Adviser to the Mayor

Over 100 years, Kelsey's population increased by 280,000 residents, going from 342,768 in 1900 to 625,233 residents in 2000. Kelsey is ranked 1st among Northwest Valley incorporated cities and towns. With the growth of residents and expected future growth due to the desirability to live in Kelsey, there are some growing concerns regarding the sustainability of the water supply. The leadership has developed a plan on how to address these concerns. The plan includes the following:

· Upgrading the city’s water main system

· A new water treatment plant, including additional underground piping throughout the city

· Water supply upgrades likely taking 15 years

· Creating educational material for the citizens and businesses about the city’s water resources

· Tips on how to conserve water include using water-efficient shower heads, eliminating home car washes, only running full dishwashers, fixing leaky faucets, reducing lawn irrigation, and other water conservation practices

· Increasing the sales tax by a small percentage to fund water sustainability initiatives

Now that the mayor and other city leaders have developed this plan, they must garner support from various stakeholders needed to make this plan successful. Developing this support and involving the stakeholders as active participants in the process is known as creating a stakeholder power base. In the course assignments, you will take the role of various leaders in the city working to build this power base to implement desired changes.

The municipal structure consists of the following:

· The mayor is elected by the citizens of Kelsey and acts as a leader for the city.

· Council members are elected by the people in an area of their city as a district representative. They work in conjunction with the mayor to set policies and address issues concerning citizen’s needs.

· The planning board is an advisory board comprised of citizens who devote their time on a voluntary basis to address issues related to the community. Their talents come from a variety of background and experience.

· The conservation commission’s role is to advise in developing and implementing policies relating to overseeing the commission of water-related issues for the city. They coordinate with other divisional departments to help address and incorporate changes needed to address community water concerns and ideas.

Together, they work to help with the upkeep of the city’s vision and any long-term effects that may alter the city’s looks and vision.