Working together city, citizens can find needed solutions

When you’ve got a problem, you either face it or let it fester. I favor the face-it-and-fix-it approach. Solutions might cost time and money, but ignoring any problem generally leads to more problems.

I’ve lived in Boulder City long enough to know which way the wind is blowing regarding the community’s attitude about issues. Folks are talking about historic preservation, impact of Interstate 11, utility rates and other issues in a much louder way than I’ve heard in previous years.

During my years working for Boulder City, I spent days working on projects to promote the city as a destination for tourists throughout the state through various methods. For example, there was a time when the city’s web calendar displayed not only city meetings, but all events listed on the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce’s calendar, not to mention these activities were broadcast on BCTV. For those of you who choose to believe me, both Jill Rowland-Lagan, the chamber’s CEO, and I put real effort into promoting Boulder City. We were keenly aware of the change that was coming.

I could list reasons why many of the projects undertaken never materialized, but I’d be writing for hours. I’ve got to focus on where we’re at today, and what can we do about it.

I-11, in my opinion, will not be the end of Boulder City, but the city administration and citizens involved in the Think Tank project, led by the chamber, need to work together. Community Development Director Michael Mays has been attending meetings and seems more than willing to work on marketing efforts, but the council needs to weigh in on exactly what the city is going to commit to in these efforts.

Without a “let’s get it done” effort by the elected officials, and that means real dollars and real staff time, the current Think Tank efforts will be for naught, as were so many other projects undertaken in the past.

When I opened a business in Boulder City 23 years ago, I had four outdoor tables for dining. Tony’s Pizza had a few tables that were used by the high school students at lunch time. Since then, dining al fresco has flourished and there are commonly dozens waiting outside the Coffee Cup Café on the weekend. I’m convinced I-11 won’t severely impact a large part of the dining scene that has developed over the past two decades.

Boulder City’s outdoor activities have also grown during the past 20 years and continue to draw tourists and locals.

I’m extremely aware that many businesses could be profoundly affected by I-11 once the traffic stops. That’s where we, the residents, along with business owners and the city, come in. When it becomes easier to get into and out of businesses, will residents patronize these establishments? Will business owners seek a variety of ways to attract locals? This is an important two-way street where businesses and customers need to have serious interaction.

And what about the city’s responsibility? It comes down to time and money. The city provides financial support to the Boulder Dam Hotel. There is advertising money in the current budget for Boulder Creek and the municipal golf course. There is money for a contract with 10e Media. There is money for improvements at the Boulder Creek pavilion, which the city manager told me June 5 will be examined to determine what could/should be done and what funds may or may not be spent.

Since the city is already budgeting and spending dollars on marketing, perhaps it’s time for everyone to get on the same page and work together. There are citizen volunteers working to promote Boulder City. With the hiring of more city employees, one would assume staff has some time available to work with the already established Think Tank so that ideas, efforts and projects can be shared.

I don’t know about you, but I get frustrated when problems or issues are not solved, and there are solutions in front of us. Those who want to do something about a change, whatever we think that might be, should meet now, in one place, on a regular basis, and share their solutions. To fix or not to fix. You decide.

Rose Ann Miele is a journalist and was public information officer for Boulder City for nine years. She can be reached at roseannrab@hotmail.com or at 702-339-9082.