Nisswa City Council members and department heads alike agreed that an open discussion held Wednesday, Feb. 11, was productive and such meetings would be beneficial to have somewhat regularly.
Mayor Harold Kraus scheduled the workshop because he'd heard around the community "that there were problems in good ol' Nisswa," including a lack of leadership, organizational issues and "pretty much everyone for themselves," he said.
"We must work in unison and as a team with a plan," Kraus said.
Kraus cited as an example the Friends of Nisswa Lake Park organization. The group started out strong, then a Nisswa Lake Park Steering Committee was formed but there was a lack of organization. After that committee appointed co-chairs and other officers, it became organized.
"They got together and they made a plan and they started to work their plan," Kraus said. "You can see how far they've moved ahead in the past three to four months and I commend them for that.
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"That's one of the things that I feel we should be more cognizant of here," he said.
"The council needs to understand their position with staff. Staff needs to understand the council's position. The best way to do that is if there's any questions, we address the questions," Kraus said.
Sitting around a table, the group then took turns with each person speaking and bringing up anything he or she wanted to talk about. Topics were broad and included upcoming city issues and needs. No action was taken on any items. Council member Fred Heidmann was absent.
Police Chief Craig Taylor earned applause from those around the table for his comments.
"How things are going to work is based on trust, and I think I can pretty honestly say I trust everyone in the room," he said. "And I hope everyone in the room can trust me."
In closing, Kraus shared a favorite saying: "Everyone counts, or no one counts."
