Full Transcript for Navigating Small-Town Leadership: A Candid Conversation with Sanger Mayor Thomas Muir

and I know you are as the city manager of taxpayers and the importance of efficient use of funds. 00:04:38.422 --> 00:04:40.346 I mean, it's taxpayer dollars, right. 00:04:40.346 --> 00:04:44.043 That leads us to tough decisions because we don't build up this. 00:04:44.043 --> 00:04:49.021 You know, unlimited amount of resources because that comes from the taxpayers. 00:04:49.021 --> 00:04:58.211 So we have to take the scarce resources, prioritize those, you know, spend them in the areas that are most urgent and then most strategic over time. 00:04:58.211 --> 00:05:01.266 You know, if we had an unlimited checkbook, we'd do it all right now. 00:05:01.507 --> 00:05:02.661 You know, that's what I always say. 00:05:02.661 --> 00:05:04.387 So, but we don't. 00:05:04.387 --> 00:05:10.225 So we live in that real real world just like we all budget our personal finances and have to choose priorities right. 00:05:10.225 --> 00:05:17.206 So I help strategically on that front and I think council and everybody understands that. 00:05:17.206 --> 00:05:22.290 That resources we don't want to overtax in order to maybe accelerate some things. 00:05:22.290 --> 00:05:24.177 We've got to do it measured along the way. 00:05:24.177 --> 00:05:29.240 The second part of your question, I think, was you asked if this is a paid position. 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:30.815 Have a funny story about that. 00:05:31.170 --> 00:05:32.315 Hopefully it's not too long. 00:05:33.529 --> 00:05:38.649 Several times I've been asked to come into the third grade and do their civic. 00:05:38.649 --> 00:05:48.069 They have a civics emphasis periodically and so come in and talk about city and what does the city do, and I use a series of numbers and I write these numbers there. 00:05:48.069 --> 00:05:54.569 They go from largest to smallest on the board and just to intrigue them I don't put the categories of what they're about. 00:05:54.569 --> 00:05:59.654 It's just numbers, you know, from millions down to the down to zero, right, and they're various things. 00:05:59.654 --> 00:06:04.517 The first numbers in the millions, that's the city's budget and we talk about the resources and the spending. 00:06:04.517 --> 00:06:07.110 The next number is a little bit over 9,000. 00:06:07.110 --> 00:06:11.158 And we talk about that being the population and that's about how big Sanger is. 00:06:11.158 --> 00:06:13.829 The next number is around 2,500. 00:06:13.829 --> 00:06:16.639 And that's the population of Sanger when I was in third grade. 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:22.709 So I try to step into their shoes and let them see how much Sanger has grown from 2,500 to 9,000. 00:06:22.709 --> 00:06:25.098 Just in now they of course think I'm old and gray. 00:06:26.031 --> 00:06:29.240 So it's an eternity since I've been in third grade, which is probably mostly true. 00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:33.822 But anyway, the next number I have on the board is just a little bit under 100. 00:06:33.822 --> 00:06:47.338 And that's the number of city employees that we have across all our departments and I'll tell them police, fire, streets, parks, library administration, development services, water, wastewater, electric. 00:06:47.338 --> 00:06:50.678 We do a lot with a very lean staff. 00:06:50.678 --> 00:06:55.262 I mean, they're kind of amazed by those numbers and all the things we have our hands in. 00:06:55.262 --> 00:06:57.615 The next number is the number six. 00:06:57.615 --> 00:06:59.685 That's the number on council. 00:06:59.685 --> 00:07:01.937 Right, we have a mayor and five council members. 00:07:01.937 --> 00:07:03.394 The next number is two. 00:07:03.951 --> 00:07:09.115 We talk about how each one of those is elected to a two year term and serves that out when they're voted in right. 00:07:09.115 --> 00:07:13.701 The last number and this is to get to the answer to the question is zero. 00:07:13.701 --> 00:07:17.519 That is what the mayor and the council get paid. 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:19.656 We're all elected volunteers. 00:07:19.656 --> 00:07:22.718 I think that even surprises teachers sometimes. 00:07:22.718 --> 00:07:24.658 I think they don't really realize that. 00:07:24.658 --> 00:07:30.802 So I walk into that classroom and the kids their eyes are wide. 00:07:30.802 --> 00:07:33.089 It's like they're seeing the president for the first time. 00:07:33.089 --> 00:07:42.848 When you leave them and tell them that you make zero, that image has deflated very quickly and you're just a regular old guy. 00:07:42.848 --> 00:07:45.290 If you're only making zero, they wonder what the heck you're doing. 00:07:45.290 --> 00:07:54.170 So, anyway, it's a pretty fun way to talk about the fact that we're volunteerism and all the things that are going on in the city and the civic basis. 00:07:54.170 --> 00:07:58.670 Sorry for the long answer, but it's this funny story. 00:08:00.237 --> 00:08:04.476 That's a great illustration for what you do and what we do yeah. 00:08:05.190 --> 00:08:09.422 So I think, the last one, obviously, if we make zero, yes, I do have to have another job. 00:08:10.391 --> 00:08:13.937 Unfortunately, you know all your council. 00:08:13.937 --> 00:08:16.023 They all have other jobs and things they're doing. 00:08:16.023 --> 00:08:19.589 I am a fee only investment management firm. 00:08:19.589 --> 00:08:22.658 I own it and we do financial planning, retirement planning. 00:08:22.658 --> 00:08:26.480 I have my CPA and CFP practitioner licenses. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:34.210 My firm helps others with retirement and financial planning, and we manage a publicly traded ETF and exchange traded fund. 00:08:34.210 --> 00:08:38.379 That's a lot of finance jargon, but anyway, we invest in a basket of securities. 00:08:38.379 --> 00:08:47.889 So I really think, though, that those strengths the financial and the planning professional background are really quite helpful in assessing the city's direction and needs. 00:08:47.889 --> 00:08:51.948 So I think it fits real

