[00:00:02]
[I. CALL TO ORDER, CALL OF ROLL]
CALL THIS, UH, SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ON THE LOG VISTA CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER AT 5:47 PM AND ROBIN, PLEASE NOTE THAT WE HAVE SHANE SOM, ADAM BENFIELD, NORMA OWEN, PAUL ROBERTS, AND MYSELF, PAUL PRINCE PRESENT KEVIN SULLIVAN, UH, AND ROB DURBIN BOTH BEING ABSENT FOR THE MEETING TODAY.[V.1. Consideration, and Possible action regarding Ordinance No. 25-11-13-01; an ordinance by the City Council of the City of Lago Vista, Texas canvassing the returns of the City of Lago Vista's November 4, 2025, General Election.]
UM, SO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ONE, ACTION ITEM ONE, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 25 DASH 11 DASH 13 DASH ZERO ONE.AND ORDINANCE BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAG VISTA, TEXAS CANVASSING THE RETURNS OF THE CITY OF LA VISTA'S, NOVEMBER 4TH, 2025, GENERAL ELECTION.
UH, SO I HAVE THE ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF ME, AND I THINK I AM OPEN.
WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION, BUT I AM OPEN TO A MOTION.
MAYOR, I MOVE TO APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER TWO FIVE DASH ONE 13 DASH ONE.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MR. ROBERTS AND A SECOND BY MR. BENFIELD.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION SAYING NONE? UH, I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.
SEEING NONE THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[VI. PRESENTATIONS]
UM, AND THEN WE MOVE ON TO ITEM, UH, NUMBER SIX ON OUR AGENDA.AND WE WENT FROM ONE TO FIVE TO SIX ITEM NUMBER SIX ON OUR AGENDA PRESENTATIONS.
AND I WOULD INTRODUCE JUDGE ECKARD IF HE IS THERE.
SO JUDGE ECKARD HAS COME OVER, UH, FROM, UH, JONESTOWN, ACTUALLY AS OUR, OUR JUDGE IS, UH, TRAVELING OUT OF THE COUNTRY TODAY.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR COMING AND I WILL, UH, READ THIS IN AND THEN TURN OVER TO YOU.
THIS TIME IS DESIGNATED FOR THE SWEARING IN OF INCOMING MEMBERS, COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS AND FAREWELL REMARKS FROM OUTGOING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND MR. ECKARD, I WELCOME YOU TO COME AND, AND, UH, RUN THE, THE, UH, DISCUSSION HERE FOR US.
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US TODAY.
IT'S AN HONOR TO GET TO SWEAR IN OUR NEW MEMBERS THAT ARE GONNA BE SERVING THE COMMUNITY.
AND WITH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL HAVE A SPECIFIC ORDER THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO, TO SWEAR IN OR WE CAN START WITH MS. SECURING THAT.
I WONDER, UH, SHOULD WE GET A MICROPHONE, UH, ERIC, SO WE CAN MAYBE CLOSER TO Y'ALL.
AND THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, I YOUR NAME DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF CITY COUNCIL PLACE.
FIVE, THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF CITY COUNCIL.
PLACE FIVE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WILL DO WITH THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND, AND WE'LL DO WITH THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE STATES.
SO HELP ME, GOD, THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE STATES.
SHALL IMPRESSIVE IF YOU WOULD.
I AND THE NAME, AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, I, BY THE NAME AND AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, STATE YOUR NAME.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF COUNSEL MEMBER PLACE THREE, THAT THAT'LL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER.
PLACE THREE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WILL DO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY TO PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION
CONGRATULATIONS, JESS HALL AND UNDERSTAND.
DID YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BIBLE THAT YOU WANTED TO USE? NO.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT ON THE, EXCUSE ME,
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AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS IN THE, AND IN THE NAME.THE NAME, AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I'LL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE.
ONE THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE ONE, AND IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WILL DO TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, AND TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY TO PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I SHANE SOM DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR, AND THAT I'LL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR, AND THAT I'LL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF MAYOR, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION, PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
THANK YOU, JUDGE, AND WELCOME NEW MEMBERS.
UH, IN OUR, IN OUR AGENDA HERE, IT DID SAY, UH, COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS, WHICH I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A COUNCIL PRESENTATION, BUT IT ALSO SAYS FAREWELL REMARKS FROM OUTGOING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND SO, UH, MR. ROBERTS IS AN OUTGOING COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ONE OF THE THREE WHO'S, WHO'S ATTENDING TONIGHT.
