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HomeMy WebLinkAboutState of the Town 2012 Mayor Honeas State of the Town Address 1 Good afternoon everyone and thank you for 2 3 a proud Marana resident and the mayor of this great 4 community, I am happy to report that the state of the 5 town is excellent and getting better. 6 As we emerge from the great recession, Marana 7 stands ready to take advantage of opportunities 8 presented by an improving economy. We dream big 9 here and we constantly strive to make a positive 10 difference for our residents, and business owners. A 11 rising tide raises all boats. If we do well, Oro Valley, 12 Sahuarita and Tucson do well. As our sister 13 communities grow and thrive, so does Marana. The 14 regions success rests on the sum of its individual 15 parts. If these parts are not allowed to thrive and 16 prosper, the region will not be able to achieve its full 17 potentialI want to say that againIf these parts are 18 1 not allowed to thrive and prosper, the region will not 19 be able to achieve its full potential. (Clap) 20 One of my goals today is for you to leave here as 21 energized as I am about Marana. I would like all our 22 business leaders and residents to be our ambassadors 23 in the community and across the region. We believe 24 in setting ambitious goals. As long as residents, 25 business leaders and volunteers are ready to take 26 action, goals can never be set too high. Today, I will 27 talk about those elements we believe make a great 28 community. 29 We have come a long way from our humble 30 beginnings. We started with three employeesour 31 Town Hall was a house, and we still had a hard time 32 paying the bills. If not for bold, visionary action, we 33 would not be gathered here today in the ballroom of a 34 Ritz- Carlton. 35 2 One of the main reasons Marana incorporated 36 was to protect our water resources. We annexed 37 strategic commercial properties along Interstate 10, 38 giving us a tremendous economic boost. If our past 39 is any indicator of our future, we will overcome the 40 challenges we face today and those that will come 41 tomorrow. 42 We have survived and even prospered because 43 Marana has always been blessed with a spirit of 44 community. That spirit remains as strong as ever. We 45 have created partnerships to focus and channel that 46 energy. This benefits our community and helps 47 enhance the efforts of the entire region. The result is 48 our Strategic Plan a document that provides the 49 framework for our entire operation. 50 Commerce Community Progress and 51 InnovationHeritage Recreation. These are 52 more than just words. They are commitments to 53 3 everyone who lives or does business here. Together, 54 these five concepts are the focus areas of all our 55 endeavors. 56 A strategic plan is not something you just talk 57 about. It requires leadership action and 58 vigilance. It takes a concerted effort by elected 59 officials, management, staff, and the community. 60 Great plans are not realized without a great team 61 effort. The first generation of our strategic plan 62 served us well. It enabled us to set priorities during 63 the depths of the recession. It kept us focused as we 64 were presented with opportunities and challenges. 65 Just last month, our Council adopted Strategic 66 Plan 2. This new edition reflects the growing needs 67 of our community. It highlights the importance of 68 maintaining the core services we provide. The 69 mission of our organization is driven by this plan. 70 We frame our decisions around the concepts 71 4 contained within the focus areas. We encourage 72 every employee to understand and embrace the 73 Strategic Plan. 74 As we set out to update the plan last year, we 75 sought community input through open forums, 76 community meetings, and our website. The world 77 has changed in many ways over the past three years 78 and Strategic Plan 2 reflects that fact. 79 The foundation of our plan is commerce. 80 Without businesses and jobs, we would not have 81 good roads, great parks, and an excellent police force. 82 To maintain these standards, we must have a strong 83 focus on economic development. Successful 84 economic development includes many elements. We 85 believe there are three core components to attracting 86 industry and commerce. First, we must ensure we 87 have quality infrastructure, such as roads, utilities and 88 available land. Second, we need to showcase our 89 5 commitment to investing in a clean, well-maintained 90 community. We want investors to see the pride we 91 take in our Town. Finally, we must continue adopting 92 sensible, business friendly policies. These policies 93 make our community more competitive. 