Update from Madera’s City Manager
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Habitat for Humanity and the City of Madera recently rewarded five families with homes on Malone Street.
The City of Madera has experienced transformative change over the last 12 months. Council members, staff, and community members alike have all contributed to the City’s continued success, despite the uncertainties and challenges posed by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. As we look ahead to 2022, recapping positive stories and events over the last year demonstrate Madera’s resilience — and showcase that even in the most difficult of times, the Heart of California hasn’t skipped a beat.
With the help of the Federal Government, the City received $23 million from the American Rescue Plan Act that is being dedicated to restoring and improving our vital water and wastewater systems.
Pedestrian safety, specifically children walking to and from school, has been a central point of focus over the last year. City personnel have worked in collaboration with concerned parents of students to make vital improvements to high volume pedestrian walkways. In addition to new stretches of sidewalk installed throughout our community, multiple Flashing Pedestrian Beacons have been constructed adjacent to elementary schools, providing significantly increased visibility and protection for one of our most vulnerable populations.
The completed rebranding of our transit system, Madera Metro, provides riders with a simplified user experience, featuring a color-coded mapping system that makes route identification and trip planning a breeze.
The City formed the Safe & Clean team, a new community pride response team dedicated to beautifying city streets. Whether addressing stray shopping carts, graffiti, obsolete telephone booths, or other community eyesores, this unit is laser-focused on giving Madera the TLC it needs and deserves.
The City’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity has delivered new homes to five Madera families in need.
Most recently, in December, the State of California announced a grant awarded to the City for $1.9 million, which will fund the construction of a new neighborhood park at the corner of Olive Avenue and Knox Street.
Finally, the City was proud to present a balanced operating budget for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. A balanced budget is vital for fiscal planning and ensuring that critical services like public safety and public works, as well as projects like road improvements and community activities, continue uninterrupted.
While 2021 has been a year of challenges, Madera has many outstanding accomplishments to be proud of, and we are committed to working even harder in 2022 to create opportunities and success that propel the livability of our community further.
To my fellow Maderans, I wish good health, success, happiness, and a terrific year in 2022.
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