Mayor outlines state of the city in address

Visitors to the Pavilion venue at the Boulder Creek Golf club could have been excused had they thought they walked into the wrong place last week.

A raised stage in the middle of the venue, cameras all around and the main attraction walking around wearing a wireless headset microphone. But, no, it was not a scaled-down show by Metallica or Garth Brooks. it was the annual State of the City address. Albeit with a different look than in the past.

Before an audience consisting of residents, city staff and representatives of other local governments and agencies, Mayor Joe Hardy (the guy wearing the headset mic) outlined a series of achievements by each of the major city departments, which is typical for a “state of” event at whatever level be it small town or the nation. But he also returned multiple times to a theme revolving around solving puzzles and working together.

“I have a grandson who is 7 and he came up with this quote. ‘Teamwork is better than individual work.’ And you know, it is somewhat profound,” Hardy said. “When we work together with other people and other jurisdictions, we get things done.”

Hardy told a story about working on a picture puzzle with his grand kids.

“What I try to do is you look for the corners and then you try to fit everything around the corners,” he explained. “Well, in this puzzle, there weren’t any corners. So my grandkids, they figured that out faster than I did and they just put the puzzle together and when they did it together, it happened very quickly.”

Hardy proceeded to connect his puzzle story with the reason for his speech.

“And what we do in government is somewhat of a puzzle,” he said. “When we look at what our city does, working together, and working together with other entities, we come together as a community and do well.”

Hardy’s address was well-received by those in attendance.

“The pavilion was near capacity,” Councilmember Steve Walton in the days after the event. “I am encouraged to see so many members of the community come together. They represent a wide variety of interests within our community, which indicates to me that there is a clear and palpable sentiment of engagement and good will among our residents. I appreciate the civic leaders from our neighboring cities in attendance, with whom we serve and positively collaborate.”

“Hearing that Boulder City continues to be the safest city in Nevada and one of the safest in the nation is very important to me and to our residents,” said Councilmember Sherri Jorgensen. “I’m grateful for a police department that has been recruiting well, maintaining qualified staffing, and engaging in training programs to provide the best service to our community.”

Hardy pointed out that the city’s raison d’etre, Hoover Dam, is more than just a tourist attraction.

“In Boulder City, half of our power comes from clean hydro-electric sources,” he said. “One quarter of our power comes from solar and one quarter from natural gas. We’re as renewable as probably anyone can get.”

“Boulder City continues to draw millions of tourists every year,” said Councilmember Cokie Booth, picking up on the tourism aspect. “It’s critical that visitors know where to go when they arrive. I appreciate the efforts of staff who worked with the Chamber of Commerce to provide a tool to find local restaurants, shops, parking, parks, and more, which helps support the local economy and businesses, and allows more people to enjoy historic downtown Boulder City.”

“Having been on council for a few years now, I am proud of the completion of some major projects, such as the Dog Park at Veterans Memorial Park, the facility remodel for Lend A Hand, and city facility renovations including City Hall,” said Councilmember Matt Fox. “I look forward to what projects will take shape in 2024.”

City Manager Taylour Tedder also noted some of the same projects.

“My team completed great work last year, including opening the Dog Park at Veterans Memorial Park, a greater emphasis on customer service excellence, and getting started on sustainable wastewater reuse studies with Southern Nevada Water Authority,” said Tedder. “We take great pride in the work we do, so hearing the appreciation and applause during the address was gratifying for staff.”

Walton summed up the general feeling in the room saying, “I found the address to be uplifting and informative, giving both our local residents and neighboring community leaders a better picture of all of the positive work that has been accomplished over the past year, as well as what’s to come this year.”

Hardy summed up by relating how it feels to get to the end of putting together a puzzle only to realize there is a single piece missing.

“There’s one piece that is missing,” he said. “What’s the first thing you see in the completed puzzle? The empty space. And I would challenge you not to be the empty space. This is an opportunity for all of us to literally work together so that we can complete the puzzle and enjoy what it looks like in the end. Everyone here and everyone in the city of Boulder City is a piece of our puzzle on how we work together. And by working together we will continue to have that wonderful city that we call Boulder City.”