94 Marana is putting these plans into everyday 95 action and the development community has taken 96 notice. In a survey conducted by the Metropolitan 97 Pima Alliance last year, Marana was chosen by MPA 98 members to be a great place to do business. We also 99 believe in supporting regional commerce. This past 100 year, our council issued two resolutions of support 101 for the development of Rosemont Copper, and the 102 creation of a Rail Yard in Pinal County. I will be 103 asking our Town Council to approve a support 104 resolution for the F-35 Lighting 2 military jet. Our 105 own Sargent Aerospace and Defense manufactures 106 70 component parts for these aircraft. 107 6 State of the 108 Town message, I talked about the innovative concept 109 of a Business Development Center. Today, I am 110 happy to report that the BDC is helping people get 111 their businesses up and running. First, we trained and 112 empowered staff to answer questions related to 113 starting or expanding a business. Next, we 114 transformed our traditional model of planning, 115 building and engineering. We did away with 116 departmental silos, and replaced them with a team- 117 driven approach. To achieve this unique 118 transformation, a complete reorganization took place 119 behind the scenes. The Business Development 120 Center is proof that Marana means business. 121 Improving our internal procedures only gets us 122 so far. We must create opportunities for business and 123 industry to grow and develop. As many of you 124 know, we have set our sights on annexing Pinal Air 125 7 Park. We see the potential for an international air, 126 127 new owners, Relativity Capital, took over the former 128 Evergreen Air Center and renamed it Marana 129 Aerospace Solutions. The center services Boeing, 130 Airbus and McDonnell Douglas aircraft and features 131 a runway for commercial and military customers. 132 133 Union Pacific Railroad tracks, there is huge potential 134 for job creation and the expansion of commerce in 135 both Pima and Pinal counties. The positive ripple 136 effects will be felt across our state. Please join me in 137 welcoming Marana Aerospace Solutions to our 138 community. (Clap) We look forward to many years 139 of working together and bringing high-quality 140 employment to the region. 141 Accenture Match Play 142 Championship was up 19 percent over last year. 143 8 15,000 fans were on the course for the first day of 144 play. This annual event puts 145 professional golfers on one of the best Jack Nicklaus 146 designed golf courses in the country. We are proud to 147 have hosted this event for the past six years. (Clap) 148 One of the most critical things we can do to 149 create a thriving community is protect and fully 150 manage our water resources. As many of you know, 151 we started the year by assuming ownership and 152 management of the Marana Wastewater Treatment 153 Facility (Clap). While we have many challenges 154 ahead of us, running this public utility allows us to 155 chart our own course. A complete water portfolio is 156 essential for our community to attract industry and 157 commerce. 158 You see, in Marana, we are never afraid to try 159 new things. We realize that we must be visionary in 160 order to achieve success. We often talk about our 161 9 community being clean, safe and healthy. 162 Today, I am pleased to announce we have 163 another way for citizens to help us achieve these 164 goals. Our new smart phone app, 165 Marana,graffiti and potholes, 166 and receive news or emergency notifications. If you 167 find an issue, just take a photo or write a message and 168 our GPS feature will show us where the problem is 169 located. We will quickly address it ourselves or work 170 171 part of 172 accessibility. 173 In order to know where we are going, we need to 174 175 back thousands of years. As we grow, we must 176 preserve our history for future generations. We 177 showcase 178 in our parks, and through our support of the Marana 179 10 Heritage Conservancy. We even have a park 180 dedicated to the preservation and celebration of our 181 heritage. The Heritage P 182 many recreational attractions. 183 Additionally, we have established and improved 184 many miles of trails in the Tortolita Mountains. 185 These trails enable outdoor enthusiasts to get a closer 186 look at the natural beauty that exists here 365 days a 187 year. I spend a lot of time hiking these trails. I have 188 189 Arizona. People from all over the world come here 190 to spend time in this special place. 