The words we just heard Josh Groban sing have never been truer than today. So let me repeat them so we all can hear.
"Some days we forget....
To look around us....
Some days we can't see
The joy that surrounds us.....
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give
So today we pray...
For what we still can't see...
It's up to us to be the change....
And even though we all can still do more....
There's so much to be thankful for."
These words ring true to me each and every day.
Ghandi, the great political and spiritual leader of India said, “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”
So now I ask each of you - what is that change?
I am so proud that we, together, have started at this State of the City, the tradition of donating a portion of the ticket proceeds to a worthy charity.
Thank you all for being willing to do that.
To have looked outside of ourselves...to serve others, to be the change.
I know that the government cannot solve every problem.
But today, I have hope.
I want to tell you about some citizens of North Las Vegas who have looked outside of themselves...
Stepped up and showed us the way to come together, to forget ourselves in the service of others, thereby bringing about a positive change.
In recent weeks, I came to know of a special young woman.
Her story began this past summer.
While vacationing in Laughlin, 10-year-old Rachel Dean was playing in a hotel pool.
She noticed a four-year-old girl enter the pool by herself and soon realized the child couldn't keep her head above the water.
Rachel, a Girl Scout, immediately swam to her rescue.
She saved a life.
Rachel recently became the first North Las Vegan to be granted the Girl Scouts Medal of Honor for her actions.
She is a North Las Vegan and her light shines brightly.
I'm honored to introduce her to you today.
Rachel, will you please stand?
... Thank You.
This past fall, the island of Samoa was hit by a destructive tsunami.
The Samoan community here in North Las Vegas quickly mobilized.
They raised money.
They collected food, medical supplies, clothes - 13,000 lbs worth of supplies to be exact.
Then, they personally followed the relief shipment to the island to ensure it reached the people.
They proved that our City has the capacity for greatness and for affecting change even in places a world away.
They proved that it would take more than a great tsunami to dampen our spirit.
I'd like to recognize the members of Samoa O Nevada.
Please stand:
Michael Tuitele
Sailini King
Maretta Tuitele
Rona-Kay Tuitele
Jay King
Dave Timoteo
Moana Thunken
Au Fonoimoana
And Runi Tafeaga.
... Thank you.
This past summer I read news accounts of a terrible traffic accident at the intersection of Craig Road and Decatur.
A woman had lost control of her motorcycle.
It flipped over and she was being crushed under its weight.
Krystal Griffin was heading east on Craig Road when this occurred.
She noticed traffic speeding by, no one coming to the woman's aid.
So she crossed six lanes of traffic to see if she could help.
Before she knew it, her 11-year-old son Chazz Blunt jumped out of the car and pulled the 700-pound motorcycle off the woman.
It was a moment of super-human strength for Chazz, a moment of kindness for Krystal and a great relief for the accident victim.
This was a moment in which three individuals found each other's light, as Josh Groban's song describes.
I'd like to recognize Chazz and his mother Krystal, who have joined us today. Please stand.
... THANK YOU.
And even today, our little City of North Las Vegas is touching our brothers and sisters in Haiti through Vision Airlines. A North Las Vegas based company, they are bringing supplies and relief to a world away. Thank you Vision Airlines for your great service and for representing our city well.
These good citizens, besides showing us the right course, have answered some important questions:
How do we create hope from despair?
How do we create joy from sadness?
How do we create light in the darkness?
How do we remember to be thankful and to spread gratitude among our fellow North Las Vegans?
I ask myself, "What can we, as Mayor and City Council do to be the change we wish to see?"
We can begin by identifying what needs to change.
We can begin by providing the leadership that you deserve.
We can begin by setting a vision for the future.
And we can begin by identifying opportunities for gratitude and joy.
As mayor, these past few months have been challenging.
But I am grateful to be part of a City Council that is willing to face these challenges head on.
I give my heartfelt thanks to:
Mayor Pro Tempore William Robinson,
Councilman Robert Eliason,
Councilwoman Anita Wood and
Councilman Richard Cherchio.
Each of you has shown tremendous strength and resolve during this economic crisis.
You have contributed to a shared vision and a set of goals we know will guide us to a more prosperous future.
And leading the charge toward making our vision a reality is our Acting City Manager Maryann Ustick.
Thank you Maryann and your talented team of administrators and staff for your dedication to North Las Vegas, providing quality services -- literally doing more with less.
Every department director has played a critical role in fortifying the city against the economic downturn.
The expertise of our Finance Department, Human Resources Department and suggestions from employees across the board have helped us avoid some of the more drastic measures other communities have had to take.
There's no doubt we have difficult decisions ahead.
Here is where Rachel's story is truly an inspiration.
Many of us feel like we're having trouble keeping our heads above water.
