State of the City, complete speech

One thing I truly believe is critical, is that a safe community is great for business and improves the quality of life for our residents. The policy of past councils to set public safety as a priority will continue for 2011. The City Council understands the importance of public safety and the benefits it brings to the City's economic strength and quality of life. Our city's public safety departments have been outstanding in providing service to the community.

Let me share some recent information. Cucamonga ranked 56th among the top 400 safest cities with a population over 75,000 in the United States. This ranking represents a significant achievement. The low crime rate the City enjoys is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of the police department and its positive interaction with the community.

As a result, overall crime was down 3 percent despite a modest growth in population from 2008 to 2009. And according to the U.S. Department of Justice our City has one of the lowest crime counts per 1,000 people in the Inland Empire.

Over the next year we will be expanding our crime-free programs and adding a Crime-Free Hotel/Motel Program. The City's recent growth of hotels in the community has created a demand for this service and we are eager to partner with these businesses to ensure their continued success.

We also continue to improve our fire services. Just this past year we transitioned our fire and emergency dispatch system to CONFIRE in Rialto who provides regional services to 13 agencies. In doing so we also implemented an Emergency Medical Dispatch System. This service will ensure that the appropriate resources are being dispatched to emergencies. Additionally, the move to CONFIRE has brought enhanced GPS technology for fire apparatus. Dispatchers now know the exact location of available units so that the closest response unit can be sent to the call, thus improving response times.

Later this year, you will see the new Hellman Fire Station 177 become operational. Through a successful partnership with the County of San Bernardino, and extensive citizen input, this station will provide vital services to our community. This fire station will open without need for additional personnel or equipment. We will be reallocating existing personal and equipment to achieve improved services in the northwest part of the city.

As an added benefit to the surrounding property owners, city staff is also processing a new flood zone map that removes both the fire station property and properties adjacent to the fire station from a long-standing flood zone designation.

So what does that mean for private homeowners? It can mean lower insurance premiums!

Let me change topics now. One thing that sets Rancho Cucamonga apart from other communities is the ongoing investment it makes in itself. The results are visible. The city's neighborhoods have grown through a series of planned developments highlighted by quality construction, recreation, and leisure open space. This has been by design beginning with our city's General Plan.

Just last year we approved an update to the City's General Plan with extensive community input. This plan will guide us for the next 10 to 15 years. Our update includes elements that have been identified to be important by our residents. For example, economic development, parks and recreation, community design, historic resources, and community resources. All this has been included with an overlying theme of healthy communities, based on sustainability and planning for healthy lifestyles.

The city's infrastructure also continues to be improved and modernized. Our latest infrastructure project along Foothill Boulevard broke ground late last year and is currently under construction. The project will widen the boulevard; provide a new pedestrian bridge; a median island; and sidewalks from Grove Avenue to Vineyard Avenue. These much needed improvements will improve traffic flow and safety.

As part of the Foothill Boulevard Improvement Project, we will also be developing a trailhead connecting this historic route to the Pacific Electric Trail. Trailhead will include parking, and various Route 66 markers including an original piece of the Route 66 road and a portion of the old bridge that was removed. Once the improvements are done the PE Trail will be completely open from our western city limit to our eastern city limit extending just over seven miles. The Pacific Electric Trail is a great amenity in our community and I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the outstanding partnership we have with the Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail that contributed to this projects success.

The trail will provide recreational opportunities for cyclists, pedestrians, runners, and equestrians. It is our vision that the trail is not only used for exercise and leisure, but we hope that residents and visitors will also use the trail as an alternative means of transportation to access their jobs, public facilities, shopping, and dinning.

In fact, words can't describe how great this portion of Foothill and the new trailhead will look.

Let me set-up the video you are about to see.

The video simulation begins westbound on Foothill and then travels eastbound on Foothill under the bridge. Followed by loop into the Route 66 Trailhead and then on to the PE Trail.

I hope you enjoy it. ... Play the video.

(Cut to video.)

What a great project!

Another great example of an infrastructure project that is helping our economy is the Hellman Avenue street improvement project. The current phase of this on-going effort includes a new storm drain; widening of the street at Arrow Route and Hellman Avenue; and the installation of sidewalks, street lights, and a traffic signal. The completion of the Hellman Avenue Storm Drain project will alleviate the flooding conditions that have existed in this area of the City for years. The new storm drain will provide a safer environment for those who live, travel and do business along Hellman Avenue.

Let me take a quick minute to extend a sincere thank you to the residents, businesses and commuters along Hellman Ave. for their patience and cooperation during construction of this project.

One other project I would like to highlight is our Wilson Avenue Improvement Project in the northeast area of the City. Later this summer we will begin improvements on Wilson from East Avenue to Wardman Bullock Road. The project will improve the street, providing one lane of travel each way, and will include a sidewalk on the south side of the street. This street project will provide improved access to the northeast section of the city and will improve traffic flow and emergency response times.

