NORWICH – The City of Norwich has never had an official mission statement before, and according to Mayor Joseph Maiurano, that’s a problem that will soon be remedied. On Tuesday, the Common Council is scheduled to adopt its first mission statement, listing the goals for the city.
“You have to have direction and goals to provide a safe and comfortable way of life,” Maiurano said. That is why the city leaders felt it was important to set down a specific guideline of objectives, he said.
According to the mission statement, “The mission of the City of Norwich is to serve its citizens in achieving and maintaining an optimum quality of life consistent with available resources and providing those services to the public that cannot be provided by the individual on a cost-effective basis.”
These services include the fire and police departments, as well as the department of public works, the mayor said, but of course the city is not responsible for every detail of public life. People are responsible for their own property, and landlords are responsible for their rental properties. The code enforcement officer has been working to make sure these responsibilities are met.
The Common Council has come up with a list of 10 goals to help delineate the mission statement. One goal is, “To provide for public health and safety through a professional level of police, fire, emergency preparedness and other health and safety services.
The mayor thinks this is one of the city’s finest areas. The proof lies in the quick and ready response to the late June flooding, Maiurano said. The departments worked together to manage the storm, and to effect repairs afterward.
“We have a high quality of department heads, and those who work for them have a sense of belonging and pride in their everyday job,” Maiurano said.
This cooperation is necessary at all levels in order to help the city prosper. “An effective program of intergovernmental cooperation,” is another of the city’s goals, as laid out in the mission statement. Again, Maiurano thinks the city is doing this well. This year the mayor has worked with area politicians to get money to replace three police vehicles. In addition, the City of Norwich was able to get an extra $200,000 a year in state aid.
“I can see progress through intergovernmental cooperation. We are better off than we were two years ago,” Maiurano said.
“We have to plant the seeds now and see what grows,” Maiurano said. One area in which the mayor wants to see growth is with businesses. “If you plant the seeds, a variety of businesses will come in.” When Tops closed, city leaders were adamant about finding a business to take its place. Maiurano said he and other city officials were on the phone constantly attempting to make the necessary connections.
Maiurano said he feels the problem does not lie with bringing the businesses in to Norwich, but with making them stay. The community needs to support the local businesses even if it costs a little more, he said.
“If we can support them, it will bring revenue into the city and curtail tax increases.”
According to the mayor, the Common Council is working together to solve the problems that plague the City of Norwich, but some things do take time.
“There are times when the city’s hands are tied, but when there is a problem, we confront it, and look at how it can be solved,” he said.