Charles Dickens came to the State of the City address Wednesday
night, bringing with him images of guillotines and skeins of
knitting wool. As Mayor Dennis Kennedy related the tale of one
city, he talked of
“the best of times, … the worst of times,” from Dickens’ story
of the French revolution.
Charles Dickens came to the State of the City address Wednesday night, bringing with him images of guillotines and skeins of knitting wool. As Mayor Dennis Kennedy related the tale of one city, he talked of “the best of times, … the worst of times,” from Dickens’ story of the French revolution.
He referred to serious budget cuts – as if by guillotine – to compensate for revenue shortfalls and state money grabs, plus the deaths of several valued citizens – on one hand and conjured up an image of Madame Defarge knitting up a storm – in the form of aquatic centers, playhouses, Art ala Carte and the Butterfield Boulevard extension on the other.
Kennedy said he was a bit nervous giving the talk, remembering that San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales was hospitalized from a mild stroke that occurred during his own State of the City speech. Kennedy told those on hand that he had experienced chest pains on Dec. 22, and was rushed to the emergency room – at Santa Teresa Kaiser Hospital in San Jose – by his wife, Eileen.
“I dodged a bullet that time,” Kennedy said, “thanks to Eileen’s knowledge as a nurse. She knew the signs.”
A surgical stint was inserted to ease the blood flow and, Kennedy said, he is fine. Earlier the mayor had said that the illness and procedure did not keep him from any mayoral duties because the period coincided with the December holiday when City Hall is largely shut down.
Standing at a podium in the community center’s octagonal El Toro Room, the mayor’s talking points were enhanced by slides that kept pace with the speech.
When he talked about the deaths of John Moreno, Ken Tougas, Henk Marselis and others, a slide of a grassy community cemetery popped up; when he patted the city on the back because Butterfield extension was complete, a photo showed council members and antique cars at the road’s opening.
The unhappy budget shortfall was accompanied by charts and graphs with income and outgo lines drawing apart at a fairly rapid pace. A major issue, he said, is the amount the city pays into its state-run employees’ retirement fund, exponentially greater than a few years past when the city had to pay little or nothing.
The reason, Kennedy said, was the dismal performance of stocks chosen by state investment departments.
“In the coming months,” Kennedy said, “our city will be evaluating its budget and looking for new ways to match our expenditures and revenues. This will be a painful process but it must be done. … Clearly, doing nothing is not an option.”
Kennedy did relate again that Morgan Hill is in a better financial position than the state and most other cities because of its carefully hoarded reserve fund. However, at the rate costs are depleting the fund – $900,000 – this year, it won’t last long without some revenue-enhancing methods.
City staff is looking into methods that might bring more revenue into city coffers.
In the good column were Measure C, the residential growth-control update, which is on the March 2 ballot and intended to ease the quirks of the old Measure P; the possibility of building a new library – even without state bond money and the expected June 12 opening of the Aquatic Center on Condit Road. Kennedy predicted a “soft opening” at Memorial Day, the long-promised opening time for the aquatic center.
“I am committed to find a way to build a new library,” Kennedy said.
Perchlorate in the underground aquifer – and occasionally in city wells and recurring flooding around town are major challenges the city is working to meet.
“In March, along with our Santa Clara Valley Water District delegation, I intend to fly to Washington, D.C., to lobby our Congressional representatives and the administration to restore funding (to the PL566 flood control effort) so this critical flood relief project can continue.
Kennedy announced that he supports naming the new police station at 16200 Vineyard Ave., being readied for occupancy in early summer, after former and fabled Chief of Police John Moreno who died in October.
“Finding this (new police) building, already constructed and awaiting a new owner, was like finding a hidden pearl,” he said. “The total cost of approximately $9.45 million is less than half the cost of similar facilities in other cities.”
Turning his talk and the photos to a downtown on the move, Kennedy mentioned the old police station at Monterey and Main turning into a brewpub, Sinaloa and Maurizio’s restaurants ready to open next week, Ya Bon coffee café opening in the little depot building by they Third Street train stop, the dayworker center under construction on Depot and Main avenues and the Granada theater under a new lessor and plans for the county courthouse across the tracks.
“The net result,” Kennedy said, “… will be more people patronizing important downtown businesses, spending their dollars locally (some sales tax goes to the city) and keeping our downtown the vibrant center that we all cherish.”
He also mentioned Home Depot, opening this spring at East Dunne Avenue and Hwy. 101, renovations and building of the movie theaters and a Safeway at Tennant Station, Johnson Hardware expanding and the Harley Davidson motorcycle dealership about to open.
Kennedy thanked his fellow council members for maintaining an “extremely productive relationship” and praised “a very talented and dedicated staff. From the city manager to the park maintenance workers, your city can be thankful for their hard work and dedication.”
The mayor finished with a prediction for the future.
“It has been my experience that, when challenged, this community rises to meet the challenge,” Kennedy said. “It requires all of us to work together. I am convinced that we will do just that.”
In November, the mayor’s job and council seats held by Hedy Chang and Larry Carr will be on the ballot.
The State of the City address was taped live and will be broadcast by MHAT, cable Channel 19. The time will be announced in the MHAT schedule that appears in each Tuesday’s Morgan Hill Times.