These are just a few of the infrastructure projects that are either under construction or planned for the future. These projects not only benefit the community, but they also help stimulate our local economy and create jobs right now. This is just the type of jumpstart we need during a time when many businesses and families are being challenged due to the economy.

And speaking of jobs, this past October Rancho Cucamonga once again took the lead in facilitating the second annual Inland Empire West-End Job Fair. Approximately 3,000 job seekers lined up for an opportunity to meet with 120 local employers representing full and part-time positions. The five-hour event included plenty of time for attendees to talk with employers, fill out and submit applications and attend a variety of job search workshops presented by our own library staff.

In terms of jobs and the economy, I want you to know that we are doing everything we can to remove economic barriers and create an environment that will improve our local economy.

However, there are still many economic challenges we will need to over come. Like many organizations, we have also had to make changes in our services and programs. But our City has done a remarkable job so that our community's core services are not disturbed. And despite our cost saving measures and the tough economic times the city received a credit rating of AA from Standard & Poor's, the highest in our city's history.

Nevertheless, we are beginning to see progress. Some housing developers are beginning to inquire about land and City entitlement processes, our sales tax numbers are beginning to improve slightly and our overall unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in months. Even though we still face an unacceptable 9.2 percent unemployment rate, we are fortunate that Rancho Cucamonga is faring much better than the state, the county, and other surrounding communities.

There is no doubt in my mind that these positive economic signs are -- in part -- due to the city's efforts and the partnerships that we have established with other organizations including our own chamber of commerce. Many of you in this room have been vital contributors to our success and economic well being, and because of that businesses continue to locate in Rancho Cucamonga.

The City has worked hard to attract and retain businesses. For example, let me tell you about one local business and the successful efforts that helped keep it here in Rancho Cucamonga. We were informed in September that SpectraSensors was considering moving its facility out of Rancho Cucamonga, and possibly out of state. SpectraSensors is a technology spin-off of JPL in Pasadena. The company's laser technology has been adapted for the oil and gas industry and has been tremendously successful.
 
When we learned that the company was considering relocating elsewhere due to a combination of economic and facility challenges, Redevelopment Agency staff members met with representatives of SpectraSensors to discuss its business plans, and were able to identify an opportunity to assist the company to ensure that it remained in Rancho Cucamonga. Agency staff worked with one of our resource partners -- the County of San Bernardino's Workforce Development Department -- to utilize available job training funds. SpectraSensors will receive approximately $44,000 in grant funding to implement the new training program. As a result of this effort and other non-financial assistance, SpectraSensors has signed a new five-year lease and will remain in Rancho Cucamonga and retain its 65 jobs.

This is exactly the type of company we want here in Rancho Cucamonga. SpectraSensors is not only a manufacturer, but a research and development company with a highly skilled workforce and well paying jobs. What a great company ... and there are many examples like this throughout our community.

Last year, we also saw Sharp Electronics Corporation relocate to Rancho Cucamonga from the Orange County area. Sharp Electronics moved into a 470,000-square-foot logistics center where it will distribute several lines of its business and consumer products.

It is anticipated that when the company's Rancho Cucamonga facility is fully operational it will provide up to 100 new employment opportunities for local residents.

Another success I want to tell you about is at the southeast corner of Base Line Road and Archibald Avenue. When the former anchor tenant, Albertsons, closed its doors it created a major setback for the tenants remaining in the center. The land owner, Packo Investments began working with Redevelopment Agency staff to find a replacement tenant for the Albertsons space, as well as for other vacant in-line spaces. Late last year Packo and the 99 Ranch Market chain struck a deal to take over the approximate 44,000-square foot supermarket location. The 99 Ranch Market retailer opened last year with great success and has stimulated other opportunities for growth within the center.

Now, put on your boots and hang on to your hats because we have some exciting information for all you country/western fans. The country-western star Toby Keith will soon bring his restaurant concept -- Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill -- to Victoria Gardens this Spring. The restaurant will be the first one in California.

Its location within the Victoria Gardens life style center will compliment existing retailers and restaurants. The restaurant will also provide approximately 150-200 employment opportunities for local residents.

So, as you can see there are many companies that have invested and re-invested in Rancho Cucamonga, and we feel confident that these investments will pay handsome dividends as we continue to grow our local economy.

Last year, we also highlighted our Healthy Rancho Cucamonga Initiative or "Healthy RC" for short. Healthy RC embraces the idea of living a healthy lifestyle through lifelong learning, active living, and environmental sustainability. To put it simply, Healthy RC encourages a healthy mind, body and earth.

Our goal is to make it easier for our residents and the employees of our local businesses to make choices that will improve their health and well-being. This approach brings together both new and existing efforts with the goal of improving the quality of life in our community. Through the Healthy RC initiative, a number of significant accomplishments have been realized.