well with the mayor position, yeah. 00:08:57.918 --> 00:09:00.222 Now in your role in your finance company. 00:09:00.222 --> 00:09:07.759 There you clearly have measures of how you guys are doing and is your company succeeding? 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:09.023 Are you succeeding Right? 00:09:09.023 --> 00:09:12.364 We do that here across departments and even in my office. 00:09:12.364 --> 00:09:14.826 We have measurements and tools that we use. 00:09:14.826 --> 00:09:18.289 How do you measure success in your role as mayor? 00:09:19.514 --> 00:09:24.889 Yeah, it's probably softer, more qualitative. 00:09:24.889 --> 00:09:27.720 I know I mean city staff, city manager. 00:09:27.720 --> 00:09:34.461 We have some very hard metrics we watch, but even y'all are watching some of the qualitative metrics. 00:09:34.461 --> 00:09:42.076 When I look around town and think about the broader community, I see a vibrant community, I see a growing community. 00:09:42.076 --> 00:09:47.601 I feel that our community has been a success and continues to take step forward. 00:09:47.601 --> 00:10:00.320 Doing that, just when you look around I was driving here today and right now it seems like it's orange construction, fence and pylons, orange pylons and barriers and things going on. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:02.556 That's a sign of actual growth coming. 00:10:02.996 --> 00:10:12.280 While it's got some growing pains, I look at it ultimately when those things clear up and clean up, wow, it's going to be really neat and many successful projects. 00:10:12.280 --> 00:10:27.370 But it's not just council, there's just so many people that make the growth of Sanger happen School leadership, people that are involved in the community, faith-based work, our economic development efforts. 00:10:27.370 --> 00:10:30.298 I mean this podcast is an example of getting our message out right. 00:10:30.298 --> 00:10:36.448 Yeah, the list just goes on and on those that are involved in the efforts we're taking. 00:10:36.448 --> 00:10:42.590 So there's no single person that can take complete ownership of. 00:10:42.590 --> 00:10:47.210 Hey, it's a successful community because it has been the community that's done in a collaborative effort. 00:10:47.210 --> 00:10:50.649 So to me that's what success looks like. 00:10:50.649 --> 00:11:02.043 It's a little bit of broader, it's not so much metrics driven as it is just qualitative in nature, but when I drive around I sense it, and so it's maybe a little softer feel. 00:11:02.427 --> 00:11:05.009 Yeah, that's great and I've talked about that a little bit. 00:11:05.009 --> 00:11:12.184 Just, in public service in general, we talk about the measures of success and that's one of the things I talked a lot about. 00:11:12.184 --> 00:11:25.289 In the private sector, you know, you can go off and you might have a good year and get a big bonus, but in the public sector you might get a new swimming pool or splash pad or community building, something to say for the kids and the grandkids for the next 40 years. 00:11:25.410 --> 00:11:26.475 I think that's fantastic. 00:11:26.475 --> 00:11:37.818 So what do you think the biggest misconception people have about your role as mayor might be, Whether just in general or your responsibilities? 00:11:37.818 --> 00:11:39.631 Do people get those kind of yeah? 00:11:40.471 --> 00:11:42.017 Yeah, it's interesting the perception. 00:11:42.017 --> 00:11:44.517 I've already mentioned the pay-b-n-zero. 00:11:44.517 --> 00:11:48.159 I mean most people really don't realize that and we'll set that aside. 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:59.900 Some I think I have a big office at City Hall, you know, big desk, big room, those type of things, and when I have, as you know well know, no office at all at City Hall. 00:12:00.599 --> 00:12:01.327 No big offices. 00:12:01.327 --> 00:12:02.933 Yes, yeah, the city manager. 00:12:02.994 --> 00:12:15.669 You and I meet to get updates pretty routinely and council meets twice a month To take action on everything from small plaques all the way up to multi-million dollar capital improvement projects, right. 00:12:15.669 --> 00:12:20.184 But the city staff are really what drive, and you know this. 00:12:20.184 --> 00:12:21.769 But I think it's a misconception. 