Speech by Oro Valley Mayor Paul Loomis at the State of Oro Valley luncheon today (9/14). More than 500 people registered for the event:

Thank you and a good Oro Valley afternoon to all of you!

I want to thank the Northern Pima County Chamber, the Hilton El Conquistador and all of you who have taken the time today to share in the vision for our wonderful community.

Many people have asked me how this idea for a State of the Town speech actually originated. Well, I can finally tell you the real story. You see, I was approached by my good friend Bob Workman about 6 years ago. He called me up and asked me, “You believe in Free Speech, don’t you?”

I told him that, naturally, I did believe in free speech.

“Great,” he said. “Come on down and give one.”

Actually, it’s my great pleasure to be with you again today. Over the past 9 years, I have learned that the world inside Town Hall may occasionally look puzzling to those of you on the outside, especially if your contact with local government is limited to getting your business license or visiting a park.

I want to assure you that — from the inside — it’s a complex and challenging picture, too.

Or, as they say in Spain, it’s not the same to talk about the bulls as it is to actually BE in the bull ring.

So — today — no bull — just some straight talk about what we have to look forward to over the next 12 months. And I’d like to start by introducing those folks who are helping to lead us on that journey, my fellow Council members who have joined us today:

Vice Mayor Terry Parish
Council member Paula Abbott
Council member KC Carter
Council member Helen Dankwerth
Council member Barry Gillaspie
And, the newest member of our elected team—Council member Al Kunisch.

You know, it’s sometimes hard to believe that I’ve had the privilege to serve as your Mayor for so many years. I mean, being Mayor means that you occasionally find yourself in situations that you didn’t necessarily choose:

So, a lot of you have asked me if the job has gotten any easier over time.

Well, when I think about the answer to that question, I’m reminded of the story of the mother who comes into her son’s room on a Monday morning and finds him hiding under the sheets.

The mother says, “Hey — get up-it’s time to go to school.”

Her son replies, “No! I don’t want to go!”

“Why?” asks his mother.

“Because all the kids make fun of me and call me names and throw things at me,” says the son.

“Listen,” says the mother. “I’m going to give you two good reasons why you have to go to school today.

Number one — you’re 42 years old.

And, number two, you’re the principal.”

So, let me assure you all that having the opportunity to serve this community does not cause me to want to hide under the sheets. In fact, I can honestly say that I look forward to the new challenges that are waiting for me whenever I pull into the Town Hall parking lot or attend a community event where I listen and talk with so many of you.

And, working with my fellow Council members, I can truly say that we have accomplished quite a bit this year.

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While Oro Valley may only be 32 years old in incorporated years, its history is much richer and goes back hundreds —i f not thousands — of years.

We’re at an important point in our development when it becomes essential to preserve the past — to learn from it, to protect it and to share its lessons with the entire community.

We have some rare opportunities in Oro Valley. We have identified sites that contribute significantly to our understanding of what came before us. Now I’m asking that you join with us as we work to preserve these areas so that we never lose that connection with our own history.

The Hohokam site at Honey Bee Village is just one of many areas that deserve our attention. By working with the developer, the Tohono O’Odham Nation, the county and the state, we have been able to preserve the essential core of this Hohokam living area so that students, residents and visitors can learn about our past.

I really want to pause here and take a moment to emphasize the significance of this development. What we can see here at Honey Bee Village is a truly unique arrangement where so many different parties have AGREED on a plan that preserves history, respects property rights, makes responsible use of public funds and provides a once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunity.

You know, it’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit!

Therefore, I want to acknowledge Steve Solomon and Canada Vista Homes for their foresight and willingness to work with everyone on this project. We talk a lot about private-public partnerships, and today I want you to know that they work!

We can see more recent history in the Steampump Ranch area along Oracle Road. Whenever you drive past the property, which is located just north of Home Depot, I’d like for you to imagine what life was like in the 1870’s for George Pusch and his family. Imagine that cowboys have driven large herds of cattle over from Oracle and Mammoth to be loaded onto trains at Red Rock, and that George was busy pumping water to fatten up the cows so that they’d receive a better price at market.

