State of the City Address
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The following is the transcript of the 2007 State of the City Address given by Mayor Larry Nelson on Wednesday, March 7, 2007
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11/4/2007Last Updated:
12/31/2007The following is the transcript of the 2007 State of the City Address given by Mayor Larry Nelson on Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good evening. It is a privilege and my pleasure to once again present the Yuma State of the City Address.
Let me begin by stating that the real strength of this community is the people that live, work, and support the community as a whole. In fact, a great example of this is the thousands of community members that recently contributed virtually thousands of hours of their time and talent to fundraise, promote and build a children’s park to memorialize a good man, and to help our children. The Stewart Vincent Wolfe Creative Playground at the West Wetlands stands today as a proud testimony to our community spirit and big heartedness. This park was built in ten days by people from all walks of life - from Arizona Department of Correction inmates, winter visitors, children and their parents, dedicated citizens from all walks of life, and the contractors that not only gave of their valuable time, but also of their equipment.
Let us not forget our own Parks Department, Policemen, Firemen, and our Public Affairs Department that were there before, during and after the construction.
This is the true spirit of Yuma.
For recreation purposes, the Yuma East Wetlands, a partnership project with the Quechan Indian Tribe, government agencies, and private landowners, has thus far cleared and restored 200 acres, including the excavation and planting of the 1.5 mile long south channel allowing our citizens to see the natural Colorado River for the first time in over 100 years. This is the only approved environmental restoration project on the Colorado River, and it is being watched by people all over the nation. Congress recently approved the transfer of lands between the City of Yuma and the Bureau of Reclamation that will now allow construction of the long awaited River Front Hotel and Conference Center this month.
In 2006, the City of Yuma continued to build the infrastructure needed to keep up with growth. Our people oversaw installation of several miles of major underground water transmission lines, and the start of construction on the 24 million gallon per day Agua Viva Water Treatment Plant. Water plants, operated by our Public Works Department, produced over nine billion gallons of high quality drinking water provided from the mighty Colorado River that flows through our pristine desert. The volume of potable water produced by the City of Yuma would fill Senator’s Wash four times. Thanks to the wisdom of the people that came before us, Yuma has some of the oldest and most envied water rights of any of the many communities that rely on the Colorado River for this resource. This river is our lifeblood, and we have and will continue to protect it and manage our rights to it in the future.
The roadways of Yuma have long been a concern by our community and the City. In this past year, significant progress has been made to reduce the congestion in major areas of the City. Avenue A design is now complete and just a few parcels of right-of-way are yet to be acquired. At the start of this project a few years ago, the right-of-way costs were far less than those of construction. It is now estimated that the right-of-way costs will exceed the construction costs of this 10 million dollar project. Twenty-Fourth Street from Avenue 6E to Avenue 9E will be under construction for most of this year, and it is estimated to be complete in early 2008. This is a 19 million dollar project that was moved up in the CIP schedule to accommodate the new high school presently under construction. This demonstrates the cooperation with the high school and college. Thirty-Second Street from Avenue A to Avenue B is 90% completed in the design stage. Design is also complete on Avenue 3E from Interstate 8 to 32nd Street. This is a joint project with the State of Arizona. The new roadway that provides access to the Gary Knox School, and the Catholic High School, 21st Drive, is now complete from 32nd Street to 24th Street. Main Street and the 1st Street area next to it are now nearly complete.
This was a major project since we were dealing with underground utilities that due to their age were not shown on any maps. Timing of the lights on 16th Street has had a significant positive impact on traffic flow in the area. The next target for light timing will be 4th Avenue. All of this will be helped by the new Wi-FI system that is currently under construction. Roadways are now and have been a major concern and focus for the council and staff. We will have a very progressive and planned CIP budget this year, with a continued goal of reducing traffic congestion in Yuma.
The talented and committed men and women of the Yuma Police and Fire Departments are at the forefront of training and knowledge in their fields. Our Police Department employees were recently recognized by the State of Arizona. Lusandra Harris was named Public Safety Communications Manager of the Year in Arizona, and Christian Segura, a Yuma Police Detective, was honored as Outstanding Child Abuse Investigator of the Year by the Arizona Children’s Justice Task Force.
The Police Department has responded to citizen’s requests and now has accident reports available on-line, reducing the amount of time customers need to wait to receive these important documents. In the coming year we will not be adding new policemen, but we will concentrate on filling the vacant positions for which there is a large national demand. Bringing our Police Department to the authorized staffing level will go a long way in reducing the crime rate in Yuma. Our Police Department has maintained close working relationships with all the law enforcement agencies in the area including the Border Patrol.
Recently our own Ronald Colburn, Chief of the Border Patrol Yuma Sector, was appointed Deputy Chief of the Border Patrol. We will all miss him, and wish Chief Colburn and his family the best that life has to offer. He richly blessed this community for the few short years that he called Yuma home.
Illegal immigration is a major concern, not only in our community, but throughout the nation. As a result, this past year President Bush, our federal delegation, and the state leadership, made a visit to Yuma and the border. Just a couple of weeks ago the Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, Chief of the Border Patrol, two US senators, and four congressmen, visited our area to see the progress of the National Guard on the border. The Guard is committed to continue this effort. There has been a reduction of 62% in apprehensions, and a 37% reduction in marijuana seizures since the deployment of the National Guard. Our Police Department has played a key role in working with Immigration Customs and Enforcement, known as (ICE), and the Border Patrol in shutting down numerous drop houses in the Yuma area.
In 2006, the Yuma Fire Department was once again accredited by the Commission on Public Safety Excellence. This is a rigorous process where an impartial third-party reviews our operations and makes a determination whether we meet their standards for quality and service. This rating results in lower cost fire insurance to the homeowner.
