20060524 KDDC City employees our neighbors too by Lyndi McNulty

City employees our neighbors too by Lyndi McNulty

For more information on the Westminster Mayor and Common Council go to:

http://www.westgov.com/citygovernment/council.asp

and

http://www.westgov.com/citygovernment/mayor.asp

and

http://www.westgov.com/default.asp

“

Commentary: City employees our neighbors, too

May 24, 2006 by Lyndi McNulty

Small towns are great, especially Westminster, where we sometimes forget that elected officials are our friends and neighbors, too.

Recently, local residents asked the City Council and Police Chief Jeff Spaulding to make sure the traffic on Pennsylvania Avenue was obeying the speed limit.

Councilman Greg Pecoraro and Spaulding offered to meet with local citizens early one evening to observe traffic there.

There are not many places in the world that residents of a town can meet with local officials and take a walk with them, discussing traffic and other neighborhood concerns.

Westminster is really not so small now, but these busy city officials did not hesitate to schedule time to listen to residents.

Both Pecoraro and Spaulding pointed out that studies prove that stop signs do not slow traffic. However, a street scape plan is in the works for this street, which will provide bump outs, making the street appear smaller and slowing traffic.

What else do our officials do to better the community? Lots, and many things on their own time.

City Council President Roy Chiavacci works for seniors at Carroll Lutheran Village. He also volunteers for Change, an organization that works for people with developmental disabilities.

Chiavacci also served as the committee chairman of a local Boy Scout troop and served as a coach for baseball and football teams.

You will see other City Council members every day in the community.

Councilwoman Suzanne Albert, member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Westminster, will again be helping with the bingo tent at the Fallfest celebration.

She is also past chairwoman of the Rape Crisis Center and is also a part-time Carroll Hospice team nurse.

Councilman Kevin Utz was a state trooper and past chief of the Westminster Fire Department, both for 28 years.

He is also a local business owner with a real estate office in downtown Westminster.

Of course, most residents in Westminster know Councilman Bob Wack, who worked endless hours making sure Access Carroll, a medical office that makes medical care available to those who cannot afford it, a reality.

Wack did everything from raising money to painting walls himself.

And who can say enough about Mayor Tom Ferguson?

When he is not dyeing Easter eggs with local children, you might see him picking up donations for the Carroll Lutheran Village auction in his pickup truck or being a fashion model in a fund-raising fashion show for the Arts Council.

He has been in the Rotary for over 31 years and actively works on the board of directors for the ARC.

Currently, he is working with the Community of Shalom to build a Boys and Girls Club in Westminster.

The best thing about our mayor and city council is that you can talk with them anytime about the city and work with them on committees to improve our community.

Your concerns are their concerns, as they make difficult decisions every day to make sure that you and your family have everything from parks to play in to a quality police force.

They were your friends and neighbors before they were elected officials, and they still are.

— Lyndi McNulty owns Gizmos Art in Westminster.”