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IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY, AND THANK YOU MARGE, AND ALL MY COLLEAGUES ON THE CITY COUNCIL.WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLY HARD-WORKING, STRATEGY-DRIVEN TEAM.
THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD, AND I'M TRULY HONORED TO SERVE WITH THEM.
AND, AT THE TABLE NEXT DOOR, WE HAVE MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE, MARIA.
NEXT TO HER IS MY HANDSOME SON JOSHUA.
THANK YOU, GUYS FOR JOINING ME, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNENDING SUPPORT OF THIS ENDEAVOR.
SO, HOW ARE THINGS GOING IN OLATHE? THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE TODAY, ISN'T IT, TO HEAR FROM ME ABOUT OLATHE.
WELL, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING YOU ALREADY KNOW.
NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS AND WEBSITES VALIDATE OUR SUCCESS ALMOST EVERY WEEK.
THEY FEATURE OLATHE AS ONE OF THIS NATION'S BEST PLACES TO LIVE, WORK AND RAISE A FAMILY.
YOU ALREADY KNOW WE ARE ONE OF AMERICA'S SAFEST CITIES.
WE HAVE INCREDIBLE PARKS AND TRAILS.
WE'RE CONSISTENTLY MAKING PROGRESS, IMPROVING TRAFFIC FLOW, BUSINESS IS BOOMING.
WE'RE TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE.
WE HAVE GREAT SCHOOLS AND WONDERFUL NEIGHBORHOODS.
PEOPLE HERE ARE ENGAGED, THEY CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER AND THIS COMMUNITY.
GREAT SERVICES, QUALITY AND MAINTAINED INFRASTRUCTURE, AND AN UNMATCHED ABILITY TO LISTEN TO OUR TAXPAYERS TO MAKE SURE THEIR VOICE IS ALWAYS HEARD.
THAT VOICE ALWAYS DRIVES OUR DECISIONS.
YOU KNOW THIS BECAUSE OLATHE IS THE PLACE TO BE.
IT'S THE PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY.
IT'S THE PLACE TO INVEST AND GROW A BUSINESS.
NOW, FOR SOMETHING YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW, IT'S WHAT GOT US HERE, AND WHAT WILL KEEP US AS A PREMIER CITY IN AMERICA.
EVER BETTER MEANS SOMETHING SPECIAL IN OLATHE, KANSAS.
IT MEANS WE WILL NEVER BE COMPLACENT.
WE PUT TODAY'S SUCCESSES BEHIND US TO SEEK TOMORROW'S.
IT MEANS WE HAVE NEVER BEEN CONTENT WITH WHERE WE ARE WHEN WE'RE AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT ONE HIGHER.
EVER BETTER IS WHY WE HAVE SUCH AN INCREDIBLY SAFE CITY.
WE DON'T SIMPLY USE NATIONAL STATISTICS.
NO, WE MEASURE OURSELVES AGAINST SOME OF THE NATION' TOP PERFORMING POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
THOSE ARE OUR PEERS, AND THAT IS OUR BENCHMARK.
AND, AMONG THESE PEER CITIES, WE ARE CONSISTENTLY ONE OF THE BEST.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE TOP CRIME CLEARANCE RATES OF AN CITY MEASURED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE LOWEST MAJOR CRIME RATES.
AGAIN, THIS IS COMPARED TO SOME OF THE BEST OF THE BEST DEPARTMENTS IN ALL OF AMERICA.
WE HAVE ONE OF THE LOWEST AUTO THEFT RATES, THE LOWEST BURGLARY RATE WHEN IT COMES TO SOLVING AND CLEARING ROBBERIES.
OUR MEN AND WOMEN ARE THE BEST.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT SOMEONE COMMITS A CRIME IN OLATHE, THEY'RE GONNA GET CAUGHT.
OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS AS MUCH, THOUGH, ABOUT COMMUNITY AS IT IS ENFORCING LAWS.
EVERY DAY, THE MEN AND WOMEN SERVING YOU ARE BUILDING STRONG AND LASTING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
THEY'RE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR PARKS AND OUR SCHOOLS.
THEY'RE PLAYING WITH KIDS, TALKING TO FAMILIES, AND SHARING THE HUMAN SIDE OF WHO THEY ARE.
THOSE ARE TRULY OLATHE'S FINEST.
THE MEN AND WOMEN SERVING YOU.
IN FACT, IT WAS OLATHE THAT REVOLUTIONIZED HOW POLICE DEPARTMENTS RESPOND TO THOSE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.
PARTNERING WITH JOHNSON COUNTY AND OLATHE HEALTH, WE RECOGNIZE WE CAN BETTER SERVE WITH A PEOPLE-FIRST APPROACH TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
OUR MENTAL HEALTH CORRESPONDENT PROGRAM CREATED THE ROAD MAP THAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE METRO NOW FOLLOW.
TODAY, WE HAVE TWO LICENSED SOCIAL WORKERS.
THEY PROVIDE REAL AND MEANINGFUL HELP TO THOSE IN CRISIS, WHILE ALSO SAVING YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
EVER BETTER MEANS INVESTING IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BY ADDING SEVEN OFFICERS.
OUR 2020 BUDGET INCLUDES FOUR NEW POLICE OFFICERS AN THREE MORE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
IT MEANS PUTTING A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER IN EVERY OLATHE SCHOOL DISTRICT, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT, AND IT INCLUDES FUNDING TO EXPAND OUR POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
WE SEE A CHALLENGE, AND WE FIND SOLUTIONS.
