Drainage easement: I will be recommending that the city abandon the utility easement on the southeast side of Rock Barn. The utilities are all located elsewhere and this easement serves only for storm runoff which is negligible even in the worst circumstance. The easement is currently maintained by the residents and Comanche Trace.

Library: We should expect a recommendation from our facilities survey consultant. Once we have this information I recommend the appointment of a committee to raise additional funds from the community. I mention this now because we should begin researching what is the library of the future… let’s not build a new 1950’s library.

As a grand parent of a 14 year old boy it has become obvious that our young people need a place to socialize without it being a hangout. The mall is a poor destination and what kid can afford a constant stream of movies? I suggest that the new library be thought of as The Library at Town Center (we can do better with the name but you get the drift) it needs to be more than a warehouse for books. Be thinking about it.

AND… the owners of this city have to be behind it.

Performance Standards: Sorry to be the one to bring it up but I still am hearing complaints re: service issues. It’s time to require all services involving direct customer contact be measured for quality, timeliness, accuracy, and a few other standards as may be appropriate. And those performance measurements must be readily available to the public. I expect our best folks will be proud to show their stuff. I have some experience in this area and will help…. This should be fun.

River Trail: I can’t think of any project likely to have a more positive impact for the buck than a Schreiner Park enhancing River Trail. Let’s get off the dime and figure out how to make it happen.

Sid Pete-Guy Griggs: Let’s at least be willing to consider an offer if it is indicated by our facilities audit (and the numbers are right.) PS… the best idea I’ve heard for the hospital is to offer it to Marriott or Hyatt for a convention hotel.

Arcadia: I will support any self-sustaining proposal that is not too expensive up front.

Signs in the ETJ: we need to re-visit this issue. I will request that it be on a future agenda. No retro-active regulations.

Building Codes: This is not my issue but I am for the liberal use of grand-fathering except where there is a clear safety hazard.

Why Didn't You?

I am constantly asked, "Why didn't you _______?"

You can fill in the blank with your favorite subject. Here are a few eamples:

Why didn't you...
consider the Guy Griggs Building? We looked at that deal 6 ways from Sunday and it just wasn't a good deal for the taxpayers. On the other hand while we were evaluating the deal we heard lots of carping that we were building a Tajh Mahal...go figure!

Why didn't you vote for the Boardwalk? I wanted to but when you look at the facts it wasn't a good use of the money. Just because you need an idea having only one idea doesn't make it a good idea.

Why didn't you vote to restore the Arcadia? Was it closed because people wanted to watch movies on a small screen, walk to park, and have but a single choice? It's a lovely idea...just not good use of your money.

Why we didn't do a lot of things could only be explained by listening in on hours and hours of discussion.

Council Members are smart guys who work very hard for very little. We are not "on the take" and the same applies across the board to the fine men and women who work for your city.

Maybe we can replace "Why didn't you?" with "There must have been a reason!"

Taxi!

We got what we deserved. It’s as simple of that. Concerned about unfair competition from gypsy (unlicensed) cabs, our legitimate local operators asked for an ordinance. Not thinking, we let them write the rules under which they would be regulated. Sure, there was assistance from staff but the ordinance that was patterned after ordinances from other cities and proposed to the city council was flawed.

One particularly troublesome clause called for the council to determine “public convenience and necessity.”

While I cannot speak for the council I believe that most if not all of its members felt that it was not the business of local government to regulate an activity that would otherwise be governed by the laws of the marketplace. And we have been attempting to devote more effort to big picture thinking while spending less time and energy micromanaging a city staff that gets better every day.

Council spent a lot of time on this issue. You could say we spent far too much discussing an otherwise simple issue… and you would be correct. But it was only an effort to be doubly sure that everyone was fully heard and fairly treated that stretched our meetings and tried the patience of citizens in the audience. ‘Sorry about that.

I like the parties involved. They’ve worked hard to bring quality service to our community. But this isn’t about them. It’s about principle.

What do you think?
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Where Do We Go From Here?

The learning curve for city council is surprisingly steep. You can be elected one day and have a full vote the next. As the new kid on the block I will admit that there have been a couple of votes that might have been in the other direction had I known then what I know now. I’m talking about issues where we made appropriations that may not have come from appropriate fund sources.

So much for regrets. Where do we go from here?

Arcadia Theatre… so far I haven’t seen any numbers that indicate the deal will work financially. I am leery about saddling the body politic with a long term dollar sinkhole. This looks like something for a non-profit organization.

Guy Griggs Building… if we were going to move City Hall is this where we would choose? I don’t think so. The location is great but the facility leaves much to be desired. HOWEVER…if we are offered a screaming deal I’ll vote to accept… but the deal would have to be really screaming. Before we contemplate moving city hall we need to think about future needs. Will technology allow us to shrink staff or will growth require us to increase staff? Tough questions that need to be explored

Boardwalk… I’m not sold. I don’t think the idea works but I don’t know enough to lock in an opinion. If the city were asked for money today I would vote against it. But really, I need to know more. Unfortunately the businesses along the river all face the street. AND the facility that already exists is, in my opinion, dangerous… it’s too isolated for safety. (Parks and Recreation is working on that.)

Library… our library is in trouble. The facility needs immediate attention (a little soap and water wouldn’t hurt.) But I wouldn’t want to dump a ton of dollars to create an out-dated library. We need to begin with a vision of what a library should look like in the year 2025 and build toward that. I see the library as a community gathering place where young people might do research for school projects, service clubs and special interest clubs could meet, and where our seniors can find someone interested in a game of chess or a few hands of Bridge. We’re spending too much on consultants and not enough on paint. If there is one thing I’d like to tackle this is it. Good communities need great libraries.

