Communication A Top Priority for Waite Park's New Mayor

WAITE PARK (WJON News) -- Waite Park's new mayor has been busy getting ready for his new job.

Ken Schmitt says he's been meeting with department heads and the city administration.

I sat down with them before the election to get their ideas. Now it's a matter of sitting down again with each one of them. Go through and put ideas together. I also want to meet their staff. I want to get to know everybody employed in Waite Park.

Schmitt says he's also been having one-on-one meetings with the city council members, and the current mayor.

He says his top priority is better community awareness.

We are starting a program to make more awareness in the city with the citizens on an e-mail alert system. We will also have a monthly e-mail newsletter and do some highlights on the wonderful amenities we have in our city.

Schmitt says the systems are in place and those items should be ready to roll out here in the first quarter of the year. He also wants to form a focus group to discuss marketing and future development of Waite Park.

Schmitt says he's been semi-retired for the past couple of years, and at the end of March he will be fully retired, which will allow him to focus more on his role as mayor.