San Diego County’s top elected official Thursday outlined a vision of “connecting the unconnected” as the county builds on past successes in public safety, health and the environment.
“We are having a pretty good year at the county, one hard won by making smart decisions in tough times,” said Ron Roberts, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors.
He promised to build on that success, saying, “I know we are going to connect the unconnected, and to accomplish great things.”
Roberts gave the annual “State of the County” address before a crowd of more than 500 at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. It is the fifth annual address in his more than 20 years as a supervisor.
He touched briefly on the future of the Chargers — “we are in the end game and will almost certainly know this year the future of the Chargers in San Diego” — but focused on the county’s efforts across the spectrum of public needs:
- This year is the fourth in a row of AAA bond ratings — the highest in the investment world — from all three major ratings agencies.
- A $107 million, state-of-the-art crime lab for the San Diego Sheriff’s Department is slated to open in 2018.
- The successful waterfront park downtown has welcomed more than 400,000 visitors since it opened in 2014.
- A proposed high-tech cable-car system could connect the waterfront park with Balboa Park.
- Technology initiatives like the San Diego Emergency app, which has been downloaded 176,000 times, are helping citizens. “Technology is a wonderful platform for connecting the unconnected,” Roberts said.
- The KIDS Data Project — a partnership with Rady Children’s Hospital and UC San Diego — will create a data system to improve childhood health.
- The county will focus on heart health for adults with widespread blood-pressure screening. “We want everyone to know their numbers,” he said.
- A new “Project One for All” will direct resources to the homeless community. “The time is now to make a big change in our homeless population,” he said.
Roberts singled out SDG&E for being the first utility to get a third of its energy from renewable resources. He announced that the utility will install 3,500 electric-vehicle chargers — half again as many as already exist in the state of California.
“We are leaving our children, and grandchildren, a much cleaner county than we inherited,” he said.
Roberts presented the county’s annual Chairman’s Award to Michael Bruich, executive director of the agency managing the San Pasqual Academy for foster children.
“Most of our honoree’s energy has gone toward helping children, which is a beautiful match with tonight’s theme,” Roberts said.
