ASK THE MAYOR
City, Council spent 2007 preparing El Campo for the future
MAYOR PHILLIP SPENRATH

As your mayor, my ultimate goal continues to be preparing El Campo for the future while maintaining our small town atmospheres. Over the past year, I have ended many articles with this sincere, heartfelt mission statement. Regardless of the situation, I have always made my decisions and cast my votes based on what I feel is right and in the best interest of you, my constituents.

In reviewing your City Council's course of action during the 2007 calendar year, it becomes explicitly clear that your council and staff are preparing El Campo's citizens for future growth and prosperity while maintaining our community's beauty and small town integrity.

Recent beautification projects, renovations and remodeling, planned growth, updated utilities, upgraded equipment, improved roads and drainage, and efforts to bypass the rail clearly outline your City Council and staff's proactive approach to ensuring that El Campo remains competitive in attracting new businesses, families and visitors into our incredible Pearl of the Prairie.

In 2007, your city representatives worked together with the El Campo Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, local businesses and numerous volunteers in implementing a Wildflower Beautification Project along our main entryway at the U.S. 59 and Hwy. 71 intersection.

Many local organizations and citizens realize the importance of providing an inviting and alluring gateway that will entice many of the thousands of daily highway travelers to deviate from their course and discover the many wonderful sites and shopping prospects located within our great city.

In addition to landscaping projects, the planning and zoning ordinances and city codes recently implemented by our 2007 annexation project will also stimulate new business, promote beautification, and protect our gateways from potentially undesirable and possibly unsafe business practices.

Throughout the past year, your City Council and staff researched, deliberated and recently authorized much needed renovations and remodeling plans for our El Campo Civic Center and Emergency Services buildings. In addition, this upgrade project provides for the construction of a new animal control facility and the purchase of a state-of-the-art pumper fire truck.

Also during 2007, your City Council and staff, with the guided assistance and research of the Lower Colorado River Authority reviewed, modified and updated the 7-year-old El Campo 2020 Comprehensive Plan. In 2000, hundreds of local citizens worked with a professional planning firm to generate and analyze data, and then prepared ideas and strategies to ensure El Campo's continued economic growth and development through the year 2020.

Our recent review of the plan's recommendations included initiatives for service upgrades, annexation, recreation and other necessary infrastructure.

During the past 12 months, your City Council and staff have authorized the upgrade of police and EMS support vehicles; improved city service trucks and maintenance machinery; and increased the proficiency of our award-winning wastewater treatment facility. In addition, strip paving and drainage projects remain a high priority for the current City Council and staff.

As 2007 draws to an end, members of your City Council and staff will leave no stone unturned as we continue exploring all plausible avenues for relocating the Kansas City Southern railroad tracks and trains away from of our central business district.

If allowed, the return of the rail through downtown El Campo will certainly present hundreds of unforeseen safety issues in addition to economically and aesthetically destroying our existing quality of life and small town atmosphere.

As a result of progressive planning and firm community support, 2007 has been a year of economic growth, vitality and prosperity. One of my primary goals has and will continue to be providing every citizen with credible information along with open access to your city government.

El Campo is entering an exciting period of economic growth and development. As citizens, we must unite as a community in order to protect the future growth and integrity of our great city.

- Send questions/comments to askthemayor@sbcglobal.com.