00:12:21.769 --> 00:12:29.004 The city staff drive the day-to-day operational burden and decisions that happen on the ground every day. 00:12:29.004 --> 00:12:41.442 So we set strategy and direction and priority and, yes, we do get down in the weeds in some of those areas, you know, and but in big measure it's the day-to-day is up to y'all. 00:12:41.442 --> 00:12:43.177 I don't have an office there, you know. 00:12:43.177 --> 00:12:47.658 So it's that's, I think, a misperception a little bit. 00:12:47.658 --> 00:12:49.817 We are that type of government form. 00:12:50.889 --> 00:13:00.379 Also, I think some people think council can just make things happen sometimes, right, whether that's developments or retail businesses, they want to come. 00:13:00.841 --> 00:13:09.038 You know, obviously and I hate to even bring it up, but I will, just for the sake of total transparency is, you know, the hottest topic is always the grocery store, right? 00:13:09.099 --> 00:13:36.580 Yeah, sanger has been and I just put in quotes here my mind is been open for business, for a quality grocer for some years now and our economic development staff has been out working tirelessly for those, that period of time selling Sanger, getting in front of people, going to trade shows, doing all those things we're now getting enough rooftops that those larger developers they look and see the improvements. 00:13:36.580 --> 00:13:48.426 You know rooftops FM455 under construction, i-35 getting improved in the future those things have put us on the map, I think, with developers, in addition to all the efforts we've made over the years. 00:13:48.426 --> 00:13:52.004 So I often say you know, we live in a capitalistic society. 00:13:52.004

--> 00:13:57.537 When businesses see that there's enough people to support what they're wanting to do, they get interested. 00:13:57.537 --> 00:14:12.837 And we have done all I think we can do to encourage quality development so that those desired retail amenities that everybody's wanting whether it's grocery store or other things you know, out to eat, other, you know shopping opportunities will locate and singer. 00:14:12.837 --> 00:14:18.837 But the misconception is we can't make them do it, we can just encourage them to do it. 00:14:19.359 --> 00:14:41.071 And, you know, the council with you at the helm there, mayor, you've done a fantastic job, in my opinion, of setting policy and direction and legislation that supports not just development but quality development and given, given enough direction and enough room for for the day to date, those people you know we've got about 89 of those guys on the ground right now. 00:14:41.071 --> 00:15:00.352 That to make that happen, being able to have clear direction and know that they're headed the right direction, based on what the council has kind of asked us to do policy wise, is tremendous, and I absolutely agree that we're beginning to see the results of that. 00:15:00.352 --> 00:15:01.975 And it doesn't happen over or not. 00:15:01.975 --> 00:15:03.097 You're absolutely right. 00:15:03.097 --> 00:15:13.110 It takes years for policy to stick and for everybody to that's coming to sing or to want to cooperate and play by some of those rules. 00:15:13.110 --> 00:15:17.043 Yeah, and sticking to your guns is absolutely we're. 00:15:17.043 --> 00:15:24.813 Over the next several years, I believe we'll all see quality results based on the work that you and the council put in over the last decade. 00:15:24.833 --> 00:15:37.159 Well, I sure hope so, and we know that work really is never ending and we'll always be facing some some level of growth and issues, and we'll just modify where we're headed and what we're doing at that point. 00:15:37.179 --> 00:15:38.445 So it's very good. 00:15:38.445 --> 00:15:42.219 It's very good to work with a proactive council rather than a reactive council. 00:15:42.219 --> 00:15:45.749 So what do you see as far as Sanger? 00:15:45.749 --> 00:15:47.654 How would you describe Sanger? 00:15:47.674 --> 00:16:10.057 Yeah, you know, I actually love the slogan that came out of the Sanger 2040 comprehensive plan and the marketing branding work that was done there, and I really didn't expect something that I a lot of times consultants, they don't know your town, they're coming in, they come in with a black briefcase, they tell you how they ought to do it you know we ought to do it, and then they go and pick up and leave. 00:16:10.057 --> 00:16:15.687 But really they came up with a great one and of course that's because of community involvement that they had. 00:16:15.687 --> 00:16:21.182 But their slogan was when you're here, you're home, and I love that slogan. 00:16:21.182 --> 00:16:23.129 I think it fits Sanger perfectly. 00:16:23.129 --> 00:16:24.715 When I think of Sanger, I grew up in. 00:16:24.715 --> 00:16:26.701 I grew up in, you know it was home. 00:16:26.701 --> 00:16:30.695 When I think of Sanger, that's over three times that size. 00:16:30.695 --> 00:16:37.457 You know, from when I grew up and we're still home there's a sense of community that Sanger has been able to maintain. 00:16:37.457 --> 00:16:40.849 You know, our city rallies around those in need. 00:16:40.849 --> 00:16:43.836 It rallies around its schools, its sports teams. 00:16:43.836 --> 00:16:46.201 It helps others when they're in need. 00:16:46.943 --> 00:16:53.912 An example, as I was thinking about this discussion this morning, was just the ice mcgeddon that happened, you know, years ago. 00:16:53.912 --> 00:16:57.360 Everyone was stranded on the highway, literally just. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:04.826 It was a parking lot in sub, you know, in the zero degree weather, you know ice everywhere and no one could go anywhere. 00:17:04.826 --> 00:17:20.880 Well, the city employees, the city as a whole, just parts of the community, got out in four wheel drives and four wheelers and tractors and got people into the churches, into other safe places so that they could hang out while all of that came to bear. