LANCASTER, Pa. — Lancaster City’s various initiatives were on full display at the Ware Center Thursday night, ahead of the sixth annual State of the City address.
"It informs how the city conducts business and how we’re able to design and implement programs and policies that meet our residents' needs," said Brynn McGowan, the City's community development administrator.
McGowan and other department officials met with members of the community to get feedback on ways to make the city healthier. They plan to launch a health and wellbeing assessment this year.
"We get a lot of feedback about affordable housing and investing in the southeast and southwest of the city," she said. "To make the city a better place to live for everybody and to divert our resources in those areas."
The assessment is one of the numerous projects highlighted in Mayor Danene Sorace's address. Many of them come from Lancaster's Comprehensive Plan passed last year, the first in three decades.
"We’re on the map, friends," Mayor Sorace said.
This includes the Conestoga River Reimagined, Vision Zero, and various housing projects that are largely funded by grants.
"Our grants under management now total more than $63 million," Mayor Sorace said. "[That's] up 66% from last December and 125% from July 2022."
Mayor Sorace also highlighted last year’s improvements in several arenas, from broadband access to public safety.
"I’m grateful that Lancaster continues to see less violence than surrounding cities in Pennsylvania, and when we do, we find the perpetrators," she said.
Of course, success came alongside sacrifices in 2023.
The city eliminated its mounted police unit as well as Lancaster Fire Station No. 6. It also canceled the Red Rose New Year’s Eve drop to “strategically allocate limited resources.”
Overall, many community members and city workers feel confident about the future of the Red Rose City.
"The state of Lancaster is very strong, we’re a thriving and vibrant community," McGowan said. "We have a great opportunity to build from that, and to strengthen and come together as residents."