Just a few years ago, our property values were soaring, our employment was leading the nation; housing starts were leading the nation.
Our economy seemed invulnerable.
Now, North Las Vegas has one of the highest foreclosures rates in the nation.
And, our state's unemployment rate is among the highest in the nation.
Bankruptcies abound.
The facts of this economy have been grim, but they have not led to despair.
If anything, this turn of events has brought us together.
As we saw our housing markets tumble, we pulled together.
We received $8.6 million in federal funds that is being used for homebuyer assistance.
We will purchase abandoned and foreclosed homes.
Then, with the help of nonprofit partners, we will rehabilitate, resell or rent those properties.
Our North Las Vegas Housing and Neighborhood Services Office brought together community partners, banks, mortgage lenders and others to organize four foreclosure workshops - one in each ward.
More than 4,000 families participated in these workshops.
We were able to help more than 600 families with loan modifications.
We helped many other North Las Vegans with forbearances and time to work on lasting solutions to their ballooning mortgages.
We know people out there are still struggling. We know our work is not done.
Speaking of federal dollars, let me put in a plug here for the upcoming Census.
The Census will bring more than 4,000 jobs to Nevada, many in North Las Vegas.
We know that the Census is so important because most federal funding is allocated per capita, based on the Census headcount.
Every man, woman and child missed by the Census represents over $9,000 lost per person over the 10-year period.
Let's make sure we get our fair share.
North Las Vegas, in its own way, is mirroring our Samoan community in relief efforts closer to home.
Our Economic Development Department is working with local businesses -- reaching out beyond our City boundaries, beyond our state lines and beyond our country's borders -- to bring economic relief to North Las Vegas.
One of the best examples I can share with you is the story of the Apex/Kapex industrial area.
Over the past 18 months, Apex Industrial Park and other segments of this area have sought annexation to the City.
To date, about 11,500 acres have been annexed in the City of North Las Vegas – that's about 18 square-miles of industrial land.
The most exciting part of the annexation has been the recent designation of City View Business Park as a Foreign Trade Zone.
This designation will attract industrial and manufacturing businesses, assembly plants and major distribution centers.
These businesses will bring jobs.
The Foreign Trade Zone allows companies to import, produce and export merchandise without paying tariffs or enduring delays from U.S. Customs inspections.
Companies in the Foreign Trade Zone will benefit from lower costs of doing business. We will benefit from better quality, higher paying jobs.
The Apex/Kapex area already is proving to be a draw for diverse businesses -- including those with a focus on renewable energy.
Among them is a 154-acre solar farm in the development stages. This project is expected to generate about 55,000 megawatt hours of clean, renewable electricity each year.
That's enough to power about 5,000 homes annually.
As we tackle the big-picture solutions to our economic challenges, we have not abandoned grass-roots action.
Over the past year, the City issued more than 1,500 new business licenses -- nearly half of those for home-based businesses.
In that time we saw 35 major businesses come to North Las Vegas and 12 others expanded substantially – such as Southwest Gas, Home Depot, Staples and Target.
We also attracted a specialty car dealership called the Auto Boutique.
Located in the Cheyenne Technology Corridor, this dealership has become the premier showcase for Hot Rods, Classic and Exotic Cars.
Car buyers and enthusiasts from all over the world have come to North Las Vegas just to see what the Auto Boutique has in store.
Yes, it's true that if we look around, it's hard to see everything that is really going on around us.
But from where I'm standing, it looks like things are coming together.
We are pleased with the strides we've made to diversify our economy and tax base.
But we know we're only at the beginning of our recovery.
Economic Development staff is in the process of organizing a panel of industrial site experts to help us gain the competitive edge in a global market of industrial development.
These experts represent a cross-section of disciplines in the field.
We hope their expertise will help us build an economic foundation that will be sustainable for generations to come.
Part of our grass-roots action included a joint effort of residents and stakeholders to create a master plan and investment strategy to rev development at the City's core.
The City Council in 2009 adopted a master plan for the downtown area. This plan aims to create a downtown with a distinct sense of place - that celebrates the City's cultural and historical heritage.
The master plan presents a downtown vision that includes plazas, entertainment venues and a cultural center.
The new downtown will include a mix of residential, retail and professional space and dining options.
We foresee a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly downtown with roads designed to reduce congestion.
One of the cornerstones of a revitalized downtown is the new City Hall.
It's under construction now and is expected to be complete by October 2011.
Already, its tower has changed our skyline.
This $132 million project is being built on 12 acres next to the Silver Nugget Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard North.
The new City Hall will be a 9-story building that brings nearly all our City services under one roof.
It will complement downtown redevelopment with its Civic Plaza and will feature a 3,000 square-foot retail component.
The new City Hall will be the City's first LEED Certified building.
The City and our business partners have come a long way in bringing greater economic diversity to residents.