When you think of it, this was actually an example of early economic development — creating a commercial activity center that would draw people from the surrounding areas to purchase services or goods that weren’t available to them elsewhere.

Nowadays, instead of avoiding the cattle horns at Steampump Ranch, we’re busy avoiding the automobile horns on Oracle Road. But what a great opportunity we have to make certain that the Ranch and its history do not pass away.

That’s why we are working hard to obtain and preserve the Ranch, and to develop a master plan for the area that will allow future generations to enjoy our rich history. We have substantially completed negotiations with the current landowners and Pima County so that bond funds can be used to purchase, protect and plan for the core of Oro Valley’s recent history. I’m hopeful that by the time we get together next year, we’ll be moving on a conceptual plan to keep Steam Pump Ranch as the historical birthplace of modern Oro Valley.

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To prepare for today, I had a chance to take a look at all of the various events that I’ve had the privilege to attend over the past year. It seems that my calendar, and that of my fellow Council members, is simply crammed with appointments, grand openings, ribbon cuttings, ground breakings and other celebrations that reflect the enormous positive growth of this community.

Only 10 short months ago, we turned the valve on a project that is crucial to every one of you — because, only with the most basic element of our life — water — can we sustain ourselves and our families for the future.

In November, we saw the culmination of 10 years worth of work when the first phase of our reclaimed water project was completed and our second phase began. I can’t begin to tell you the importance of this initiative since it allows us to move our largest turf areas, like golf courses, parks and common areas, away from potable drinking water and on to reclaimed water.

At the same time, we’ve been able to maintain an adequate supply of high quality drinking water for our citizens. But we’re aware of the many challenges on the horizon. We share our aquifer with other communities, and some of our biggest hurdles are going to come not necessarily from the Tucson area, but from the enormous growth that’s starting to take place in southern Pinal County.

That’s another reason why reclaimed water is so critical. That’s why we’re moving forward with adjoining water utilities to form regional alliances. These alliances will allow us to protect our supply of potable water and discuss the role that our Central Arizona Project water can play in our area.

So, I want to make two acknowledgements here — the first to the City of Tucson and Mayor Bob Walkup – our partners in negotiating the agreement that allows for Oro Valley to pump the reclaimed water from the city’s treatment plant. Thank you for your contributions to this agreement.

Second, I want to acknowledge all of you for doing your part to conserve our precious resource, particularly during this time of drought here in the West. Your Oro Valley Water Utility has been tracking water usage during this rainy season, and it’s clear to us that there is a connection between rainfall and the amount of potable water that our citizens use. Simply capturing a bucketful of rainwater to use on your plants or installing a rain sensor on your irrigation system helps all of us in our efforts to conserve our drinking water supply. So let me extend my thanks to everyone who has taken personal responsibility in this area.
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Now, by a show of hands, let me ask how many of you during the past week or month have had occasion to drive through the intersection of Oracle and First Avenue? Hmm, looking around, I think I’ve seen all of you there at the same time!

It’s no secret that, as far as a “traditional main street” is concerned, Oracle Road is the lifeline of this community. And if it’s the lifeline, those branches that connect up to Oracle Road between Pusch View Lane and La Reserve are critical. That’s why the Town undertook the Oracle Road Improvement Project to widen the roadway and provide easier access to commercial centers as well as to Lambert Lane and First Avenue.

By any measure, those improvements look pretty darn good, don’t you think? The two beautiful bridges over the CDO are both well-engineered and aesthetically attractive. And although we recognize that traffic disruption was a headache for everyone during the construction phase, I think you’ll agree that the end product is worth bragging about. So, thank you to the business and residential community for your patience as we completed this important link in our road network.

Further south on Oracle, we saw new businesses literally sprouting up — namely the Sprouts market at Oracle Crossings and — since their grand opening in January, scores of other businesses have joined them around the site or on nearby properties. Let me just name some of the businesses that have joined Oro Valley over the past year or will become part of our community in the upcoming year since it’s a pretty amazing collection (and I’m going to try to do it in one breath!):

Sprouts, Carrabas, M&I Bank, Kohl’s, Massage Envy, Pacific Pools, Steinway Piano Gallery, Carpet One, Baggin’s, California Design Center, Windham Hotel, Chili’s, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, Peter Piper Pizza, Starbucks, Ace Hardware, Ace Hardware again, It’s A Grind, Sedona Patio, Shoe Pavilion, Scottrade, BrakeMax, National Bank of Arizona, French Twist Café, Vino 100, El Potosino Mexican Café, and Brueggers.