WE WERE THE FIRST TO ADOPT THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LETHALITY ASSESSMENT TO BETTER PROTECT VICTIMS FROM THEIR ABUSERS, AND I HAD A CHANCE TO SHARE THIS PROGRAM WITH MAYOR'S ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE TOOL, AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS SAVING LIVES.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO FINDING THE BEST PAID PEOPLE TO SERVE YOU.
I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR NEW CHIEF POLICE, MIKE BUTAUD.
MIKE ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS DURING HIS 26 YEARS WITH OUR DEPARTMENT.
HIS FINGERPRINTS HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE SUCCESSES IT HAS ENJOYED.
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WE'RE IN GOOD HANDS.EVER BETTER LED THE ISO, THE INSURANCE SERVICES OFFICE, TO RANK OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE TOP 1/10 OF 1% OF ALL DEPARTMENTS NATIONWIDE.
IN FACT, ONLY THREE OUT OF A THOUSAND AMERICAN FIRE DEPARTMENTS CARRY A TOP ISO RATING AND FULL ACCREDITATION BY THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY EXCELLENCE.
FOLKS, WE'RE IN RAREFIED AIR HERE.
LIKE POLICE, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ABOUT COMMUNITY.
TOGETHER, WITH OLATHE HEALTH AND THE HEALTH PARTNERSHIP CLINIC, WE IMPLEMENTED OUR MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH UNIT.
IT MEANS WE'RE COMPASSIONATELY AND EFFECTIVELY CARING FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED.
WE DEVELOPED THE SQUAD CONCEPT USING DATA AND ANALYTICS TO STRATEGICALLY DEPLOY RESOURCES TO THE RIGHT AREAS AT THE RIGHT TIME.
RATHER THAN SENDING A MILLION DOLLAR ENGINE AND CREW, WE SEND A SMALL UNIT THAT CAN QUICKLY, EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVEL RESPOND.
IN OTHER WORDS, IN OLATHE, WE DO IT BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER.
OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE NOW FOLLOWING OUR LEAD IN REVOLUTIONIZING EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
WHEN A FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO A CARDIAC EMERGENCY, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE SURVIVAL RATE IS 22%.
MANY THOUGHT A 50 PERCENT SURVIVAL RATE WAS UNACHIEVABLE, BUT, FOLKS, LAST YEAR, YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT SUCCESSFULLY TREATED AND TRANSPORTED CARDIAC PATIENTS WITH AN ASTONISHING SURVIVAL RATE OF 77%.
OUR SURVIVAL RATE IS THREE TIMES BETTER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
SO, IF YOU'RE TAKING NOTES, IF YOU HAVE A CARDIAC EMERGENCY, YOU WANT TO BE HERE IN OLATHE.
IF YOU'RE COMMITTING A CRIME, NOT SO MUCH.
WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND ATTRACT NEW FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES, AND WE CONTINUE INVESTING IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
THIS YEAR, OUR BUDGET INCLUDES OLATHE'S 8TH FIRE STATION, SERVING SOUTHWEST OLATHE, AND A NEW FIRE TRAINING CENTER.
IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO OLATHE WEST HIGH SCHOOL, HOME TO THE DISTRICT'S PUBLIC SAFETY ACADEMY.
SO, THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES A NEW COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT OFFICER WORKING TO MAKE SURE OUR CITY REMAINS TRUE TO ITS NAME, BEAUTIFUL.
LAKE OLATHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN BEAUTIFUL.
IT WAS A HIDDEN TREASURE, THOUGH.
WHO COULD HAVE THOUGHT WE COULD TRANSFORM THAT TREASURE INTO SOMETHING EVEN RICHER.
BY SHOW HANDS, WHO'S BEEN TO THE NEW LAKE OLATHE PAR IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS? AWESOME.
IF SO, YOU'VE SEEN THE REGION'S NEW MARQUEE EVENTS VENUE.
YOU'VE SEEN THE SPRAY FEATURES, THE BEACH, THE TRAILS, THE AQUA PARK.
EVER BETTER LED US TO CREATE THIS REGION'S PREMIER PARK WITHIN OUR PREMIER PARK AND TRAIL SYSTEM.
IT'S LED US TO DEVELOP NEARLY 40 MILES OF TRAILS IN 41 PARKS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
LAST YEAR, WE OPENED MEADOW LANE TRAIL STARTING NEAR OLATHE NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL AND RUNNING ALL THE WAY TO JOHNSON COUNTY STREAMWAY TRAIL.
YOU CAN NOW WALK OR BIKE FROM OLATHE ALL THE WAY TO THE KANSAS RIVER.
COUPLED WITH THE FOUR MILES OF NEW TRAILS AT LAKE OLATHE, WE'VE ADDED NEARLY SIX AND A HALF NEW TRAIL MILES TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND NEXT YEAR, WE'LL OPEN CEDAR CREEK STREAMWAY TRAIL.
IT WILL BE OVER TWO MILES OF BEAUTIFUL WOODED CONNECTION BETWEEN CEDAR LAKE PARK AND LAKE OLATHE, AND FOLKS, IT'S GOING TO B VERY, VERY SPECIAL.
EVER BETTER LED US TO ASKING OUR VOTERS TO RENEW THE PARK SALES TAX WITH A COMMITMENT TO PARKS LIKE LAKE OLATHE, AND OF COURSE OUR COMMUNITY CENTER.
BY THE WAY, THAT CENTER CONTINUES PERFORMING BETTER THAN WE HAD IMAGINED.
OVER A QUARTER MILLION VISITS EACH YEAR.
WE ARE SEEING OTHER PARK SALES TAX PROJECTS COME TO FRUITION, LIKE PHASE TWO OF LONE ELM PARK, AND IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT OUR PARKS AND TRAIL SYSTEM.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I'LL HOLD UP OUR PARKS AND TRAIL SYSTEM TO ANY ACROSS AMERICA.
OUR COMMITMENT HASN'T BEEN LOST TO THOSE AROUND US OR ACROSS THE NATION.
FAMILIES FROM THROUGHOUT THE REGION AND COUNTRY CONTINUE MOVING HERE TO SHARE A PIECE OF THIS SPECIAL PLACE.
LIKE ANY GROWING CITY, GROWTH MEANS MORE TRAFFIC.
SO, WE CONTINUE MAKING INVESTMENTS TO ENSURE YOUR COMMUTE MEETS YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
IN FACT, YOU WILL SOON SEE SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS AT SOME OF OUR MOST CONGESTED AREAS.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WORKING ON 151ST STREET, BETWEEN RIDGEVIEW AND I-35; OLD 56 AND K7; AND RIDGEVIEW AND SANTA FE.
I MEANS REINVESTING IN OUR AUTOMATED TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO COST EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS TRAFFIC MOVEMENT.
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EVER BETTER MEANS TAKING CARE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SO GENERATIONS AFTER US WON'T HAVE TO BEAR AN UNDUE BURDEN.THIS YEAR, WE WILL RESURFACE AND REPAIR OVER 130 MILES OF OLATHE STREETS AS PART OF OUR STREET MAINTENANCE SALES TAX PROGRAM.
IN THE FOUR YEARS PRIOR TO THE TAX, WE WERE PERFORMING MAYBE 190 MILES OF MAINTENANCE PROJECTS.
BUT, IN THE FOUR YEARS SINCE, THAT HAS RISEN TO ALMOST 750 MILES.
THIS COULDN'T BE HAPPENING, COULDN'T HAPPEN WITH OUR VOTERS, WITHOUT OUR VOTERS' SUPPORT.
OUR 2020 BUDGET INCLUDES RENOVATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT, REPLACEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF MILES OF WATER AND SEWER LINES.
FOLKS, WE HAVE UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE DATING BACK OVER 100 YEARS.
SO, THIS LONG-TERM COMMITMENT MEANS WE'LL HAVE QUALITY AND WELL MAINTAINED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE NEXT CENTURY.
TO DO THAT, WE NEED TO CONTINUE BUILDING UPON OUR SOLID ECONOMIC FOUNDATION.
NEW JOBS, NEW INVESTMENT AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES CONTINUE FUELING THIS ECONOMY.
ALREADY THIS YEAR, NEARLY 140 MILLION DOLLARS HAS BEEN INVESTED IN NEW BUSINESSES, LARGE AND SMALL, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'VE SEEN OVER 730,000 SQUARE FEET OF NEW COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION.
THAT MY FRIENDS, HAS HELPED LEAD TO SOME 3,000 OLATHE JOBS.
WHAT DOES EVER BETTER MEAN? IN OLATHE, IT MEANS COMPANIES LIKE IT RENEW AR MOVING FROM SILICON VALLEY IN CALIFORNIA TO OPEN THEIR LARGEST U.S.
IT MEANS FAITH TECHNOLOGIES WILL BRING HUNDREDS OF NEW JOBS HERE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
IT'S CARMAX'S INVEST IN A NEW CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER AND ADDING 300 JOBS.
HOME ADVISOR MOVING TO OLATHE WITH PLANS TO GROW TO 550 EMPLOYEES, AND I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE JUST LAST WEEK FORTUNE 500 COMPANY WESCO RECEIVED THEIR PERMIT TO FINISH 98,000 SQUARE FEET AT THE LONE ELM COMMERCE CENTER.
WE ARE PROUD TO WELCOME WESTCO AND ITS WORLD OF SOLUTIONS TO OLATHE.
YOU KNOW, GARMIN, THEY CONTINUE TO GROW AND INVEST IN OUR CITY.
THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY TO 6,000 OLATHE JOBS.
THEY STEPPED OUT TO SPONSOR OUR YOUTH SOCCER FACILITY THAT IS SECOND TO NONE.
THE GARMIN OLATHE SOCCER COMPLEX WILL HELP BUILD THE 200 NEW OLATHE HOTEL ROOMS WITH PLAYERS AND FAMILIES FROM THROUGHOUT THE MIDWEST.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OUR CITY IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
IN OCTOBER, IT'S OCTOBER, AND THERE ARE STILL MORE OUTSTANDING ANNOUNCEMENTS TO COME BEFORE THE YEAR ENDS, BUT TIM MCKEE AND THE TEAM AT THE CHAMBER ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
FOR SOME TIME, WE'VE BEEN COMMITTED TO BRING AN ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT INTO OUR DOWNTOWN.
WE'VE INVESTED A NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, SUPPORTED NEW EVENTS AND PARTNERED WITH JOHNSON COUNTY TO BRING THE NEW COURTHOUSE TO REALITY.
BUT, WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT DONE.
TODAY, DOWNTOWN OLATHE IS DOING WELL DURING THE DAY, BUT, HOW DO WE MAKE OUR DOWNTOWN'S VIBRANCY GROW INTO THE EVENINGS AND ON WEEKENDS? HOW DO WE TRACK MORE VISITORS, MORE BUSINESSES AND MORE ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS? HOW DO WE FILL THE EMPTY PARKING SPOTS.
THERE ARE EXCITING NEW REDEVELOPMENT PLANS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKS.
