Last week, at the annual State of the City hosted by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, I was pleased to highlight the City’s accomplishments in the past year, and present new goals as we set our sights on the future.

As a rising hub for biotech, cleantech, and advanced manufacturing, Fremont’s appeal to modern businesses continues to grow. In fact, we have seen notable increases in both new and existing business leases with the City:

Boehringer Ingelheim, the world-leading biotech and pharmaceutical company, is significantly expanding its footprint in the city. Meanwhile, more biotech and cleantech businesses including Neuralink, Sepi Solar, Zen Labs, and Avalon Battery are establishing operations in Fremont.

Warm Springs continues to be a hot spot for business and residential development. Programs by Lennar, Toll Brothers, Tesla, Sobrato and Valley Oak Partners are projected to bring over 8,000 potential new jobs and 4,000 residential units to the area.

This June, Fremont will be the appointed host to the Cleantech Open’s “National Academy West Coast,” a two-and-a-half day boot camp for 80 startups across the Western United States.

The Bay Area Urban Manufacturing Initiative has marched into its third year, and we are constantly energized by the new practices, policy advocacy, and promotional opportunities that are enhanced by collaborating as a super-region.

With businesses looking to become established and expand in Fremont, talent acquisition has become a hot topic for the City. Therefore, we are taking proactive steps to secure the next generation workforce by improving education and awareness at all levels. Here are some of the notable programs:

In order to create a human resource pipeline for advanced manufacturing, the City has partnered with Fremont Unified School District and hired Parker Thomas as its first FUSE Corps Executive Fellow. The goal is to research and create Maker Education opportunities for K through 12 students in Fremont.

Keck Graduate Institute (KGI), the highly regarded biotech graduate program that is part of the Claremont College system, has established a presence in Fremont. It is conducting professional development workshops as a lead-in to a full-fledged graduate program in the coming years.

Vets2Tech is a successful program stemming from Lawrence Livermore Lab, which supports and educates veterans on tech careers, and matches university courses with industry internships. Fremont has joined the consortium of companies and cities looking to expand the program to this region.

Even as we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Fremont’s newest BART station in Warm Springs, more exciting projects around mobility and traffic safety are under way. To outline just a few:

Construction on a bicycle and pedestrian bridge and plaza will kick-off soon at the Warm Springs/South Fremont station, with the goal of providing more transportation options to Fremont residents and business employees.

The Fremont Vision Zero 2020 plan is still going strong, and since its implementation in 2016, the City has seen a 27 percent reduction in major crashes.

Thanks to the implementation of measures such as commute period turn restrictions and changes to signal timing, we have achieved a 70 to 90 percent traffic reduction in residential neighborhoods. There are more improvements to come as well, with work starting on Express Lanes for Interstate 680 and 880 through Fremont to ease traffic congestion.

For two years in a row, Fremont has been named the No. 1“Happiest City in America” by WalletHub, an achievement due in large part to the efforts of our outstanding police and fire departments, emergency personnel, and City Staff. We recognize the meaningful strides that have been made by these departments toward nurturing and protecting this beautiful community. Here is a sampling of the City’s achievements and initiatives:

The Fremont Police Department spearheaded efforts that lead to a nearly 30 percent decline in commercial burglaries in 2017, and an overall reduction in residential burglaries by 62 percent since 2011.

The Fremont Fire Department deployed first responders to the devastating fires throughout California and executed hurricane responses across the country and Puerto Rico.

This spring, we will activate the site at Town Fair Plaza in Downtown Fremont with flexible programming; the site will be managed by Public Space Authority. Community members can weigh in on the type of programming and activities they would like to see when it opens daily.

To provide a welcoming and accommodating environment for our aging residents, Fremont joined the World Health Organization’s global network of Age Friendly cities.

Finally, I was honored with the opportunity to recognize our City Council members, show appreciation for our hard working City employees, and express my gratitude to City Manager Fred Diaz, who will retire this July after 14 years of dedicated service to the City. I also acknowledged retiring Police Chief Richard Lucero, who faithfully served the City of Fremont for 31 years and played an instrumental role in making Fremont a safe, welcoming place to live.

Though the 2018 State of the City Address has concluded, I continue to be struck by the theme of unity. I thank each person, local business, and enterprise tenant for their contributions to Fremont. As I concluded in my remarks last Wednesday, each of you are truly our most valuable assets.

I am proud to be part of this great city called Fremont, and to join my fellow residents and colleagues in shaping the future of the City. As a community, we are stronger together.

Lastly, I want to thank the Fremont Chamber of Commerce for once again hosting this year’s State of the City Address.