Council Work Session - 5 Jul 2024
I participated in my first Council Work Session immediately after my swearing-in ceremony. See the City of Laurel meeting page for the official record, and the agenda was as listed below.
Please know that if any agenda item holds interest for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to myself and members of the Council as all of us want to serve you and the people of Laurel.
AGENDA
- Call to Order - James Kole, Council President
- Bid Recommendation- Granville Gude Park Path Banners- Department of Parks and Recreation
- Leasing Agreement- Bigbelly Compost Bins for Multi-family Compost Collection- Environmental Programs
- Fleet Acquisition- FY2025 CIP- Fleet Replacement Schedule- Department of Public Works
- Fleet Leasing Purchase- FY2025- Laurel Police Department
- Bid Recommendation- Ammunition Purchase- Laurel Police Department
- Adjournment
Swearing-in Ceremony Memories
Truly memorable for me to have my wife and little guys with me for the administration of the Oath of Office. As it turns out, the littlest one is an especially enthusiastic waver of the City of Laurel flag. :) (Thank you to Mayor Sydnor for providing, as it helped keep their attention during the proceedings.)
A huge thank you to my wife for her support and for what we know will be commitments for our family. A big part of our motivation is to help contribute to a Laurel for our kids and all the kids in our town where they can enjoy, connect, and build great memories of their own.
Thank you also to all those who came out in-person or were able to share by TV — Your support means a lot and this is something we really all do together to build and make our City a great place to live, work, and play.
Thank you again, and now on to the work ahead! :)
(Photo credit: City of Laurel)
Celebratory Drinks at Skyvibe!
Following the results of Monday night’s election, friends and I went out for celebratory drinks at one of Laurel’s newest hotspots: Skyvibe Restaurant & Lounge on Main Street.
What a treat! - If you haven’t visited, please take my encouragement to come check it out. My wife and I visited for date night drinks and desserts shortly following the soft opening, including sampling of complimentary puff puff - Nigerian deep fried dough that’s absolutely delicious. And I had a Red Wine Margarita, which was equally great.
On Monday, Skyvibe was celebrating their Grand Opening with complimentary wine for visiting patrons: A great time to be stopping by. 😃 And our group also enjoyed both chicken and beef Eko Tacos, an infusion of African flavors into taco stylings that really pops (and works well with red wine).
The decor is so tastefully and beautifully decorated, the staff were exceedingly kind both times I’ve visited, and it’s a top notch experience. The owners are also actively soliciting customer feedback and looking for opportunities to even further refine as they get all cylinders well-oiled at this new gem here in Laurel.
It was a distinct pleasure to celebrate at Skyvibe and I encourage you to check out for any occasion!
Amazing, surreal, honored
Amazing, surreal, honored. Three of the many emotions I felt tonight in the process of being selected to fill the vacant Ward 1 seat on the City Council.
Thank you to the Council for your confidence. And thank you to the voters and residents for your support in last fall’s election - Although we came up just short at the time, your strong support in the last election cycle (highest among all unseated candidates) was a major factor in tonight’s result. Please accept my heartfelt thanks! :)
During my closing statement, I shared my vision for the role of a Councilmember - One who:
- Exercises good financial stewardship of the monies entrusted to the City by its residents
- Thinks to the future on how to lay a foundation on which residents can build true community
- Promotes a spirit of unity and collaboration
- Serves as a personal connection residents can reach out to for answers and to know that their voice is heard
I now take it as my task to live these out on behalf of you and our City. And I want to encourage us all to continue building our friendships, churches, neighborhood organizations, small businesses, hobby clubs, civic organizations, and more — Each one of the small moments shared between people is truly what makes Laurel great!
And happy 4th of July! :)
(Photo credit: City of Laurel)
