There's a dramatic upsurge of activity, energy and optimism happening in Page

With the money set aside for the bond debt, the city can implement its plans.

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For the city of Page it’s time to dust off the ribbon-cutting scissors and the ground-breaking shovels.


During the last few months you’ve no doubt noticed a steep upsurge in activity, which has led to a renewed surge of energy in Page and an increased degree of optimism. A lot of things are happening in Page.


In the coming weeks the city of Page will begin several large construction projects.  It will start expanding the parking lot at Horseshoe Bend. They expect to have it completed in March 2019 and start collecting entrance fees by April 1. Also, in the coming weeks the city will begin an ambitious street repair project. A few weeks ago, city workers cut and rolled up some sod at city park where Spohn Ranch Skateparks  will begin constructing the city’s new skatepark. They expect to have it done by Christmas time.
This summer the city installed a sidewalk, with curb and gutter, going down the hill from the Quality Inn to Clubhouse Drive, and it also resurfaced a section of south Lake Powell Blvd. and a section of Elk road.


Last year the city added new playground equipment, complete with a sunshade, in Golliard Park, which has been very popular with Page kids and families. I can attest that my three-year-old daughter loves going there.


Another of Page’s big improvements has been the addition of Contour Airlines after Great Lakes Airlines unexpectedly pulled out. Exchanging a nine-seat prop plane with unreliable service for a 30-seat jet, with reliable service and flights to both Phoenix and Vegas, is exactly the upgrade Page needs as it continues to grow and move forward with the big plans it has.


One of the city’s additions I’m most excited about is the new community-wide volunteer initiative that Mayor Diak and city manager Mike Celaya rolled out just two weeks ago, which will bring together non-profit agencies, business, churches and individuals to tackle a variety of issues that will make our city look and function better.


The city’s biggest accomplishment – at least in my opinion – has been paying down its bond debt. Due to the arrangements of the bond loan the city can’t pay it off until July 2021. The city has been setting aside money to pay down the bond debt since 2011 and in recent weeks it has finally reached that goal.


Some of the money the city has been putting into its savings account to pay off its bond debt will now go into an account for the city’s public safety and state retirement funds. But, as mentioned above, some of that money is now going toward city improvements.


It hasn’t been easy getting to this point. For the last decade the mayor and city council have had to say “no” to a lot of projects and events they would have loved to have said “yes” to.


Mayor Bill Diak, and councilmembers Dennis Warner and Jon Kocjan, who were on the dais in 2011 remember it well.


“It was a tough time,” said Mayor Diak in an interview with the Chronicle last summer. “The city was broke.”


The city made interest-only payments on the bond debt until 2011 when Mayor Diak and others on the city council made the hard decision that it was going to pay down its bond debt. They knew that would mean sacrificing a lot of projects, events and other things that the citizens of Page wanted them to do. They took the long view. They set their sights on a very distant destination, they kept their eyes on the road and their hands at ten and two. But they had a lot of back seat drivers – I myself have shouted out directions from the pages of this very column – and plenty more asking, “Are we there yet?”


And now, we’re there. Things are happening. Things are being built and repaired. Events are being added. The city’s strategic plan is being implemented. It’s a very exciting time to be in Page, if you ask me.


“The heavy lifting is done,” said Mayor Diak. “We’re in the implementing phase now and we’re really accelerating it now.”


As one of the people in the back seat yelling directions and asking, “Are we there yet,” I just want to say publicly to the mayor and the city councilmen who kept their eye on October 2018, thanks for getting us here.


I’m looking forward to seeing where this city goes next.