Highlights From Folsom Mayor’s State of the City Report

kerricolor.dec05_6

Folsom Mayor Kerri Howell delivered her ‘State of the City’ report last night before a 2/3 full house at City Council Chambers.  It was mostly good news. Here are some highlights:

Jobs

  • Folsom continues to be a jobs leader, with an unemployment rate of 3.6%, compared to 8.1% for the county and 8.5% for the State
  • Safe Credit Union will consolidate administrative offices, moving 250 employees  to Folsom, having purchased the former Waste Connections headquarters. Vision Service Plan will be moving approximately 380 employees into their new lens grinding facility on Blue Ravine, and hiring 200 to 250 more. Folsom Lake Volkswagen is taking up the last vacant spot at the Folsom Auto Mall

Growth

  • There were 325 new home building permits issued in 2013, compared with 162 in 2012.
  • Long-dormant new home communities are moving forward this year. Projects include The Addison at Sibley and Glenn, The Knolls at East Natoma and Green Valley, and projects in both the Parkway and Empire Ranch.

Tourism

  • Tourism spending brought over $100,000,000 into Folsom in 2013
  • Folsom will be the sight of the AMGEN Tour of California Time Trials on May 12
  • Over 26,000 people took advantage of the Historic District ice skating rink

Upcoming projects

  • The Folsom Plan area, aka the South of 50 project, will move forward with infrastructure improvements starting later this year
  • A new hotel is being built near East Bidwell and Iron Point
  • The Johnny Cash Trail across Folsom State Prison is endorsed by the Cash family land will break ground this Spring

The Mayor also cautioned us about water usage, reminding us that there was an order for a 20% cut back in usage, and restricting landscape watering to 2 days per week. She also noted that of the 500 cubic feet per second being released from the dam, only 80 of that goes to supply drinking water for local communities. The rest to the river, agriculture and elsewhere.

A full broadcast of the address and the entire City Council meeting can be seen on Metro Cable Channel 14 this Friday and Saturday at 9am.

So, what are your thoughts?