It’s time to get creative about city’s development possibilities

          With a new city council term about to begin and three new members joining, we have high hopes for the coming year.

          The previous council composition, for whatever reason, often didn’t click. We are hoping that with the addition of Councilmembers Andrea Karpinski, Abu Musa and Titus Walters there will be greater harmony.

          If we could add our two cents’ worth, we recommend the council focus on two objectives in the coming year: Follow closely what Emergency Financial Manager Cathy Square is about to do in re-organizing the city administration.

          As she starts off the second six months of her one-year employment contract, Square said she will be focusing on how city hall is structured and on setting up appropriate financial guidelines.

          When Square leaves come the end of June, it will up to city officials to follow the new structure.

          We also recommend the council to take on increasing economic development. Hamtramck desperately needs an injection of business development. There are a lot of creative folks in the metro area trying to reinvent the economic wheel.

          There has been tremendous success in Detroit’s midtown area, and we urge the council to study what has happened there and how that model can be adopted in Hamtramck.

          This means rolling up their collective sleeves. There may not be an immediate payoff but we’re sure down the road Hamtramck will benefit from this work.

          Perhaps this is why the previous council seemed to founder: There was never any goal setting.

          No matter how much reshuffling happens in city hall, Hamtramck will not survive unless we attract economic development.

          This also applies to Hamtramck’s commercial landlords who seem oddly complacent with allowing their properties to remain vacant. It would be nice to see some of these property owners get on board with some innovative approaches, such as allowing temporary business pop-ups to flourish.

          Jos. Campau could become an inspiring breeding ground for new business models.

          It’s time, folks, to get creative and inspired.

          No matter what, we wish this new city council success.