Daily Archives: 01/07/2015

(Community Matters) Steve’s speech at yesterday’s swearing-in

January 6, 2015               Austin City Hall, Council Chambers           

The excitement in this Chamber and in this city is palpable. The expectations are great. And on this dais, the sense of responsibility is real and felt.

Diane and I love this city. We feel so lucky to be here. Everywhere you go in the world, when you say you’re from Austin, it means something. It means creativity and openness. It means a vibrant culture and a beautiful environment — and more and more it means opportunity.

And even though and perhaps because we love this city, we know we must address our challenges. We are experiencing the stresses of growth every day, whether we’re sitting in traffic, struggling to pay rent and property taxes, or watching our neighborhoods change before our very eyes.

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(Community Matters) Proud of our dear friend, now Mayor Steve Adler. His gift for vision and consensus building was on display at last night’s swearing in of all 10 council members and the mayor. They are already envisioning a new council structure that ensures more citizen participation during the time of real exploration and debate, they near unanimously elected Kathy Tovo their mayor pro tem (the one conscientious objector did so graciously) and the dais now represents most of the faces of Austin, with Steve promising seats at the table for all.

Mayor Adler presented the Distinguished Service Medal to Mayor Leffingwell and the outgoing council members, noting their substantial contributions and public service.

(Community Matters) I named CULTURATI my 2015 word. Merriam-Webster names CULTURE theirs.  emerging consensus on the importance of culture