191 One of the reasons we are in a solid position to 192 take advantage of an economic recovery is the 193 proactive way in which we manage our budget. We 194 make tough decisions when necessary. We have a 195 structurally balanced budget, with one-time revenues 196 paying one-time expenses and ongoing revenues 197 11 covering ongoing expenses. Just like those early days 198 in Marana, we watch our expenses closely and face 199 our challenges head-on. We do everything possible to 200 ensure public trust and prove our commitment to 201 transparency in government. 202 As you can see, we are a town that plans before 203 it acts. We take the time to consider what our actions 204 today will mean tomorrow. We do not plan in a 205 bubble. What we do will have a positive impact on all 206 207 208 corner of the world a special place. 209 One of our core principles is Strategic 210 Partnerships. As an example, this past year, the 211 Marana and Oro Valley Town Councils held two 212 joint meetings. This unique partnership brought 213 together 14 elected officials and numerous staff to 214 discuss tourism and the development of the 215 12 Tangerine Road Corridor. Mayor Hiremath and the 216 Oro Valley Council, we thank you and pledge to 217 continue working with you to create a vibrant 218 northwest region (Clap). 219 Mayor Blumberg and members of the Sahuarita 220 Town Council, we may be separated by some 221 distance, but we come together on many issues. Both 222 of our towns have grown substantially over the past 223 decade. We both stand ready to take the next step 224 toward making Southern Arizona a more attractive 225 place for industry and families. (Clap) 226 We can not continue allowing state shared 227 revenues to leave this region. We support Mayor 228 Rothschilds stance on the need for further 229 annexations and incorporations. It makes fiscal sense 230 and serves the interests of the people who live here. 231 We look forward to working with you and the Tucson 232 City Council to achieve this common goal. (Clap) 233 13 We also plan to continue working with Pima and 234 Pinal Counties to create a better Southern Arizona. 235 (Clap) 236 Yes, partnerships with other municipalities and 237 c 238 just as important are the ways in which we work with 239 our community partners right here in Marana. We 240 have strong relationships that have benefited Marana 241 for many years. We work closely with the Marana 242 Chamber, the Marana Health Center, the Marana 243 Unified School District, the Community Food Bank, 244 Volunteers in Police Service, Northwest Fire and 245 Avra Valley Fire. All of these groups, and many 246 others, make the Town a complete community. 247 (Clap) 248 Again, we owe thanks to all the elected officials 249 and community partners who are here today. Your 250 efforts make Southern Arizona a great place to call 251 14 home. The Town Council and I extend a special 252 thanks to Ed Stolmaker and the Marana Chamber for 253 hosting this wonderful event. (Clap) 254 I also want to recognize the leadership of the 255 Marana Town Council. I am proud to work with 256 these men and women and I commend them for their 257 service. Please help me recognize them when I call 258 259 260 261 These individuals are dedicated to serving our 262 citizens and ensuring that Marana remains a place all 263 of us enjoy living, working and raising our families. 264 Before I finish, please allow me to share my 265 deepest appreciation for our Town management and 266 staff. We have overcome our challenges as an 267 organization thanks to the strength of our workforce. 268 We have focused on core services and refused to let 269 15 those vital areas slip during the financial downturn. 270 Let me ask all town employees who are here today to 271 stand and be recognized. (Clap) 272 We have talked a lot today about the many 273 important things we have accomplished as a Town 274 and where we are headed. We always have our sights 275 set on the future. With that in mind, I call on you, our 276 business and community leaders, to help us reach our 277 goals. A community is only as strong as the people 278 who live and work in it. All of you here today are 279 proof of that. With you on our team, we can achieve 280 anything and make Marana a better place for both 281 today and tomorrow. 282 Personal Comments 283 Thank you for attending our State of the Town Address. 284 May God bless the Town of Marana and you, each and every 285 one. 286 16