HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 State of the City AddressCITY OF CHUBBUCK
S TATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
MAYOR KEVIN B. ENGLAND
January 21s' 2015
I
I would first like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful
people of this city for the trust they have shared with me in allowing
me to serve as the Mayor of Chubbuck. That trust brings with it a great
responsibility to care for their best interests. I am grateful for the
encouragement that I feel in this effort. This community is filled with
positive, hardworking citizens that show appreciation and support for
the efforts being made in their behalf.
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the many that make things
happen in this city. Beginning with our Department Heads, all of our
dedicated employees, elected officials, appointed officials, and each of
the volunteers that work diligently, mostly behind the scenes, to make
this city the great place it is to live. It is truly a humbling experience to
witness the selfless service that is freely given in this community
without which it would be impossible to provide all that is needed.
The realities of our national economy continue to make things less
than ideal. We started the year out with a substantial amount of
building permits but that tapered off as the year progressed. We saw
the completion of the Hawthorne Garden Apartments next to the
Allstate Building this year. They are a very nice addition to that
neighborhood.
Let me mention two of the top employing businesses in Chubbuck.
Idaho Central Credit Union continues to be a solid player in our city.
They are continuing to buy properties that surround their
Administration Building on Central Way. The potential for growth that
this gives them in our city is an exciting prospect. Allstate is having a
new round of hiring as this is being written. They are committed to
reach full employment at their Chubbuck facility. These two businesses
are showing us a commitment to grow here and stay here. We are very
pleased with their participation in community events and pledge our
best to help them grow and prosper as valued friends.
Water has been a big issue this last year. We received a letter of
curtailment from the director of water resources in January. Thanks, at
least in part, to higher than normal moisture in the summer months
that curtailment didn"t happen. By late spring we found that our wells
were getting close to capacity and wondered how we would fair during
the summer months. Again the abundant moisture was a blessing.
However we could see that additional well capacity was needed. We
have been working hard at securing land for new well sites and starting
the process of getting more storage capacity. Water rights are a major
issue in the state right now and we have done well in securing water
rights for the city over the last few years. There is much to look at
positively as we see the possible challenges ahead.
For many years the city has had a goal to purchase all of the property
behind city hall all the way to the railroad tracks. This kind of vision and
foresight from former civic leaders has served us well. At the beginning
of 2014 we made the final acquisition. The city is well prepared now to
accommodate the needs of a prospering and growing community.
We are working hard to see an 1-15 interchange on Syphon Road. This
development has the potential to be a game changer for our area. Local
and state officials have moved this project to the top of the list and
declared that this interchange would have a positive impact at the
local, state and federal levels. I had the opportunity to go to
Washington DC and meet with Mr. Howard Hill, who is an official with
the U. S. Department of Transportation, October Ist of last year. He
informed me that this was the first day of their new fiscal year. We are
now in the process of securing federal funding for this vital project.
This year we saw the completion of a wonderful tennis complex in
Capel Park. This will draw USTA sanctioned matches to our city as well
as the local High School and Idaho State University tennis teams
practicing and holding matches here. Ron Osborn spearheaded this
project and successfully solicited support from the Chubbuck
Development Authority and The Portneuf Wellness Foundation. This is
an addition to the city we can all be proud of.
We launched a new Chubbuck City website this year. The intent is to
make communication with the residence, them to us and us to them,
easy. The design is user friendly. It seems to be meeting present needs
and has the potential to change as needed.
The Academy Charter School began building their new facility in
Chubbuck the last quarter of 2014 and plan to complete their building
this year. They will be a wonderful neighbor and a great addition to our
city. We welcome them.
There has been much in the way of preparation and work for the new
wellness complex that is being built on Chubbuck and Olympus and the
new events center that hopefully will soon break ground on Knudson.
These two additions will be a reality for our community this year. They
will both open doors to new opportunities of competition and
entertainment for this area. Let's watch the levels of energy towards
developing our economy increase as we attract more and more top
class events to our community.
All in all I believe that we can say the state of the city is very good.
The sluggish economy continues to stifle the growth and progress that
we have the potential for. But considering all the current conditions
things are well in the City of Chubbuck Idaho. With the continued
support from the good people that live here, the best is yet to come.
Mayor Kevin B. England