Mountain View is at its best when we celebrate the milestones—both personal and civic—that connect us. Milestones remind us how far we’ve come and what we can accomplish when we work together.
Five years ago, only a handful of neighbors received the agenda packets for council meetings. Today, ninety-eight of you do! That’s a milestone worth celebrating. Our mailing list now reaches renters as well as property owners, and our community forums and events are fuller and more vibrant than ever. This year’s movie night—Field of Dreams under the stars—brought families together from Mountain View and beyond, reminding us that joy is also civic connection.
We’ve seen milestones in governance, too. The Finance Committee is developing a policy to guide staff in financial administration, the Events Committee continues to create opportunities for neighbors to connect, and we are planning the annual picnic. Thanks to an engaged resident volunteering his time, our Council meetings are now recorded at a quality we can consistently publish online, making them accessible to all without a records request.
We’ve invested in town properties with the goal of diversifying revenue and making Mountain View more sustainable in the years ahead. Regionally, we’ve strengthened partnerships, including work with neighboring municipalities on the Sheridan Corridor Safety Study through DRCOG. And we’ve begun a ten-year infrastructure plan to maintain our town while being fiscally responsible.
These efforts may not always be flashy, but they are milestones—steps toward a stronger, more resilient community.
Of course, civic life isn’t without its disagreements. Local government is complicated, and passion is natural. Sometimes it even feels personal, especially in a small town where one year you may be a neighbor at a meeting and the next you’re serving at the Council table.
But disagreement doesn’t have to turn ugly or divide us. If we approach one another with curiosity—asking questions, exploring ideas, and giving each other the benefit of the doubt—we create the space to keep learning and growing together.
And just as we celebrate civic milestones, we also recognize personal ones: anniversaries, graduations, promotions, retirements, even the loss of a loved one. These remind us that behind every policy and vote is a community of neighbors, living full lives. Sharing milestones builds connection and compassion that carry us through disagreement and change.
As we continue this season of growth, let’s celebrate not only our milestones but also the effort and commitment of everyone who chooses to be engaged. Even when we disagree, we are still neighbors—and that connection matters most.
