Welcome to Gary, MN

MISSION STATEMENT

The City of Gary promotes the assets and opportunities available in Gary, encouraging continual improvement of quality of life and quality of place throughout, and for, the current and future generations of the city.

 

VISION STATEMENT

The City of Gary will develop short-term and long-term strategies that promote quality of life and quality of place. Strategies will capitalize on positive community and organizational partnerships and will support ongoing improvement and promotion of youth and family development, businesses, natural resources, parks, recreation, education, housing, infrastructure, community services for all ages, and business development.

 

VALUES STATEMENT

Community involvement: The City of Gary values its positive, interactive relationship with citizens, government boards, businesses, schools, alumni, rural residents, and townships who invest in the community. It will continually involve the community to formulate and implement projects. It will create opportunities for the above-named groups and individuals to donate time, talent, and treasure that positively affect the financial, recreational, educational, and overall wellness and expansion of opportunities in Gary and the surrounding community.

 

QUALITY OF LIFE

The City of Gary will preserve community features which contribute to Gary’s quality of life. It will preserve the natural and cultural features such as prime agricultural land, valuable woodlands, forest, and other valuable natural resources including the Gary Pines, while encouraging public and private partnerships designed to improve and upgrade the physical attractiveness of the city.

 

QUALITY OF PLACE - Includes, but is not limited to:

QUALITY HOUSING:

The City of Gary will study and understand existing and act on projected housing needs of Gary citizens. It will inform citizens with existing local housing issues and opportunities. It will engage, communicate, and support the community and citizens with existing local housing opportunities, work to provide a variety of choices for residential housing, and partner with other entities to create opportunities for a range of housing types including single and multi-family units.

 

COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

The City of Gary will plan for and provide quality community facilities and services to effectively meet municipal, social, educational and other serve needs of citizens and businesses in an efficient manner. It will identify infrastructure repair/replacement needs and pursue funding to make necessary repairs or replacements. It will encourage public and private cooperation in planning for and financing community facilities.

 

NAURAL RESOURCES

The City of Gary will protect and enhance environmentally sensitive natural resource areas in order to maintain their ecological integrity and/or to promote public health and safety, including the Gary Pines.

 

OPEN SPACES

The City of Gary will work with the community, surrounding communities, and government organizations to provide recreation opportunities, programs, and facilities for the city’s existing and future residents of all age groups. It will encourage the long-term use, maintenance, and improvement of existing recreational facilities including city parks, woodland trails, indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, rivers, snowmobile trails, the Agassiz Recreational Trail, the Gary Pines and will encourage future projects.

 

RECREATION

The City of Gary will provide suitable recreation opportunities, land, programs and facilities to service the town’s existing and future residents of all ages with a special focus on projects that promote generational family welfare and gathering. It will encourage the long-term use, maintenance, and improvement of existing recreational facilities including, but not limited to, City Park, The Gary Pines, Elwood E. Narum Recreational Park, the Agassiz Recreational Trail and the Gary School Playground.

​

LAND USE

The City of Gary will promote balanced development that is complementary to and maintains the city’s existing small-town Minnesota character and adequately reflects the needs of the changing population. It will maintain the appropriate mix of business, commercial and residential uses; promote a variety of residential development opportunities throughout the town; and encourage opportunities for business growth.

 

TRANSPORTATION

The City of Gary will participate in the planning of, and locating funding for, projects in partnership with organizations and local, county, and state governments to provide and maintain a transportation system which allows for efficient movement of people and goods. It will work to help provide adequate motorized and pedestrian access to places of employment, residential areas, commercial areas, and recreational opportunities.