ONE WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR YEARS, IS SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT.
I'M PLEASED TO SHARE IT WITH YOU, THAT WE'VE PARTNERED WITH MILHAUS DEVELOPMENT, MILLHOUSE DEVELOPMENT, TO BRING SOME 270 NEW HIGH QUALITY MARKET-BASED APARTMENTS TO OUR HISTORIC CORE.
THIS $40 MILLION INVESTMENT IN DOWNTOWN OLATHE WILL BE ONE MORE CATALYST RETURNING OUR DOWNTOWN TO A TRUE DESTINATION.
THAT'S HUNDREDS OF NEW PEOPLE LIVING, SHOPPING AND DINING IN OUR DOWNTOWN.
WE'RE INCREDIBLY EXCITED ABOUT ALL THESE PROJECTS.
THEY ARE ALLOWING US TO PLAN FOR A NEW 21ST CENTURY LIBRARY IN DOWNTOWN OLATHE.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING MUCH MORE WITH YOU, INCLUDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW RESTAURANT AND OFFICE DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK STILL TO BE DONE, OF COURSE, BUT MY FRIENDS, THESE ARE EXCITING TIMES.
EVER BETTER HAS LED GOVERNMENT RATING AGENCIES LIKE STANDARD & POOR'S TO RECOGNIZE OLATHE.
I QUOTE, "OLATHE'S VERY STRONG MANAGEMENT HAS LED T CONSISTENTLY STRONG OPERATING PERFORMANCE.
" ALONG WITH FITCH'S, S&P NOTES OLATHE'S VERY STRONG BUDGETARY FLEXIBILITY, VERY STRONG LIQUIDITY AND CASH LEVELS, STRONG BUDGETARY PERFORMANCE AND OVERALL STRONG ECONOMY.
THESE AGENCIES VALIDATE OUR COMMITMENT TO BEING STEWARDS OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS, AND ENSURING WE REMAIN TRANSPARENT.
OLATHE HAS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES SECOND TO NONE.
OUR CHILDREN ARE LEARNING FROM FIVE EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
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EACH SHARES A COMMITMENT TO GIVING STUDENTS A SOLID EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR TODAY AND FOR THE YEARS AHEAD.THAT COMMITMENT HAS LED FOUR OF OUR OLATHE HIGH SCHOOLS BEING RANKED AS BEST IN KANSAS.
THIS YEAR, THE OLATHE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOASTS A COMPOSITE ACT SCORE OF 23.9 AND FIVE STUDENTS WITH PERFECT SCORES.
THEIR TEACHERS AND STAFF ARE CONSISTENTLY PRAISED ACROSS THE STATE AND NATION.
THEIR PROGRAMS ARE SETTING NATIONAL STANDARDS.
EVER BETTER IS REAL IN THE OLATHE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE'RE EVER BETTER BECAUSE WE LOOK AT A CRISIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY, NOT A PROBLEM.
WHEN THE OLD INDIAN CREEK BRANCH LIBRARY FLOODED, WHAT DID WE DO? WE TRANSFORMED A VACANT BIG-BOX GROCERY STORE INTO THE PREMIER LIBRARY IN KANSAS AND THE REGION.
THESE PICTURES ARE A SNEAK PEEK INSIDE THE NEW INDIAN CREEK LIBRARY, UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
IT OPENS TWO WEEKS FROM TOMORROW, ON THE 19TH.
AND, PUT THIS ON YOUR CALENDAR, FOLKS, 9:30 RIBBON-CUTTING, AND IT'S ALL YOURS AT 10 O'CLOCK.
WHEN I SAY IT'S ALL YOURS, I MEAN IT'S ALL YOURS.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE PROUD WHEN YOU SEE IT WHILE YOU'RE THERE, AND I TRUST I'LL SEE YOU THERE, RIGHT? 9:30.
WHILE THERE, GRAB A COFFEE AND A PASTRY AT THE CAFE.
IT'S OPERATED BY OLATHE'S OWN PARK STREET PASTRY, A LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR WE'RE PROUD TO HELP GROW.
CHECK OUT THE LIBRARY'S MAKERSPACE, MEETING ROOMS AND EVENT SPACE.
BRING YOUR KIDS FOR THE TEAM GAMING ROOM AND CHILDREN'S GARDEN, OR THE RECORDING STUDIO.
THERE'S EVEN A FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOOKSTORE, AND IN THE SPRING, WE'LL DEDICATE A NEW ON-SITE PARK.
THIS LIBRARY WILL BRING OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
THIS IS A MUST VISIT AND YOU WON'T FIND ANYTHING LIKE IT IN THE METRO AREA.
WHO DEFINES BETTER? THAT'S EASY.
YOU TELL US THE DIRECTION TO TAKE.
YOU HOLD US TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS.
YOU TELL US HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO SPEND ON GOVERNMENT AND WHERE YOU WANT IT SPENT.
IT EXPLAINS WHY ABOUT 70% OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET GOES DIRECTLY TO FUND PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION, BECAUSE WE LISTEN.
YOU KNOW WHO ELSE DELIVERS? PATRICK MAHOMES.
AND, NOW, I KNOW IF I SAY PATRICK MAHOMES, EVERYONE I LISTENING TO ME AGAIN.
NOW THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, WHAT A GREAT RUN THEY'RE ON.
DO YOU THINK THE CHIEFS GET TIRED OF WINNING? OF COURSE NOT, AND NEITHER DO WE.
ONCE AGAIN, OLATHE HAS AMERICA'S HIGHEST CITIZEN SATISFACTION WITH THE QUALITY OF CITY SERVICES.
