SAN BERNARDINO - Mayor Pat Morris' state-of-the-city address Thursday had a focused message - to imagine a future of hope, vibrancy and success in San Bernardino.

Morris' address was not the standard offering of a long speech in front of a crowd.

Instead it was aseries of four videos projected in four rooms at the Santa Fe Depot.

Each room had exhibits that supported the content of the video.

"This is not your typical 40-minute speech," Morris joked. "Actually it is, but it's been divided up into four different 10-minute segments."

The videos showed the mayor discussing his accomplishments and goals for public safety, education, arts and entertainment, parks and recreation, downtown revitalization, economic activity, and transportation.

Nearly 500 people gathered at the depot, including elected officials from the city, county and state.

Morris said he was not asking people to buy into fantasies, but real possibilities.

"It's imagination tied to material fact," Morris said. "Everything that we've presented is based on fact."

As evidence that his administration is moving the city in a positive direction, Morris pointed to the sbX project, a rapid-transit system that will link Cal State San Bernardino to Loma Linda University via E Street; a new community center at the Church of the Nazarene on Sierra Way that serves a high-crime area; and the design of a new multimodal transit center at Rialto Avenue

and E Street.

During one video, Morris said, "Let us imagine San Bernardino as a city revered for its public safety."

Councilman Chas Kelley said such a thought can be accomplished through a beefed-up police department.

"Yes, it's possible," Kelley said. "If the policymakers roll up their sleeves and fully fund the additional officers we need and if we fully patrol all of our neighborhoods."

Measure Z - a sales-tax initiative approved by the city's voters in 2006 - was part of the funding formula for the mayor's promise to put 40 new police officers on the streets.

Since January 2006, 78 new officers have been hired.

When officers who left the department are factored in, the additional hires resulted in a net increase of 28 officers, Morris said in the video.

The remaining 12 officers will be hired by the end of the year, Morris said in the video.

Despite a $7.3 million deficit in this year's budget and a deficit projected for next year as well, Morris said public-safety money must continue to be a priority.

"Clearly, public safety has been the challenge of our city," Morris said. "Despite the challenges of our budget, we've got to keep our eye on public safety and continue to make it a priority."

michael.sorba@sbsun.com

(909) 386-3872