CRESTVIEW — Mayor David Cadle delivered his first-ever State of the City address Monday evening before the City Council.
"We will look at both accomplishments are recurring challenges in providing the type of service our citizens expect and deserve," Cadle said.
Cadle reviewed several departments' fiscal-year 2014-15 accomplishments and shortcomings.
LIBRARY
"All of us have received glowing accolades for the environment and helpfulness of this jewel of our city," Cadle said.
Highlights and challenges include:
• Limited internet bandwidth
• Staff salaries lag behind other cities'
• Expanding the library to provide a STEM-centered children's wing
• Circulation has doubled in 10 years with patrons checking out more than 16,000 items each month, surpassing Niceville, which has a bigger library budget.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
The mayor limited his remarks on the building department:
• The department has maintained a balanced budget for the past three years
• Excess permit revenue totals $130,000, placed in escrow
• All computers replaced in last two years
• Second full-time clerk added in 2014
• Often grants same-day inspections "which is virtually unheard of in this profession"
• Permitted and oversaw $49.5 million in construction in 2015
• Issued 1,529 permits in 2014-15
• Performed 2,809 inspections, or average of 12 daily.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
The department has grown from three on-duty firefighters in one fire station in the late 1990s to 14 firefighters in three stations.
Mutual-aid responses in 2014-15 were 38 for North Okaloosa Fire District, 20 for Holt, 10 for Baker, 11 to Dorcas and one to Duke Field.
"As these events have become more frequent and improvements are not being seen in the requesting agencies' ability to provide services to their areas, our own resources are being asked to do more and more," Cadle reported.
Because excessive mutual aid requests can take fire-fighting resources away from town, Cadle recommended fire districts outside Crestview only "specifically request our presence if needed."
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Citing "the actions of four years ago," when the Crestview Police Department was rocked by scandal, Cadle said reform "has been an unending process since those terrible days."
Reforms include:
• New rules, policies and interdepartmental supervision
• Raised standards and performance levels
• Expanded use of technology in fighting crime
• Establishing community partnerships and an open-door policy.
"Our citizens have responded favorably," Cadle said, citing donations to reestablish the police K-9 unit and programs including the Police Citizens Academy and Coffee with a Cop.
"In many law enforcement circles we are known as the Crestview Success Story," Cadle said.
"We are truly blessed with what we have here," Cadle said in conclusion. "The future continues to be bright."
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview mayor: 'The future continues to be bright' (VIDEO)