2024 Fruita State of the City Video

Thank you for watching the City of Fruita's 2024 State of the City video! In this year's video, we wanted to showcase initiatives from the City of Fruita while also showcasing the people who bring these projects to life. You will hear from five different speakers who will highlight different areas of the City of Fruita. Each of these stories reflects our cover values, community values, and our progress toward the Fruita Strategic Plan. 

A common theme throughout the video is the concept of being approachble. The City of Fruita strives every day to be more accessible to the community. We want the community to know they can always ask city officials questions and provide feedback at any time. We would like to thank the community for being involved and engaging in local government. The 2024 State of the City video as well as other City of Fruita videos can be found at Fruita.TV.

At the links below, you can find where to receive more information on your local government, as well as additional information on the stories highlighted in the video.  

2024 State of the City Highlights 

  • Fruita Academy
    • In 2023, we started a program called the Fruita Academy, where interested community members can sign up to participate in a four-week program to learn in-depth about local government. The program is in person, and attendees hear from city leaders, including the Mayor, City Manager, and all Department Directors. Not only does it give community members the opportunity to learn about their local government, but it also allows for transparency and helps to achieve the City’s communications goals which are to strengthen the relationship between the City of Fruita and the community by creating effective strategies to keep internal and external stakeholders informed and involved in City projects and services. The class also gets to participate in facility tours. We just ended our 2024 academy! In total, we've had about 45 students participate in the academy so far, and we are excited to see this number grow over the next several years. 
  • Wastewater Reclamation Facility
    • The Wastewater Reclamation Facility is a side of Fruita residents may not be too familiar with. Fruita has 85 miles of sewer lines, and the reclamation facility treats 1 million gallons of wastewater every single day. This is one big job! In 2023, we replaced the oxidation ditches at the facility to help with future maintenance needs. An oxidation ditch is one of the many steps in treating wastewater. These ditches use aeration and bacteria to remove organic material from the wastewater. In addition, 17 manholes were replaced throughout Fruita to increase the integrity of Fruita's sewer system. A gas called H2S can build up in sewage lines, is extremely hazardous, and can corrode the sewer lines. This gas has been found in Fruita's sewer line, and by replacing the areas that have been affected by the gas, Fruita's sewer system is ready to support the community for decades to come! We are proud of this facility, and we are lucky to have an experienced and passionate crew managing the facility for Fruita. 
  • Staff Retention with Aquatics 
    • Lifeguards play a vital role in keeping our friends and families safe in the community. At the Fruita Community Center, we take safety seriously, starting with our professional aquatics team. Our aquatics team at the Fruita Community Center isn't only keeping patrons safe in the water, but they are also the first people responding to an emergency anywhere in the facility. In this year's State of the City, Molly Bethe, Fruita's Aquatics Supervisor, shares her experience working for the City of Fruita. Molly not only oversees the aquatics staff, but this past year, she also volunteered to train all city employees in AED and CPR. Molly also led the way in getting AED units installed in all city facilities. 
  • Fruita Building Division
    • In 2023, our Community Development Department started a Building Division. This new division brought building services in-house to create a one-stop process for all development in the City limits of Fruita rather than contracting these services with Mesa County. This transition of services concentrates Fruita’s efforts while bringing services closer to the individuals and businesses the City of Fruita serves. It has been one year of the Building Division fully operating here in Fruita! Since February 2023, this team has had over 3,708 inspections, 750 building permits, and has transitioned to a fully digital software for the permit application process, and more. This new program has been extremely successful in the first year and we couldn't be more proud of the services this team is providing to the Fruita community.  
  • Boards and Commissions
    • Boards and Commissions are appointed by the Fruita City Council and help to advise the Fruita City Council on services and projects. In this video, Councilor Purser showcases the work our boards and commissions are doing by highlighting projects coordinated by these groups. A few projects include a Adopt a Street/Trail Program by the Livability Commission, Coco Vino a fundraising event by the Arts and Culture Board to help fund the HeArt of Fruita art on the corner program, and a historical plaque project in downtown Fruita orchestrated by the Historic Preservation Board. Being involved in a board or commission is a fun way to get involved in what's happening at the City of Fruita. 

Where To Find Additional Information & How to Get Involved 

Interested in learning more and getting more involved? Below are several links to find more information about these stories and also current news throughout the city that enables residents to be in the know on a regular basis. If you can't find what you are looking for, please feel free to email communications@fruita.org.  

Weekly Information Updates 

Each week, the City Manager and Department Directors write a summary to the City Council and the public highlighting a few of the activities or projects that were worked on. View the most recent Weekly Information Update. You can also view past updates.

City of Fruita Strategic Plan

The purpose of the City of Fruita Strategic Plan is to outline City Council priorities staff will work to achieve over the next 2-4 years in addition to core service delivery. The plan’s priorities are aligned with the City’s values including the City’s long-term planning documents beginning with the City’s 10-year comprehensive plan Fruita in Motion, subsequent master plans, and community survey results conducted every four years. Years and deadlines are subject to change based on capacity, resources, or opportunities. Learn more and review the Fruita Strategic Plan. 

City's 10-Year + Comprehensive Plan, "Fruita in Motion" 

During the year 2019, the City provided nearly 40 ways for residents to actively engage and participate in defining the community's values and vision, and establishing goals and priorities, which resulted in City Council adopting Fruita in Motion in February of 2020. Over 4,000 residents participated in surveys, open houses at City facilities, schools, churches and local organizations, stakeholder group meetings, online and in-person engagement activities, with much media coverage, community organization's support, social media and web-based notifications, multiple newsletters to each residence and public meetings. A working committee of residents worked with a hired consulting firm (funded partially with a grant) to make head community feedback and make recommendations to staff and City Council. View the story map and plan. Since the adoption of the plan, City staff, consultants, working committees, Boards and Commissions have been working on updates to master plans: Fruita Land Use Code; Parks, Health, Recreation, Open Space and Trails; and Multi-Modal Transportation Circulation plans.    

City of Fruita Annual Budget 

The annual budget is the financial plan each year for the City of Fruita. It provides for core services such as public safety, public works, parks and recreation, community development and planning, capital improvements, and more. It also identifies the goals for the year while highlighting previous accomplishments. View the 2023 Fruita Budget, as well as previous budgets. Summaries, detail and a transmittal letter from the City Manager highlighting accomplishments of the previous year and upcoming year efforts and projects is also included.  

Find the City of Fruita on Social Media 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Nextdoor 

Youtube 

City Manager and City Council Event Series  

Also, each month, the City Manager and City Council hosts open, casual events around the City to hear from residents and discuss the issues on their minds. These include bike rides, hikes, walks and sit downs at Fruita businesses. Upcoming events can be found online. 

Fruita City Council  

The City Council makes policy decisions and enacts legislation to carry out the council polices and administers the city government.  The Fruita City Council conducts regular meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month, and often holds a workshop on the 4th Tuesday of each month. Find more information on the Fruita City Council, including agendas, meeting packets, with details on each agenda item, minutes of past meetings and access to videos of meetings.

Boards and Commissions  

Boards and Commissions play an important role in the City of Fruita, as they recommend policies to the City Council and staff. Learn more about the City's Boards and Commissions, as well as to see current vacancies and how to apply to serve on a board or commission. 

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