2005 Performance Based Budget - Laserfiche WebLink

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communications systems that transport huge amounts of data quickly and securely will be a top item on every company's checklist of requirements. That is why I am a proponent of development of the St. Joseph Valley MetroNet. The City is not entering the communications business, but we are allowing a local not-for-profit corporation to install fiber optic cable in existing city conduit. The MetroNet is carrier neutral. It will allow multiple communication companies to provide service through the fiber, connecting business to the vast array of transcontinental fiber pipes that run through South Bend. These fibers will also connect local colleges and universities, medical facilities and public institutions. They will allow businesses to access a variety of service providers at competitive prices. This ability to share large amounts of data quickly and securely is our transportation system for future growth _ it is the backbone for economic vitality in our region. I am committed to making South Bend the city of choice for companies that move large amounts of data. We should be the first choice far corporate data centers. If we want good jobs for our children, if we want local business to thrive, if we truly want to be a 21~` Century City, we must not sit back and wait. We must lead, not follow. I am committed to providing that leadership. I began my presentation tonight by speaking about champions; about desire, and dreams and vision; about teamwork, creativity and resiliency; about tenacity and focus; about friendship. I see these qualities in abundance iri our workforce, in our institutions and organizations; in our volunteers. I believe that we are a City of Champions. We have the spirit and determination to accomplish anything we put o~u minds to. The energy and effort which is critical to success is evident in the many achievements that I spoke about tonight. We will bring it to bear on the agenda I have proposed: from beconung a healthier city to expanding the arts; from reclaiming brownfields to implementing our Long Term Control Plan for sewers; from MetroNet and Tech Park to retail growth and downtown development. City Plan will help to inform and guide our decisions as we move forward. Still, what I have heard most frequently in City Plan meetings, what I hear consistently throughout the community, what is foremost in my heart tonight, is that we must all unite to nurt~e a championship ~- _ -- - -__-__--~ spirit in our children - in all our children! We must help them to see their potential, and to achieve it. Ifwe let them fail, we A-40