Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 9

135 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9 the water, earn their livelihoods on the water. Those of us who don’t, spend our free time in those water systems. We’ve got it all, fishing, hunting, and crabbing.” Welborn mentions there are also lots of water- and land-based recreation opportunities. Many of the larger parks have basketball and tennis courts as well as softball diamonds. Looking ahead three years, Slidell will continue automating city departments, making it easier for residents to access help. Welborn would like to upgrade the internal system so requests can be tracked. He shares, “It’s my priority to finish the Tammany Trace Bike Trail, so the last three and a half miles extend into Heritage Park. I want citizens riding their bikes for 31 uninterrupted miles across the parish.” Mayor Cromer wants to see the fiber ring installed, the incubator full of start-ups, and the city working with Amazon. But his biggest intention involves the community. He emphasizes, “The perception others have of Slidell originates from us. How we perceive ourselves is how the rest of the world will perceive us. We’re changing that into a positive perception. Each day we come into this office; we’re changing the way we do business. We’re open to business, we welcome it, and we’re ready to go toe-to-toe with anybody in the world.” BURK-KLEINPETER, INC. is a full service firm providing professional engineering and planning services to clients throughout the Southeastern United States. Whether it’s a comprehensive plan for a community or the design of an interchange, we share our client’s vision for sustainable, cost effective, long-term solutions to their design needs. www.bkiusa.com (504)486-5901 SL IDELL , LOUI S I ANA Mayor Cromer isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty!