A warm hello to all of the residents of our Village:
The single most important issue currently facing our Village is the decision to bring Lake Michigan water to our community. The very future of Wauconda will depend on the Village’s ability to provide a reliable source of safe drinking water to our residents and businesses.
As we all now realize, drinking water is a finite commodity that is in limited supply. Future challenges in obtaining and treating groundwater may indeed limit the growth and financial and economic outlook of our town. Wauconda’s collective financial future will involve our ability to attract and retain both residents and businesses to keep our community vibrant. That future must include a plan to supply us all with one of nature’s building blocks – clean, quality water.
The vision that the Board and I are focused on is not centered on next month or even next year, but many years in the future to provide a strong community for our children’s children. We must begin now to sustain the robust family lifestyle that we all enjoy today. In the next few months, you will be hearing more about the critical issue of bringing Lake Michigan water to our borders. Please be sure to monitor the Village’s e-news and Board activities to stay informed about the important decisions that we will need to make in the next year on this front.
In addition to our focus on natural resources, this year’s strategic plan is built around the concept of preparing to welcome and support economic development in our community when opportunities present themselves. True economic development is not just the creation of new stores, restaurants or manufacturing facilities. It also involves retaining and supporting the fantastic businesses that already call Wauconda home – not just those that provide retail sales, but also establishments that offer employment opportunities to our residents and bring workers to our town every day. Our busy industrial parks contain many of these community assets and we have a new focus on communicating and supporting them in any way we can. The Village’s entire strategic plan can be seen online on our website. Click here to read more about the vision, goals and objectives that we will be working toward for the coming year.
I am so often reminded of the great community that we are fortunate enough to live, work and raise our families in. This past summer saw so many activities in our Village beginning with the 60th Annual Memorial Day Parade down Main Street , Wauconda Fest, the Independence Day fireworks, two triathlons, the Wauconda Rodeo, the Community Round Up, the Farmer’s Market, many fishing tournaments and the Annual Street Dance to name a few. This truly is a ‘Village With a View’ and the view from my seat is nothing short of amazing…for our future and what we can do together.
And remember, together, we can make a difference!
Sincerely,
Mark F. Knigge, Mayor
