Chamber of Commerce Gives State of the Community

LOMA LINDA>> The Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce celebrated the success the city has seen this year during the 25th annual State of the Community Luncheon Sept. 28. Loma Linda Mayor Dr. Rhodes Rigsby spoke of the progress of the city within the last year including providing a sustainable budget. He said the city is anticipating that there will not be a deficit by the end of the year. He also said they have added police services including 16 deputies total and have various projects that have taken place such as the storm drain at Benton Street and plans to work with the city of Redlands on an intersection on Redlands Blvd. "Our philosophy in the city is to do the things we do best at the best price we can, and as efficient as we can and then stop," Rigsby said. "Frequently, government tries to get involved in too much stuff and we don't do that." "We pave your roads, provide your water, public safety and other incidental things and help get projects through and get out of the way of people who want do to great things," he added. Another success the city has seen was the opening of the Holiday Inn Express hotel. Rigsby said the building of hotels will be helpful for people who need a place to stay when they have family in the hospital and will also raise the revenue for the city. "We're very happy we are attracting hotels south of the freeway instead of just the north," he said. Other accomplishments the city has made includes the expansion of the Ronald McDonald House, more parking structures that will allow for hospital employees to park and not disrupt citizens or the community, and the placement of cell towers on city property. Rodney D. Neal, Senior Vice President of Finance of Loma Linda University, presented the success of the university including receiving an A-level credit and the expansion of the programs. He said the university has reached 60 percent of the $120 million research goal that will provide a new research building to help conduct research for medical education. Trevor Wright, Chief Operating Officer of the Loma Linda Medical Center, spoke about the new hospital that is currently in the process of being built. With a plan of 19,000 tons of steel, the hospital that will stand next to the current medical center will be the tallest hospital in California at 268 feet. The new hospital is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2019. During the luncheon, speakers including State Senator Mike Morrell and State Assemblyman Marc Steinorth spoke of the pride each shares for the city. Later, Jarb Thaipejr, City Manager, took a moment to recognize key community leaders. In a message to Loma Linda, Steinorth thanked those in attendance for being successful at the work they do in the community. "When I go to Sacramento and talk about Loma Linda, you are a world-wide brand," he said. "You couldn't do your job better than you do and everybody in the world recognizes that and everybody in the world gives you credit for what we know is here." Steinorth said Loma Linda runs their local government well and mentioned that no one is running against the city council incumbents and the Loma Linda and Colton fire districts are doing a good job working together. "I've decided you need to take over the rest of California," he said. "You are absolutely a great example, you set the tone by which this region can really prosper. As your representative in Sacramento, I don't know what I can do to help you. I think you are doing everything really well. It is a great honor to be able to say that I represent a city that has one of the longest life expectancy in the world." During the event, Morrell spoke about Proposition 54 known as the California Legislature Transparency Act. The measure would prohibit the legislature from passing any bill unless published on Internet for 72 hours before the vote and would require the legislature to record its proceedings and post the recordings on the Internet. "We will be held accountable for the things we say," he said. "It's a huge step in transparency." "Across the nation we are plagued with terrorist attacks and have 19 trillion dollars in debt, America is facing a lot of challenges and even polling suggests that 70-80 percent of Americans are concerned about the future of our country," he added. "Today, more than ever, we need some divine guidance because there are some serious challenges not just in California but across our nation."