WE HAVE THE HIGHEST RATINGS OF ANY MAJOR CITY FOR VALUE FOR TAX DOLLARS.
IN OLATHE, KANSAS, RESIDENTS FEEL THEIR TAX DOLLARS ARE GIVING MORE VALUE THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN AMERICA.
OUR EMPLOYEES TRULY CARE, AND HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF PRIDE IN GIVING YOU THE BEST SERVICE.
WHEN WORKING WITH YOU, OUR STAFF CONSISTENTLY VIEWS THE EXPERIENCE THROUGH YOUR EYES, NOT THEIRS.
THEY MAKE SURE YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE EXCEPTIONAL.
NATURALLY, RESIDENTS' SATISFACTION WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE IS THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
OUR SATISFACTION LEVELS AGAIN TOWER ABOVE THE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL AVERAGES IN NEARLY EVERY CATEGORY.
LISTENING TO YOU IS A DRIVER, BUT THOSE NUMBERS HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE ABSOLUTE BEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE IN AMERICA.
WE KNOW WE'RE FORTUNATE TO LIVE IN THE U.S.
EVERYONE HERE IS FORTUNATE TO LIVE IN THE KC METRO AREA.
BUT, EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN OLATHE, YOU'VE MADE THE SMARTEST CHOICE OF ALL.
IN FACT, JUST LAST WEEK, A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER REACHED OUT TO ME TO SHOW ME THIS INCREDIBLE PICTURE.
SHE WASN'T ONLY SHARING HOW GORGEOUS OUR STAFF MAKES BLACK BOB PARK LOOK ON ANY GIVEN DAY, WHICH THEY DO, BUT THIS WAS JUST TWO DAYS AFTER A MAJOR STORM WASHED OUT THAT TRAIL, AND ALREADY, THE TRAIL IS READY FOR HIKERS.
THAT IS WHAT A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE LOOKS LIKE.
OUR CITY EMPLOYEES ARE KIND, CARING AND MOST OF ALL, DEDICATED TO YOU.
WE ARE EVER BETTER BECAUSE OF THEM.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN THANKING THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO PROUDLY SERVE YOU.
EACH YEAR, WE TALK ABOUT THE DIRECTIONFINDER SURVEY.
WE'RE ONE OF MORE THAN 900 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WHO USE THE ETC INSTITUTE TO BETTER
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SERVE OUR RESIDENTS.ETC STARTED RIGHT HERE IN OLATHE, AND IT IS NOW THE FOREMOST GOVERNMENT SURVEY COMPANY IN AMERICA.
OUR STAFF COULDN'T DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT ETC, AND OUR CITY WOULDN'T BE WHAT IT IS WITHOUT THEM, EITHER.
IT WAS STARTED BY A TRUE VISIONARY, DR. ELAINE TATHUM.
WE LOST ELAINE JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, BUT HER LEGACY WILL FOREVER BE FELT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
ELAINE WASN'T THE ONLY OLATHE VISIONARY WE RECENTLY LOST.
TODAY, I'D ALSO LIKE TO CELEBRATE GARY BURRELL, ONE OF THE VISIONARIES WHO BUILT GARMIN.
GARMIN LITERALLY PUT OLATHE ON THE MAP, BUT IT WAS GARY AND HIS COMPANY'S MEANINGFUL AND IMPACTFUL CONTRIBUTION THAT MAKE OUR CITY BETTER EVERY DAY.
BECAUSE OF GARMIN'S CULTURE OF HUMILITY, THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS OFTEN GO UNREPORTED.
ELAINE AND GARY ARE GIANTS WHO TRANSFORMED OUR COMMUNITY.
WE CAN NEVER REPAY THEM, AND OUR COMMUNITY WILL DEARLY MISS THEM.
AS WE REFLECT ON GARY AND ELAINE, AND THEIR LEGACIES, WE KNOW WE ARE EVER BETTER BECAUSE OF THEM.
WE OWE IT TO THOSE WHO HELPED BUILD THIS CITY TO KEEP IT MOVING FORWARD, EVEN IF IT MEANS TAKING CHANCES.
EVER BETTER MEANS STRIKING THE WORDS 'WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THAT WAY' FROM OUR VOCABULARY.
IT'S WORKING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO FIND THE BEST SOLUTION.
IT MEANS MAKING ONE PLUS ONE EQUAL THREE.
AS I SAID EARLIER, MANY OF THE BEST THINGS DON'T HAPPEN IN A VACUUM, BUT WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER.
THERE WOULD BE NO MENTAL HEALTH FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAM WITHOUT PARTNERING WITH JOHNSON COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
THE SAME GOES FOR THE NEW COURTHOUSE BEING BUILT IN DOWNTOWN OLATHE.
THERE WOULD BE NO MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH UNIT IF WE DIDN'T WORK WITH OLATHE HEALTH AND THE HEALTH PARTNERSHIP CLINIC.
THE TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS AT 151ST AND RIDGEVIEW, AND THE NEW ROAD UNDER I-35 ARE ONLY HAPPENING BECAUSE OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH GARMIN.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE SWORN POLICE OFFICERS IN ALL EIGHT OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS WITHOUT COLLABORATING WITH OUR SCHOOLS.
OF COURSE, THAT INCLUDES THE 21ST CENTURY ACADEMY AT OLATHE WEST AND THE CIVIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AT OLATHE EAST.
