Mayor David Spence reported positive news to the Noon La Cañada Kiwanis Club when he gave the annual State of the City address. Each year, the mayor is invited to speak to the group and members of the public are also welcome to attend.

Mayor Spence reported on several important initiatives of the City for the last year and commended City staff for its role in maintaining high levels of service while being fiscally conservative.

The City has an annual $11.8 million general fund budget and, for the first six months of this fiscal year, revenues were up over 5%. The City’s cash reserve is higher than most local government agencies across the country.

In the past year, the City has spent over $5 million on capital projects, including 2.73 miles of street resurfacing and the reconstruction of Woodleigh Lane. The Cerro Negro Trail benefitted from repairs this past year as well.

Continuing the trend of environmental stewardship and preservation of public health, the City approved the design of the Foothill Bike Lane Greenbelt. The Public Works Dept. successfully serviced over 5,000 trees in the City in the past year, and, with a 75% solid waste diversion rate, the City recycled 26 tons of materials that would otherwise have been sent to landfills. In response to the drought, the City also began importing recycled water to irrigate City medians.

La Cañada Flintridge also continues to be thoughtful regarding transportation within and around the City. In April 2015, the City completed construction of three “sound walls,” protecting residents from the noise of the 210 Freeway. Free rides numbering 33,449 were provided on the LCF Shuttle this past year, cutting down on traffic congestion and better serving residents with mobility challenges.

Last but not least, the City continues to actively oppose the construction of the 710 Tunnel due to the significant health risks for local residents.

The LCF City Council continues to value its relationships with businesses and residents. The City participated in the Chamber Internship Program this past year and members of the City Council participated in the Business Support Development Committee. Fifteen free concerts were hosted at Memorial Park over the summer and four quarterly community newsletters –LCF Vistas – were mailed to every business and residence in the City.

The mayor said he was appreciative of the invitation from the Kiwanis Club to inform residents of the work going on at city hall.

“It’s important that people know city hall really is working for them and for the betterment of the community,” he said.