ST. CLOUD — This is the worst spring for potholes Dave Kleis has ever seen.
The longtime St. Cloud mayor, currently in his fifth term, is no stranger to the inundation of complaints from residents that come each spring as the cycle of snow melting and the water refreezing causes roads to crumble. But this year — St. Cloud had its second-snowiest season on record with 86.6 inches — is a doozy.
"Our folks plowed over 145,000 miles of roads this season. Last season, it was only 91,000," he said Tuesday to a few hundred people gathered at City Hall for his 18th annual State of the City address.
The speech has often been a time for Kleis to reflect on the previous year and unveil new citywide initiatives. This year, he emphasized engagement initiatives, including a partnership with St. Cloud State University to conduct a community survey this summer. Previous communitywide surveys were conducted in 2019, 2017 and 2012.
Kleis is also continuing to host his in-person weekly town halls — with his 920th town hall happening all day Thursday at City Hall.
The mayor also promised continued investment in projects that set the city apart from other midsize regional centers, such as first-of-its-kind innovations at the wastewater treatment plant and the transformative public safety ventures like the community outpost, also known as the COP House.
He's also prioritizing a new task force focused on revitalizing the downtown area.
Other announcements Tuesday included:
