State of the City: Mayor touches on challenges, hopes

The Who’s Who of Martinez congregated early Thursday morning for the annual State of the City Breakfast, held at the Shell Clubhouse and attended by a capacity crowd.

After opening speeches by the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, Cynthia Murdough, and the newly installed Chairman of the Board Marty Ochoa, Rob Schroder gave his eighth address at the annual gathering in his role as mayor.

Enumerating the challenges faced by the City in 2009, and cautioning that 2010 might be just as tough, Schroder touched on several ongoing issues.

A murmur rippled through the audience when Schroder announced that last Monday, the California State Lands Commission (CSLC) renewed the City’s lease of the Martinez Marina for the next 46 years. In post-event interviews, both Schroder and City Manager Phil Vince confirmed that the CSLC set a yearly rent of $12,500 for the first ten years, to be renegotiated in year 11.

The lease renewal heralds a consummation of the City’s agreement with Almar, the private management company currently in charge of the marina. Almar, a.k.a. Martinez Marina, L.L.P, has pledged a multi-million dollar investment in new docks and other upgrades in exchange for 45 years of income from slip and launching fees, among other sources.

 Schroder also touched on the City’s present $4.4 million reserve, indicating it suffered a $1.4 million loss over the past year.

Schroder pointed out that the City had not been forced to lay off ‘a single employee,’ and promised that City leaders will “do everything to prevent the painful measures of furloughs and layoffs.”

Furthermore, the City’s recent “renewed partnership” with the Willows Theater Company is “an investment in an economic engine that is working,” said Schroder. The $30 million Measure H will go far towards “enhancing what we have before building more,” Schroder said, and listed a number of public works projects with impending start dates. On the housing front, Schroder said the RCD/Berrellesa Palms senior apartment development is heading to court and developers with housing projects in Alhambra Highlands and Forest Hills have agreed to “start from square one.”

The Mayor wrapped up his address by referring to a pending state grant of $50,000 that the City will use to “implement the Downtown Specific Plan” and that on Feb. 17, City staff will meet to begin drawing up plans for an update to the City’s General Plan.