A 7.7 percent decline in the county’s population in recently released Census data was the subject of discussion during Monday’s Warren City Council meeting.

Council Vice-President John Wortman called the numbers “very concerning” and noted that the underlying losses “exacerbate issues” the area faces.

“We as a government agency must work now to try to mitigate this pattern from continuing,” he said. “Quite frankly, this is the most important issue before us.”

He added it’s a time where “not trying new ideas and policies is unacceptable.”

“(The) biggest, toughest and most effective way is through economic development,” Mayor Maurice Cashman added. “Creating jobs that are attractive.”

He said he has heard “time and time again” that it is difficult to recruit people to this area but noted it “doesn’t mean you should stop working at it.”

“We need world class broadband or internet access,” Councilman Gregory Fraser said.

Wortman speculated that the availability of internet in the city might be why the population fell at a higher rate county-wide than in the city.

Fraser said he’d like to see age group data on that gap.

“(I) think that would be useful information in developing policy,” he said. “One of the fundamentals has got to be internet access.”

Citing declines in birth rates and “people moving out for better opportunities,” Cashman said “it’s a difficult situation in a rural area… Those of us who live here love it. We wish more of them would.”

SERVICE RECOGNIZED

Council also recognized two individuals — Don Nelson and Donna Risinger — for service to the city.

Cashman said Nelson was elected chair of the city’s Planning Commission and served in that role until resigning earlier this year.

Nelson said it was his privilege to be able to serve. “(I) believe the city is on the brink of something great here,” he said. “Great things are going to happen in this community.”

Cashman said Risinger, the city’s finance officer, has been with the city for 26 years and will start pre-retirement leave on Aug. 31.

He called her a “great asset to the city.”

Risinger said with the retirement of former City Planner David Hildebrand, she realized she was the longest tenured employee.

“(I) really enjoyed my job here at the city,” she said. “(I) made lots of friends and met lots of people.”