Detente?

So once again a city council meeting came and went and again I spoke of workings of our city council and how they needed to be open and honest to the taxpaying citizens of Gonzales.  Did it do any good?  I doubt it.

Unfortunately I was not able to stay for all the budget meeting discussions because of prior commitment to Boy Scouts and the induction of 6 fine young boys into Boy Scouts from Webelos.  These boys have worked hard to earn their place next to their older brothers and I needed to be a part of that day.

But I did swing by after the clean up to see if the budget meeting was still going on.  It appeared that everyone was just getting out so I stopped to see what had happened.  I understand there is a lot of work still to be done, but that the managers and the new interim city manager will be working on that today.

But as that was going on the mayor stepped out of the city building.  As he was shaking someone else hand I reached out to shake his hand and he shook it and we started talking.  Now I have to say that about this time I watched the faces of those around us.  There was fear of lightening strikes.  There was fear of instantaneous explosions.  No one came close to the two of us.  As a matter of fact I watched people, both supporters of the mayor, and those who don't support him, walk out of the city building and walk as far away from the two of us standing there as possible.  As for the lightening or explosions, it just didn't happen. 

The mayor told me that I was right that the citizens of Gonzales did deserve some answers to some questions and that Jackie (city attorney) was working on getting those answers. I in turn reminded the mayor that regardless of the intent, the appearance of secrecy creates and element of mistrust of our city government, and especially after the events of the last couple of years we (read 'the city') needs to go out of its way to be open and honest with the citizens to gain the respect and bring us back together.  I reminded him that the voter fraud started a lot of the mistrust that is in this city, and that it will take a lot to get it back.

We agreed that the new interim city manager should be good for the city, and that our city is going to struggle with this years budget, that this is not the time for expansion of city projects when we have a million dollar deficit in the budget. 

We spoke about the JB Wells, our downtown and some of the other issues that have come up over the last year to include Mr. Huseman.

I reminded the mayor of the time I invited him into my house and we sat around my dinner table as he met my wife.  This was only 2 short elections ago. And that the disappointments I had in him we probably greater because of the support I had given him in the past.

Did we get anything accomplished?  Probably not. But let me tell you what we did do, and what needs to be done throughout Gonzales right now.  For those 20-30 minutes, we talked to each other.  We listened to each other.  We acknowledge that both of us have room to give, and neither of us are perfect, nor do either of us have all the answers.  There was a moment of detente as we spoke.  Neither of us raise our voices about a thing.  Neither of us called the other a name.  Neither of us said the other didn't know what they were talking about.  Neither of us were trying to slam the other person.

I have said before and I'll say it again, there are some issues in this town that have polarized the citizens.  JB Wells and  Mr. Husemans firing are the biggest two, but think about the animal control issue.  We have a historic homes issue before us now.  And there are others.

I will be the first to admit I'm pretty black and white, not much gray in what I see.  But I don't take it personally when someone disagrees with me.

Point and case, I work out most every weekday morning with a group of guys that disagreed with me over the Huseman issue.  These are guys I respect but we disagree on this issue.  I'm not going to not speak with them because of it.  We are going to work together to make sure the next time something comes up we talk more and hash out things before hand.  But we respect each other enough to not allow that to get into the way of the betterment of the city.

The mayor told me last night what is done is done, it's time to move on.  I can't agree more.  This city has to much work ahead of it to dwell on this issue or to let it tear us apart as a city.  We're to small, to close, to much family to not move on.

So were any minds changed last night? Again probably not, but in that moment of detente we were at least talking and listening, somehow I think the entire city council needs the same detente, and honestly that a town hall meeting or two where we could get some of this in the open would be in order.  Respectfully hearing it all, and respectfully considering what the other side has to say.  Who knows, there might be some 3rd options that we can agree on when both sides are heard.

So what's next? I don't know, but I know that today we've got a start, a handshake, and a thought process started.  I'd love to know what the mayor was thinking when he left our meeting, but I have to believe it was similar to what I was thinking.

We really do have one of the best little towns around.  We have so much untapped potential, and so much room for positive growth.  We right now have a great opportunity with the oil boom to help make some improvements in the next couple of years if we manage it all properly.  Let's not waste these opportunities, and let's move forward in the most positive manner possible.

God Bless,
Dennis Nesser