Ending the Year on a Thankful Note
Mayor Shore reflects on 2022
Christmas Mountain is once again aglow over the City of Salida, and 2022 is quickly coming to an end. During this time of celebration, I'm reminded of all that I'm thankful for and proud of accomplishing with the support of our amazing City Council, staff and residents this year.
We faced both challenges and opportunities head-on in collaborative, constructive and inclusive ways. I am particularly proud of how we found unique approaches to measurably increase affordable housing opportunities this year by collaborating with community partners like the Chaffee Housing Authority, Chaffee County Public Health, BETCH and other local nonprofits. We modified City codes and zoning restrictions and even partnered with short-term rental property owners to market their properties and connect them with qualified tenants for long-term leases as part of the Open Doors program.
While there is still plenty of work to do, City Council and staff are dedicated to continuing to build on these efforts in 2023. Our affordable and workforce housing needs aren't going away, which is why our work continues with community partners to find other creative solutions. We will soon be demolishing the dilapidated structures at 102 D Street and 223 East 1st Street to be used as affordable workforce housing units.
Additionally, we expanded our parks, recreation and aquatics offerings and many classes returned after being canceled or put on hold at the beginning of the pandemic. We added SUP Board Fitness and AquaSpin to other returning programs such as Kayak Roll Sessions, Dive and Jive for middle school students and Adult Soak. We expanded our recreation programs to include youth basketball and softball for all ages and partnered with community organizations to provide other youth sports and leagues. Our world-class white-water park underwent an expansion and we added an new splash pad to our outdoor recreation amenities.
The Arts & Culture department conducted a community survey on a live/work Space to Create venue that demonstrated a keen interest and need for such a facility. Live music stood out in Riverside Park with the Summer Concert Series, a local favorite and the best-attended Jazz Fest to date. Visual artists from the community thrived with exhibitions throughout the year, and the SteamPlant Theater saw a resurrection of live theater performances by local community groups. All of this activity and much more point to the future of the department’s goals to increase educational offerings in the coming year.
This year, we received a $700,000 grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) as part of their Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) to help pay for improvements at the Pasquale Water Treatment Plant. The project will expand capacity at the site and allow the City to utilize its full water rights, nearly double capacity from approximately 1 million gallons per day to 2 million gallons per day. These improvements will ensure that the almost 6,500 utility customers continue to receive reliable, high-quality services and that the 800,000 gallons to 3 million gallons of water treated daily is clean and exceeds state and federal water quality standards. Construction began this year and will continue into 2024.
In October, we completed the months-long budgeting process for 2023 and have a balanced City budget of $47,309,859, which I'm incredibly proud of. The budget is supported by $42,050,088 in anticipated revenue (including debt proceeds of up to $15 million for a new fire station). The new fire station will replace the 124-year-old station with a new building designed with enhanced safety, training and sustainability features.
These are just a few examples of the great work we’ve accomplished in 2022 that I'm proud to highlight. As your mayor, I look forward to continuing to serve the community alongside my fellow city councilmembers and your dedicated city staff next year.
Wishing you a safe and healthy holiday season,
Mayor Dan Shore
