On Thursday, April 9, the City of Shafter held a special meeting for its inaugural State of the City Address, celebrating the community and economic growth achieved over the past year.
The event invited community members to hear about the improvements and future plans coming straight to Shafter. Attendees were given the opportunity to network with businesses, community partners, and residents. All members of the council were in attendance, aside from councilmember Pete Espinoza.
Mayor Chad Givens began to acknowledge the efforts made by local businesses in Shafter, who made the event possible by providing centerpieces, tables, appetizers, and beverages.
“For the many hands that prepared the stuff, tonight is beautiful…and I absolutely love love that you are seeing here is Shafter, that’s what it’s supposed to be about,” said Givens.
Givens followed this acknowledgment with a presentation on Shafter’s growth, emphasizing that the city is more than just its rapid growth; it’s the people who make it whole.
“What makes Shafter special isn’t our growth, it’s not our projects, it’s not the accomplishments, or accommodations, frankly, it’s the people. Tonight is a celebration of you,” declared Givens.
Givens highlighted the generational contributions made specifically in this rural town. By noting the agricultural richness in the cotton candy-flavored grapes from Grapery, the Garlic Company, and the largest logistics center to date in Kern County, offering numerous job vacancies to locals and the surrounding areas.
Currently, the City of Shafter has a population growth rate of 4.7%, accounting for almost 2.3% of Kern County’s population. With over 1 million square feet of homes built and new projects underway, including the library extension at Gossamer Grove. Additional parks with baseball and soccer fields, and renovations of past recreational centers like the aquatic center and skate park, have either already reached completion or are in the steps of completion.
“Shafter consists of nearly 39 square miles of land, 156 miles of road, 98 miles of sewer lines, and 141 miles of water lines, and continues to grow day in and day out. To be clear, Shafter is technically not a small city. This has come through years of opportunities that councils passed, and some of you here today have recognized what could be in the future,” shared Givens.
One example of these accomplishments is the groundwork laid for North Park on Fresno Avenue, is set to be completed this fall. To add to the list of accomplishments, Givens mentioned that both the Shafter Library Center and Scoutsmobile, another city initiative, have reached residents in town and in the county’s pocket, providing services beyond their typical workload.
Within the last year, the Shafter Library Center saw over 14,000 unique visits and partnered in 35 events at local schools and in the community. The mayor added that the scoutmobile, a mobile library unit, has helped over 1,800 individuals in a short period of time.
According to Givens, Shafter is bringing in approximately 3.2 of the Gross Rating Point, “which means we’re punching well above our weight,” he said.