Welcome sign…. We have budgeted $195,000 for a “Welcome to Kerrville” sign. That’s absurd and I have no intention of voting to fund it.

Airport… this is a classic example of micro-management. We have a good airport manager who should be spared the aggravation of turf wars. I have little to say about the new terminal, most of which is negative. So rather than throw stones I will take the high road and say this… Joe Kennedy saved our bacon. He is our most recent small town hero. I understand that he has agreed to lease space he does not need and may not even want. Joe could have put the airport board into the barrel he had us over. If you see Joe kiss him on the lips!

Comprehensive plan…. the plan goes in the right direction it just doesn’t go far enough. It looks at the pieces but not the whole. It’s gotta be fixed before we can tackle the elephant in the corner and that is…

Land use, zoning, and building codes…. We’re going to grow so let’s do it intelligently. We have 57 zones and are running the city via conditional use permit. In defense of the code enforcement staff it’s hard to look smart enforcing a stupid ordinance. I have been critical of code compliance but at recent survey mailed to 1000 builders, contractors, etc yielded a sorry 38 responses. The majority were fairly content with the service provided. So, if you have a complaint and you didn’t bother to speak when asked… don’t call me!

LCRA… when the temperature is in the high 90’s it’s more difficult to be an environmentalist. “Turn on the AC before I melt!” Like everyone else I would love to see the new transmission line buried along its entire length. But, like everyone else, I would like to figure out how to get someone else to pay for it. There are many things on our wish list but we may have to face practical reality. Besides, if you want to see ugly you don’t have to look across the river. Just look at all the dangling lines that ruin Sidney Baker or check out the zoning abomination that is Junction Highway.

If you disagree with me you are a menace to society. JUST KIDDING!

If you disagree with me I can be convinced. Invite me over for a tall glass of iced tea, no sugar. Let’s talk about it and see if we can find common ground.

Please don’t write nasty letters to the newspapers until you have all the facts. Then, I guess, I’m fair game.

If you agree with me, thank-you very much. We might both be wrong.

On Being Consistent

This morning’s headline read, “City Places Tax Freeze in its Code” followed in large typeface by “Councilman Gross makes symbolic gesture by voting against citizen-mandated measure.”

Okay, I’ll be the bad guy. Bu t let me say this─ the popular thing to do isn’t necessarily the right thing to do.

My pledge prior to joining the Council was to do the right thing even when it isn’t the popular thing or the easy thing. I promised not to start a first term while thinking about a second term. My commitment is to serve the community to the best of my ability this term.

And if there isn’t a second term… so be it. When there is dishonor in standing up for the little guy and for telling the truth as you see it, then our society has gone beyond salvage.

One essential element of trust… and there isn’t an over-abundance of trust in government… is consistency. The people of this community have to be able to count on my colleagues and I to make well-informed decisions even when they are difficult. Citizens should be able to think, “I don’t like his position but I trust this guy. There must be a reason why he is voting that way.”

Can elected officials change positions without it being labeled a “flip-flop?” Sure, so long as they have the courage to say, “I have changed my mind and here is why.”

I didn’t have to stick my neck out. The ordinance wasn’t even essential to implementing the freeze. But to raise my hand “for” the ordinance, though easy, would have been inconsistent, not trust-worthy, and definitely would not have been in keeping with my promise to you.

What the hell does he do?

(Dear Reader. This isn’t likely to happen again but this latest blog is being posted on two different blog sites. PositivelyOutrageosService@blogspot.com is my most visited site and this posting will appear there even though it was originally written to be posted at citybizblog.com a site reserved for communicating with the public as part of my other life as a city council person. After writing this posting I realized that the message is appropriate for both audiences.)

I was just 22, fresh out of college, living the corporate life for the very first time. I was especially excited to have the responsibility for opening the company’s newest restaurant concept.

Unfortunately, for every step forward I made, something seemed to come up to set me two steps back. Pushing to open on schedule and extremely frustrated at equipment shipping delays I called the office of the VP responsible.

Instead of the VP I got an assistant and an excuse.

“What the hell does he do all day?” I knew the instant the words left my mouth that I had committed a cardinal sin.

Ten minutes was all it took for our Senior VP to call and deliver a rebuke to end all.

But he left me with a lesson I will not forget. Ever.

He said, “Before you decide to criticize some one, maybe you should take the time to get to know them. Find out what else is on their plate. Get to know what shapes their decision making. Then if you still can’t figure out what they do and why to do it you will have earned the right to ask.

Boy, was I relieved! Sure, I was missing a little skin from my backside but I had my job and the big boss had also taken time to help me make better decisions in the future.

Somewhere along the way I learned another lesson: if you start with an incorrect premise no matter how clear the logic that follows it is still impossible to arrive at an accurate conclusion.

And so we come to open mike at city council when citizens are invited to address the council on any subject they wish.

From our first guest came the following: (I paraphrase for the sake of brevity.)

‘Why are not doing what you said you would do when you first came into office? Have you determined why you are sitting there? Is it to promote own agendas? (me: no, it’s so we can be an easy target for pot shots) All of you up there during your bid for your space …told us you wanted to represent the city in a fair and equitable manner… and then (you told us) everything and anything else you could say to get us to vote for you (me: are we being called liars or just politicians or are they the same?)… are you there blindly to put your stamp on anything brought before you whether its beneficial to the citizens or not?’

Dialogue that is based on the presumption that all elected officials are crooks and all city employees are under-worked and over-paid is not adult dialogue… it’s insult. And in the private sector if you assume everyone is a thief or a laggard you have no reason to be surprised if they steal from you or lay down on the job.

Before you form an opinion… get the facts, all of them, including the facts and forces that you may not be aware of but that might be exerting tremendous influence on my performance. Then, and only then, will have earned the right to ask me (not my boss), “what the hell do you do all day?”