or services c. Require that ALL local applications for funding, etc. or grants, etc. are considered OVER Out-of-Town applications d. Create "Stone Soup" programs that borrow skills and assets from existing sources i. When everybody pitches in a little, big things can happen ii. Starving citizens within a community can each give a little that can feed a lot e. Fully Examine City-Wide Group Health Insurance i. Larger group would get cheaper overall rate ii. City and even County workers could be covered as well iii. Huge group plans save insurance companies money f. Examine the Possibilities of Having Pre-Paid Medical at GVH i. Why not consider a Universal City Health Care Plan? (1) Instead of National Health Care Coverage (which will never happen) (2) Offer REDUCED COST Medical Insurance to All City Residents (a) Funding could be done through any of the revenue ideas mentioned previously g. Start a Workfare Program i. Local people whom cannot find work would be provided work through the City government (1) Jobs that aren't currently being done can be done (2) No interference by unions, etc. ii. Get subsidized by State and Feds for the program h. Return to more Community Activities & Events i. 4th of July Parade & Fireworks ii. Crazy Dayz (Downtown & Highway Ironwood) (1) Turn this into a week long event (a) Close off the highway for a few days & re-route traffic downtown (b) Have outdoor sales along the highway (c) Then close down the downtown and re-route traffic to the highway (d) Have outdoor sales downtown iii. Festival Ironwood (1) Improve and expand (a) More events that benefit downtown businesses (b) Add a parade (c) Set up carnival rides and games (d) Make this bigger than the fair (e) Add more sporting type events (i) Pool (ii) Texas Holdem (iii) Cribbage (iv) Darts (v) Fooseball (vi) Kids' races and games (2) Add more children's entertainment (a) Magic acts (b) Animal shows (c) Music geared to kids (d) Clowns & Puppets (3) Heritage Food Festival (a) Have people of different ethnic backgrounds make traditional foods (b) Have contests, etc. (4) Add Talent Shows, Etc. iv. Start 'Game Show' Night at the Memorial Building (1) Charge $10 per person to attend (2) Play television style game shows on stage (3) Contestants can win donated prizes or cash (4) Businesses donating prizes are announced at the event (5) Proceeds help the City, etc. v. Start 'Talent Contests' at the Memorial Building (1) Local people compete in contest (2) Have several competition categories (3) Panel of Judges decides the winners vi. Have 'Miss Ironwood' contest i. Establish Remote Voting i. Voters could get a voter I.D. and a select their own PIN (1) Via the Internet (a) By going to a secure website, voters could cast their ballots for the candidates and issues they choose (b) Simply by providing their voter I.D. and PIN the computer could block out anybody that has already voted to avoid casting more than one ballot (2) Via telephone (a) Touch-tone phones could make it possible to cast your votes from virtually any phone in the country.