Battle Ground Mayor Mike Ciraulo gave a mostly-upbeat assessment of 2009 in his State of the City address Wednesday night, held against a backdrop of declining tax revenues and what he called an "unfunded" stormwater mandate which he said threatened the city’s continued financial stability.In his remarks, Ciraulo focused on growth in the city’s retail sector, including the opening last year of several new businesses at the Battle Ground Town Center development, as well as new storefronts in the city’s revitalized Old Town district.
Ciraulo cited 26 commercial certificates of occupancy approved by city staff in 2009, which he said resulted in the creation of 156 jobs in the city. "This is a beacon of light to the rest of Clark County," Ciraulo said.
Despite a moribund housing market county-wide, especially in the multi-family sector, Ciraulo pointed to a planned 54-unit apartment complex in Battle Ground Village as proof that Battle Ground’s new housing stock, dominated by one-family "starter" homes, was diversifying.
The mayor also spoke of the city’s fiscal challenges and resulting budget austerity measures, including the elimination of cost-of-living wage increases for city employees, the suspension of road maintenance work except in cases where the public’s safety was at risk and the elimination of the city’s National Night Out program.
Ciraulo also mentioned costs related to the county’s stormwater agreement with the state, which he said “have forced the city to make some tough decisions.”
Another major issue addressed in the speech was traffic congestion, particularly on S.R. 502 – which turns into Main Street in downtown Battle Ground. "It’s a huge challenge," said Dan Yager, chief of Clark County Fire and Rescue, which operates a firehouse on S.W. First Street in Battle Ground. "Our trucks have to enter Main Street to go anywhere."
Through all of the challenges and accomplishments mentioned in the speech, there was the sense that this fast-growing city had come into its own as a major player at the county level.
On issues relating to the Growth Management Area, highway improvements and revenue-sharing agreements, Ciraulo struck a forceful tone towards the county – one perhaps not lost on Commissioners Steve Stuart and Marc Boldt, who both attended Wednesday’s speech.
"We seek greater control of our destiny," Ciraulo said.
