InTucker Magazine

From the Mayor

Measure twice, cut once. This saying is an old saying not only because it’s sound advice, but because it applies literally to carpentry and metaphorically to so many other aspects of life, including, and maybe especially, municipal governments. It cautions against being in too much of a hurry, or reacting with rash decisions instead of responding thoughtfully to the issues we face, or the community we want to build. It reminds us that being thoughtful in the beginning saves time, money and hardship in the end. It also drives home the truth that when the planning is done, we also have to act.

Our management of city business begins with planning. I have discussed before and at length all the plans and studies we have conducted over the past eight years. Most of these involve hiring a third party to provide professional advice, and to conduct public input activities like polls, surveys, public meetings, charettes, and so on. Then your elected officials add their knowledge and judgment about timing and priorities and urgency and importance. The resulting plans guide our decisions over a long period of time, freeing us from starting from scratch with each subsequent decision, and from making those decisions without understanding how they fit into a larger effort.

One of the biggest projects in our short history is the downtown green, and it’s about to break ground. It has been a topic in this space before, but it truly is exciting and will have a huge impact on our Tucker community. From the first notion of acquiring the property, through arranging the finances, creating the plan for the space, issuing construction and bid documents, and final approval, this has been a multi-year process. With final adoption last week, we will soon see shovels in the ground, and roughly a year from now, it will be in full use! This will not be your average park. Every detail from the flora to the building materials has been discussed, changed, adapted and now approved to achieve maximum joy in its use. This will be a signature space designed to accommodate a variety of events, and will be a game-changer in the way we use downtown.

To return to our metaphor, we’ve measured twice and then some. Now the cutting has begun, and we’ll do it carefully and confidently, with the certainty of a beautiful finished product that will serve us all for many, many years.

Can’t wait to see you on the Green, Tucker!