FROM THE FRONT ROW

Ruston Town Council meeting Monday April 7, 2008 7pm

All is well and the ship's bells toll true throughout Ruston.

Wayne Stebner designated Mayor pro tem and did a credible job.

Meeting went three hours but mainly due to the heavy load of subjects to be covered. The extra hour was mainly taken up by the HUITT-ZOLLARS imbroglio. Even then most agenda items were carried over to study sessions or next meeting April 21st. Important items were putting out an RFP for refurbishing the sewers and looking into additional revenue sources necessary to keep the town afloat.

I have grown to accept comment restrictions as meetings are more streamlined and I believe necessary to accomplish the heavy load put on the Mayor and the Council. I even more admire their professionalism and dedication of the Council to achieving the goals necessary to save the Town and move forward.

The meeting seemed to be conciliatory in bringing together those hidebound to the past and those who see the future and want to go there. Unfortunately time has been lost with the previous council and as a result there will be a two year revenue gap between 2014, original completion date for Point Ruston, and 2016.

But this present council is full steam ahead, under new management, and intent on preserving our town well into the future. They cannot seem to come to a final resolution on terminating HUITT-ZOLLARS even though much of the billing, $20,000 last month to Ruston alone, is not easily understood.

There was a montage of items flurried around and hard for me to keep up with but I will relate some: Need for com-commitment schedule between the Town and Point Ruston, shoreline substantial development permit by August 2008, alternate MDP, Master Development Plan, a critical item, to bypass do over (by J. J. Mc Camant), the message, keep it simple. Another to formalize LID development with Ruston and Tacoma to move forward at a faster pace and reduce costs. Dan Albertson proposed Point Ruston work directly with Ruston on CTED fit. Jane Hunt proposed re-directing funds to CTED to move development forward.

The tenor and message is: "Git 'r done"! That bodes well for Ruston and Point Ruston, what a splendid name.

If any of this is unintelligible or doesn't make total sense blame my 74 year old brain which was straining to keep up.

Resolution 415 was to establish Council Rules of Procedure, long overdue, (Albertson). Public comments would be allowed, one minute on each agenda item, which is enough to say yea or nay and add any wisdom which resides in the public domain. They will be formalized and presented at the next Council meeting.

And finally, there was Resolution 414 to change the form of government from strong Mayor/Council to Manager, ceremonial Mayor/Council (Huson). This would be a full-time City Manager to keep the ball rolling on the major development down under. This will be presented to the voters at the general election November 12th. The full Council will come up for re-election in 2009 and seniority will be decided by the highest vote count. This is a total necessity if Ruston is to be elevated to a city status bypassing the Town of the past and the feuds and pettiness that have been around for far too long.

Closing with much thanks to Dan Albertson who patiently explained the motives and thinking behind all the council actions through which I came to peace with the past of the Town of Ruston and the future of the NEW CITY of RUSTON, soon to be. We all thank you much.

From the Front row, so long for now.