The following is a transcript of Claremont Mayor Dale Girard’s inaugural speech at Claremont City Hall prior to the new city council’s first meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022:
Good evening assistant mayor, council members, and citizens of Claremont. I want to begin by saying how excited I am to be your mayor and I want to challenge all of us sitting at this table to remember the reason we stepped up to volunteer in this capacity: the citizens of Claremont have bestowed an honor upon us as we continue to move our city in a positive direction.
Many times, we find ourselves dwelling on negatives. This is a common occurrence in many communities, not just Claremont. How might we correct this? Let us ponder the words of David Lynch, “Negativity is the enemy of creativity.”
When you hear comments such as, “the city is heading in a bad direction,” take the time to think about the positives. Over the past 15 to 20 years, we have seen many areas of progress. One of the biggest accomplishments could be Water Street. In the not-too-distant future we will have 83 new apartments available to our residents. The parking garage that took great vision to build will now be at near capacity. This past summer the Pleasant Street project began which is improving our infrastructure which was nearly 100 years old. With the project being done over two construction seasons we have been given the ability to see the configuration of the street prior to the project’s completion. This allows us to address potential concerns of residents and business owners; typically, issues are not seen until a project is completed. I’m hopeful the planning and development department can continue working with building owners to improve their building fronts and attract businesses to fill our empty spaces. This new configuration should be a conduit to having people come to our downtown. We are fortunate to have investors from inside and outside of Claremont recognize we have vast potential.
Our department heads have worked diligently to procure grants. This has allowed us to improve our infrastructure reducing a direct impact on our property tax rates.
Please take the time to think about our wonderful assets. The list includes our parks and city owned buildings. I think many times we forget that our biggest asset is not bricks and mortar but the employees of the city of Claremont. They are the individuals who implement the work that moves our community in a positive direction. Next time you see an employee thank them for the effort they are putting in. We need to be a cohesive council and stop what appears to be a division between city employees and the council.
Over the past year I have noticed most residents in the community are not willing to speak at a public meeting regardless of a positive or negative thought. I ask each of you, whether you are sitting in council chambers or in the community, to take the time to listen to what a resident, city employee or the city manager is offering up to you. This is a great opportunity to hear their thoughts. Many times, they will mention an idea that could make a positive change in the community. When you receive a phone call or an email, please take the time to respond.
We are a council of nine: Not one person on the council is larger than the group. Whether you agree or disagree with a decision we speak as a body of one once our votes are tallied. This does not mean you are not entitled to your own thoughts. When you speak out against the majority after a decision this can be confusing to the public. Your comments may be the first remarks they hear after a decision was made by the council. Understand we will never all agree on projects, budgets or development within the city. This does not mean your opinion doesn’t matter, but we need to accept the decision of the body and move forward.
We will accomplish much more by being respectful to each other when council is in session. Please have all comments be about the topic at hand. This will ensure meetings move at a reasonable pace. Let us not allow our comments to be disrespectful to each other.
There is an expectation that councilors will fill seats on boards and committees—a link was sent to your council email last week. I am asking you to look at the specifics of each of these positions and on Jan. 12 we will be accepting nominations to fill these seats. Attendance at these meetings is as important as being at your city council meeting. Some of the boards have several current citizen openings. If a council member does not show up, they may not have a quorum for the meeting. I also am asking residents to look at our current openings. Our city will run much better if we can get these seats filled.
We are at an exciting time in Claremont’s history. Every one of you will help shape our future. We will be working over the next several months to find a replacement for City Manager Morris. During this time, we are fortunate to have the experience of a seasoned city manager in Mr. MacLean.
We are going to have moments of adversity. Mistakes will happen, we need to support our leadership in city administration. We need to rally around our administration helping with solutions. Anyone involved in team sports soon realize that the strongest teams are the ones that have greatest leadership and the team rallies around the person who needs help. The team rallies together and doesn’t dwell in the past.
Over the past year I have heard one of our main objectives is transparency to the community. I will be mindful of this objective and promise to get information out to the council and the community so that it is timely and so that we may have thoughtful discussions with each other and our constituents. Councilors are expected to have reviewed their agendas and attached materials beforehand and be prepared for the ensuing discussion.
Over the next couple of months, the council needs to come up with goals and objectives. This list will help us to measure our progress over the next two years. Residents, please take the time to reach out to a councilor and let them know your thoughts.
Budget season will be coming upon us very quickly. We need to share our objectives on what we would like to see implemented. The budget is the largest policy decision we make each year.
In closing I want to remind the council that our charge is to set policy, establish procedure and fiscal management for the city of Claremont. We are not here to interfere with day-to-day operations. Day-to-day operations will be conducted by the city manager and the Department Heads.
I am asking every member of the council and Claremont citizens to feel positive about the direction the city is moving. I look forward to working with every one of you. In closing I would like to quote Abraham Lincoln, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” Thank you for everything you have done in the past and I look forward to a momentous future.
Dale Girard is the mayor of Claremont and welcomes your feedback. Please email questions, comments or concerns to him at [email protected].
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