These are my first comments to the public on city matters in my year-and-a-half tenure as your Mayor: The state of the City of New Cordell is excellent and improving by almost every measurement for a small city: financial, grant generation, aesthetics of downtown, and our departmental progress, including grant writing. I believe it has been a very productive 1 1/2 yrs. Thank you to all our city partners and you, the citizens of Cordell, our clients.
With a unified 8-person council’s approval: We have secured multiple grants secured by our effervescent Vicki Hagerman, our city administrator, to improve our aging infrastructure; primarily water and sewer, but also mitigation grants for asbestos problems in older dilapidated buildings, and downtown grants, which are usually the most noticeable.
We have also forged numerous public and private partnerships to secure funds for multiple improvements including restoring our twenty-five-year-old bump-outs around the square including water, new decorative street banners, two ambulances and police cars including upgrades and helping relight our iconic courthouse for Christmas. Recently, we also appropriated revenue to refurbish two of our I-40 “Historic District” large signs at the Clinton exit.
Discussion of issues and vigorous debate are important to tackle most issues. This council has done well to come out harmonious in critical monetary votes and city resolutions to improve our quality of life.
The city is considering, based on funding availability: “directional signage” to assist visitors with points of interest throughout the city, upgrades to the WPA pool and park, enhancing the Gregory park parking lot is underway, and also prospective bold ideas to improve the city-owned 72-acre Adams (Cordell) Lake Park for public recreational use in the next year or two.
A one to two-year goal is to have a vigorous discussion on reducing our “eight” council members format to “four”, in line with virtually all cities our size. This will take council, approval first, and then, a citizen vote to approve a move back to our more traditional four-council structure. I believe this would make us even more efficient and mobile.
I want to thank our city team: Fire, Police, Street, Water and Sewer, and Front Office personnel for working so closely and positively to carry out both departmental goals and to embolden community change. This synergy will help us achieve our broader mission of delivering the finest services to you, our clients. We most certainly want to know if we come up short, but also a “thank you” to our twenty-something city teammates when you feel we are going— “above and beyond” your expectations.
We are sometimes looking for qualified candidates for specific openings, which are posted on various media outlets.
Of note, is the outstanding job volunteers and our Chamber of Commerce are doing at Crooked Creek Golf Course and the city-owned Washita Theatre.
Also, our community-owned hospital remains vibrant and very busy. Thanks to the regional emphasis going on at CMH and adding new equipment and services.
We always need volunteers at many of our venues and new members to salvage our remaining civic club!
There are more things on my mind, but I always understand our city’s budget limitations as well as our multiple strategic opportunities are constrained by revenue.
I’ll end with the Serenity Prayer, which I believe is very appropriate here: “God grant us the “Serenity” to accept the things we cannot “Change”. The “Courage” to change the things we can, and the “Wisdom” to know the difference!
…Rheinhold Niebuhr Most Sincerely,
Phil Kliewer