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:35.144 So our city responds we're a community and we're home, whether it's somebody who's planted their life, maybe like mine, for multi generations, or they're just new to the town, or maybe they're stuck on the highway like in the ice mcgeddon, just passing through. 00:17:35.144 --> 00:17:38.000 Well, they're part of our community for that time. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:47.413 And so Sanger's been great to have that type of kind of vibe about it and I'm proud that that's, I think, what we would be known for. 00:17:47.453 --> 00:18:03.327 I hope that's what we would be known for we're experiencing some pretty rapid growth and probably and you're very aware of this and over the next several years, we think that that growth could be exponential. 00:18:03.327 --> 00:18:06.226 You know we're doing everything we can to manage it. 00:18:06.226 --> 00:18:11.262 I know the council is as well, but what do you believe are the biggest challenges we're facing right now? 00:18:11.483 --> 00:18:19.144 Yeah, challenges and you know I think Sanger's in a natural line of growth. 00:18:19.144 --> 00:18:25.642 You know, coming down the I-35, you know Metroplex is moving our way naturally. 00:18:25.642 --> 00:18:31.157 In many ways we're kind of the gateway city or a gateway city into the Metroplex. 00:18:31.157 --> 00:18:34.605 We're at that apex of the Dallas Fort Worth triangle. 00:18:34.605 --> 00:18:38.403 You know us and Denton and that it means growth is coming here. 00:18:38.403 --> 00:18:46.464 You know council just spent two full days at its annual retreat, you know, with the help of staff and directed by staff. 00:18:46.464 -->

00:18:53.298 You know, reviewing all aspects of the city's plans, the infrastructure, making sure we have a plan to meet that growth. 00:18:53.298 --> 00:18:56.703 I mean, the growth is a blessing but it's also a challenge. 00:18:56.703 --> 00:19:04.011 At the same time we kind of set some practical, what I might call to-do list for the top priorities of where we were headed. 00:19:04.011 --> 00:19:09.095 You know, obviously we won't see completion of 455, but really other things. 00:19:09.095 --> 00:19:13.730 You know key pieces of infrastructure like Marion and Bell's Road. 00:19:13.730 --> 00:19:19.385 You know a larger transformers for our electrical substation to handle that type of growth. 00:19:19.385 --> 00:19:23.123 Some of these things people will see, like the roads, a transformer. 00:19:23.123 --> 00:19:25.750 They probably won't even understand or see the impact of that. 00:19:27.141 --> 00:19:41.766 We're also looking for sites and a new place for a comprehensive public safety facility on the east side of town, I think you know, finding that site, figuring the financing on that, that's a challenge but it's an opportunity. 00:19:41.869 --> 00:19:46.040 We want to put fire coverage so that it's on both sides of the rail tracks. 00:19:46.040 --> 00:20:01.575 This facility probably, as you know, our plan would be if we had a vision for it Again, we're talking vision at this point, but it's please fire and probably the courts, so it would be this comprehensive facility citizens could come to and use in. 00:20:01.575 --> 00:20:14.502 Our emergency responders would have, you know, top quality resources Council has approved, as you know, some of the zoning and use for the larger development that will ultimately house the grocery store in town. 00:20:14.502 --> 00:20:18.553 We've tried to encourage that development and encourage them to do retail. 00:20:18.553 --> 00:20:21.269 At the same time they're implementing their residential plan. 00:20:21.269 --> 00:20:27.027 So we're working to meet that challenge and bring that to ultimately fruition. 00:20:27.027 --> 00:20:28.651 But we think we're close now. 00:20:28.651 --> 00:20:32.961 So there's a lot of challenges, there's a lot of priorities, a lot of opportunities come with those things. 00:20:32.961 --> 00:20:36.209 So it's a double-sided coin, right. 00:20:36.990 --> 00:20:42.547 So your position is an elected official, very front-facing, very public. 00:20:42.547 --> 00:20:47.644 How do you typically engage with the community to understand their needs and concerns? 00:20:47.865 --> 00:20:55.105 Yeah, I think most recently we did this formally, as you know, through the Sanger 2040 comprehensive plan. 00:20:55.105 --> 00:20:58.512 That did bring an independent outside consultant. 00:20:58.512 --> 00:21:11.001 Sometimes an outside look is really beneficial because it gives you know what does somebody else think about us, what do they hear when they talk to people around town or the other stakeholders. 00:21:11.001 --> 00:21:20.305 So we brought them in to facilitate multiple city-wide events, to explore those ideas and what was the city wanting? 00:21:20.305 --> 00:21:23.373 There was a planning committee, a branding committee. 00:21:23.373 --> 00:21:31.410 This process included constituents from just many facets of the community schools, churches, community members, business owners. 00:21:31.410 --> 00:21:33.597 They were all part of that process. 00:21:34.078 --> 00:21:41.103 And then currently, you know, we're undergoing a similar process for the new downtown park that we're looking to develop. 