State of the Town Address by Diane McNutt

By Diane McNutt

As Mayor, Diane presented this summary of the Town's achievements and future challenges to the community earlier this year.

In the world of government, the new year starts on July 1st so just like the days before January 1st are when many people reflect on what they've done in the past year and make resolutions for the new year, June is the time when we as a town look at what we've accomplished in the past 12 months and set goals for what we want to accomplish in the coming year.

This year we are helped in this effort by the work done by at the Town Council annual retreat this spring when we developed a new strategic plan for the next two years.

This plan helps everyone involved in town government + Council members, commissioners, staff, volunteers and the public + have a clear understanding of what our priorities are. When you have limited resources ... as the town does ... it becomes even more important than ever to stay focused.

So, let me briefly review where we are at the start of our new year.

But if you want the Twitter version of the state of the town it's this + Los Gatos is great and about to get even better.

The strategic planning process we used at the Council retreat started with reaffirming the core values of this community. There are six:

• Community character + which we defined as preserving and enhancing the appearance, character and environmental quality of the community

• Good governance + which means ensuring responsive, accountable and collaborative government

• Fiscal stability + maintaining ongoing fiscal stability to provide cost effective core services that meet the needs of the community

• Quality public infrastructure + maintaining the condition and availability of public facilities, transportation systems and other public infrastructure

• Civic engagement + fostering opportunities for citizen involvement and cultural, recreational and individual enrichment

• And Public Safety + ensuring public safety through proactive community policing, effective emergency response, and community-wide emergency preparedness.

• 24/7 police protection every day of the year ...
• a library that is open 7 days a week ...
• 345 acres of parks, trails and open space ...
• nearly 250 miles of streets and sidewalks ...
• code compliance ...
• special events ...
• and all of the work done by town employees to protect the future of Los Gatos through appropriate building permits and planning decisions, environmental sustainability, and economic vitality.

That doesn't mean, however, that we don't have anything new and exciting on our plate. Quite the opposite is true.

We are at a pivotal point that will impact our town for generations to come.

Just look at what was on our agenda this evening.

We approved a $34 million balanced budget for fiscal year 2010-2011, even though our revenues are down about $2 million from what was needed to cover our projected expenses. The gap was covered by incredible hard work by staff to reorganize departments and work assignments so that nine empty staff positions could be eliminated without seriously impacting the delivery of services. They also came up with other ways to cut back on expenses so that we could keep our reserves as a safety net in case the economy gets even worse or there is another disaster like the Loma Prieta earthquake.

Our town has been fiscally conservative for many years + putting money away in savings, being cautious about expenditures, and anticipating changes to our sources of revenue.

We know the budget crisis is not over. The recession is not going away quickly, the five-year budget forecast is disheartening, and we never know when the state is going to raid our bank account. But we have confidence that together -- Council, staff and community + we can find workable solutions to the ongoing budget challenges that we know are coming.

Even though a balanced budget and healthy reserves are job number one, we have identified 27 strategic goals for the next two years beyond the core services the town provides to our residents. You'll be glad to know I am not going to go through each of those this evening, but I do encourage you to pick up a copy of the strategic plan at Town Hall or download it from the Town website.

But I would like to talk a bit about a few of our priorities.

Let's start with construction of our new library. Tonight we approved the construction contract with a firm that has experience in building libraries and whose bid came in almost $3 million under budget. This allows us to include a few special features that we weren't sure we could afford. These enhancements will also boost the green building status of the library from Silver to Gold Leed certified, rating it as one of the nation's most environmentally friendly.

When we do the official groundbreaking of the library on Monday, June 21st, -- at 10 a.m. and you are all invited to be there + it will be the first new public facility built from the ground up since the Neighborhood Center was built 35 years ago.

The current library opened when our population was one third of what it is today. It has served us well and is still the most popular place in town with 600 to 800 visitors a day, even though it is too small and technologically behind the times. It has taken many years to get a new library, but the wait is going to be worth it.

The new library is going to be extraordinary. Warm, inviting, filled with natural light, beautiful views, comfortable places to read, learn, think, create and be inspired.

I cannot wait until opening day to see families walk for the first time into the fun, colorful and large children's area ... and teens to discover their special rooms ... and everyone to explore expanded computer access, the local history room, the courtyard, the reading chairs in front of a fireplace, and spacious rows of books, DVDs, periodicals and other materials.

It is going to serve the community like never before, and I am proud to have been part of the team that is making this long-held dream a reality.

Completing construction of the new library, developing a plan on the best community re-use of the old library space, and improving Pageant Grounds Park adjacent to the new library are three of the strategic priorities for the coming year.

Another significant action we took this evening was the adoption of guiding principles for the development of our newest park, the three acres the town recently purchased at 930 University Avenue, just north of the Vasona dam.

What exactly will be in the Los Gatos Creekside Sports Park will be determined through community meetings and the public process over the next few months, but we know that whatever goes in there will help to fill the gaps in the recreation facilities available in Los Gatos. The last time Los Gatos had the opportunity to add an active use park was in 1978 when Belgatos Park opened. Like the library, the new sports park will serve many generations of Los Gatos residents and add to the outstanding quality of life we already enjoy in our town.