BOTH ARE PROPOSED, ARE POISED TO PRODUCE OUR FUTURE OLATHE POLICE OFFICERS FIREFIGHTERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
OUR PARKS WOULDN'T BE AS WONDERFUL WITHOUT PARTNERING WITH THE VOLUNTEERS AND SCOUTS.
OUR BOULEVARDS AND STREAM WAYS WOULDN'T BE AS CLEAN IF WE DIDN'T COLLABORATE WITH BUSINESSES AND CIVIC CLUBS.
LOCAL STUDENTS ARE EVEN HELPING US KEEP OUR STORM DRAINS CLEAR OF TRASH AND DEBRIS.
EVER BETTER IN OLATHE IS CONSISTENTLY DEFINED BY TH PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION THAT HAPPENED EACH AND EVERY DAY.
KEEP IN MIND, WE KNOW IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT US.
IN FACT, LAST SPRING, OUR POLICE, FIRE AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS SPENT HUNDREDS OF HOURS USING OLATHE EQUIPMENT TO HELP OU NEIGHBORS IN LINWOOD AFTER THE TORNADO.
SO YOU SEE, HOW EVER BETTER GOT US HERE, BUT WE FAIL IF WE DON'T LET IT TAKE US FORWARD.
IT IS NOT THE DESTINATION, IT IS THE JOURNEY.
THERE ARE THOSE MAKING THAT JOURNEY POSSIBLE.
THEY'RE THE ONES BUILDING OUR CATHEDRAL.
FOR THE PAST DECADE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THESE PEOPLE WITH OUR CATHEDRAL BUILDER AWARD, AND YOU ALL KNOW THE STORY OF THE CATHEDRAL BUILDER.
A YOUNG BOY WALKS UP TO A GROUP OF THREE MASONS AND ASKED, "SIR WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" THE FIRST MASON SAYS," SON, I'M LAYING BRICKS." THE YOUNG BOY REACHES OUT TO THE SECOND MASON.
"SIR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" A LITTLE MORE ASPIRATIONAL, THE MAN RESPONDS, "SON, I'M BUILDING A WALL." AND, THEN THE YOUNG BOY WALKS TO THE THIRD MASON AND SAYS, "SIR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" THE MASON STEPS BACK, PUTS HIS HAND AROUND THE YOUNG BOY AND SAID, "SON, WE ARE BUILDING A CATHEDRAL FOR ALL TO SEE, FOR ALL TO USE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME." QUALITY EDUCATION IS PARAMOUNT TO THE FOUNDATION OF OUR CATHEDRAL.
WE ARE PROFOUNDLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE FIRST-CLASS HIGHER LEARNING RIGHT HERE IN OUR CITY FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS.
NOW, THE EDUCATORS AT MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY HAVE DONE MUCH MORE THAN TEACH YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, THEY'VE INSTILLED IN THEM A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE VALUE OF GIVING BACK.
MNU HAS PUT ITS THOUSANDS OF ALUMNI AND OUR CITY ON A PATH FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY IS IT PREPARED ME FOR THE CLASSROOM, BUT IT ALSO GAVE ME A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW SO THAT I COULD HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT THE PROFESSORS I HAD WHEN I WAS A STUDENT AT MIDAMERICA, THE CLASS SIZES WERE SMALL, THEY KNEW YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL, THEY REALLY
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CARED ABOUT YOU.WE HAD PRAYER BEFORE EVERY CLASS.
THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN VERY MANY PLACES ANYMORE, BUT, I THOUGHT THAT WAS ALWAYS REALLY MEANINGFUL.
AND, THEY WERE VERY VESTED IN YOUR SUCCESS.
SO, WHEN I WENT THROUGH TO BE A TEACHER ,THOSE PROFESSORS I HAD AT THAT TIME, BACK IN 1992, THEY REALLY PUT SOME ENERGY INT HELPING ME BE SUCCESSFUL, AND I'LL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
I HAD PROFESSORS, TEACHERS, FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS WHO WERE LOOKING NOT ONLY TO GIVE ME A GOOD EDUCATION IN THE CLASSROOM AND HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE BASICS AND THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MY AREA OF STUDY, BUT, WHO WERE ALSO WANTING TO GIVE ME FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE IN THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE.
AND THEN, BEYOND THAT, BEING ABLE TO GRADUATE AND HAVE PROFESSORS AND FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS WHO THEMSELVES HAVE ALSO WORKED IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, AND CAN SAY, "I HAVE CONNECTIONS HERE.
I KNOW, I KNOW WHERE YOU'D BE A GOOD FIT." AND, CAN THEN HELP TO MOVE THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST OF THEIR STUDENTS BACK INTO HOPEFULLY OLATHE OR AND/OR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES TO DO GOOD WORK THAT THEY'RE PREPARED FOR.
BECAUSE OF MIDAMERICA, I AM THEN ENCOURAGED AND LAUNCHED INTO THE WORLD TO DO TO DO EVEN GREATER THINGS THAN THE THINGS I EXPERIENCED AND PARTICIPATED IN THERE, AND I WILL ALWAYS ABSOLUTELY BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY MIDAMERICA AS A PART OF THAT MOTIVATION, AND A PART OF THAT GROWTH, IF YOU NEED PROOF OF JUST HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT MNU HAS HAD, LOOK AROUND.
MANY OF THEIR ALUMNI, MY FELLOW CLASSMATES, ARE HERE IN THIS, ARE HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
THESE ARE PEOPLE MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN OUR GREAT CITY EVERY DAY.
BUSINESS AND ELECTED LEADERS, VOLUNTEERS, TRUE PILLARS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THANKS IN GREAT PART TO THAT'S OUTSTANDING INSTITUTION.
