On Thursday, January 24, the business community sat down to either a breakfast or lunch with Mayor Mark Nuaimi at the Sierra Lakes Golf Club.

The annual roundtable event is an excellent networking opportunity hosted by the Fontana Area Chamber of Commerce. The purpose is to keep the doors of communication open between the Mayor and city with the business community.

Several issues were discussed at the meetings. Attendees were eager to hear of the progress that has been made to usher in an exciting 2008. Others were keyed-up about years yet to come.

Obstacles Overcome

Over the past several years one of the main goals of the Mayor and City Council has been to wisely attract outside businesses by investing in Fontana's future through the complete overhaul of the city's infrastructure. These smart growth investments have led to a $15 billion assessed value that 10 years ago was less than $5 billion. In 1997, the sales tax growth was $8.1 million. In 2007 the sales tax growth was $28 million.

What does it all mean? Fontana is a great place for businesses and their employees. Millions of sales tax dollars are more available as growth throughout the city has lured nationwide sellers such as Home Depot, Costco, and a growing number of incoming hotels. The money from these sales tax dollars is being reinvested in the community to create more wealth and attract more quality businesses.

Housing is going up in price and quantity. The total number of Fontana households in 2007 was 43,852. It is projected that by 2012 the number will grow to 50,426. The result will be increased retail outlets and more sales tax dollars.

Discover Fontana

Mayor Nuaimi spoke about Inland Empire residents in relation to shopping in Fontana. Too few people, he said, know about the shopping and service opportunities available in our community.

A new "Discover Fontana" campaign is what the Mayor hopes will familiarize local and nearby residents of Fontana businesses in the coming year.

Weaknesses and Strengths

The community and country are experiencing an economic slowdown. Mayor Nuaimi responded to recent media references to area foreclosures, and admitted that while there are foreclosures, the current atmosphere has created a great opportunity for the city to "catch its breath." The slowdown in development that is predicted to continue through 2009 means the city needs to focus attention on infrastructure and to improve the quality of life for Fontana families.

"We want Fontana to be a place where people want to live and find it difficult to walk away," said Mayor Nuaimi, adding "The state that we find ourselves is a natural occurrence. While we have faced these issues in the past, we were admittedly a different community. The homes that were foreclosed before were worth less than $100,000 now they are worth over $500,000. People have been attracted to Fontana for what we have to offer. Unfortunately, some simply did not have the credit or resources. This is our opportunity to assist when able and catch-up to the fast pace we have set over the years."

The Mayor announced Fontana has been named one of the Top 100 Best Communities for Young People by America's Promise Alliance fontana.org/main/comm_conn/
2008/feb/article1_feb2008.htm. One of the many ways the city will enhance its award winning programming will be to take advantage of this extra breathing room that has been caused by the economic slowdown and focus on the creating the best programs within the facilities opening in 2008.

Many of the city's strengths lie ahead with a host of grand openings. The Development Services Office, 8353 Sierra Avenue (now open), the 94,000 square foot regional Lewis Library and Technology Center (April 19, 2008), the neighboring Center Stage Theater (May 9, 2008), the Village of Heritage Neighborhood Center (May 31, 2008) and the $60 million Fontana Park (Fall 2008).

The City will use resources from sales tax dollars to continue to invest in infrastructure improvements. The Bridge to the Nation campaign www.bridgetothenation.com is a great example of monies needed for the corporate corridor and how the city, in partnership with neighboring communities, is going about obtaining that funding during this critical time.

Fontana Tomorrow

To benefit from the changes made in the past, the Mayor remarked that he and Council must constantly evaluate and ensure proper resources are allocated for new services and programs. They must also look for more opportunities. The Council must maintain their open dialogue with stakeholders, businesses, developers, and civic groups. This will happen through council meetings, neighborhood meetings, marketing efforts, and community gatherings like the Business Roundtable.

The date for the 2009 Business Roundtable has already been set. The annual breakfast and luncheon will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2009. To find out more about the roundtable events or how your business may sponsor the event, please call the Fontana Area Chamber of Commerce at (909) 822-4433.