It’s also appropriate to pause here to honor those other respected businesses who are the sponsors of community events like today’s luncheon: Comcast, the Hilton El Conquistador, M & I Bank, Ventana Medical Systems, Northwest Medical Center-Oro Valley, Explorer Newspapers, and Arizona Car Care. By the way, later today I will have the privilege of attending a celebration for Arizona Car Care Centers and Valvoline Express Care’s newest location in the Mercado del Rio center. So please join me in giving a round of applause to all of our sponsors and to thank them for their sponsorship of today’s luncheon.

Speaking of celebrations, I’d also like to encourage you to return to the Hilton El Conquistador on September 29 for the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council’s “Jazz It Up” event. I hear that GOVAC is bringing in some of the world’s greatest musical artists, and I know you don’t want to miss this exciting event out by the pool. I know I’ll be there, and I hope to see you there, too.

I think that it’s clear to everyone by now that our community is no longer a bedroom suburb. We have matured to the point where our residents can now look forward to living, working, shopping and recreating without having to travel outside of the Town. We may not have everything that everybody needs every hour of every day, but we’re closing in on becoming a full-service community with the kinds of challenges and opportunities that come with that growth.

And that growth is taking place not only in the residential and commercial areas, but in the major employment centers in Oro Valley. I hope that you all were paying attention just a few short weeks ago when Oro Valley-based Ventana Medical Systems announced their acquisition of Australian based Vision Systems Limited, a leading developer and manufacturer of instruments and reagents for anatomical pathology and research laboratories worldwide.

Today I also have the pleasure of welcoming Oro Valley’s newest entry into the area of development — Venture West, a locally-owned company that’s planning many major projects in the neighborhood near Northwest Medical Center. Please join me in giving a warm community welcome to Venture West.

And we should applaud the local pharmaceutical firm of Sanofi-Aventis that’s also moving forward with plans for an expanded and modern facility that will fit perfectly into our high-tech biomedical neighborhood near Ventana, Integrated BioMolecule and Northwest Medical Center-Oro Valley. Friends, there are a lot of exciting developments in Oro Valley and I firmly believe that our economic footing is more stable now than it was only a few short years ago.
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A number of years ago, I joined the crowds of tourists who stood around on a rainy day in London to witness the daily “changing of the guard.” What’s so remarkable about that age-old ceremony is how organized and fluid it is. No one gets ruffled, even with thousands of people looking on, and I wondered what lesson I might draw from that for Oro Valley.

Now, quickly, I want to assure you that I’m NOT considering the installation of a guardhouse outside my office. But I’ve been both a witness and a participant in our community’s “changing of the guard.” We have seamlessly moved from the leadership of long-time Town Manager Chuck Sweet to that of our new manager, David Andrews. David, I’d like to have you stand and be recognized so that everyone here can show you their confidence and support for the challenges that await you.

I also want to recognize our Town employees — we have the best police and town staff in this state. Please stand and be recognized.

There’s a reason that I bring this up today. It gives me the opportunity to share a brief picture of the Town’s financial situation and our need to stabilize our revenue. Only by stabilizing our revenue can we provide even the most basic level of community service that Oro Valley residents and businesses have come to expect.

Under David’s previous service as our well-respected Finance Director, the Town has prudently put monies aside in our reserve fund. As you all know, keeping a reserve fund is a sound business practice, and we can boast that – through careful oversight and planning - our reserves exceed 27% of our general fund.

Let me repeat that so that there’s no misunderstanding. Over ¼ of the Town’s general fund, which covers basic services like police, parks and the library, is held back in reserve.

