Tracy Press

Second Thoughts: Tracy's priorities are on the right track, but a few need time on the back-burner.

Just in case you missed it, the City Council has announced its official goals and objectives for the next fiscal year.

The rubber stamp was given during Tuesday’s meeting to a set of six “priority areas,” 18 “specific work plan items” and 62 “action items.” For staff, it’s the policy blueprint for the 2008-09 year starting in July. For us, it’s a peek at what City Hall says are Tracy’s top priorities.

The usual suspects are on the list. Public safety is No. 1, including improving response times for the Tracy Fire Department. Though it would have been nice if the list included a plan for cracking down on wanton thuggery, this one’s hard to argue with. Unless you like watching your house burn down.

Economic development receives the most attention, not surprising in a time of sputtering economy. These ideas range from the proactive and intriguing — considering incentive programs for the downtown, Interstate 205 and Gateway businesses areas — to the dull but necessary — identifying what city projects are eligible for grants.

Anything to bring more high-paying jobs and businesses to Tracy gets a nod from this space. As long as those businesses aren’t another Wal-Mart that will put a choke-hold on homegrown entrepreneurs, or a pseudo-downtown like the one Alex Spanos is pitching for the far-flung reaches of northwest Stockton.

And because all work and no play makes for bored Tracy kids (idle hands are the devil’s workshop, right?), sports facilities are also on the agenda. Staff already presented the council with three options for improving existing sports fields, and all were shot down. But at least four ideas for a new park — the Next Generation Tracy Sports Complex — are in the pipeline for June.

The city hasn’t forgotten about swimmers, either, as an aquatics center is in the mix. In fact, it’s featured quite prominently — right there in the city’s Land Use/General Plan section, attached to a deal with The Surland Cos.'s Ellis project. That deal and a possible agreement with AKT Development make up two of the four land-use “specific work plan items” laid out for staff.

This is perhaps the most mystifying part of the 2008-09 agenda. From the city’s point of view, there seems little need for a quick resolution on the Ellis and AKT proposals.

The city (kudos to it) has spelled out plenty of issues that desperately need attention from staff and our soon-to-arrive city manager. Yet the council plan envisions the Ellis project’s land will get LAFCo’s annexation OK by January.

As Councilwoman Suzanne Tucker said during Tuesday’s meeting, putting off this deal — and the aquatics center that might come with it — could mean delaying the park’s opening by another swim season.

But would that be so bad?

Considering what Tracy faces, limited time and energy might be best spent elsewhere — such as building the tax base, as the city has laid out goals of balancing the budget, increasing the uncertainty fund and maintaining services without layoffs, all despite projected deficits.

The downtown revitalization is also far from complete, with a developed Bow Tie area more vision than reality. That land is still owned by Union Pacific, and even if the city kicks UP in the pants to secure the area, it needs a serious scrub-down before anything can be built. And that building, depending on the level of contamination at the site, might require unforeseen creativity. Not to mention unweaving a tangled railway web to bring commuter trains to the multimodal station and designing the project so residents don’t holler about the neighborhood train depot.

Staffers plan to hammer out the Downtown Specific Plan by December, despite the other projects. But anything that drains money, time and focus from economic and downtown development must take a back seat.

For now, at least, that means a delay for the Ellis and AKT deals. The city has better things to worry about and a bigger vision to embrace.

• For more, read Jon's Tracy Press blog, or contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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written by Eric OBrian , April 20, 2008

Are you still across the pond? Too much warm beer? Greasy fish and chips too? Throwing it back!

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written by Coldblodded , April 22, 2008

Hey, this guy looks like Officer Rickman with a full set of hair.