For example, through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Grant of $360,000 we have been able to create policies and support programs that have increased opportunities for physical activity and access to healthy, affordable food. Additionally, our Planning Department is researching land use ordinances that will help promote community gardens throughout the city. If fact, these efforts are well on there way. You may have read recently of Dee Matreyek who is working on a community garden at Foothill and Day Creek, and the Lewis Group of Companies recently opened a community garden for their tenants in Homecoming at Terra Vista, and two Redevelopment Agency senior housing projects, offer community gardens for their residents as well.
 
So, as you can see we are making a concerted effort to promote a healthier way of living.

As part of our Healthy RC initiative we continue to promote the use of alternative fuels in the city's vehicle replacement program, 5 hybrid vehicles and 1 CNG sedan were purchased and received during the past year. We currently have 29 electric hybrid vehicles in our fleet in addition to 10 CNG vehicles. And this Spring we will be receiving one completely electric vehicle, the all new zero emissions Nissan Leaf.

We have also installed 10 new bike lockers at the Metrolink Station. These new, self-serve bike lockers provide citizens with a secure storage area and protect their bikes from the elements.

Our Building and Safety Department received $52,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide an Energy Efficiency Reimbursement program that assisted over 110 Rancho Cucamonga residents with the replacement and installation of energy efficient appliances.

Phase II of our recycled water project is also well underway and is ready to come on line. Ten parkways and median islands and two parks have now been connected.
 
Now, let me talk about some of our educational and recreational activities.

Our libraries continued to be very popular in 2010. This past year, over 660,000 people visited the Archibald and Biane libraries, and checked out over 1.22 million books, DVDs, CDs and magazines. This is a 14% increase over last year.

Additionally, more than 100,000 people used a library computer or the Library's Wi-Fi network, and 35,000 children attended a library program.

Today, approximately 200,000 library cards have been issued which give our patrons access to more than 275,000 books and magazines.

Our library also applied for and received over $200,000 in grant funding to help provide educational programs and services for our popular programs.

Lastly, our partnership with the Friends of the Library has been invaluable. The Friends of the Library volunteers accounted for 8,500 hours of volunteer time for sorting, staffing and managing the Friends Bookstore at both libraries. Open seven days a week, the Friends Store raised over $120,000 for the Library in 2010.

They made their biggest single donation this past December by giving the city a check for $50,000.

Our recreation programs also set us apart from many communities in the Inland Empire.

Since opening the doors in May 2005, annual visits to the James L. Brulte Senior Center have grown from 185,000 to an impressive 260,000. The reason for this growth is due in part to the beautiful facility that the seniors are proud to gather at, and also because of the multitude of activities and classes that can be enjoyed each day.

Our Cultural and Performing Arts Programs have also had wonderful participation. The Lewis Family Playhouse at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center completed its fourth season with rave reviews, thanks to such well known artists as The Pointer Sisters, Ed Asner, Judy Collins and Air Supply, and nine excellent theater productions that offered everything from dramatic productions such as The Crucible and Proof, to family fare including Cinderella and Treasure Island, to popular Broadway-style musicals such as Grease and Rent. More than 10,000 people attended these live theater performances.

We also have an incredibly active sports program. During this past summer the R.C. Family Sports Center hosted an eight-week Summer Sports Camp for children ages 5-12.

And our Pee Wee Sports had almost 26,000 children participating in the various sports activities. As you can see our parks and facilities are utilized year round.

Also, I am proud to say; this past year we received a $3.9 million dollar grant to build a park in southwest Cucamonga. The much needed park was designed with extensive community input and will be enjoyed by all.

To date we have received over $4.5 million dollars in grants to provide important programs and services in the community. It was the Councils vision to compete for these funds, but it has been the talent and hard work of our city staff that has lead us to be successful in obtaining these grants.

And finally our Animal Care and Services Department has done a great job during these economic times. In fact, despite an increase in intakes, our efforts have led to a 21percent increase in adoptions when many other animal service organizations have seen a decrease in adoptions.

Additionally, this past October we hosted the First Annual Furry Friends Festival and Pet Walk-a-Thon. There were nearly 750 people and their pets in attendance and more than $7,000 was raised to support the Animal Center's medical rehabilitation program for homeless animals.

These fund-raising efforts have assisted in implementing new animal care programs such as our expanded veterinarian services. We have acquired additional surgical instruments and added the ability to perform orthopedic surgeries, which we were not capable of doing in the past.

In closing, I'd like to say that I am proud of all the accomplishments we have made this past year. Rancho Cucamonga is fortunate to have interested business leaders and residents that work together to solve our city's issues.

Our creativity and resilience continues to be tested, but we also know that these tough economic times will not last forever. And regardless of what is occurring at a national and state level, we have built a vibrant community with great schools, an excellent infrastructure and quality projects that will endure this economic downturn.

Therefore, we will continue working toward our goals and accomplish as many as we can with the resources that we have.

The future is bright for Rancho Cucamonga!

Thank you all for your attention, your hard work, and support.

May God bless you, and our great city.