00:21:41.103 --> 00:21:56.792 It's kind of a venue-type park, you know, I think many concerts, food trucks you know this outdoor events, downtown farmers markets, all of those things could happen in this new type of park and we're trying to drive that growth and revitalization of downtown. 00:21:56.792 --> 00:22:01.132 So we're asking for people's input in that process currently. 00:22:01.132 --> 00:22:07.250 But really, where the rubber meets the road is your council and mayor. 00:22:07.250 --> 00:22:10.278 You're elected to position to represent the people. 00:22:10.278 --> 00:22:20.853 So we're there to take input, to be available for a phone call, email, whatever it may be, to give input as things just arise. 00:22:20.853 --> 00:22:34.070 So we have formal processes, sanger 2040, comp plan, the downtown input for the new downtown park, but there's always your representative government that we're here to listen. 00:22:35.695 --> 00:22:38.825 So through these processes I know you guys have heard a lot. 00:22:38.825 --> 00:22:43.583 What are some initiatives or programs that are in place to foster community involvement? 00:22:43.583 --> 00:22:48.036 I'm sure some of those may have come from the input that we received. 00:22:48.236 --> 00:22:55.125 Yeah, absolutely, you know we try to involve and mention some of the things already that we've involved the community with. 00:22:55.125 --> 00:22:57.134 It's not a one-time thing, you know. 00:22:57.134 --> 00:23:04.301 When I think of community involvement I think about all the boards and committees that we, that an individual can volunteer for. 00:23:04.301 --> 00:23:20.011 You know we often are publicizing, as you know, openings on these boards and we're encouraging people to get involved, get on a board, learn what it's all about, and you know there's probably a board that fits each person's interest and personality. 00:23:20.011 --> 00:23:31.103 And when we go all the way from planning and zoning and 4a and 4b, they have some very technical rules around them down to parks and libraries where our kids go and learn. 00:23:31.103 --> 00:23:35.723 I mean that are more fun and soft skills and outdoorsy in nature. 00:23:35.723 --> 00:23:39.314 So you probably can find a place to plug in People, can, I hope? 00:23:39.314 --> 00:23:42.781 You know we recently had a luncheon thanking our board

volunteers. 00:23:42.781 --> 00:23:47.746 We so appreciate their service and, by the way, they don't get paid either. 00:23:48.227 --> 00:23:49.711 Just so you're volunteering for the board. 00:23:49.731 --> 00:23:55.330 It is volunteer, but there's lots of places to plug in and to have that community involvement. 00:23:55.432 --> 00:24:08.809 So so, outside of what you do within the community, how do you collaborate with other municipalities, organizations, other other levels of government outside just the municipal government? 00:24:08.910 --> 00:24:14.288 Yeah, you know, our city obviously works within the broader county and state framework. 00:24:14.288 --> 00:24:17.938 You know this and you integrate directly all the time with them. 00:24:17.938 --> 00:24:25.912 But for the sake of our listeners, you know, and I won't be able to touch all of that because we're always in conversations, right, but you know. 00:24:25.912 --> 00:24:34.300 But some, for instances, there's coordination with emergency services like fire and medical, our fire department and our EMS. 00:24:34.300 --> 00:24:38.032 We cover one of the largest physical territories within Dent County. 00:24:38.032 --> 00:24:40.661 We just heard an update from them this past council meeting. 00:24:40.701 --> 00:24:45.305 Right, we go all the way north to Cook County and all the way west to I-th County. 00:24:45.305 --> 00:24:52.501 You know we have interlocal agreements with the county to help our funding of that coverage area. 00:24:52.501 --> 00:25:00.792 So that's a good example on the ground of that collaboration that's been going on really for forever, you know, between us and the county. 00:25:00.792 --> 00:25:11.247 Likewise, we sign a lot of mutual aid agreements where our folks you know our firefighters, ems they go and help other cities in disaster. 00:25:11.247 --> 00:25:18.810 Even our electrical folks have gone to cities when there's been power lines down and we've placed crew there to help them. 00:25:18.810 --> 00:25:20.538 Other cities get back up and going. 00:25:21.059 --> 00:25:23.509 So you know, we go to them when they're in need. 00:25:23.509 --> 00:25:26.119 If we have a need in the future, they will come to us. 00:25:26.119 --> 00:25:28.871 It's a great collaboration on a broader government scale. 00:25:28.871 --> 00:25:38.280 Also, we do try to leverage the county's size and resources when we're considering, like our road programs right, we advocated with the county. 00:25:38.280 --> 00:25:46.321 You know, in two good examples and ones that are at top of people's minds, I think are Marion Road and Bells Road, for instance. 00:25:46.362 --> 00:25:51.058 You know we got that placed with some advocacy on the county bond package. 00:25:51.058 --> 00:25:59.403 This will bring county funds to bear and instead of having the local tax base have to bear it and cover all those costs. 00:25:59.403 --> 00:26:03.644 So sometimes that process will take a little more time to play out. 00:26:03.644 --> 00:26:08.517 I know we'd love to have those two roads, you know, fully completed and done yesterday. 