Diamond Bar plans to launch a campaign in the next month to share with residents ways they can get involved in the community from volunteering to participating in various activities to forming a Neighborhood Watch group.
Mayor Jack Tanaka unveiled the Discover Diamond Bar campaign during his annual State of the City address Thursday evening.
More than 80 people gathered to hear Tanaka’s speech, which stressed the themes of collaboration and community involvement.
Tanaka also introduced a video that highlighted programs for seniors, DB 4 Youth teen volunteers, and Tiny Tot preschool.
“Let me encourage you to discover Diamond Bar, join in on the conversation, and become part of our community,” he said. “On the eve of our 25th year of incorporation, let’s continue to work together to build upon our successes for a legacy that we can be proud of to pass on to our future generations.”
Besides the campaign, Tanaka gave an overview of city highlights in the past year.
Despite the sluggish economic recovery, Diamond Bar not only maintained a balanced budget, but also was able to construct a new city hall and library, he said.
Collaboration with the county and Supervisor Don Knabe, who helped secure $5 million in funds for the new building, along with the work of the librarian, and the Friends of the Diamond Bar Library’s effort to construct an outdoor reading garden, helped make the project possible, he added.
“A vision can only come alive with active support and involvement in the community, as was the case with our library,” he said.
Tanaka also mentioned the “Bark Park” and the Washington Street Neighborhood Park, two new additions to Diamond Bar.
He also discussed local business. Although some stores have closed, the city is working hard behind the scenes to get those vacancies filled, he said.
Tanaka also mentioned the vacant Diamond Bar Honda site and the city’s recently approved market analysis for the parcel, which is now underway.
He urged residents to shop local.
“We need to shop in town,” he said. “For every $1 you spend in town, 1 percent comes back to us,” he said.
Diamond Bar received $3.5 million in sales tax revenue last year, money that goes for maintaining parks, streets and lighting, he added.
Tanaka also spoke about the city’s push to ease gridlock with the use of a traffic management system and lauded the Los Angeles County Fire and Sheriff’s departments for their efforts to keep the community safe.
The crime level has decreased nearly 7 percent in the past year, he said.
“Diamond Bar continues to be one of the safest cities in the San Gabriel Valley,” he said. “And that is because the team of Los Angeles County deputy sheriffs is truly dedicated to the safety and security of every resident, business, and visitor.”
