If the recent city financial crisis has taught residents of this island anything, it’s that it’s not wise to put one’s revenue eggs in a couple of baskets. As our former city manager said on his way out the door, a city budget that relies heavily on development fees and property taxes is no fun when development slows and home prices tumble.

With the sting of recent staff and service cuts still prickling, it’s a good time to think about diversifying our economic base and rethink the prevailing paradigms.

It’s a good time to think about our downtown harbor and its potential to attract revenue and interest. The city’s Harbor Commission currently has five vacancies, and the timing couldn’t be nicer: this is an unprecedented opportunity to bring new members in, and begin discussions about everything from new uses for the public dock to creating a port district.

If there was ever a time for creative thinking, this is it. Applications for positions are being accepted until April 9 and information is available on the city’s Web site.

Kim Hendrickson

Douglas Drive