UH, AND MR. SALM IS TRANSITIONING.
SO, MR. ROBERTS, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? THANK YOU.
UM, MR. PRINCE, I DIDN'T COME WITH ANY PREPARED REMARKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, UH, I'VE BEEN HUMBLED TO SERVE ALL OF YOU TO SERVE LAGO VISTA AND TO REPRESENT YOUR WILL UP ON THIS DAIS.
SOMETIMES IT'S BEEN HARD, OTHER TIMES IT'S BEEN EASY, BUT IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE.
WE'VE PASSED A GREAT DEAL OF ORDINANCES THAT BETTER PROTECT CITIZENS AND ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE RIGHTS OF OUR CITIZENS SO THAT WE DON'T END UP LOOKING LIKE A CONCRETE JUNGLE TO THE EAST OF US.
AND I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE SUPPORT AS I PURSUED THAT VERY OPEN AGENDA REGARDING LAND USE AND HELPING TO PRESERVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN LAGO VISTA, OUR OPEN SPACES, OUR GREEN SPACES.
AND I AM SO VERY HAPPY TO KNOW THAT THIS COUNCIL THAT IS TAKING OVER TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE PURSUING A LOT OF THOSE, UH, SIMILAR, THAT SAME AGENDA, AND THEY GENUINELY CARE.
THESE ARE GOOD PEOPLE, VERY GOOD PEOPLE.
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF GETTING TO KNOW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE THAT I'VE SERVED WITH, UH, MR. PRINCE, ADAM, SHANE, NORMA, UH, ROB DURBIN, KEVIN SULLIVAN, EVERYBODY BELIEVES AND WANTS THE BEST FOR LAGO VISTA.
I AM GRATEFUL TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT I'VE SERVED WITH THE CITY STAFF WHO BUST THEIR BUTTS AND WORK VERY HARD AND ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE.
AND IT'S A FANTASTIC ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY.
ALL OF Y'ALL ARE GREAT PEOPLE.
UM, MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS OUR COMMUNITY AND EVERY ONE OF US.
THANK YOU, MR. SHAM, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE ON YOUR TRANSITION? UH, YEAH, I THINK, UH, I'LL GET SOME REMARKS UP HERE.
BUT FIRST I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, GIVE THIS DEDICATED SERVICE, UH, TROPHY HERE TO COUNCILMAN ROBERTS.
UH, THANK HIM FOR HIS FOUR YEARS OF ON COUNCIL.
IS THIS FAR ENOUGH IN THE MIDDLE OR SHOULD I MOVE? WELL, FIRST I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
I WANNA THANK MY FAMILY FOR COMING FROM OHIO.
MY PARENTS, MY BROTHER, I HAVE BROTHERS ONLINE, MY FATHER ONLINE, UH, MY DAUGHTER, TEGAN.
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HER PARENTS, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.THANK YOU TO THE CITIZENS OF LAGO VISTA AND THANK YOU TO OUR STUDENTS FROM THE ISD.
UH, YOU ARE SPECIAL OF IDS OF ME.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE, UM, AND SEEING US THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND, UH, THINKING MAYBE MORE THAN YOU REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT'S THAT YOU'RE HERE AND, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU GROW UP TO BE LEADERS HERE IN LAGO VISTA.
UH, BUT IF YOU MOVE ON TO OTHER PLACES, HOPEFULLY THIS STICKS WITH YOU AND YOU CONTINUE TO STAY ENGAGED.
I WANTED TO HAVE SOME REMARKS BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE PREVIOUSLY DONE IN THE PAST.
NORMALLY, UH, WE SWEAR IN MEMBERS AND THEN WE GO STRAIGHT INTO A CITY HALL, UH, COUNCIL MEETING.
AND I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO, UH, SUPPORT THESE CEREMONIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE MEANING IN OUR COUNTRY.
SO, SWEARING IN CEREMONIES HOLD GREAT MEANING IN AMERICA, EVEN AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL.
UH, THEY REMIND US THAT GOVERNMENT ISN'T SOME DISTANT RULE OR FAR AWAY.
IT'S A REMINDER THAT WE ARE NEIGHBORS, WE ARE FRIENDS, WE ARE BUSINESSES HERE.