Preparing for the future is a common theme of several of our priorities for the coming year. In the next few months, we will complete the update of our General Plan, the document that describes the vision for Los Gatos in 2020 and serves as a blueprint for decision-making for the next 10 years.

One of the long-held principles of the Los Gatos General Plan is that our community remain multifaceted and balanced -- meaning that we have a wide variety of housing and businesses to meet the needs of our residents.

The General Plan includes a companion piece called the Housing Element that is mandated by State law. This document identifies the opportunities in a community where new housing could be added -- and what type -- with an emphasis on expanding affordable housing options.

Los Gatos is a built-out community with little undeveloped land -- and we all know how expensive our land is -- so finding ways to add affordable housing can be a challenge.

We currently have almost 1,000 homes, condos or apartments in Los Gatos that have been identified as affordable to families and individuals who qualify + teachers ... bank tellers ... waiters ... store clerks ... the receptionist at your accountant's office ... the mechanic who changes your oil .. and your favorite barista who brews your latte + people who do not make a lot of money but who are an important part of the fabric of our community. Developing and implementing a strategy to add more affordable housing throughout the community is on the list of priority goals for the next two years.

Fiscal stability is crucial to the future of any community, and part of what makes the financial situation stable for a municipality is having a solid diversified base of businesses that generate revenue for the town and provide goods, services and jobs for residents. That's why economic vitality is also on the list of priorities for the coming year.

In many ways, Los Gatos is in an enviable position compared to other cities in our region. I can't tell you how many times I run into people from different parts of the Bay Area who rave about Downtown Los Gatos. And some of these folks are elected officials of other cities!!

We have what they wish for+ a beautiful natural hillside setting ... carefully preserved historic buildings ... appealing independent stores and restaurants mixed in with a few national retail brands ... and shoppers and diners strolling the sidewalks enjoying it all.

In the past few months, I've cut the red ribbon at the opening of 11 new businesses in town and had meetings with another dozen or so companies who want to grow their business here. Here's what I've learned.

Despite the economy, businesses are bullish on Los Gatos because of its unique attributes.

It's why every time a space opens in our downtown the landlord starts to get calls immediately from new tenants.

It's why some really interesting cutting edge technology companies are selecting Los Gatos for their start up,

and it's why long-established companies that are ready to expand look for ways to stay in town rather than move to another city.

We have a lot to offer businesses, and businesses have a lot to offer us.

I want to add to the efforts already underway by the Chamber of Commerce and our Economic Vitality Program to cultivate this relationship by hosting a Mayor's Breakfast with Emerging Companies so we can learn more about how we can work together to be mutually beneficial and mutually successful.

I have asked staff to begin to plan two other community gatherings this fall in support of our strategic priorities.

One will bring together clergy and representatives of the many faith congregations in Los Gatos to talk about how we can cooperate to improve emergency preparedness in our community.

Helping our residents become better prepared for the next earthquake or wild fire is a high priority for the coming year, and coordinating these efforts with our local faith congregations is an untapped resource. It is another way to connect with thousands of our residents.

I recently had the opportunity to be part of a peer review of a new handbook being published by the California League of Cities on how to work more effectively with congregations. It contains many best practices that we can emulate, and the best way to begin is by starting the conversation.

The other special gathering I hope to chair soon is a follow-up to the annual Council Commission retreat held this spring.

Citizen involvement is a core value of Los Gatos and we are fortunate to have so many people willing to step forward and volunteer. Among the most devoted of these volunteers are the individuals on our commissions and boards who spend hours and hours helping Council identify and work through policy issues. They are our extra eyes and ears out in the community and we count on them to help us do our job.

At this year's annual retreat, I asked the chairs of all the commissions to come to the table with the Council at the same time. The synergy that started to take place among them was exciting and promising. Never before had they had an opportunity to meet one another and learn more about what other commissions and boards were doing + and they wanted more time to talk and share ideas and resources. The Commission Confluence this fall will be that opportunity, and I hope it becomes an annual tradition.

In 2009 I was appointed to the National League of Cities Small Cities Council. There are about a hundred of us on this Council but we represent the issues and concerns of 19,000 communities throughout the U.S. with populations of less than 50,000.

Through this post, I have been reminded time and time again that Los Gatos is a stand out. We are an incredibly fortunate and special community, and our achievements must be attributed almost entirely to the people who live here ... who care about our town ... and who get involved.

As Council members we get to meet residents who are passionate about all types of activities and issues. Whether it's attending opening day at Little League ... an art reception ... a service club meeting ... a Chamber event ... or the birthday party for a resident who's turning 100 + we find that all of our residents have one thing in common.

They love Los Gatos -- they treasure being able to live here -- and they want the best for our future.

One of my most prized possessions is a 1930s brochure about Los Gatos describing it to people who might want to move here. It defines Los Gatos as a city of "homes, culture, beauty, charming surroundings and desirable environment" and it promises those who choose Los Gatos a "luxury of living here that is not measured by your means."

The state of the town of Los Gatos has not changed much since those words were written.

As the shorthand Twitter version of this state of the town said, Los Gatos is great and about to get even better.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Mayor this year, and thank you for sharing the values and supporting the strategic priorities that make Los Gatos the incredible community that it is.