Steve: Thank you for choosing King City 10 years ago. And congratulations to our city council back in 2015 for believing that you were the best person to be the city manager for King City. I believe it was the right choice.
I remember being there when you were interviewed. Our town had just been through a difficult chapter and you had a vision for how we could change things to be safer and more attractive. It all sounded too good to be true because often people say one thing to get hired but what follows is disappointing. You were different. You followed through, and because of that King City is a much better place now than when you arrived.
The list is long.
You had a vision for a Comprehensive Plan to End Youth Violence that included Prevention, Intervention, Enforcement, Re-entry and Community Outreach. It led to the Pro-Youth Program, a city-wide security cameras system and the Sun Street Centers services, which transformed the corner of Mildred Avenue and Broadway.
You introduced us to the America In Bloom program that aimed to revitalize towns through beautification and preservation. That led to the formation of the King City in Bloom organization, which has promoted colorful murals and improved appearance for our downtown area and throughout the community.
You promoted the idea that City employees are here to serve the public rather than throw up red tape and frustration. Your leadership set the example of doing things professionally and with a smile, which helped restore confidence in city government and our police department.
You moved to town and brought your family to live among us. And then you got involved in groups like the Rotary Club, serving for a time as president and in other positions promoting service to the community and throughout the world. Most recently your leadership in the King City High School Interact Club has helped produce students with leadership skills and a heart for our town.
You guided us through the challenging Covid-19 shutdowns, helped us get new “Welcome” signs at our entrances and pursued options to help us care for homeless individuals.
Those of us who know what kind of car you drive could tell that you worked a lot of Saturdays at City Hall. You put in time to see that city council agendas and codes and guidelines and goals were done with the professionalism and hard work that only comes with an extraordinary investment of time.
Perhaps the most visible and dramatic legacy of your time here will be the upgrading of our historic downtown. The acquisition of the land at the northeast corner of Broadway and Vanderhurst Avenue has transformed a blighted area into a showcase for our Downtown Plaza park and the new King City Visitor and History Center.
Just the other day, a Lockwood acquaintance told me that his wife commented on how many improvements have made our business district much nicer than before you arrived. You have patiently advocated for standards for buildings and made sure there were ways to enforce the improvement of blighted property through Code Enforcement.
From my perspective, you deserve a retirement that gives you more time to do the things that inspire you. And King City residents owe you a debt of gratitude for helping us make this a better city.
