I wanted to take this space to share a little about the Mountain View Council’s current plans regarding three different issues:
The Town Hall Remodel
Council has been talking about how best to remodel Town Hall for several years now. The building has numerous problems, not the least of which is that it simply is not big enough to comfortably accommodate the administrative, public works, and police departments, the court, and the community needs. Subpar workspace makes it difficult to attract and retain the highest quality employees; and having a stable, committed and professional workforce is the key to having a strong and healthy town. Council has a vision for a building that is expanded without demolishing the existing building. My plan is to work with an experienced Project Manager (in the role of an owner’s representative) to usher the project through all stages, including sharing details with the community and inviting your input before we finalize plans and break ground.
Comprehensive Planning
Inviting your input is an essential element of one of our biggest projects in 2023 – the Comprehensive Planning project. The council retained Berry Dunn McNeil & Parker, LLC (BerryDunn) to assist with developing a vision for the town’s future, guide growth and development, and establish a roadmap for implementation of the plan. This will be a months’ long, community-wide project. There will be multiple ways to participate, including a survey and in-person events at varying times, some on weekends and some on weekdays. We are building variety into the community outreach in order to ensure the broadest participation. I’m very excited to work with all stakeholders and craft a shared vision for the next 20 years of Mountain View. At this time, I believe we will be gathering community input over the summer and presenting the final Comprehensive Plan in September of 2023.
Waste Management
Each year, council instructs the mayor to sign a contract with a waste management company. Sometimes it is the same company from year to year and other times, it changes due to multiple factors including quality of service and rates. This year, the town asked local companies to bid on trash, recycling and composting for our 12 square blocks. We do not yet know what company council will ultimately choose. What we do know is this: regardless of the company, the rates are certain to increase due to the reality of the market conditions.
Over the last several months, council has been presented with relevant information related to waste management service, rates and budgeting. In addition to the market conditions shared by the Public Works Coordinator, both the auditor and the town accountant have given council feedback that the budgetary fund responsible for the utility bills is not bringing in enough to cover all expenses.
Although this is bound to be difficult for some, council has a fiduciary duty to handle the budget responsibly. After hearing all input, council approved a 10 percent rate increase at the December meeting. I hope you will reach out to our Town Clerk, Margy Greer, or myself if you wish to discuss or give feedback. No one likes to raise rates, but I support council’s actions 100 percent because it was the responsible thing to do.
Each of the three issues above is distinct but they share some common goals for our town: a spacious and beautiful Town Hall, an exciting vision for the next 20 years, and a responsible budget add up to a vibrant and happy town for many years to come.
Mountain View 2023 Town Hall And Council Meeting Schedule
Mountain View’s Town Council regularly meets on the third Monday of each month, starting at 6:30 p.m., at Town Hall, located at 4176 Benton St. The following is a schedule for 2023 Town Hall holidays when the office will be closed, followed by the schedule for regular Council Meetings. (Workshop Meetings are also sometimes held on the first Mondays of each month, depending on need.)
Observed Holidays (Mountain View Town Hall Closed)
New Year’s Day – Monday, Jan. 2
Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Monday, Jan. 16
President’s Day – Monday, Feb. 20
Memorial Day – Monday, May 29
Independence Day – Tuesday, July 4
Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 4
Veteran’s Day – Monday, Nov. 13
Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, Nov. 23
Christmas Day – Monday, Dec. 25
Regular Council Meetings:
Jan. 23
Feb. 13
March 20
April 17
May 15
June 19
July 17
Aug. 21
Sept. 18
Oct. 16
Nov. 20
Dec. 18
Emilie Mitcham is the mayor of Mountain View.
