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I I I Council Meeting Minutes February 11, 1997 Page 6 State of the City Address. continued Today, we know that "the government" cannot solve all of our problems. Some that the government can solve can be better managed by others. Today, as a City Mayor, I spend more of my time working on problems with other levels of government and problems that involve people who need assistance from a combination of city, school, county, regional and state agencies. Life is not as simple as it was "back then." Back then, I did not worry so much about problems in the classroom unless my own child was involved. Back then, the School Board and the City didn't have so many problems in common, or, so we thought. All of that has changed. We know now that kids coming to school with their own problems create problems for all of our children because they distract teachers from teaching to social work. We know that kids at home, alone, have more problems. We understand why more of them are home alone, even though the parents wished it didn't have to be so. We have a choice as a community. Do we want to find ways to help out now or do we want to ignore the likelihood that some of these children will become big problems later? I am convinced that it is more humane, more logical and more effective to deal with problems before they become unmanageable. That is why I hope to work with the Coalition For Healthy Youth this coming year. That is why I hope that we can encourage a Community Partners For Youth program that is developing at Christ the King Lutheran Church. That is why I hope to challenge other churches and organizations to join forces with us to reach out to those who need and want help with their children. I encourage each of you to also get involved. It won't be easy, but it will be rewarding. Let there be no mistake. Those parents who refuse to meet their obligations should also find a consequence. But, should we ignore the children until it is too late? I don't believe it is in our own best interests to do so. Some might liken this to the "it takes a village to raise a child" message that some have disparaged. I believe it really does sometimes take intervention by villagers to serve a higher, longer term goal. We must respond intelligently, together, to make the most of our opportunities to improve the quality of life of our community. I believe that this is the most important area of concern we must address this coming year. In closing, I am pleased to again report that the state of our city, New Brighton, is still great. We are prepared for the challenges ahead and the unknown issues that may arise. I challenge each of you to become more involved in more ways to help improve our City. I know you will gain more than you contribute. That has been my experience these past 20 years, and I look forward to more years of continued service with you and the great City Council and Staff that it has been my honor and pleasure to lead in our efforts to make New Brighton the preferred place to live, work and do business for all who want to be a part of our community. Thank You. State of the City Address Consent Agenda Consent Agenda Benke deferred Report 97-024, Suburban Rate Authority Agreement; and Report 97- 026, Minnesota City Participation Program, to the Council Business agenda.