by Council Member Dene Bustichi
I am at the end of my term as mayor and by the time you read this I will be a Council member once again and our new mayor will be Donna Lind a more than capable and great women who has dedicated her life to public service as a police officer, council member and now Mayor of Scotts Valley.
Her energy and passion will be fantastic for our city and we on the council will do our best to support her in every way.
Looking back at this past year in Scotts Valley many great things have happened and some not so great but this is the fabric that makes our city so fantastic. Some of what we accomplished this year areas follows:
- Gun Shop concerns. We met those concerns with new standards for existing dealers and a moratorium on new dealers until a stringent use permit process is created.
- Tobacco shop concerns. We met those concerns with new licensing requirements, new restriction on proximity to schools and children and stricter penalties for those dealers who sell to minors.
- We balanced the budget cut cost and maintained service.
- Vacant commercial space is filling up through out the city.
- Small business are popping up all over the city and doing well.
- A new hotel has started construction on Scotts Valley Drive this year and will be opening in 2016.
- Sales tax revenues are up and redevelopment is very active.
- The Town Center is still alive and well with more property purchased and increased interest from retailers.
- The performing Art Center is off the ground, work has started and next year we should be seeing our first performances at the new Scotts Valley Performing Arts Center.
- The Boys and Girls Club is still moving forward and site work is ongoing at this time.
- The Annette Marcum Community Garden had its first harvest this year.
- Our City Manager Steve Ando is moving on after 7 years, we wish him all the best and thank him for his years of service to Scotts Valley. Very few people work harder than this man or have given of themselves as much as Steve has.
I am missing so many other things that have happened this year and it has truly been an honor to serve once again as your Mayor. Having had this honor three times, I tell myself the same thing every time going in as Mayor, “Scotts Valley is a great place; just don’t screw it up Dene.” I would like to think I have made it a little bit better but that is for all of you to decide.
I would like to include a letter I received last month from a non-resident who was passing through our city:
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Mr. Mayor, My wife & I spent a few days in the San Jose area. It was our first time in San Jose and without reservation I can say our last. I won’t bore you with those details. I just wanted to let you know what we noticed as we stopped off in Scotts Valley for a cup of coffee. First thing was that the Shell gas station was bright, easily accessible and oddly enough it was very clean. I say oddly only because I just left the San Jose area. We went from there to another gas station / mini mart just west. Fantastic coffee and yet again it was very clean. We did a little drive through town looking for a simple bite to eat before we left off for Highway 1. We found Jack in the Box open and met a nice young man who wanted to take a trip to where my shirt was purchased, Alaska. I told him he should make sure he makes that happen soon.
We left there and drove through town a bit more just because it was so refreshing after our previous 3 days in San Jose. You and your fellow Council-members see your town quiet often, but from the eyes of a first timer I have to say job well done. Your town is clean, well maintained, occupied by pleasant people and very memorable. In our 3 days in San Jose we drove through all the Google & Facebook towns, which only disappointed me. I thought the folks in that area were more concerned with the environment. What we observed was basic maintenance & hygiene ignored.
I work in the Public Works maintenance field and have for almost 38 years. A well functioning city involves the coordination of all departments to make the whole city right. At first glance Scotts Valley is working well. I just learned that Fox Shocks is headquartered in Scotts Valley. Yet another plus.
Keep up the great work. Please share this with your fellow Councilmembers as well as city staff as you see fit. Great job making your city so special.
— THANKS, John Campbell, So. Cal Resident
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I think the letter sums up what makes Scotts Valley so great it’s the people who live and work here.
Merry Christmas And Happy New Year to everyone.