Hats off to Alpena City Manager Greg Sundin for another excellent “State of the City” report.

The 18-page report can be found on the city’s website and we would encourage residents to review it.

There is a lot of talk about transparency in government these days, but Sundin, during his tenure as city manager, has been a leader in that area. He has attempted to keep city residents updated about city issues every year through the annual report. In our estimation, he has done a good job with being both transparent and informative.

And Sundin is not afraid to be honest with his assessment.

“Though at times I grapple with the decisions we make and the actions I and staff recommend to Council, in the end I am confident that the heading we have charted for our City will make it stronger and a better place for each of us to live, work and play,” he writes.

His address then updates residents on the status of several projects, highlights accomplishments, and looks to the future with others.

He closes by reminding residents there remains a lot of work ahead.

“Alpena has so many more summits to climb and we are blessed that when we do reach the top of one, there is always another to challenge us,” he says. “This is what keeps us alive and vibrant and what will spur us on to ever greater endeavors.

“There will always be obstacles and detours in our road to better ourselves, but I have yet to see one that we have not been able to eventually overcome. As long as we strive and never rest on our laurels the future will be bright for our Sanctuary of the Great Lakes.”

Sundin’s assessment is something we wish other public leaders would emulate.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)