Despite the financial challenge it presents, the lagging economy offers a chance for Lincoln leaders to pause and regroup for the future, Mayor Primo Santini said in last week’s State of the City address.

More than 100 members of the business community crowded into the Orchard Creek Ballroom in Sun City Lincoln Hills on June 25 for the annual update, announced during the Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce-sponsored breakfast.

In his speech, Santini called the slow period a time to ensure that when Lincoln does grow again, it won’t lose the qualities that make it an All-America City.

Santini admitted times have changed, noting that 2,700 building permits were pulled in Lincoln five years ago, compared to just 200 this year.

But even with the slowdown, the city managed a bevy of recent accomplishments, including the construction of a new city hall/school district building, an award-winning sewage treatment plant and the 40,000-square-foot Twelve Bridges Library – which Library Director Darla Wegener said helped increase circulation from 39,000 to 135,000 items a year and bring the library system’s total patrons to 25,000 – as well as the addition of 88 parking spaces in downtown and a groundbreaking for the Highway 65 bypass.

“Don’t let the economic challenges we are facing today obscure the planning we’re doing for Lincoln’s future,” Santini said.

In 2008, after six years of work, the city approved its general plan –a blueprint that will guide Lincoln’s development over 50 years, he said.

Composed of seven separate villages, the document aims to sustain a population of as many as 130,000 and assumes the city’s annexation of approximately 13,000 acres.

Santini said Lincoln is learning from the events of the past decade, when at times city officials were blindsided by rapid growth.

“(This is) a time for us to reflect on how we can do better … the lull in economy allowed us the opportunity of reexamining areas where we’ve fallen short in the last decade,” he said.

For instance, the city could better match school construction to growth – an issue addressed by several joint meetings with the Western Placer Unified School District.

To keep up with rising enrollment, the district opened five new schools in the past five years, and already needs another elementary school in Lincoln Crossing. The district is currently considering a state hardship program to fund school construction during a budget shortfall.

Santini said the city would review its own $129 million budget quarterly instead of annually, “so we can be proactive rather than reactive if the situation deteriorates.” And though tough times will require Lincoln to dip into its general fund reserves, the good news is there is still $2.6 million in reserves left, he said.

A 255 percent increase in population since 2000 – culminating in the current 39,758 people – allowed general fund revenue to grow from $3.9 million in 2000 to $44.8 million in 2008, said Steve Ambrose, the city’s director of administrative services.

Those increased revenues have had a marked effect on the city’s public safety services, which are primarily supported by the general fund.

Police Chief Brian Vizzusi noted that, in 2007, burglaries decreased 24 percent, auto thefts by 7 percent and vehicle collisions by 43 percent.

Of eight similarly sized cities in California, Vizzusi said, Lincoln had the lowest crime while operating with the lowest staff.

“That means we’re doing more with less and I think that’s important in these economic times,” Vizzusi said.

Fire Chief Dave Whitt said the fire department is well on its way to becoming a full-time paid unit separate from the police department.

Last year, the department promoted five captains and added two fire engines – an unprecedented increase for Lincoln. Early this year, firefighters moved into the new station at 120 Joiner Parkway and Whitt anticipates staffing another station on McBean Park Drive station shortly.

City Manager Jim Estep, who joined the city in May, said he had his work cut out for him this year.

“It’s really every city manager’s dream to come into a new position and have the most challenging budget the city has faced in 10 to 15 years,” he quipped.

Like the mayor, Estep identified the positive in the economic situation at hand.

“You’ve heard it before – now is a great time to plan,” he said. “Development has slowed down, and it’s a great opportunity (for us) to slow down and take a breath … and ensure when development does pick up, we’re ready.”

In keeping with the event’s focus on the All-America City – a designation granted to Lincoln in 2006 – the city and chamber also handed out the first All-America City Student Achievement Awards to Tyson Bowden, Sam Lloyd, Joanna Loya and Andi Shaw. All four are 2008 Lincoln High School graduates who demonstrated the community-minded qualities embodied by the All-America accolade.