By Donna Lind, Mayor, Scotts Valley
As Scotts Valley moves into 2022, there is much encouragement for a bright future. Scotts Valley’s new City Manager Mali LaGoe took the helm January 10th. She is described by the Nevada County CEO as incredibly smart and having led with high integrity in various roles in Nevada County where she served for over 9 years, becoming the assistant CEO. Scotts Valley has many similarities to Nevada County and is facing many of the same issues including economic recovery and wildfire protection.
City Manager Mali LaGoe left Nevada County to come to Scotts Valley.
We are excited and honored to have Mali LaGoe join the City of Scotts Valley. She completes a strong all-female leadership team for 2022. City Attorney Kirsten Powell has been serving the City since 2004 and brings a level of knowledge, experience and dedication that is unmatched.
City Manager LaGoe hit the ground running having virtually attended various community meetings in advance of arriving and conversing with staff. She quickly identified key issues for Scotts Valley and has begun addressing issues including Scotts Valley’s after-school programs and Parks and Recreation programs that were closed due to the pandemic. Mali has also toured the Scotts Valley Library which is undergoing a full renovation. We are excitedly awaiting the reopening of our state-of-the-art library in the near future.
Scotts Valley Police Department had struggled with the loss of many officers to agencies offering large signing bonuses and higher pay. Because of community support of recent sales tax measure, Scotts Valley successfully recruited several officers and is approaching full staff. With the replaced staffing, the Department has been able to return a School Resource Officer to Scotts Valley High and continue the DARE program. Continuing the trend of strong female leadership, two of the Department’s five sergeants are female.
With many small businesses struggling or closing during the pandemic, Penny Ice Creamery opened at The Hangar, the new commercial building on Mt. Hermon Road behind the drive-through Starbucks. The Home Store by Zinnia’s opened January 22nd and welcomed many happy shoppers. This business is the first of a kind in Scotts Valley offering beautiful unique furnishings and home goods. Faultline Brewery is set to open soon offering live entertainment, firepit conversation areas and an activity patio. Faultline Brewery plans to offer a fine dining experience with a focus on hand-crafted beers and food.
1440 Multiversity is open with appropriate safety protocols in place. It’s located in the tranquility of the redwoods of Scotts Valley with breathtaking views. 1440 has been ranked by CNN as one of the top 11 wellness retreats in the world and it’s located in Scotts Valley!
Giving back to the community is a core value for 1440 Multiversity. An example of their advocacy is the Healing Our Healthcare Heroes program launched Spring 2021. Born from a debt of gratitude to frontline medical workers who continue to serve our communities. This program allows them to begin the path of recovery to cope with the stress and anxiety of everyday work they endure during pandemic. More than 1,100 healthcare heroes have benefited from the program, with more to come in 2022. This was at no cost to participants thanks to the generosity of donors, sponsors and the 1440 Foundation. Given the success of Healing Our Healthcare Heroes, 1440 will introduce Healing Our Education Communities this spring. This program is designed to bring the same healing and focus to educators.
We also look forward to welcoming Target in the former K-Mart location, expected to open this summer. Community giving is also a part of Target’s legacy since stores opened in 1962. Target gives 5% of their profit to the community. Scotts Valley Square is undergoing a major update and beautification of the entire shopping center.
The City has made dramatic progress on economic recovery working closely with the Chamber of Commerce. Scotts Valley is supporting local businesses with a Small Business Rent & Mortgage Assistance Grant Program. The $250,000 received in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Cares Act funding to provide economic relief for Scotts Valley businesses that were negatively impacted by the pandemic. The City’s goal is to help businesses retain employees and provide funds to those businesses that need it most so their doors can stay open.
We’re very thankful the City has been able to partner with the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce to support local businesses. However, it is due to the strong community support that has helped most of our local businesses hold on through the pandemic. Their struggle is far from over and it is important that we continue to shop local and continue this critical support!
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Donna Lind is the mayor of Scotts Valley. Reach her at [email protected] or call 831-438-4187.