City Manager Marsha Grigsby

 Dublin City Manager Marsha Grigsby provided Rotarians an update on the City’s activities, projects and successes during the past year on January 20. She also announced the date for the State of the City, March 15, at the Dublin Community Recreation Center and Abbey Theater. She said the theme is: A Healthy Community in Motion. A “Wellness Premiere,” starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Community Hall, will feature the Healthy Dublin partners and an experiential display of cooking demonstrations, fitness and wellness experts and more. The State of the City presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the Abbey Theater.

“If you have never attended the State of the City – this is one not to miss,” said Marsha.

Some highlights from her speech:

• Dublin’s 2011 tax revenues exceeded projections by more than 6% ($71 million), which is a positive sign for our local economy. Dublin’s financial stability got another boost with the reaffirmation of its AAA rating – the highest attainable – by Fitch Ratings in September for the tenth consecutive year.
• Staff worked diligently on a rezoning plan for the Bridge Street Corridor to establish the mix of land uses and housing types addressed in the plan. It is anticipated that the zoning code amendments will be considered for adoption and implementation by Dublin City Council in February 2012.
• On the business front, nearly 1,000 new jobs were created. Dublin welcomed home an old friend when Wendy’s announced the return of its headquarters to Dublin in August. .
• Construction activity was up in 2011. Total number of permits issued in 2011 – 529 (excluding fire and over the counter – heating, plumbing and electrical) – compared to 404 in 2010
• It was a successful year for special events capped by the 24th Annual Dublin Irish Festival. We hope you’ll plan to attend the silver anniversary celebration, which will take place Aug. 3-5, 2012.
• Our Healthy Dublin community initiative was well-received with standing-room-only events featuring nationally recognized speakers, including Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Pam Popper.
• Over the summer, the Dublin Division of Police introduced “Meet the Police” meetings to speak with residents and provide education on crime prevention.
• Dublin continues to work with other municipalities and organizations throughout the Central Ohio region in an effort to identify opportunities to share services resulting in cost savings and more efficiency. We will continue to collaborate with other communities to help alleviate traffic concerns, such as our partnership with Franklin and Union counties, and the City of Marysville to seek federal and state assistance for the redesign of the Interstate 270/State Route 33 interchange.