The Yuma Fire Department also trained its staff on the new and advanced cardiac life support protocols. These protocols are returning a heartbeat to those that have experienced cardiac arrest. These new CPR methods are saving lives of our family members and friends at a higher level than ever before. During the first months of our study, and our implementation of the new protocols, patients were more than three times as likely to survive a cardiac arrest in the City of Yuma as they were elsewhere in the state. The Yuma Fire Department was the first department to go live with the Regional Interoperable Communications System. We replaced our outdated and worn radios with ones that will be compatible with the regional wide system, which is due to begin operations later this year. In addition, we have upgraded our fleet of fire apparatus with more than a million dollars worth of new vehicles and equipment. This was made possible by the forward thinking that created Yuma's Equipment Replacement Fund. The City of Yuma has worked to support and respond to our neighbors during the past year. Our Fire Department responded to Imperial County and the Esperanza Fire in California.
We continue to respond to hazardous material spills throughout the county, including the recent response in Wellton. When asked, we have responded with mutual aid to Yuma County, Winterhaven and Somerton. We reached out internationally by holding a Bomberos Training Conference where firefighters from San Luis, Sonora and Mexicali came to Yuma to learn and network.
We are also preparing for the future and planning for growth. This year we will build a sixth fire station in the rapidly growing area of Avenue C and 32nd Street. The City Council has also acted to acquire a site for our seventh fire station on 32nd Street near Avenue 8E, in order to reduce response times in the eastern part of our City. We have begun a program that will take better care of our community in the event of a major catastrophe. This new program focuses on our special needs population. Those with special challenges can now register with the Yuma Fire Department. This will allow us to plan with more precision, and aid our special needs population rapidly if the need arises.
Our community and its patriotic residents supported the vital mission of the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. They have shown their support of our military by turning out in mass to encourage the Desert Talon and WTI programs that are unique to Yuma. These programs have saved the lives of our servicemen by allowing them to practice real situations inside of a city similar to where the current war on terror is occurring in the middle east. On many occasions, I have heard from the leadership of the Marine Corps, that in actual combat they had learned how to deal with situations from these exercises. It should also be noted that this brings a good deal of business to our hotels and restaurants. The majority of the participants in these exercises are from bases all over the nation and allies from other countries.
The Yuma Army Proving Ground is another tremendous asset to this community. It is ranked as the 6th most important facility in the US Army. The number of defense contractors that come to our community each year to test their products at YPG is constantly increasing. Many times they come and go unknown due to the secrecy of their product.
It is the premier hot weather testing facility in the Department of Defense for the munitions of all the services. All vehicles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s), and Precision Parachute Delivery to name a few that take place at YPG. It is also the home of the Army’s Advanced Free Fall School, and the winter home of the Golden Knights.
Yuma’s military assets are stronger than ever and growing because of the geography of Yuma area being so similar to that of the Middle East. Our residents can hold their heads high and proud, knowing that their support and cooperation with our military is saving servicemen’s lives and preserving our freedom. Both YPG and MCAS are poised for significant growth in the next few years.
In this past year, our staff guided us to the next level by working on 33 new subdivisions. In 2006, new homes, restaurants, stores, schools, and industry were built in Yuma.
This amounted to a record $380 million in value in this one year period. Today, when you’re looking for a good restaurant, there are many new family dining opportunities including Italian, Chinese, steak houses, burgers and more.
Many new hotels have been built in the past year. Currently, there are four hotels under construction, one hotel in plan review, and four new hotels anticipated. This building trend has been growing over the past few years, and we will see a continuation of this trend in the coming year. Last year, the majority of the construction was in commercial and industrial development. However, towards the end of this year, we should see an upward trend in the housing industry. As new jobs are filled that were created by this past year’s commercial and industrial construction, the need for housing will increase. After considering both Tucson and the Phoenix area, Johnson Controls, a Fortune 500 Company, came to Yuma. Johnson Controls brought an additional 120 manufacturing jobs to the community, and constructed a new 220,000 square foot automotive battery fill, packaging, and distribution plant.
Alsco, a long time business in Yuma, is moving toward relocating its industrial laundry and supply facility from downtown Yuma to the Ramster Industrial Park. Alsco’s new 61,000 square foot building carries an estimated capital investment of $9 million. Alsco will be consolidating its California operations into Yuma, creating 31 new full time jobs.
People and businesses are moving to Yuma because they recognize that our city is a special place, and one of the fastest growing communities in the nation. Yuma has the best weather anywhere, an incredible military presence, a multi-billion dollar farm economy, the Colorado River, lakes, recreation, and the open space of our pristine desert. People and businesses are moving here to escape the climate of the east coast, Midwest, Canada, and the costs of living in California. People, are Yuma’s strongest asset.
It is because of you, our residents, and the support you show for our community that Yuma was named the “number one boomtown” by Inc Magazine.
Also we were recognized as one of the 50 hottest cities for companies looking to expand or relocate their businesses by Expansion Management Magazine. Yuma was also ranked 2nd in the fastest job growth by metropolitan areas (msa) for non-farm payroll employees in August 2006.
Once again, our community is our strength. In 2007, Yuma is positioned for yet another year of incredible prosperity. With several major projects in development that will take our city to the next level. Because of you, Yuma is rapidly emerging as a highly desirable place to live, work, raise a family, open a business or retire. I ask you, my fellow Yumans, to not take our quality of life and prosperity for granted. Be an Ambassador for Yuma. Be proud when telling others of the greatness of your hometown. Brag a little. Yuma is the jewel of Southern Arizona. Our farmers help to feed a nation, our military defends freedom, our winter-visitors share their lives with us, and our children are our future.
Thank you and may God bless this great community, and God bless America.
