State of the City Recap

On Thursday, February 17, Mayor Kiernan McManus delivered the 2022 State of the City address to the people assembled at Boulder Creek Golf Course Pavilion. He was introduced by Taylour Tedder, City Manager. Some of the attendees included State Senator Dr. Joseph Hardy, Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson and Mayor John Lee of North Las Vegas, members of Nevada's Congressional delegation, as well as city staff and residents. The theme of the address was "Dam Resilient" and the mayor highlighted many ways the city lived up to that statement over the past year.

Once again, COVID-19 was a major topic of discussion. Mayor McManus discussed various elements of the pandemic and its effect on businesses and residents in the community. More than $21 million has been earmarked for the city to help businesses as part of the American Rescue Plan. The city is planning some civic projects for this money and will work with residents to identify areas where the money will be best spent. He also mentioned that several new business had started in the wake of the pandemic, which is seen as a positive sign.

The financial state of the city remains stable. The city continues to receive lease revenue for the solar fields which help keep property taxes low. Utility work continues around town that increase the efficiency and safety of the electrical grid in the city. Utility rates were reduced over the last year by 3% and the automatic rate increase was repealed.

The city's demographics have stayed largely unchanged. The city's residents are, on average, older, but there are still young families with children moving into the area. Populations at the various schools have been consistent over the last five years or so, with some lower numbers seen at EM Garrett Junior High School. Mayor McManus spoke of the losses students have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and acknowledged that this was something that would need to be addressed in coming months and years. He also noted that the city was a popular place to retire.

Currently, land around Boulder Creek Golf Course is being appraised for possible sale for residential development. Otherwise, the controlled growth ordinance is working as intended. Some residential building has occurred in the last couple of years, but nothing close to the 120-unit limit adopted many years ago by the city.

Mayor McManus referred to the annexation of land by the City of Henderson. There is quite a bit of privately owned land, including some that will be developed for an additional truck stop below Railroad Pass. The mayor and city council have very little power to influence development in that area, but they are working to see that the area remain open space.

The city is doing quite a bit of work with local businesses. Over $300,000 in grants were distributed during the pandemic to help businesses stay afloat. One thing that may be decided by voters this year is whether or not to sell land to perhaps facilitate the construction of a second grocery store near Veterans Memorial Drive and US93. Economic Development Coordinator Raffi Festekjian is working with dozens of companies to try to achieve this goal. The Mayor also cited a statistic that as a total the local business community had received over $28 million in Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) funds over the past two years, which no doubt helped those businesses greatly during the pandemic.

"The last three years have truly been a crisis. We have witnessed the loss of loved ones, jobs, school classes, and businesses," said Jill Rowland-Lagan the CEO of Boulder City Chamber of Commerce. "However, with experiences from our past that taught resiliency, most weathered the storm. Many are rising out of this crisis, even more polished and prepared for what comes at us next. Boulder City really is the jewel in the desert that shines more and more with each challenge and triumph."

Mayor McManus discussed upcoming, proposed projects. The city is looking to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant to reduce reliance on water from Lake Mead. The police and fire departments will continue to be supported with additional training. Under the direction of Public Works Director Keegan Littrell, the city's streets are being improved. Continued projects funded through the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada include the Railroad Museum access road that will run parallel to Boulder City Parkway to the north. Renewable energy is being looked at as a possible source of power, and also mentioned was the importance of water conservation in the area.

Any who are interested can view both the Mayor's address and view the accompanying Power Point slides on the City's web site, HERE.