One of the honors I have had as mayor of our great city has been to offer a message to the community near the beginning of the new year. I have never looked forward to this transitional time more than now as we have thankfully bid a not-so-fond farewell to 2020 and continue our focus on recovery, health and safety in 2021.

It is also important to reflect on and appreciate what we have accomplished during an extremely challenging moment in our history. Although 2020 was a difficult year, I can honestly say I have never been prouder to be an Arvadan. The many ways in which our community has pulled together during periods of social isolation and economic hardship has been inspiring. I’ve seen neighbors helping neighbors and an outpouring of support and charity to help those in need, including our local businesses. We continue to help each other, and I thank you.

Our local business and community partners also pulled together to respond to the pandemic in the form of the Arvada Resiliency Task Force. In 2020, thanks to partners like the Arvada Chamber of Commerce, the Arvada Economic Development Association, the City of Arvada and many other local businesses and nonprofits, the task force collaborated to support our local economic vitality and plan recovery efforts to renew our thriving economy in the near future.

For its part, the City additionally has distributed more than $4 million in federal CARES Act funding to local businesses during 2020. The City also distributed funding to local non-profit organizations and moved quickly to ensure the delivery of our services to the community never ceased. We are proud that even as we have responded to the pandemic, we have been able to move important City business forward.

For example, our infrastructure teams have made great progress on several voter-approved bond projects. Phase 2 of the Ralston Road Project (from Yukon to Garrison) is set to begin by this summer, as is construction for the W. 72nd underpass farther north. The first phase of the Ralston Road Project is on track to be completed this spring.

Last year, the City Council approved an update to the Land Development Code, which better aligns our development code with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and is helping us recover from the current economic crisis faster by streamlining regulations to get projects approved and moving forward. Thanks to this update, a typical review process is reduced from 12 months to just seven months. Our incredible Arvada Police Department continues to deliver uninterrupted service during the pandemic while also fully implementing the Community, Outreach, Resource and Enforcement (CORE) team. Working with the City’s Homeless Navigator and regional partners, the CORE Team is dedicated to ensuring public safety and a high quality of life throughout the entire city.

While we celebrate our accomplishments, we also mourn the neighbors we have lost to COVID-19 and grieve with their families. We are mindful of those who have struggled to make ends meet during the economic crisis and saddened by the loss of local businesses.

As we honor those who have sacrificed so much, we remain grateful for the many ways our community has worked together to respond to the pandemic, and as we look forward to further recovery in the coming year, I know our community can and will come back stronger than ever.

On behalf of the Arvada City Council and the entire city team, and with 2020 firmly in our rearview mirror, I wish you and your family best wishes for 2021.

— Arvada Mayor Marc Williams