MNU IS TRULY A GIFT TO OLATHE, AND FOR THAT, WE ARE VERY THANKFUL.
DR. SPITAL, THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO FOR OUR FUTURE.
PLEASE JOIN ME TO ACCEPT THE 2019 CATHEDRAL BUILDER AWARD.
WITH THIS AWARD, WE TYPICALLY CELEBRATE THOSE WHO HAVE SPENT A LIFETIME BUILDING OLATHE.
BUT, TODAY, WE CELEBRATE SOMEBODY WHO IS BUILDING IT RIGHT NOW, BRICK BY BRICK.
SOMEONE WHO IS QUIETLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITHOUT GREAT FANFARE, WORKING LARGELY BEHIND THE SCENES.
LET ME TELL YOU THE STORY OF A BOY WHO GREW UP ON THE WEST COAST.
IT WAS A ROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD, SURROUNDED BY GANGS.
HE DIDN'T JOIN ONE, BUT HE WAS STILL TEATED LIKE HE WAS TROUBLE.
HE GOT KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL, SO HE TURNED TO TH ARMY TO GET AWAY.
EVENTUALLY HE CAME TO KANSAS, LOOKING FOR A BETTER LIFE FOR HIS FAMILY.
LITTLE DID HE KNOW, HOW MUCH BETTER HE WOULD MAKE US.
BUT, WHAT HE FOUND HERE WERE STUDENTS TALKING LIKE THE ONES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HE LEFT BEHIND.
BUT, HE DIDN'T JUDGE THEM LIKE PEOPLE BEFORE JUDGED HIM.
INSTEAD, HE EMBRACED THESE KIDS .
HE LIFTED THEM UP TO SHOW THEM THEY CAN BE WHOEVER THEY WANT TO BE.
AND, HE CONTINUES TO DO THAT EVERY DAY.
HE STARTED AT OLATHE NORTH AS A SECURITY GUARD.
HE IS NOW THE COORDINATOR OF DIVERSITY AND ENGAGEMENT FOR THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, THE SECOND LARGEST DISTRICT IN THE STATE.
HE SPENT THE LAST 15 YEARS BUILDING UP THE MOST VALUABLE PARTS OF OUR CATHEDRAL, OUR CHILDREN AND OUR FUTURE.
I MET ERIK IN 2014, PROBABLY SOMETIME OVER THE SUMMER THAT YEAR.
I WAS ACTUALLY WORKING FOR KIDSTLC.
A POSITION BECAME OPEN IN HIS OFFICE, AND HE REALLY ENCOURAGED ME TO APPLY FOR IT.
HE THOUGHT WE WOULD MAKE A GOOD TEAM, AND SO, HE'S WORKING WITH MIDDLE SCHOOLERS AND HIGH SCHOOLERS ON MAKING GOOD DECISIONS, AND BECOMING LEADERS AND DEVELOPING THEIR SKILLS.
ONE OF HIS MOTTOS IS YOU TURN THE NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE.
THAT MODEL IS FOUNDED ON GANG MENTALITY.
HE WITNESSED THAT GROWING UP, AND HE SAW HOW EFFECTIVE IT WAS, AND SO HE TOOK THAT, THE NEGATIVE, AND HE FLIPPED IT INTO THE POSITIVE, AND HE IMPLEMENTED IT A DIFFERENT WAY FOR A POSITIVE OUTCOME.
AND SO, HE'S IMPLEMENTING THAT ON THAT LARGE SCALE, BUT ALSO WITH STUDENTS ONE ON ONE.
ANYTHING THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THAT'S NEGATIVE, HE'S LIKE, HOW IS THIS GONNA MAKE YOU STRONGER?
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HOW IS THIS GONNA MAKE YOU MORE PREPARED FOR THE WORLD? HOW IS THIS GONNA CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR DEVELOPMENT AS A PERSON AND AS A LEADER? AND, HE ALWAYS HAS THAT FOCUS TOWARDS THE FUTURE, AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY UNIQUE.ERIK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO NOT JUST OLATHE, BUT THE WIDER KANSAS CITY COMMUNITY.
WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS TRULY UNIQUE, AND I THINK IT'S GONNA MAKE A HUGE RIPPLE EFFECT FOR YEARS AND YEARS TO COME.
WHEN I MET ERIK, I THINK I WAS IN 7TH OR 8TH GRADE.
I WAS ABOUT 13 OR 14 YEARS OLD.
I DIDN'T REALLY LIKE SCHOOL AT ALL.
IF I WOULDN'T HAVE, LIKE, MET MR. ERAZO, I PROBABLY, MAYBE BY SOPHOMORE OR JUNIOR YEAR, I WOULD HAVE DROPPED OUT.
MR. ERAZO PUSHED ME TO MY LIMITS TO LIKE GRADUATE.
HE MADE ME GO TO CLASS AND GET MY HOMEWORK DONE.
HE GUIDED ME THROUGH WHAT I NEEDED, ALL MY PROBLEMS. HE WAS ALWAYS THERE.
HE'S BEEN THROUGH A LOT, AND SO, HE'LL TRY TO IMPACT HIS LIFE INTO YOURS TO MAKE YOURS A LOT BETTER.
MR. ERAZO, YOU WERE THERE FOR ME IN THE HARD TIMES.
YOU TURNED MY LIFE COMPLETELY AROUND.
YOU GOT ME TO GRADUATE THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR, AND I'M MAKING IT VERY FAR AND REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR ME.
CAN YOU IMAGINE SOMEONE SAYING THOSE WORDS ABOUT YOU? POWERFUL.