AND ANY ONE OF YOU CAN ONE DAY BE IN THIS POSITION AS WELL.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO CELEBRATE THAT.
BUT ALSO IT'S GOOD FOR YOU TO BE HERE TO REMIND ALL OF US THAT ARE BEING SWORN IN HERE TODAY AND THAT PROMISE THAT WE MADE TO REPRESENT YOU.
AND I THINK THAT'S GOOD TO CELEBRATE THAT.
IT'S GOOD TO REMIND US OF THAT IN MANY WAYS.
TODAY IS ALSO THE CONCLUSION OF THAT CELEBRATION.
IT'S BEEN GREAT SINCE THE ELECTION TO GET ALL THE CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOUS FROM EVERYBODY.
BUT OBVIOUSLY NOW IT'S TIME TO GET TO WORK.
AND I HAVE, I ENTERED THIS POSITION AS MAYOR WITH GREAT OPTIMISM OF WHAT'S COMING FORWARD FOR LAGO VISTA.
I FEEL GREAT ABOUT THIS COUNCIL.
I FEEL GREAT ABOUT THE COUNCIL I'VE JUST SERVED ON.
AND I FEEL GREAT ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING IN WITH OUR NEW CITY MANAGER, UH, CHARLES WEST AND OUR STAFF.
UH, I THINK SOME OF THE PROGRESS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO SEE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS HAS ALREADY BEGUN.
I THINK THAT ONE THING THAT CHARLES HAS BROUGHT TO CITY HALL THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN IMPRESSED WITH IS HIS WILLINGNESS TO EMBRACE INNOVATION.
AND I THINK THAT HE'S ASKED THAT OF HIS STAFF TO CONTINUE TO INNOVATE.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT ALREADY.
WE'VE SEEN, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IS ROLLING OUT SOME NEW SOFTWARE, CIVIC PLUS THAT'S GONNA HELP US SPEED UP THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND HELP US REACT TO CITIZENS MUCH MORE QUICKLY.
UH, WE'VE ENTERED INTO PARTNERSHIPS WITH TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY, THE LBJ SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS TO HELP MODERNIZE OUR SYSTEMS. WE'VE MOVED CODE ENFORCEMENT HERE BACK INTO CITY HALL.
WE'VE RENAMED IT, UH, CODE COMPLIANCE, WHICH I THINK IS A REPRESENTATION OF A NEW MINDSET THAT WE'RE GONNA SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WITH EDUCATION AND PARTNERSHIP BEFORE PUNISHING FOLKS FOR HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR LAW.
UM, WE'RE GONNA SEE THIS COUNCIL TO DO THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
PEOPLE WHO KNOW MY BACKGROUND KNOW I SPENT 10 YEARS WORKING IN THE LEGISLATURE.
I WORKED ON BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE SIDE.
I LIKE TO THINK THAT THE TWO CULTURES I SAW THERE SOMEWHAT REPRESENT HOW LOCAL CITY COUNCIL IS TOO.
THE HOUSE AT TIMES IS A BIT CHAOTIC, SOMETIMES UNPREDICTABLE.
THE SENATE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LIT, A LITTLE BIT MORE REFINED AND PURPOSEFUL.
AND I HOPE TO SEE THIS COUNCIL LEAN A LITTLE BIT MORE TOWARDS THE SENATE SIDE.
AND I THINK THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE UP HERE, I KNOW THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE.
THE WORD PURPOSE MEANS A LOT TO ME WHEN I THINK ABOUT BEING MAYOR.
I THINK THAT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT THIS COUNCIL IS ABOUT TO DO IS GONNA SHOW YOU HOW PURPOSEFUL WE ARE GOING TO BE.
I, I'VE ASKED EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL IN THE COMING WEEKS THAT WE ARE GOING TO PUT FORWARD A, A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2026.
THAT'S GONNA BE WELL SPELLED OUT.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH 2026, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE AGAIN THAT INNOVATION IS GONNA BE AT THE CENTER OF THAT.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ONCE SAID, WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED CHANGING, YOU ARE FINISHED.
AND I THINK THAT IDEA CAPTURES EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE SEEING HERE.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO CHANGE AND EVOLVE AS A CITY AND AS A COUNCIL.
AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY UNDERWAY, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE PROUD IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
FOR MY OWN GOALS AS MAYOR, UH, FUNDING OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ARE GONNA BE THE FIRST TWO THINGS.
