Priorities

Hastings must continue progress that is ongoing, including housing and infrastructure, and improve upon it. Let's appreciate the many things that we are doing well. We also need to identify our barriers to being better and problem solve those as a community. We can strengthen interlocal cooperation and public/private partnerships.

Budget issues are always difficult, but especially difficult in the face of a changing rural economy and less available federal and state funding. Matching available revenue resources to ever-expanding community expectations will require research and reasoned judgment. The community and the council will have to seriously consider who we are as a community and who we want to be. What services are essential? What are the city's priorities? Hastings can’t cut its way out of a budget problem. We must invest in ourselves.

One of Hastings’ greatest strengths is its enthusiastic support for entrepreneurship. We can build on this. We can focus on programming with local high schools, Hastings College, and Central Community College to stem “brain drain” from our community. Hastings can do a better job of branding our community to encourage talent that left Hastings to return and encourage those looking for a rural lifestyle to consider Hastings. A city-led, child care task force could improve access to quality, affordable child care in our community.