The 09 Woodway City Council is arguably one of the best groups, private or public, I have ever had the pleasure to serve with. The wonderful citizens that comprised that council ---Don Baker, De Smith, Barbara Tennison, Jane Kittner, Jerry Don Mathis, and Scott Giddings.
Woodway's charter calls for the Mayor to be elected by the city council from a seated councilman. Don Baker was unanimously elected for all the right reasons. Don embodies all the things you want in a Mayor - a "people person", enthusiastic promoter of the city, defender of citizens, encourager of volunteers. He was involved in every major decision of the council, offering thoughtful guidance and leadership. Don had no personal or hidden agenda-- everything he did, he did for Woodway. Period. He was always present at every community function, never failing to give the credit to others. Don was/is a wonderful and faithful voice for the City of Woodway.
We were a very gender balanced council - 3 women, 4 men. Of the women, all are accomplished professionals. Barbara has always been in local real estate, successfully owning her own company at one time. De Smith served with Senator Kip Averitt, bringing savvy and experience
from a much larger stage for our service. Jane Kittner is a principal in her own architectural firm, with invaluable experience in local construction and design. Regarding the men, Jerry Don Mathis is a very successful business man, owning and operating C&M outdoor equipment on Hwy 84. Scott is involved in granite sales for the monument market - a specialized niche. Scott, the newest member of the 09 council, came with experience of service as a councilman and mayor of Marble Falls. Finally Don Baker provided law experience with years of private practice in the greater Waco area.
The best description of this council would be "Many Minds, One Heart". They possessed the skill and independence to analyze any subject, see all sides, and then act with the understanding of what best serves the city and citizens. We shared great respect for each other and those employed by Woodway. With "incumbent backlash", the 09 Council leaves the City of Woodway with the following Legacy:
Tax rate held for 7 years running -- NO TAX INCREASE
Highest bond rating ever---reflecting a solid, desirable City Budget.
Lowest overall city debt--- proof of commitment to a balance budget.
Lowest Public Safety response time --- Less than 3 minutes in 10'.
High city employee satisfaction--high talent retention, low turnover.
Greatest annual expenditure on road repair--- improved city roads.
New water well added to existing supply of wells.
Master Plan developed for the Arboretum to become a regional draw.
Responded to city growth by adding additional municipal building, Woodway Family Center improvements, paved a shared parking lot between WFC and City Buildings.
All city council meetings were open to the public and publicly posted. Regular newsletters reported city events and business. A long range master plan, set by previous councils, outlined a controlled vision of growth for city services. Additionally we formed a task force of city employees, Planning and Zoning volunteers, business professionals, and local developers ( think Lake Forest and Badger Ranch) to review and revamp our procedures and rules ensuring that future developments would provide quality roads, workable review processes, and quality construction. We did all these things without much fanfare or "beating our own drums". This was a very self-less group of City Servants.
So what about the City Manger/Public Safety Director, Yost Zakhary, what's the deal about him? See you next blog.
