At the council meeting on July 12, Peter Jankowski was officially confirmed and ratified as our new city manager. On July 18, City Clerk Tracy Beck swore him into office.

Peter comes to us from the Town of Freetown, Massachusetts, the Office of Community Services in the City of Las Vegas, and the town of Cave Creek, AZ.

Be on the lookout soon for a model of the Boxabl Casita, one of the latest solutions for affordable homes. It will be parked at the Mesquite Plaza for a limited time.

The casita starts out at 375 square feet of living space, but square footage can be added for larger families.

Anthony Phillips, President and Realtor of The Luxury Companies in Las Vegas, has been working with city staff on this concept for our city. He plans to install a temporary model at Mesquite Plaza, 312 Mesquite Boulevard, to allow the public to view the casita. These dwellings are pre-manufactured at the factory and set up on location in very little time.

Take a look at their website at www.boxabl.com.

Last week I had the opportunity to meet Community Health Services Coordinator Lindsey Poston in her office at the Mesquite Salvation Army Family Resource Center.

Bill Ennis, Director of the Resource Center, had previously worked with Lindsey on the CARES Housing Assistance Program (CHAP) and recommended her for the Community Health Worker (CHW) position with PACT Coalition (Prevention, Advocacy, Choices, and Teamwork). Lindsey started her position in February and quickly obtained her CHW II certification from the Nevada Certification Board.

The program is a two-year grant-funded position with the option of being renewed.

Lindsey’s first project has been to develop a handy go-to booklet of information about various services here in Mesquite and nearby areas. It is currently being printed and will soon be available at the Salvation Army as well as our recreation center, library, welcome center, and other places around town.

Lindsey's other priorities include providing social and emotional support for youth through the development of a program like the Boys and Girls Club of America. She is also collaborating with other social and mental health agencies to get people the help they need, as well as gathering statistics focused on increasing mental health services in our area.

With a bachelor's degree in health care management, Lindsey is working toward a master's degree in social work. She recently earned certifications to facilitate informal group sessions designed to help people by talking about their circumstances and learning better coping strategies.