00:26:08.517 --> 00:26:24.671 But in order to stretch our resources and honor taxpayer monies and use them efficiently, we're trying to make sure that at least some of that county funding that everybody pays in their property taxes ends up coming back to our local area. 00:26:24.671 --> 00:26:35.883 And one way we do this is getting on those bond programs for those bigger projects, and so that's a collaboration that's ongoing right now and that's an example I thought of with this question. 00:26:36.970 --> 00:26:43.953 And lastly, you know I have gone down to the legislature a few times to try to advocate for issues affecting small cities. 00:26:43.953 --> 00:26:55.875 You know it's not a lot of what we do, it's pretty, you know just obviously the legislature doesn't meet every year and then sometimes there's not big issues that are immediate effect on us and so we lay back. 00:26:55.875 --> 00:27:02.862 We're not a very political group but you know we want to go represent the city if it needs representing in those forums. 00:27:02.862 --> 00:27:04.734 So those are some examples. 00:27:04.734 --> 00:27:11.540 They just don't even touch the magnitude of some of that cooperation, but good examples that I think people maybe can relate to. 00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:14.250 They are and people don't realize that. 00:27:14.250 --> 00:27:17.685 You know going down to the state house is a huge deal. 00:27:17.685 --> 00:27:18.630 A lot of people don't do it. 00:27:18.630 --> 00:27:21.361 Just showing up down there is a big deal some days. 00:27:21.361 --> 00:27:27.082 Just showing your face in those halls helps tremendously, even with what most people would consider small things. 00:27:27.082 --> 00:27:31.679 They're huge to our long term growth and where we're headed. 00:27:31.679 --> 00:27:37.154 What other successful partnerships do you have that have positively really impacted Sanger? 00:27:37.916 --> 00:27:41.743 Yeah, you know the example I think of there and it's really. 00:27:41.743 --> 00:27:46.040 It is more of a collaborative effort, not just a city only effort. 00:27:46.040 --> 00:28:00.193 But I think when we think about something that's positively impacted, sanger, I tried to think bigger picture with this when I was thinking about this question in preparation for getting together today. 00:28:00.193 --> 00:28:06.326 And you know the city was a collaborator in this but others really took a large lead in it. 00:28:06.326 --> 00:28:22.204 Our town, through its schools, churches and city, received a grant from Texas Health Resources to place a quote grocery store inside the Linda Tud High School to serve as a source of food and to meet some food insecurity issues in our community. 00:28:22.204 --> 00:28:26.597 That store allows students to learn work experience. 00:28:26.597 --> 00:28:34.229 They work in the store, they

inventory things, they stock it, they restock the shelves, all of those things and they sell things for points. 00:28:34.229 --> 00:28:36.016 It's not a money-making deal but it's kind of a. 00:28:36.016 --> 00:28:41.753 It's a mock kind of grocery store but it provides for the needs of the community. 00:28:41.753 --> 00:28:48.138 Some of those students that are in need and some of the community comes in and uses it when they're looking for food items. 00:28:48.138 --> 00:28:57.707 It that grant also provides some additional counseling services to the students both in the school and then outside through First Refuge Ministries. 00:28:57.707 --> 00:29:01.458 It provided food pantry and counseling there in First Refuge. 00:29:01.458 --> 00:29:14.786 What makes this such a great project is that the school's work and I would say most specifically, just to give credit where it's due, dr Ann Hughes this project gained national and international attention. 00:29:15.648 --> 00:29:18.438 Sanger has received national awards for this program. 00:29:18.438 --> 00:29:26.540 The program was chosen by Texas Health Resources across all of its other impact regions to put in place because it was so successful. 00:29:26.540 --> 00:29:33.865 Here they really only chose one focus program to do and to replicate and it was our program. 00:29:33.865 --> 00:29:40.127 What started as an idea in our community, our community participants, it's become a regional initiative. 00:29:40.127 --> 00:29:47.307 So when you think about positively impacting Sanger, this one actually reaches even outside of Sanger and goes even further. 00:29:47.307 --> 00:29:50.868 So when I say it, sanger takes care of its community. 00:29:50.868 --> 00:29:54.778 This is a great example of that collaboration in our community. 00:29:54.778 --> 00:30:00.666 This community went faced with some speed bumps in that project because I was involved in some of the meetings on that project. 00:30:00.666 --> 00:30:04.603 You refuse to let them get in the way and get it set aside. 00:30:04.603 --> 00:30:11.343 The work through all of those and many in the schools, the community and the faith-based community have made it a reality. 00:30:11.343 --> 00:30:13.166 It's kind of regional in nature. 00:30:13.166 --> 00:30:15.662 I'm super proud that we get our. 00:30:15.662 --> 00:30:19.214 You know that Sanger gets attached to that type of project. 00:30:19.394 --> 00:30:23.615 Yeah, it's an outstanding program and we'll put down in the comments if anybody wants to know any more. 00:30:23.615 --> 00:30:40.448 We actually met and talked about the Linda type program specifically and we can link back to that If anybody wants to hear more about that program it is an incredible program and it is an incredible show of how, sanger is, a community supports community, absolutely. 00:30:40.448 --> 00:30:46.174 So what is the city council's vision for the city's future and how do you guys plan on achieving that? 00:30:46.295 -->