ERIK ALSO DEDICATES HIS TIME TO KIDSTLC, THE OLATHE LATINO COALITION, CENTER OF GRACE, AND THE OLATHE CITIZENS POLICE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
ERIK, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO ALL THAT YOU DO, BUT, I'M SURE GLAD YOU DO.
PLEASE COME UP HERE AND ACCEPT THE 2019 CATHEDRAL BUILDER AWARD.
ERIK, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, BY THE WAY, THERE'S A SURPRISE VISITOR HERE FOR YOU.
OUR JOURNEY OF EVER BETTER CONTINUES TODAY.
IT CONTINUES BY LISTENING TO YOU.
AT LAST YEAR'S STATE OF THE CITY, I ASKED YOU TO HELP BY LENDING YOUR VOICE, PERSPECTIVE AND YOUR WISDOM TO OUR 2040 OLATHE STRATEGIC PLAN.
MANY OF YOU DID SO, JOINING THOUSANDS OF OTHERS INVESTED IN OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE.
THIS IS YOUR COMMUNITY, AND IT IS YOUR FUTURE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
HERE'S WHAT YOU TOLD US EVER BETTER MEANS IN THE FUTURE AND HERE IS WHAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO DELIVER.
OLATHE WILL BE FUTURE READY, WILL BE RESILIENT AN WILL THRIVE WITH A COMMUNITY THAT'S TRULY ENGAGED IN THEIR TRANSPARENT, EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
OLATHE WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE PLACE PEOPLE CHOOSE.
PEOPLE WILL LIVE IN QUALITY NEIGHBORHOODS AND BE CONNECTED TO IMPORTANT
[00:35:02]
PLACES AND EACH OTHER.OLATHE WILL DELIVER SMART, CONNECTED, INTEGRATED AND INNOVATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS SAFE RELIABLE, EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE.
OLATHE WILL BE AN ECONOMIC LEADER IN THE REGION.
WE WILL HAVE A STRONG ECONOMIC BASE, BUILT BY HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES, ENTREPRENEURS, A SKILLED WORKFORCE A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN, AND ATTRACTIVE DESTINATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
OLATHE WILL CONTINUE HAVING THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND EFFICIENT CITY SERVICES THAT OUR COMMUNITY VALUES.
TO APPRECIATE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN'S IMPORTANCE, WE JUST NEED TO LOOK BACK AT OUR PREVIOUS PLAN.
OUR FIRST STRATEGIC PLAN, ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, WE IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR SIGNATURE PARKS.
WE NOW HAVE LAKE OLATHE, LONE ELM, STAGECOACH, AND THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR ECONOMIC DIVERSITY.
AND, I DON'T BELIEVE YOU'LL FIND A STRONGER AND STILL GROWING ECONOMY IN THE MIDWEST.
WE IDENTIFIED THE AREA OF TRANSPORTATION, AND THE RAILROAD.
WE ELEVATED THE EASTERN TRACKS, BUILT THE OVERPASS AT 127TH, AND THE LONE ELM INTERCHANGE.
WE BUILT A NEW CITY HALL, INVESTED IN OUR CIVIC CENTER PARKS, THE STREETSCAPE, DOWNTOWN EVENTS AND NOW WE'RE SEEIN MORE DEVELOPMENT.
OUR OLATHE 2040 STRATEGIC PLAN MATTERS.
IT MADE US EVER BETTER TODAY, AND IT WILL BE ESSENTIAL TO OUR TOMORROW.
FRIENDS, TODAY, YOU WILL BE AMONG THE FIRST PEOPLE TO HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO, WHEN YOU LEAVE TODAY, PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME TO LOOK AT IT.
HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE TO IT, AND FIND THE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE YOU CAN PLUG IN.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, EVER BETTER IS A JOURNEY.
IT'S A JOURNEY WE'RE ON TOGETHER.
EVER BETTER HAS MADE THIS CITY WHO WE ARE TODAY, AND IT IS GUIDING US TO OUR COMMUNITY OF TOMORROW.
WITHOUT A DOUBT, AND BY ANY MEASURE, OLATHE, KANSAS IS AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN IN 2019.
MY DAUGHTER, WHO'S AWAY AT COLLEGE SAID SOMETHING TO ME THE OTHER DAY.
WHAT SHE SAID COMPLETELY AFFIRMED WHERE OUR COMMUNIT IS.
SHE SAID, "DAD, OLATHE IS A CITY I WANT TO COME HOME TO." MY FRIENDS, WE'VE DONE SOMETHING RIGHT, BUT WE'RE FAR FROM DONE.
WHAT DOES EVER BETTER SAY ABOUT OUR FUTURE? WELL, I LOOK AT IT THIS WAY.
YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN MY DAUGHTER HAS A CHILD OF HER OWN, WHEN OUR GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN COME HOME TO OLATHE, THEY WILL KNOW WHAT CREATED THEIR WONDERFUL, DIVERSE AND RICH CITY.
AS IMPORTANT, THEY WILL KNOW WHAT COURSE TO CHART FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN, TO KNOW THAT THEY WILL LOOK BACK TO YOU, AND FORWARD TO EVER BETTER.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE KNOW EVER BETTER LED US TO THIS POINT.
WE KNOW IT WILL TAKE OLATHE FORWARD, JUST AS WE ARE AMERICA'S PREMIER CITY TODAY, OLATHE WILL BE SO FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
BECAUSE OF THAT, THE STATE OF OUR CITY, TODAY AND TOMORROW, IS STRONG.
THANK YOU, AND GOD BLESS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.