As the new City Manager (5 months) I have had the opportunity to meet many community members and discuss the future of our City. I continually hear a common theme from all segments of the community: "We love our community and the natural beauty of the area that keeps us here." At the same time I hear that "we need an economy to support the community services/infrastructure we want, and need jobs so that our children can stay in the area." However, on the surface it is easy to see that our community is polarized over the growth issue.
As a community, we must plan our future. We need to determine what is acceptable, even preferable in Atascadero and what is unacceptable. The City Council has the courage to ask these questions and truly seek the community's answers. I use the word courage, because it fits. It takes courage to ask the community because once you ask, whether or not you like the answer, you have the responsibility to go forward. Many Councils across our state never ask their community what it wants to be. The Atascadero Council made it clear to me when I was hired that they want a partnership with the community. They want a community "Vision". Organizations like the Atascadero Homeowners Association are critical to creating a community Vision. I trust you will all participate.
In prepartion for such a "Vision", I am insuring that the City organization supports a customer service culture. We are restructuring our operation both physically and operationally to be user friendly. As we provide our community with more information, professional service and true empowerment, I believe we will begin to experience the benefits of a healthy community. In this kind of an environment, we will be able to more fully "love our community and the natural beauty of the area that keeps us here."