00:30:48.339 Yeah, you know that's a tough question. 00:30:48.339 --> 00:31:03.818 I never want to speak as a sole voice for council, but I believe I have a pretty good feel for what council would say and again, it's somewhat qualitative but I think it gets to the spirit of what council uses when it makes the more detailed decisions it has to make. 00:31:03.818 --> 00:31:12.186 You know, council wants to encourage quality growth right, and that's maybe different than just random growth, but just quality growth. 00:31:12.186 --> 00:31:19.584 Growth is coming and we want to manage it smartly and encourage the right mix of quality development. 00:31:19.584 --> 00:31:23.778 We want businesses to come to Sanger, encourage them to come. 00:31:24.259 --> 00:31:33.887 You know we've always said we want to be a business friendly environment, but that's not at the expense of quality and a family friendly community. 00:31:33.887 --> 00:31:38.307 Feel Again that slogan when you're, when you're here, you're home. 00:31:38.307 --> 00:31:40.855 You know, I think we want to try to keep that. 00:31:40.855 --> 00:31:52.218 I believe council believes in Sanger and that it's a great home for families and that development needs to be quality and community based and and be what everybody would be proud to have here. 00:31:52.218 --> 00:31:59.444 To the extent we can control it and again we we can do everything we can to put bumpers around it and try to encourage the right things to come. 00:31:59.526 --> 00:32:11.424 and and again, things come when they come, you know so the as far as other successful initiatives that made a difference in the standards of living for the residents of Sanger, do any come to mind? 00:32:14.795 --> 00:32:30.105 You know, when you think about that, I think there's just a overall rewarding kind of environment here, um, the. 00:32:30.105 --> 00:32:45.257 When you think about I'm trying to think about just standard of living as a whole, the Probably, I would guess, the downtown, not the downtown but the singer sports park that we have on the highway. 00:32:45.257 --> 00:32:55.236 When I think about standard of living as a whole, I think there's so many people that Use that, we've used it. 00:32:55.236 --> 00:32:56.963 You know a lot of people out there daily. 00:32:57.003 --> 00:32:59.231 If you drive by on the highway You'll see them walking it. 00:32:59.231 --> 00:33:04.384 Obviously the softball fields they are used routinely. 00:33:04.384 --> 00:33:13.079 We've used it for freedom fest, for like big events so that the city as a whole and even visitors have been, have come to. 00:33:13.079 --> 00:33:15.163 So we're encouraged and economic development with that. 00:33:15.163 --> 00:33:19.211 It's really almost like a billboard for Singer. 00:33:19.211 --> 00:33:28.890 When you, if you want to call it that, when you drive down I-35, it feels you know people, I hope they look over there and say, wow, that's a really neat looking park. 00:33:28.890 --> 00:33:29.932 It's well done. 00:33:29.932 --> 00:33:36.473 Look at the people on it walking and jogging and you know, with their dogs and and the other things and they go hey, that's a community. 00:33:36.473 --> 00:33:38.720 That's the type of community I want to be involved in. 00:33:38.759 --> 00:33:43.589 So I think Singer residents see it as quality of life and they have used it extensively. 00:33:43.589 --> 00:33:51.400 We have plans to do some additional park work right on the opposite side of 35, so I think that will extend even further into the future. 00:33:51.400 --> 00:33:53.657 So I think it's a. 00:33:53.657 --> 00:33:56.950 It's a good example of a quality of life initiative. 00:33:56.950 --> 00:34:17.268 You know most people don't understand 4b board because that's a quality of life initiative and 4b board was Instrumental in some of the funding and and getting that in place along with council's vision, but really the funding mechanism was one of those boards that people can in, you know, being involved in and have an impact on, and it's a Huge standard of living issue. 00:34:17.329 --> 00:34:22.927 So and I you know, I've been in other communities that don't place the emphasis on on those things. 00:34:22.927 --> 00:34:26.760 I would, I would, I very much appreciate that about you and the council. 00:34:26.760 --> 00:34:30.735 It's there, we're doing everything, we see it online all the time. 00:34:30.735 --> 00:34:31.498 Well, hey, why? 00:34:31.498 --> 00:34:33.641 Why are you doing this when you should be doing that? 00:34:33.641 --> 00:34:35.606 Or you should really worry about this. 00:34:35.606 --> 00:34:39.050 Instead of that, we're worrying about it all, and I know the council worries about it. 00:34:39.853 --> 00:34:53.657 I know you worry about it all, but you still don't, you you tend to to Give us the room to operate in the vision, to balance those things, that so that all those things can happen in Do time and usually it's pretty good time. 00:34:53.657 --> 00:34:58.293 So, with the expansion of Porter Park coming up as well, that's fantastic. 00:34:58.293 --> 00:35:10.869 The downtown park as a destination park is an incredible vision to help drive development downtown, which ultimately, I think is part of the goal according to the comprehensive plan and the vision of the council that was given to us. 00:35:10.869 --> 00:35:21.422 And I, you know I don't know that you guys always get enough credit or you get enough credit for Divisionary work that it takes to manage all of these things. 00:35:21.422 --> 00:35:26.639 So, even though it may appear that we're only focused on this thing, that's not truly the case. 00:35:26.639 --> 00:35:28.282 We're focused on all of these things. 00:35:28.483 --> 00:35:33.918 Yeah, we're always trying to, and I've told you as we've sat, you know, we're always trying to push every initiative forward. 00:35:33.918 --> 00:35:41.097 Some, yeah, some of them, are more

