Mayor Jeremy Stutsman, when recommending the creation of the new department, said: "For many years, Goshen has been a leading community, not because we have all the answers but because we are bold and have the foresight to take the long view. We now need to find additional ways to better our physical environment and make our budgets even more efficient."

A Snapshot of the Demographic and Economic Contributions of Immigrants in the Region

Matt Meersman spoke about the value of our water resources in the context of a changing climate. As residents of the Great Lakes watershed, we have access to one of the most abundant fresh-water resources in the world. Responsibility for and stewardship of this resource are likely to be increasingly important issues for the people of our region.