point of view

I just returned from a cruise, where age is just a number. Wrinkles, gray hair, & aches & pains aren't the real indicators of old age; a loss of interest in life is. If we are engaged in life, we're still young no matter what our chronological age. And if we have no enthusiasm for life, we can be old at any age. We admire the 80 yo who is learning to surf, the 60 yo who is going back to school, the 70 yo who joins the Peace Corps. Their willingness to try new things to meet each new day with curiosity & excitement, is an example for us all, whatever our age. "None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm." quote by Henry David Thoreau; picture from Amazon commercial https://youtu.be/jErUi2-D4-w

Monday, 5pm - Closed Council Meeting; 5:30pm City Council Meeting; 6pm Joint Planning & Zoning meeting with City Council

Tuesday, 10am Community Relations Council by Job Corps; 4pm Municipal Court

Wednesday, noon - Chamber Luncheon, 5pm - Historic Preservation Commission

Thursday, 9:30am - Thrive Steering Committee

Friday, 7:30am - City Council worksession

City Council will consider -

• award of 2026 Hall of Waters Cleaning Services agreement with Mayday Cleaning Services [General Fund Expense $16,620],
• engagement agreement with Forvis Mazars for auditing services, FY 2023 [General Fund Expense $$70,500; ARPA Funds for Single Audit $8,250];
• amend the zoning regulations concerning motor vehicle sales. The amendment removes motor vehicle sales & repair from C-2 districts (downtown tourist district) & adds motor vehilcle supplies, fuel sales & sale/leasing of new/used motor vehicles to C-3 districts. Special Use Permits will include used motor vehicle sales in C-3 & M-1 districts. The amendment also removes outdated or redundant performance standards for outdoor displaly in C-2
• to add a new section to the zoning regulations concerning overnight, cold weather warming centers. The new section establishes a clear & safe regulatory framework for the temporary operation of overnight warning centers. These facilities provide critical, short-term emergency shelter during periods of extreme cold. The amendment defines an "Overnight Warming Center" & outlines a Temporary Use authorization process. Centers would be limited to C-3 districts, require coordination with Fire Department to verify life-safety standards, establishing operational standards for occupancy, temperature, accessibility, & on-site management.
• to add a new section to the zoning regulations concerning sober living facilities. The proposed amendment adds a precise definition of "Sober Living Facility", establishes it as a permitted residential use in all R districts, subject to specific standards - limited to no more than four unrelated individuals in recovery, requiring registration statement filed with city with contact & operational information; establishing separation requirement of 1,000' between similiar facilities, subject to building, occupancy, & property maintenance standards

Joint meeting of Planning Commission & City Council provides opportunity to review Comprehensive Plan Draft & provide final comments

Job Corps Community Relations Council will discuss the latest happenings at the center, hear from students, & expand relationships with community orgnaizations, business leaders, & other partners.

Celebrating work anniversaries this week and last - Brad Smith, Assistant Fire Chief - 38 years; Joe Maddick, Fire Chief - 31 years; Nate Williams, Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Center - 10 years; Vicky Van Lue, Courtroom Assistant -5 years; Tylor Mountenay, Street Maintenance - 2 years.

Thrive Excelsior is a community coalition committed to increasing quality of life in ES. This week's Impact Highlight - Health & Wellness reports that data indicates chronic disease diagnoses are down 15% since 2018 & Impact Highlight - Connection & Engagement. 8 out of 10 people taking the community survey believe quality of life in ES is good or excellent. Using public data & the Community Survey, we wanted to know whether people have adequate resources to meet their basic needs? Why it Matters: Awareness of Thrive Excelsior is directly related to feelings about the future. 72% of people who are familiar with Thrive Excelsior say that the community will be better than it is today in 3-5 years, compared to 47% of people who are not familiar with Thrive Excelsior.

It is time to sign up for the Citizen's Leadership Academy, a free 16 week program designed to help residents, workers, & students understand how ES really works. The spring cohort runs from February - mid-May & offers both daytime & evening options, depending on applicant availability. The academy is designed for anyone who considers ES their community. Sessions rotate through locations many participants may have never been to before, despite living here for years; the library, hospital, water treatment plant, various city departments, nonprofits, & more. The Academy was developed by Thrive Excelsior. A major goal of the academy is to help people see ES as an interconnected system rather than a collection of unrelated issues. "Communities are run by the people who show up." "This is a great first step for anyone who wants to understand their community better & figure out how to be part of it."

When asked about what you love about this community, this answer sums it all up - The people, the feeling of true community, feeling safe enough to walk around day or night, THE COMMUNITY! I come all the way from South Carolina & have dubbed ES HOME! Read it on FB.