forward-facing and some are just Flushing the commodes and turning on the lights and running. 00:35:41.097 --> 00:35:44.583 You know, making sure the police have the resources to run, and so they're. 00:35:44.583 --> 00:35:49.130 They're the things sometimes are taken for granted, and I've been in all the mall, yeah. 00:35:49.373 --> 00:35:50.429 I've been in a lot of meetings with you. 00:35:50.429 --> 00:35:57.619 I've been a lot of meetings with the council and I've never heard anybody on that council say, well, what are you all going to do for us? 00:35:57.619 --> 00:35:59.190 It's always what are you going to do for our citizens? 00:35:59.190 --> 00:36:00.414 We're gonna do for our community. 00:36:00.414 --> 00:36:01.777 There's always. 00:36:01.777 --> 00:36:06.012 That's a principal aspect of any discussion that we have at any table, I think. 00:36:06.012 --> 00:36:13.735 I think I benefit from being able to see that behind the scenes and most people don't- thank you, I'm very appreciative of it, mayor, thank you. 00:36:14.036 --> 00:36:16.320 So what is the one thing you wish people knew about? 00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:16.621 Singer? 00:36:17.911 --> 00:36:24.541 Well, I think singers are hidden, jim, in the midst of a really fast-growing metropolis. 00:36:24.541 --> 00:36:33.177 Selfishly, you know, I love the singer of past and I love the singer of now, but I know growth is coming right. 00:36:33.177 --> 00:36:39.775 My wish is that those families that hear about singer would hear that we're a community that cares. 00:36:39.775 --> 00:36:48.554 If you want to raise your kids in this type of environment and contribute to that community feel, please come right. 00:36:48.554 --> 00:36:49.518 It's an invitation. 00:36:49.518 --> 00:36:57.829 We want that type of person be a part of the community that's growing but wants to keep that close-knit feel even with that growth right. 00:36:57.829 --> 00:37:04.443 I wish people could understand the level of investment and ownership that this community shares. 00:37:04.443 --> 00:37:17.179 I just want to keep that in mind and so I hope that his family's come, that they will see that you know Feeling and that they will make that same investment a time. 00:37:17.179 --> 00:37:21.175 I mean there's a lot even outside City personnel and council. 00:37:21.175 --> 00:37:25.617 We have school and higher up in ministry. 00:37:25.617 --> 00:37:47.550 Folks that grew up in singer have lived here and chosen to invest their lives in our students and in the Infrastructure in the schools to make it a better place for our kiddos, and so those type of investments are just kind of what I'm I'm proud of and I hope that people will come and see that ownership and investment type climate where you put back into the community. 00:37:48.311 --> 00:37:50.739 You know I'm proud of singer, always have been. 00:37:50.739 --> 00:37:57.130 That's reason I've kind of been involved like I have and gotten to this, this position, to try to foster that type of pride. 00:37:57.130 --> 00:38:00.210 You know the school says one town, one tribe. 00:38:00.210 --> 00:38:07.474 I think our city slogan that says when you're here, your home, I mean those are one in the same, they have the same feel. 00:38:07.474 --> 00:38:17.902 You know we're one group that's looking out for each other and come to bear when there's needs or Routing each other on or a win for one is a win for another. 00:38:17.902 --> 00:38:33.690 You know that's what I hope we will build and foster in Sanger and I think that's what's unique about us as we still have a Small-town feel but we're growing and yeah, we're growing but I hope it continues to be that way and I think all of Sanger hopes that same thing for us. 00:38:33.909 --> 00:38:41.829 Yeah, well, I think you guys have put it on the right track and, and under your leadership, I think the council has great vision that to help make that happen. 00:38:41.829 --> 00:38:44.331 Mayor, thank you for coming in today that. 00:38:44.331 --> 00:38:47.856 Is great hearing from you. 00:38:47.856 --> 00:38:49.601 You're gonna do it again sometime, I hope. 00:38:50.422 --> 00:38:50.764 I guess. 00:38:50.764 --> 00:38:53.713 So as soon as, as soon as everybody asked me back, we'll see. 00:38:56.190 --> 00:38:57.235 Well, I'm John noblet. 00:38:57.235 --> 00:38:59.563 You've been listening to the 266 express. 00:38:59.563 --> 00:39:01.369 If you get a chance, could you give us a review? 00:39:01.369 --> 00:39:02.333 Maybe subscribe? 00:39:02.333 --> 00:39:06.275 We'd love to hear from you, but that's gonna be it for today. 00:39:06.275 --> 00:39:16.219 Mayor Thomas Muir, in in the house letting us know what's going on in our community and and thank you for listening into what's going in and are going on in our small Texas town. 00:39:16.541 --> 00:39:18.184 Thank you, john appreciate it, thank you.