HomeMy WebLinkAboutNewsletter City_July 2017Mayor’s Message
M AR K YO U R
C AL E N D AR
J U L Y 2 0 1 7
City Council Meeting
July 5th & 19th @ 6:30
pm in the council
chambers
Main Street Mile and
Parade July 4th
Thor’s Mud Run July
8th
Events/shows at the
Romance
Happy Independence Day to all of us! I love this time of year… the parades, get-togethers with family and
friends, the fireworks displays … all in honor of this wonderful country that we live in. I hope we all, even after
the celebrations are over, take a minute to think about how blessed we are to live in the United States of
America. Sure we have our problems and issues that we disagree on but that is, and always has been the case
in a free society and I am optimistic that we can work through those by respecting each other’s opinions and
working from common ground.
Many of your City Council and City Staff recently attended the Association of Idaho Cities annual conference.
We attend seminars to learn about any new laws and regulations that affect cities, best practices in how to
perform our job duties and many other topics. The most valuable part of the conference for me is networking
with other city officials to learn about good ideas they have that we might be able to implement right here in
Rexburg to make our town an even better place to live, work and play.
I attended an extra session Friday and Saturday sponsored by the Blue Cross Foundation that dealt specifically
with the epidemic of obesity in our society amongst both adults and children. According to research from the
Centers for Disease Control, the number of people in Idaho who are 30 lbs. or more overweight has risen from
less than 10% in 1985 to almost 30% in 2014. If this trend continues, by 2030 42% of American adults will be
considered obese. This of course, leads to so many other maladies…diabetes, heart disease and many others.
Also according to this research, obesity is now the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in our country and
Americans spend an estimated $147 BILLION annually on obesity related healthcare expenditures. One concept
I learned that I really liked is “Health does not happen in the Doctor’s office, it happens where we live, learn,
work and play.” Blue Cross has done additional research that shows a definite correlation between healthier
populations and healthier economies. I quote “Healthier areas tend to have faster job growth, population
growth and income growth compared with areas with similar demographics within the same state.” They show
that healthier areas of different states have higher income per capita and lower unemployment than less
healthy areas. It really is common sense. If we are healthy, we miss less work and feel better at work, thereby
improving our performance and making us more valuable to an Employer.
The GOOD news is the trend lines in the last 2 years seem to be flattening out instead of climbing as steeply as
they were. The GREAT news is that this epidemic is entirely within our control. I was inspired by the things I
learned there to make some changes in my own life. I’ll have to admit, I could drop a few lbs. myself and not
blow away in the wind, so I’ve committed to be more careful with what I consume and I promise, you will see
me out walking around town more. My wife, Marianne and I have already started an early morning walking
program around Porter Park and other streets around town. I challenge each of you to take a look at your situ-
ation and likewise commit to being a healthier person in 2017.
Besides being one of the “Safest Cities in America”, let’s strive to be one of the “Healthiest Cities in America” as
well! Enjoy your fantastic Barbecue on the 4th….maybe a little more salad, a little less dessert… but still have
some, and I’ll see you out walking between 6:30 and 7:30 in the mornings or maybe on a nice Sunday after-
noon stroll to visit with neighbors. Let’s enjoy our beautiful summer and GET HEALTHY!!
Best to each of you, Mayor Jerry Merrill
35 N 1st E Rexburg, Idaho 83440
208.359.3020 / fax 208.359.3022
customerservices@rexburg.org
Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:30pm
Friday 7:30am –12:30pm
Rexburg Races:
Main St. Mile-July 4th
Thor’s Mud Run-July 8th—$25 registration fee with
shirt and finisher prize included
Sign up at www.RexburgRaces.com
Now Open
Construction is beginning on a water project to re-
place water lines in various locations throughout the
city. Residents directly affected by the work will be
given prior notice as the work progresses. Streets
where construction is taking place will remain open to
local traffic to the extent possible. Prior notice will be
given for planned water outages. Streets where con-
struction will be taking place include: Center Street, LID
47 sections of 5th W, 4th West to 1st North, 2nd West 1st N to 2nd
North, #rd N to bridge, 2nd N sidewalk, 3rd South sidewalk,
Ricks Ave. chip seal project includes s 1st e, West 4th South from
s 4th w to s 1st w. south 3rd West, East 1st N, Jet Stream Drive.
For project specific questions or concerns, contact Dee
Dee Tucker at City Hall, 208-372-2337.
July 12th - Shannon Packer & Guest - Fiddle, Folk & Classical-
@ Tabernacle 7 pm
July 19th - Diane Burt - Classical Jazz - @ Tabernacle Civic Cen-
ter 7 pm
July 26th - Ferguson Music - @ Tabernacle Civic Center 7 pm