City Manager's Monthly Message
March 2008
OUR REACH IS EXPANDING
My first two years living in and working for the City of Derby have been enlightening. One thing I have learned is that besides Wichita, Derby is the largest city around this area…a little bigger than Newton and twice the size of Winfield, Arkansas City, El Dorado, and Haysville.
The other thing I’ve learned is that nobody knows that. Many people in Derby don’t know of our size (pop. 21,101), and many people around the state do not either.
Perhaps our proximity to Wichita overshadows us or maybe our past 25 years of strong, steady housing growth is just so recent that people are unaware of the bright green jewel that is Derby. And since we don’t have a major highway going through the city, many Kansans don’t naturally get an update on the city as they drive through the state.
Our recent recognition by Family Circle magazine as one of the top ten Best Towns for Families and by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 50 Best Places to Retire has helped get the word out about Derby. People around the region and the state are starting to take notice.
In addition to this national recognition, I am pleased to say that your city leaders are not only engaged in providing good services to the Derby community but also are active in regional and statewide efforts to improve Kansas communities, which of course brings more benefits to Derby.
Judy Bennett, our Library Director, serves as the 2008 vice-chair of the South Central Kansas Library System (SCKLS) Executive Committee. The Derby library benefits from its membership in SCKLS, and so it is an honor and a benefit to Derby for Judy to serve as a leader in it as well.
Fire Chief Brad Smith represents a district comprising eleven counties at the Kansas Association of Fire Chiefs and is president of the Sedgwick County Fire Chiefs Association. Since Derby’s fire department is still striving to catch up with the city’s growth, relationships with other departments is critical for us.
Police Chief Jay Reyes is vice president of the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police. Our city’s Human Resources Manager, Jenny Thrush, is president-elect of the Kansas chapter of the International Public Management Association-Human Resources (IPMA-HR). The city’s growth affects the police department and human resources probably more than most other areas, so the leadership of these two individuals has helped us keep up with evolving policies and procedures used around the state.
Economic Development Director Allison Moeding serves as president of the South Central Kansas Economic Development District, and Pat Swaney was recently named the State Firefighter of the Year. What an honor for the Derby community.
Our Director of Public Works and Parks, Robert Mendoza, is actively involved in Visioneering Wichita’s regional efforts to enhance parks and recreation, which is critical not only to the health of area residents but also to the economic future of the region as more people select where they want to live based on the recreational amenities available.
Also, City Engineer Dan Squires actively participates in regional efforts to improve highways, railroad crossings, bike paths, and other forms of transportation. Finance Director Jean Epperson serves on the board of the Kansas Government Finance Officers Association too.
It is hard not to be proud of and thankful for the staff at the City of Derby. Many more than those mentioned are dedicated professionals with strong work ethics and love for their city. The work they do every day improves the quality of life in Derby.
Involvement in professional associations and statewide networks helps us think through how and why we do things the way we do in Derby. Learning through our peers around the state strengthens the quality of our ordinances, policies, and procedures. We get new ideas from other cities and shorten our learning curve on issues new to us but common in other cities.
And, our involvement helps spread the good word about Derby so more Kansans will know about our vibrant neighborhoods, our strong business community, and our beautiful green spaces.
Questions or comments? Please email webmaster@derbyweb.com.
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