I just want to give a little update on starting my work for City Council. This is my personal page and blog, so I want to state upfront that nothing I say here is an official statement from Toquerville City. The content here is just my thoughts and represent me, not the City of Toquerville.
I was sworn in on Wednesday of last week with my friend Valerie Preslar from Planning Commission, our new Mayor Dan Catlin, and incumbent Wayne Olsen. I participated in my first meeting as a city council member. My parents came to support me, and I was really grateful for them and my friends who did so as well. One of the personal reasons I ran is because my dad served the City of Hurricane on the planning commission, city council, and as mayor for many years. After seeing everything that Mr. Catlin now has to do, I don’t know that I would ever want to follow that full path, but it warmed my heart to have family support.
At the meeting, the mayor made some assignments, and I did not receive any assignments in the meeting. However, I did volunteer to serve with some housing organizations. I have already served on the Advocacy Committee for the Housing Action Coalition, and I will be joining the Utah League of Cities and Towns group who monitor housing legislation.
As a report to my wonderful supporters, here are the classes I have attended since being elected in an effort to become skilled at serving our city.
- Budget and Finance 101 and a Budget information-focused luncheon given by the Utah League of Cities and Towns and the City of Santa Clara
- City Council Overview Training by the Utah League of Cities and Towns
I was not able to attend Conflict Competence, but I did receive the educational materials and have reviewed them. I do believe it is important to learn skills to make conflict productive rather than destructive, and I have studied this topic in the past for other applications.
I also attended a Legislative Preview session about bills related to housing that will be coming up this legislative session.
The amount of trainings and meetings I need to attend may preclude me writing extensively here, but I will update when I can. I encourage anyone who is interested in the goings on of the city to attend city council and planning commission meetings. They are always open to the public. Additionally, we are fortunate to have excellent staff serving our town, and they are happy to answer questions at the city offices any time.
On a personal note, this year our country turns 250 years old, so I have started making a patriotic quilt. If we are so lucky as to have another town quilt show this 4th of July, I hope we will have a few celebratory pieces to commemorate the United States. I acknowledge that we are having a hard time uniting right now at a national level. This pains my heart deeply. I hope to be a voice of civility and bridge-building at a local level.
Shout out to Claudia Young and her tireless efforts for quilt displays past! I have left quilts at her house after the 4th for an embarrassingly long time before, and she has always been kind to me in spite of it.
Jenny Chamberlain 