Commentary: Mayor’s thoughts for 2010, 2011

I would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas, happy New Year and happy holidays. We all celebrate this special time of year differently, and in whichever way you choose to enjoy your family and friends, I hope nothing but the best for you all.
This is my second time as mayor here in Scotts Valley, and it is no less special to me now than it was the first time. I would like to thank my colleagues on the council for the appointment to mayor, and I will do my best to hold the office with the same dignity, honor and integrity that our outgoing Mayor Jim Reed has done this past year. His leadership was very important to this community during some trying financial times.
As we look forward to 2011, we need to look back at 2010 and what we have lost.
We all have been hit hard by this global recession. Businesses are moving or closing, we all have less money to spend and we all are paying bills slower than we would like. Jobs are moving out of town.
We are seeing Seagate Technology moving from our city, AVIS shutting down and other small businesses closing their doors.
The city of Scotts Valley has more than 1.1 million square feet of unoccupied commercial buildings. That is a 33 percent vacancy — the largest in our city’s history. Just three years ago, our vacancy was closer to 15 percent. It has more than doubled in three years.
While this increase in vacancy is largely due to the national recession and other forces beyond our control, we need to do better.
Through the tools of the Redevelopment Agency, we were able to bring Easton-Bell to our city, and along with them came 140 high-paying jobs.
We were able through incentives to help Zero Motorcycles stay in Scotts Valley and expand, bringing more jobs. Green jobs and green business, like Zero, is where the business sector is growing.
The city has also been able to acquire key pieces of property to further the Town Center. We will soon open a new, 13,000 square-foot library, which truly is phase one of the Town Center. Many might not realize this, but the most amazing thing, in my view, that will happen in January 2011 is Suburban Propane’s move to its new, state-of-the-art facility. These propane facilities have been an impediment to the Town Center for more the two decades. Not only that, but the city now owns this key piece of property, which will help move the project along when the economy is ready.
Economic growth needs to be our top priority for 2011. Without economic stability, we as a community will suffer with less police protection, less road maintenance and a deterioration of our parks and senior center.
As a city, we are fiscally sound for now. We are using some reserves to balance the budget after cuts in personnel the past three years. These reserves are there for just that purpose. We saved your money from Measure C tax increases to carry the city over in tough times.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The city has won the first round of a lawsuit with the county of Santa Cruz in regard to your tax dollars, which should have been allocated to the city of Scotts Valley, but have gone to the county. The county has appealed, and we should have a decision from the courts in the spring. This will bring upward of $400,000 dollars in annual revenues to the city and about $2.7 million in back taxes. These funds will go a long way in sustaining our city into the future.
If you have ideas, please e-mail me at

de**@bu******.com











. Let’s work together.
Dene Bustichi is the newly appointed mayor of Scotts Valley. He was elected to the Scotts Valley City Council in 2004 and will serve as mayor in the titular post for a second time.