THEY'RE GONNA BE AT THE TOP OF MY LIST.
OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO CITY HALL, WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT ON THE FUNDING SIDE OF THINGS.
WE'VE TAKEN TRIPS TO THE WHITE HOUSE, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE STATE, AND I'M HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT ON MONDAY WE'RE GONNA START IMMEDIATELY.
THE TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD IS COMING HERE TO LAGO VISTA TOUR OUR FACILITIES, AND TO TALK ABOUT OUR PREVIOUS APPLICATIONS AND WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER.
I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING THERE, AND THAT AT SOME POINT WE ARE GOING TO RECEIVE THAT FUNDING.
AND THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME, AS WELL AS THE UNDERTONE OF ALL MY PRIORITIES WILL BE TO KEEP TAXES LOWER HERE IN LAGO VISTA.
AT THE END OF MY TWO YEARS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS COUNCIL PASS A LOCAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, BUT THE ONLY WAY THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE IS IF THESE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE PAID FOR WITH STATE AND FEDERAL MINING AS WELL.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY, THE JULY 4TH FLOODS REMINDED US HOW IMPORTANT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS.
I THINK WE SAW A LOT OF GREAT, UM, MOVEMENT HERE IN THE CITY.
WE'RE SUPER THANKFUL TO OUR HEROES, OUR ESD UH, CITY STAFF, THE CITIZENS WHO STEPPED UP.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GROW.
UH, SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I'M GOING TO ANNOUNCE IS I'M CREATING THE MAYOR'S ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TO HELP ME PREPARE IN MY ROLE AS MAYOR TO SERVE YOU IN A FUTURE EMERGENCY.
THIS WILL BE MADE UP OF CITIZENS THAT I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE IN THE COMING WEEKS, AND THEY'LL WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH ME,
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THE COUNCIL DEPARTMENTS, THE ESD, UM, AND I'LL BE GOING FORWARD WITH MY OWN TRAINING THROUGH CHEATHAM.AND FINALLY, ANOTHER INITIATIVE I'M GOING TO LAUNCH IS THE MAYOR'S ADVISORY COUNCIL ON FAITH AND SERVICE TO BRING OUR LOCAL CHURCHES TOGETHER, STRENGTHEN THE MORAL CIVIC FOUNDATION OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND THOSE MEETINGS ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY.
WHEN I FIRST RAN FOR OFFICE, MY GOAL WAS SIMPLE TO HELP OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT GROW PROFESSIONALLY IN A WAY THAT PUTS THE PEOPLE'S NEEDS BEFORE ONCE.
LEADERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT AUTHORITY, IT'S ABOUT PURPOSE.
AND OUR PURPOSE IS PUBLIC SERVICE.
SO AS WE BEGIN THIS NEW COUNCIL, LET'S SERVE LIKE THE SENATE WITH PURPOSE, ACT WITH HONESTY AND LEAD WITH FAITH.
TOGETHER WE'LL ENSURE LAGO VISTA CONTINUES TO BE A CITY THAT LISTENS, LEARNS, AND LEADS, NOT JUST FOR TODAY, BUT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO OUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING WITH YOU, AND MAY GOD BLESS OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WORK AHEAD OF US.
UM, FOR THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE DIOCESE HERE, ANY COMMENTS THAT, UH, YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD, MR. BENFIELD? ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SAY? I THINK THE ONLY THING I'D ADD IS, UH, I, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY UNDERSTANDS HOW MUCH WORK PAUL ROBERTS HAS PUT INTO BEING ON CITY COUNCIL.
UM, NOBODY THAT I HAVE EVER MET IN MY LIFE HAS COMMITTED MORE TIME AND MORE HOURS AND MORE SERVICE TO HIS CAUSE AND HIS DEDICATION.
AND, UM, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE SERVING WITH YOU AND I, I KNOW YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO GREAT THINGS FOR THE CITY, BUT, UH, YOU HAVE PUT IN A LOT OF TIME AND YOU DESERVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE.
