Wednesday evening in the City Hall council chambers, Mesquite Mayor Jesse Whipple gave the State of the City Address, with many dignitaries attending a presentation delivered with quite a bit of humor.

Mayor of Las Vegas Shelly Berkley, councilperson Nancy Brune and executive secretary Gerri Schroder all came out to hear Whipple speak. Jackie Rosen’s office sent two representatives. Mesquite City Council members, city administrative staff, department heads and many police officers and firefighters were also present.

The presentation began with the police and fire honor guard presenting colors. Then the National Anthem was sung by Alana Davis, with Dennis Hangey playing bagpipes.

The mayor introduced the new city manager Rebecca Schrupp and thanked Martine Green for stepping in numerous times to fill the interim position between city managers. He spoke about other city positions with new people at the helm, including finance manager Bryce Anderson, Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Thornton and City Attorney Adam Anderson. All of these introductions were done with a great deal of small-town humor.

The mayor spoke of the good work the police, fire, Public Works and leisure and recreation departments are doing, and the improvements that have been made in all these areas. “Mesquite is a strong community with many residents and volunteers that care about one another and the progression of the city,” he said. His outlook for the city is good, with the mayor expressing his belief that Mesquite is on the verge of economic growth and tourism.

There was a video about the police department as the mayor spoke highly of new Police Chief Tracey Fail and how caring and efficient all of our police and firefighters are.

The mayor asked each councilperson to make a short video of a pet project they helped come to fruition during their term. Councilperson Paul Wandless spoke about getting Fire Station #3 under construction and why it was so urgently needed to improve response time out in the Sun City Area, where minutes can make a difference between life and death.

Councilperson Pattie Gallo spoke about the new addition to the Mesquite Animal Shelter, which has won many awards for excellence in running a clean and caring facility. Gallo spearheaded getting this addition, which added new meet-and-greet rooms, a lobby, a cat room and a well-equipped pet store for the public to purchase new and used pet clothing, leashes, steps, food and toys at better prices than Walmart.

Councilperson Karen Fielding spoke about the 19 chilled hydration systems now in place in Mesquite, with six more planned. Fielding said these stations located throughout Mesquite have so far saved 4,287 plastic bottles from the city dump. Each station has a drinking fountain and a place to refill tall bottles.

Councilperson Kevin Parrish discussed the new justice facility additions, so the jail can now hold up to 47 inmates. They now have 3,600 square feet of evidence storage, new offices, attorney meeting rooms and more. Parrish added the additions were paid for with COVID monies and redevelopment money.

Councilperson Bill Ennis spoke about the services added to the Veterans Center that he pushed very hard to get. A mobile medical unit from Veterans Affairs comes to Mesquite once a month, providing an on-site doctor, social worker and peer support worker. They can give vaccines, battlefield acupuncture and referrals for labs with no appointment needed. Beginning on March 14, a permanent clinic facility will open on Pioneer Boulevard. That will be open once per week to start, with a provider and nurse who can give referrals to specialists. They will also make house calls for those who are homebound. In April, a tel-a-help program will begin. All this eliminates a need to drive to Las Vegas or St. George.

The mayor talked about the Breaking the Cycle Program that is doing such good work in Mesquite, with Judge Ryan Toone’s program helping the addicted change their lives.

After the speech, everyone enjoyed a light buffet of finger foods.