But to ensure greater prosperity in the long-run, we need each person to do his or her part.
BUY LOCAL.
When you buy groceries, go to the cleaners
... when you buy furniture or electronics
... when you go out for a night on the town...
GO LOCAL.
BUY LOCAL.
The City of North Las Vegas wants to help businesses flourish.
As a community we need more than jobs and money to feel connected.
As a City, we know government can't be the answer to all the problems our residents encounter.
But we can make decisions and choose projects that bring us together, that meet our most pressing needs and improve our quality of life.
I'm proud to announce that even in a tight budget year we have planned well enough to increase public safety services.
This year, we plan to build a new Fire Station on a 2-acre portion of City View Park along Cheyenne Avenue.
Construction of this $9.4 million project is expected to begin this fall.
We're also upgrading stations 52 and 54.
Construction on these stations should begin this year.
Our Police Department also will see some improvements to its facilities.
The City will construct a new Northeast Area Command near the intersection of Centennial Parkway and Palmer Street.
This area command will serve the northeast stretches of the City and is expected to cost $2.3 million. Construction should begin early this year.
I'm happy to report that we are about half-way through the construction of the North Las Vegas Water Reclamation Facility.
The United States Air Force partnered with the City by leasing us the land.
This facility will be capable of treating 25 million gallons of wastewater per day. That's the estimated amount generated by 300,000 people.
The $240 million project, located on Carey Avenue just south of Nellis Air Force Base, is expected to boost economic development.
During construction, this project has created 500 jobs. We expect construction to be complete in 2011.
This year we will also see the completion of the Sky View Multi-Generational Center.
At Centennial Parkway and Statz Street, this $27 million facility will be one of the places in North Las Vegas where we can all connect --- young and old and in between --- where we can gather to appreciate each other's talents and enjoy being together.
We are well on our way to bringing our residents a premier regional park.
Formerly known as a golf course, Craig Ranch is in its first phase of construction that includes trails, a dog park, playgrounds and picnic areas.
The first phase is expected to be complete in November. The second phase will include sports fields, an amphitheater, skate park and central plaza. Construction of this phase will begin this fall.
The funds for Craig Ranch Regional Park came from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.
A little further out on the horizon is an Urban National Park Unit. Some of you might have heard of it as a future "Ice Age Park" or "Fossil Monument at Tule Springs."
Clark County, the Cities of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas have worked hard, hand in hand, to push forward with the creation of this national treasure.
This designation will protect and conserve ice-age fossils and add to our efforts for sustainable economic growth.
We expect the richness of these ice-age fossils to attract international scientific interest and on-site research.
Let me talk about our roads.
We are just about finished with the first phase of the largest transportation project in our history as a City –
The North Fifth Street super arterial roadway.
Overall, this $121 million dollar project will span from Owens Avenue to the Northern 215 Beltway.
The portion we're about to complete spans from Owens to Cheyenne.
It and includes a round-about where Main Street, Las Vegas Boulevard North and North 5th Street converge.
Our new gateway to the City will include a new monument sign welcoming travelers to North Las Vegas.
We wouldn't have accomplished this project without the help of the RTC.
We're also putting recovery funds dollars to work improving Lake Mead Boulevard, Carey Avenue and Pecos Road.
We are very happy to have North Vista Hospital in our community.
They have risen to the occasion and bring us the very best of care.
This past year, they established a special 40-bed unit to focus on geropsychiatry. This is an area of medicine that addresses the unique physical and emotional needs of older adults.
North Vista's Senior Behavioral Health Unit – the only one of its kind in Southern Nevada -- offers short-term treatment to stabilize patients ages 55 and over who are experiencing a crisis that cannot be managed in an outpatient setting.
In North Las Vegas, we're also fortunate to have a new $400 million dollar Veterans Hospital in the works. The 90 hospital beds and 120-bed nursing home will provide care for the men and women who've served our country.
No one can deny that the men and women who have served our country deserve nothing less than our best care when they come home.
Our Housing and Neighborhood Services Office reaches deep into the community, working with schools, businesses, health advocates and others to sponsor events focused on health and well-being.
From a pilot program called Best Bones Forever that stresses exercise and nutrition for girls --- to an annual education conference on HIV and AIDS --- we're relying on our community to help those most in need, without burdening our hard-working tax payers.
As I move through the community, I'm struck by the beauty I see in our people --- in our spirit as a City --- and in our capacity to move forward, despite the bumps in the road.
I'm grateful that today, we can see the joy that surrounds. That even though times are tough and trying, we have great reason to hope together.
Will you join us today in planting the seeds of hope for the future? Will you join us in bringing positive growth and change to our little portion of the world?
I am grateful to be your mayor --- blessed to be part of this community and eager to see what the future holds.