Downtown, local control, public safety among Danville State of the Town highlights

The future is bright in Danville.

This was the main message from Danville Mayor Robert Storer when he addressed residents at the annual State of the Town address, hosted by the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce at the Crow Canyon Country Club on Thursday.

During the address Storer spoke of the many achievements his town has witnessed over the past year, the future goals he envisions and took the time to thank his fellow town leaders and staff members for their contributions toward making Danville such a prosperous community.

Topics the mayor discussed included life in downtown, parking projects, public safety, town finances, local control and housing in the Bay Area, to name a few.

At the crux of Storer’s address, was the message encouraging Danville residents to support their fellow Danville resident first and foremost.

“Live locally, here is my short message, please live locally, please shop locally, please buy locally, please eat locally, please play locally, whatever phrase you love, come to Danville first,” Storer said to an audience that was packed with local residents and officials. “I know how easy it is to shop online, we just want you to get out of your house and try downtown Danville first… and do your best to do Danville first.”

Focusing on the downtown area — while still encouraging the support of all Danville businesses — Storer praised the complete absence of parking meters in downtown Danville, a deliberate fact the Town Council hopes will support the area.

Storer also mentioned his desire to reinvigorate the northern downtown area as a future project, saying the council will find a way to improve the area, it just has some details to sort out, such as parking in the area, before it can do so.

“We have no debt in the town of Danville,” Storer said to loud applause early on in his roughly 30 minute speech. “We are simply, honestly a well run city and U am going to say this a lot today, thank you (town manager) Joe Calabrigo and your amazing staff on finances.”

Highlighting Danville’s stellar financial situation, Storer reminded the audience of the town’s financial reserves totaling $12 million, which he says is roughly 43% of Danville’s operating budget. An emergency rainy day fund, Storer said these funds could be used to keep the town afloat if a natural disaster were to strike and Danville needed to fend for itself for a short amount of time.

Storer was also excited at Danville’s recently acquitted friendship city status with New Ross, Ireland, the ancestral home of famed playwright and former Danville resident, Eugene O’Neill. A long process the town created the status with the help and support form the Eugene O’Neill foundation, Storer explained.

Praising the town’s recent designation as the safest community in California, Storer credited the officers of the Danville Police Department, with a special honors for police chief Allan Shields, for the town’s safe streets.

“We are the safest city in California… How is it possible that we are the safest? Allan Shields is the reason we can all sleep at night,” Storer said. “He’s guarding the perimeter 24/7 and making sure the bad guys understand that if you come into Danville with the intention of doing our citizens harm I promise you we will arrest you.”

The town’s mayor did not only speak of Danville’s successes over the past year, also taking the time to acknowledge the upcoming challenges it will be facing. One such challenge is the state government usurping local control on issues related to housing in the Bay Area.

A hot button issue among Tri-Valley communities Storer particularly addressed Sacramento’s attempts to solve a housing crisis in the region through the “CASA Compact.”

“We are most effective when we maintain local control that’s how simple it is,” he said, “State law has come in and (said) if you don’t build affordable housing we could actually put you in default and take away your roadside money your tax money and well hold money back until you actually comply… We all know that we need to do our fair share but we need to do it our way, and the Danville way has worked for 37 years.”

Storer attributes the town’s past successes, and his confidence in their future prosperity to a number of factors, but chief among those is the collaboration of his colleagues on the Town Council.

“There are places where you go where town councils just do not get along. I can tell you honestly that this Town Council not only enjoys working with each other, we like each other,” he said. “We work together on behalf of each of you and we make decisions based on the entire town of Danville. And we are looking into the future for many many years to continue to make good decisions on your behalf.”