I GUESS THE ONLY THING I WILL SAY, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE AND DEFINITELY SERVE THOSE, ESPECIALLY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO'VE BEEN, UH, JUST GREAT SUPPORT OF THIS COUNCIL.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD BECAUSE WE DID START, UM, A GREAT MISSION OF GETTING OUR CITY TO WHERE WE HAVE GREAT STAFF, GREAT TOOLS FOR OUR STAFF, AND ALL IN THE NAME OF BEING BETTER SERVICE ORIENTED TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IN THE END OF THAT, WE HAVE GOT SOME FIRE STARTERS COMING UP WHO ARE JUST ENTIRELY PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE SUSTAIN SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE WITHOUT HOPEFULLY INCREASING TAXES.
THAT IS A, A LOFTY GOAL THAT, UH, I THINK MY COUNSELORS WHO HAVE SERVED AND, UM, I'M GONNA SAY
I KNOW, UH, COUNCILOR BENFIELD IS HE HE IS RIGHT.
COUNCILOR ROBERTS HAS, UH, PUT IN A LOT OF HOURS.
UH, BUT I'VE ALSO SEEN COUNCILOR SOM AND COUNCILOR BENFIELD AND COUNCILOR PRINCE, BUT THEY'RE WITH ME ON CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS.
SO ANYWAY, IT, IT'S GREAT TO SERVE WITH YOU GUYS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING WITH OUR NEW TEAM COMING IN THE DOOR.
MR. WEST, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS TO ADD? I'LL JUST SAY THAT, PAUL, WE MAY NOT SEE EYE TO EYE, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN ALONG AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR THE CITY.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH OUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OUR NEW MAYOR.
UH, THE NEW MAYOR'S ALREADY HAD STAFF BUSY GETTING STUFF READY TO GO, SO I'M EXCITED TO WHERE LAGO VISTA IS HEADED.
WE ARE HEADED IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
AND THE FIVE MONTHS I'VE BEEN HERE, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S A LOT LONGER THAN THAT, BUT IT'S ALL GOOD.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
ONE OF, ONE OF THE, THANK YOU.
I SAW SOMEONE STARTING TO CLAP AND I CUT YOU OFF.
UM, SO ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF CHAIRING A MEETING IS YOU GET TO HAVE THE LAST WORD, UM,
AND SO I, UM, THE OUTGOING MAYOR AND OUTGOING MAYOR, PRO TEM, UH, WERE NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
AND SO, UH, I WAS CALLED ON TO RUN THIS MEETING BECAUSE I AM AT THIS POINT THE, UH, MOST TENURED MEMBER OF, OF THIS, THIS COUNCIL.
UH, SO I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR FIVE YEARS NOW, COMING INTO THE MIDDLE OF MY THIRD TERM.
UM, AND, UM, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN A MIX OF PEOPLE.
WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED, UM, OUTGOING, MAYOR SULLIVAN WAS ALSO ELECTED AT THAT TIME, ALTHOUGH HE HAD PREVIOUSLY SERVED ON COUNCIL.
SO, UH, HE HAD A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND HISTORY AND BROUGHT THAT TO COUNCIL.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THINGS THAT HE DID OVER HIS TIME ON COUNCIL, WHICH WAS NOT JUST HIS TWO YEAR MAYOR TERM, BUT COUNCIL, UH, MEMBER, UH, BEFORE THAT.
AND MR. DURBIN BROUGHT SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE ON THE LEGAL SIDE AND HIS HISTORY AS MUNICIPAL JUDGE FOR THE CITY THAT, UH, WAS, WAS A VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE CITY.
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TO THANK HIM FOR HIS FOUR YEARS THAT HE SERVED ON COUNCIL.UM, AND I THANK MR. ROBERTS, WHO, AS EVERYONE OTHERS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED, PUT IN A TON OF EFFORT.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT ESPECIALLY IN OUR, IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCES, THERE'S A NUMBER IN BUILDING AND STANDARDS ORDINANCES AS WELL.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF PLACES WHERE ORDINANCES ARE CLEANER AND MUCH BETTER, AND IT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO HIM.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT, ON THAT FRONT.
UH, AND I WELCOME THE INCOMING MEMBERS.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A GREAT MIX OF, OF PEOPLE THAT WILL BRING, UH, THEIR, THEIR INDIVIDUAL SETS OF EXPERTISE AND TALENTS.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO US ALL WORKING EFFECTIVELY TOGETHER AND MOVING THE CITY FORWARD IN A VERY POSITIVE DIRECTION.
WITH THAT SAID, I WILL, UH, CALL THIS MEETING TO ADJOURNMENT AT 6:07 PM YOU.