Portage mayor James Snyder spoke at the March 28 Portage Exchange Club breakfast meeting. He said that some of the best advice he received when taking office was not to change too much too fast. He has aimed for a balance between change and continuity.
Snyder praised the city officials and their dedication to the city.
“We have a great team. Some have been serving since Mayor Olson’s terms. Some have stayed on from the previous administration. Some are new since the election. But they are all working together for the good of Portage. They work really hard, and when you see one of them—any official or department head—tell them ‘thank you.’”
He discussed some of the developments in the city, some of which are still in negotiation.
“We’re talking to the County on a daily basis. We’d like to Willowcreek opened all the way to Route 2."
“Meijer’s has bought Super K, and that will change that corner. There will be a gas station there and a sit-down restaurant in an out building up front.”
Snyder said the university center is in the final stages of leasing. Other new developments include coffee and doughnuts in the morning and box lunches available at Portage Lakefront Park. The Park Department will install permanent benches at Perry Park, so parents can sit and watch while their children play.
Snyder talked about the need for everyone to become involved in cleaning and beautifying the city.
“We spend over a million dollars in landfill costs for our garbage. That’s way more than many larger cities. We have to begin recycling in earnest. Everyone has to help out. On Saturday, May 19, we are going to have a Volunteer Day for clean up and painting. We want to bring everyone together.”
You can find more information on Facebook under http://www.facebook.com/CityOfPortageVolunteers