In the recent 7/23/16 Tribune edition, a Clearwater resident wrote at length regarding their frustrations toward the city council, city staff, and city consultants.

 

As Clearwater’s Mayor, I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to offer a simple response.

 

If you are a Clearwater resident or business owner, you should be very proud of the City Staff and Council that serve you. Your city administrator and office staff work tirelessly to handle the requests of the community, while also staying one step ahead of the city council, preparing and equipping us with all the information we need to make the best decisions possible at our monthly meetings. Regarding your city maintenance staff- they are second- to- none. I have never been around a group of guys who care as much about the city they work for than these men do. Their patience and care when handling resident and council requests, and their flexibility to jump at a moment’s notice when pipes break or equipment goes bad, is such an asset to our city. If not for them, our council jobs would be much harder. They truly do make us look good.

 

And finally, with respect to your current city council; consider that these five elected people, with ages spanning from mid-30’s-60’s, all coming from different backgrounds, skill sets, and yes- different political affiliations, can all work together towards decisions that are best for the city they call home. I am proud of my other four council members, proud that we can debate issues, vote for or against, and then continue on without disrespect, hatred, or vindictive language dividing us.

 

Whether it’s a vote of 5-0 or 3-2, respect for each other remains.

 

So I’ll leave you with these two things; if you would like to join the council as an elected official, the window to sign up and run for city council is coming up August 2-16, with the elections to follow in November. 

 

And I encourage you to either come to a council meeting to share any questions or concerns you may have about any issue, or connect with myself, the city administrator, or any other council member and talk with us directly.

 

Until then, we’ll keep working!

 

Pete Edmonson, Mayor