District 2
Newsletter
This has been an interesting last few months and returning to normal is a work in progress. The Pandemic has been devastating medically and economically and the future is still in question for many of us
History has taught us that there can be positive outcomes from very negative events when lessons are learned and applied to future hardship.
As I have interfaced with many City officials, residents and business owners over these past few months, conversations usually come around to what worked well and what could be done differently in the future.
One constructive result is that the City and related entities have had time to look at their operations from a different perspective.
At the Port they were looking forward to a record setting year with net revenues at a level that's unprecedented but now they realize, even more than before, the need for diversification of Port activities. Now that the Cruise Industry has experienced such a shutdown, Cargo is so important to maintain a balanced bottom line.
The Park Board was experiencing visitors, requests for accommodations and events at record levels. Following the onset of CoVid-19 the need to develop the higher valued tourist, who stays longer and wants to visit the many other dining, shopping and entertainment activities on the Island in addition to the Beach, is more apparent than ever.
This year the City was experiencing one of their most stable financial times in many years with an unprecedented number of infrastructure improvement projects in the works. CoVid-19 has brought to the City’s attention the importance of their current policies of maintaining 90 day reserves for most of their funds even when it isn’t mandated.
And needless to say, the building of stronger relationships and communication between the State and Cities is a necessity, while realizing that one size does not necessarily fit all, in a State as diversified as Texas.
This reopening will last for a while and as we move forward
“ Lessons Learned “ will be invaluable for the near and distant future.
Have a Wonderful beginning of the Summer and a Productive Reopening.
Craig
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