Some people like to call the reserves our “rainy day fund.” And with all of the unusual monsoon weather this year, you would think that the fund might be depleted to deal with all those “rainy days.” But, in fact, the size of that fund can be attributed directly to careful budgeting as well as the dedication of the Town staff who work creatively within very strict financial limits.

This year, the Council decided to use a portion of those reserve funds to make long-needed improvements in our public places, particularly at James D. Kriegh Park.

We’re also using that fund to replace such essential items as police vehicles and computers. So, you can see that this “rainy day fund” is really a necessary element that allows the Council to take prudent action when there are basic needs that must be met.

So, let me make it clear to everyone that the Town of Oro Valley is financially sound — for this fiscal year. But, at the same time, knowing that there are reserves does not prevent us from being concerned about matching future revenues with the level of service that we’ve come to expect in Oro Valley.

As the cost of doing business keeps accelerating, the Town itself needs to be able to attract and retain high quality employees. And we need to construct necessary infrastructure projects despite the escalating price of materials.

A community like Oro Valley, with no basic property tax, looks to local sales taxes and shared revenues from all levels of government to support our budget. Without growth in the retail sector — meaning goods and services — we’ll be facing some critical budget years in the near future. We’re seeing residential building activity slow down. The means that the revenue that we’ve realized from that activity also slows down.

That’s why it’s so encouraging to see all of you here today, since business growth in Oro Valley is an essential component of our financial picture. The Town has undertaken some long-term budget planning that we call our “economic vitality” model.

Now, I know that the name “economic vitality” doesn’t sound very exciting. But what it really means is that we’re in the process of adopting a sophisticated tool that allows us to project out the real costs of providing services in Oro Valley. And this tool will be reviewed and updated constantly so that we can get a better handle on how we can continue to be a community of excellence.

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And that picture has the potential to be significantly altered if we only turn our attention 90 degrees so that we’re looking up the road into southern Pinal County where there is overwhelming growth poised to explode at almost any moment.

Let me put this in perspective for you: Our neighbors in Pinal County are about to see their previously rural areas suddenly being transformed into residential housing development. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Some projections show Pinal County’s future population as being greater than Pima County’s when all the planned developments are built.

If we assume, for the moment, that commercial business and employment centers will lag behind the residential growth, that means that many of those new Pinal County residents will have to travel somewhere to shop and work, and that “somewhere” certainly means TO or THROUGH Oro Valley. Think about it—imagine Oracle Road with thousands of more cars daily; think of Interstate 10—with only 4 lanes carrying buses, cargo trucks, commuters and families. Now that you’ve considered that, I’ll give you another minute to think about all of the other north-south roads that connect Pinal County with Pima County and Oro Valley.

Actually, it shouldn’t even take you a minute, because there ARE no other roads. With natural features like washes, mountains, animal and plant habitats, just where are those Pinal County residents going to go and how are they going to get there? And who will be paying attention to the development north of us to ensure that water, sewer, law enforcement, recreation and building are all done in a manner that complements Oro Valley?

That is why we’re pleased that the State of Arizona has come to us in Oro Valley to help develop a plan for much of the land in southern Pinal County that’s owned by the state. Although the town’s General Plan doesn’t specifically include these areas within our planning boundaries, we need to examine how Oro Valley, Pima County, Pinal County and the state of Arizona are going to make certain that growth is carried out in a responsible manner.

Does this mean that some day those areas may be joined with the Town of Oro Valley? Well, I’ve given up my Ouija board and my “Magic 8-Ball,” but that is certainly an option that’s worth examining. And using our new economic vitality model, we can determine what the real costs and benefits might be to moving Oro Valley’s boundaries to the north. Because if we wait too long and lose our place at the table, we might find ourselves in the unenviable position of reacting TO rather than planning FOR growth.

So I’d advise you to stay tuned on this issue since it’s likely to dominate our discussions for many, many years to come.
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I’ve already touched on the area of parks and recreation today when I spoke about improvements at James D. Kriegh Park and the process of projecting out the town’s recreation needs --which means YOUR recreation needs -- well into the next decade or two.

