The end of the year is upon us and that grants us an opportunity to reflect on what we have accomplished in the past year and to contemplate our future. The City of Modesto has plenty to be proud of and our future is looking bright.
Homelessness is a tragedy that has impacted nearly every city in America. Here in Modesto, the problem is visible every day. There is no one reason for the crisis and not a single solution to solve it but I believe we have done amazing work with our Camp2Home program and the limited resources at our disposal. Working with our regional partners, we have successfully opened permanent supportive housing facilities for our most vulnerable residents. We have extended our relationship with the Downtown Streets Team which is doing amazing work in tackling the root causes of homelessness by helping those in need acquire vital documents, gain valuable work and job placement skills, and eventually permanent housing. Our newly formed CHAT teams have done an exemplary job in leading outreach efforts to our homeless population and guiding them to services. The City of Modesto also received the prestigious Helen Putnam Award for the development of an innovative outreach dashboard that allows outreach workers to efficiently track, monitor, and deliver services to residents experiencing homelessness.
Speaking of innovation, the City of Modesto has been recognized as one of the top digital cities in California and the United States. Technology is invading all aspects of our daily lives, and it is vital Modesto keeps pace with these technological advancements to efficiently deliver services to the residents. In October, the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC) awarded the City of Modesto with the MISAC Award for Excellence in Information Technology Practices. In November, the Center for Digital Government recognized the City of Modesto as one of the top 10 cities in the United States for utilizing technology to strengthen cybersecurity, enhance transparency and digital equity, plan for the future of work, and more. We are so proud of the tremendous accomplishment and recognition for the City of Modesto.
It has been no secret that over the last 14 years, the finances for the City of Modesto have been in dire straits. The economic meltdown of 2008 exposed the vulnerabilities of the City’s finances and led to difficult decisions in the years afterward. Even with this pressure, the City worked diligently to ensure efficient, effective, and transparent procurement practices. This year, the National Procurement Institute awarded the City of Modesto with the Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement in recognition of the city’s purchasing policies and practices. This is long overdue recognition and validation of the tireless efforts we take as a City to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars.
I believe the residents and citizens of Modesto recognized this hard work when they went to the polls this November and cast their ballots overwhelmingly in favor of Measure H. This one-cent sales tax increase will help the City of Modesto provide the vital services that our residents have come to depend on. Although I am pleased with the outcome, this is by no means a celebration. Now the hard work begins in following through on the mandate granted to us by the voters to deliver. I take this enormous responsibility seriously, and I look forward to working with the City Council and the Measure H Oversight Committee to allocate these dollars as effectively and transparently as possible.
This is truly one of my favorite times of the year. The holiday season fills us with happiness and joy. The crisp air, the twinkle of lights, and the smiles on people’s faces are what this season is all about. I hope you have managed to take advantage of all the wonderful holiday events here in Modesto and no matter how you celebrate, I would like to wish you and your family a warm joyous holiday and a very happy new year.
