Turlock Mayor Amy Bublak delivered her fifth State of the City address on Thursday, a 29-minute speech that focused on different aspects of Turlock business.

The second-term mayor was preceded on the dais by Rep. John Duarte (R-Modesto), the first-term congressman who represents District 13. He praised Turlock’s diverse cultural makeup.

“One thing Turlock’s always done great, and it really is taken for granted, I think, when you’re close to it, is the celebration of the different ethnic communities you have here in Turlock,” said Duarte. “And it’s not just like we’re just trying to get along, we really are celebrating each other here.”

Duarte closed his remarks by acknowledging the chaos that exists in Washington D.C.

“We have extremes on both sides, right?” said Duarte, who likened himself to a waiter who asks Central Valley residents what they need from the government kitchen. “We have a whole bunch of 'normals' in the middle and we’re just good folks in Congress trying to keep things open. And we got it done. And the one thing I want to report back to you, as your congressman, in a crazy year, is the constitutional republic works. And that’s a big deal. And it starts right here in the community.”

Bublak broke her remarks into nine different categories: human resources, IT, finance, economic development, development services, municipal services, public works, public safety, and the future. In some instances, the categories were broken down into sub-categories. Highlights were:

·         Last year the human resources department reviewed more than 3,800 applications and made 80 new hires, leaving 55 vacancies. “You’re the cream of the crop,” Bublak said directly to the new hires in the audience.

·         IT staff worked with the city’s communications officer and communications specialist on a new mobile app for the city called “My Turlock,” which can be downloaded now. “Try it out and let us know what you think,” said Bublak.

·         Turlock posted a 13.3 percent increase in sales-tax revenue, according to the mayor, who also boasted of a partnership with EMC Health Foundation and Tower Pharmacy to create a $2 prescription drug program.

·         City engineering staff installed accessible pedestrian curb ramps at intersections through the southwest quadrant own and completed Lander Avenue and Pedras Road projects.

·         Maintenance crews filled more than 8,000 potholes, removed 120 tons of trash while cleaning up encampments and re-striped 57 miles of road markings.

·         The city took over the daily plant operations of the Surface Water Treatment Facility.

·         The fire department responded to more than 8,300 calls for service last year and kept response times at 5.1 minutes, which is below the national average.

·         Bublak singled out the police department’s use of license-plate readers, new camera-sharing technology and continued officer recruitment in ways TPD helps keep the city safe.

Bublak dedicated just one sentence to Stanislaus County’s CARE team, which addresses Turlock’s homeless population, but not once in her 3,200-word speech was the word “homeless” mentioned. It’s an issue Bublak brought to the fore when she first campaigned for the mayoral seat in 2018.

Prior to her remarks, Bublak issued a key to the city to former interim Stanislaus State president Susan Borrego, who stepped down last month.

“You know, I grew up in the Midwest,” said Borrego, who hails from Detroit. “Turlock felt a lot like the Midwest to me. You weren’t a stranger to anyone. Sometimes, people said, ‘Man, we’re a hard place to break into’ … you didn’t make it hard for me.”

To view the Mayor’s entire State of the City remarks, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amjj7py9jrA