MAYOR’S COLUMN -- DAVE GAROFALO

Four goals were presented to the community when I took office in 1999.

We’ve either accomplished them or have the planning process in place to

achieve them in the very near future.

First, an economic development goal -- plan a conference, regional in

scope, that is investment community-based and locally organized. We did

that with nationally renowned guest speakers and panelists. Ten mayors

joined us to execute the area’s first West Orange County Investment

Forum. The benefit will result in more of us talking to each other about

local and regional opportunities to help rehabilitate much of our needed

infrastructure and older sites.

Next was a marketing goal that included bringing together all the

business interest that benefits from our great location, ocean and

weather, and convince them to help pay for and support a statewide ad

campaign to attract needed tourism dollars to our coast. It was done, and

the ad will break this year. We are in the official state of California

tourism publication with our business partners partnering up to pay the

bill.

Third, the environment. While my exact goal fell short with the

Blufftop Park still in the political process, we did, with the help of

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) and others, help Simple Green

bring their technology forward to help remediate some very bad soil in

Huntington Beach. Early indications are that we could be at a point where

we could clean up oil by-product ridden soil in one-third the time, at a

substantially lower cost with this improved technology. Public benefit is

huge for reclaiming land for open space and recreational use.

Finally, my dream for a community congress. I attended the first one

in Huntington Beach 30 years ago. It’s time to have the dialogue again

about our future. Issues such as Central Park and the Central Library

were at the forefront 30 years ago. Now, issues such as our ocean,

growth, public safety and others are on the table. We need to talk. Staff

has developed the outline and set the stage. We’ve raised some money; now

it’s time to congress as a community again. Are you with me?

What a year. The turn of the century. Procession of lights, where 30

religious groups gathered to pay tribute to prayer and celebration.

Realtors Attack Hunger, which raised almost one million pounds of food,

and 12 other events all led by volunteers, all about volunteers, and all

in support of volunteers. That’s what this great city is about.

Thank you. This year had many turns -- my own open-heart surgery, my

daughter’s marriage and my son’s continuing illness. A never-ending

stream of community activists with their message, a City Council that

generally worked together for the general welfare, health and safety of

our one, unified community, all contributed to this chapter in the

history of this city.What an honor, what a privilege, what an experience

to help lead the 16th largest city in the state, the 86th largest city in

America. It’s all about protecting one another from aggression, wherever

that aggression comes from, whomever that aggression comes from.

Please keep me in your prayers, as I will this one-of-a-kind city

struggling through its experiment with humanness.

DAVE GAROFALO is the mayor of Huntington Beach.