Friends, I’m going to ask you very directly to do something today. I’m going to throw down the gauntlet and ask you to ensure that this community continues to be one of the most desirable places to live in America. I’m going to ask you to share in the vision of a recreation, park and arts center that Oro Valley deserves. I’m asking you to express your support for the build-out and development of the 213-acre parcel that — for now — is called the Naranja Town Site so that our children, our neighbors, our friends will all have the opportunity to enjoy a true community center of activity.

Whether your interest is in more soccer fields, more softball and baseball fields, walking, hiking, painting, singing, swimming, knitting, playing cards, picnicking, or just taking your dog out for a stroll, the Naranja Town Site can be the glue that binds us together as a forward-thinking, expansive and inclusive community of excellence.

The waiting period should be coming to an end — we’re completing a programming study that will provide us with an accurate economic plan for the site. And whether it’s built in two or three or even ten distinct stages or all at once, we need to say in a strong and clear voice that THIS IS THE TYPE OF AMENITY THAT WE WANT AND NEED IN ORO VALLEY.

So, let me hear you say that it’s time to move forward, time to make the kind of hard choices that may cost us a hamburger and soda each month, but will ultimately be more satisfying over a longer time than any Big Mac could ever be!

Already, our good friends at Ventana Medical Systems have stepped up with a challenge grant to help us grade and clear the trails and erect sign kiosks that will give everyone a true picture of the site’s future. Please — this Saturday, this Sunday — drive, walk, bike, skate or jog over to the Naranja Town Site along Naranja half way between First and La Canada. Go at sunup and watch the light stream in over the Catalinas; go at sundown as the shadows stretch across the Tucson valley; go and see first-hand what we’re talking about, and I’m certain that you’ll be as excited as I am about making this core property into a legacy for generations to come.
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And those generations will also look back at 2005-2006 and they’ll applaud actions that YOU took to better serve our community. Last year, we spoke about two important elections that were critical to Oro Valley’s future. In November, you recognized all of the hard work that went into the revision and finalization of our General Plan—our guidebook that has been endorsed by the residents of Oro Valley—a plan that reflects what YOU want your community to look like 10, 15, 20 years from now.

You also joined with forward-thinking people throughout the County by approving the Regional Transportation Plan and the funding to support it. As the first projects get underway and as we begin to see upgraded transit services and road improvements, we’ll know that we did the difficult thing but the right thing in supporting this historic effort. So, I think you deserve a round of applause for committing yourselves to plan responsibly for the future of our community and our region.
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Friends, I hope that I’ve given you something to think about today, because today’s event and the issues that I touched on should challenge you as well as inform you.

You know, we all now live in a world where we each have access to so much information that we’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in our community who does not have an opinion about Oro Valley, or Arizona, or the nation, or the world, or even which character they’d most like to get to know better from “Desperate Housewives.”

But, taking aim at local government is a kind of shooting sport that has a long and rich history in America. That’s why I was so pleased that someone told me about something that Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote over 180 years ago when he was asked to comment on the state of his town — Concord, New Hampshire —when he said:

“For the most part, the town has deserved the name it wears. I find our [history] marked with a uniform good sense. I find no ridiculous laws, no eavesdropping legislators, no hanging of witches, no whipping of Quakers, no unnatural crimes.”

So, as we move from 2006 toward 2007, I pledge to you that we certainly will not be hanging witches or whipping Quakers in Oro Valley, nor will we commit any unnatural crimes, whatever those are. But we will commit ourselves to carefully nurturing and growing our community so that excellence is not only in our name, but in everything that we do to serve you — our residents, our businesses, our employers, our friends and neighbors.

Before I conclude, I want to thank the Northern Pima County Chamber for hosting this wonderful event, and I also want to acknowledge Comcast Cable, not only for their sponsorship of the lunch, but also for their teleprompter which has allowed me to keep an eye on all of you today.

For the past 5 years, I’ve always told you to hold on to your hats because “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” This year, I believe that you HAVE seen something, and that you like what you see and that you want us to continue down that path of responsible and careful planning. That’s my pledge to you today — to cherish the opportunity that you’ve given me and the Town Council to continue to deliver excellence in everything that we do. I intend to keep that pledge and I invite you to join me on this exciting journey. Thank you, and have a great afternoon.