Gonzales gets good feedback

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GONZALES – Gonzales City Council had an unexpected windfall of complimentary citizenry at the Tuesday-night meeting. The council assembled for the regular monthly meeting and was prepared for public comment, a public hearing, passing of resolutions and a financial report. They were pleasantly surprised when the public comments portion of the meeting was used for public compliments.

David Dement, a local business/property owner, started with the city's preparation and handling of Hurricane Harvey.

"I didn't lose electricity. I didn't lose water. I didn't lose internet during this storm. Way to go. Way to go," he said. “That's impressive to me."

Dement said the few instances he did hear of power losses, he had learned the power was back on in a "snap."

"Way to go city," he exclaimed.

Dement was equally impressed by the pre-storm grooming of Tinsley Creek.

"Sean, I hope someday you will let me look into your crystal ball, because I know you have one," Dement said to City Manager Sean Lally. "Because there in no way that Tinsley Creek could have been better prepared for this storm than it was."

Dement said that preparation saved Gonzales from more severe flooding.

Lastly, he wanted to compliment the city's newly renovated sidewalks, particularly in the 400 block of St. George.

"We've got new sidewalks; we've got trees – and you know I love the trees. We've got horse rings; and we have Gonzales grates in the sidewalks," he said. "It just makes me feel good."

Dement said looking at retail demographics, it is obvious retail demographics are changing.

Dement said Amazon's share of the retail market – as we know – has skyrocketed.

"I go click, click, click and it's there the next day; and the only reason I wouldn't shop that way is for an experience," Dement said. "To have an experience shopping; to go out and do something."

Dement said he looks at the sidewalk and all the retailers downtown and sees Gonzales getting a shopping experience.

"My fear has been that we might throw the baby out with the bathwater and stop investing downtown," he said. "I would point to that sidewalk and say these little changes and these little specialty things — these horse rings cost nothing — almost nothing but people notice them."

Dement noted the city's proximity to Austin and San Antonio.

"These are things we can do to make Gonzales special," he noted. "Come walk around and enjoy Gonzales."

Dement looks forward to future growth.

"Let's keep investing in the future and let's keep investing in Gonzales. We have to play the catch-up game – I know – but we can't just do that, we have to think 21st century: How are we going to get ahead of this curve, rather than just catching up."

Gonzales home builder and downtown property owner Ken Morrow was next to the podium.

"This is going to be an uncharacteristic council meeting, because I have nothing but good comments as well," he said. “What inspired me to come up here is I felt like we really dodged a few bullets with this recent storm and I also thought the city had done a good job with services."

Morrow noted how Gonzales had made the national weather map, in the path of Hurricane Harvey, causing much alarm, but Gonzales was fortunate. Harvey missed the city. The rains missed the city. Then the storm veered and missed Austin and San Antonio – saving Gonzales from rising rivers and emergency evacuation.

"Then I started thinking – and I'm Christian – thank you God that we missed the bullet. Thank you. Thank you that we didn't flood. Thank you that the rivers didn't crest and flood us," Morrow said. "And I just started pondering. I said, 'Why did we miss it and someone else got it?'. Did we do anything right that if God was actually in charge of the weather – and obviously I believe he is – if I were God and in charge of the weather and felt like sparing Gonzales in three different ways – from the eye of the storm and the floods and the rains, then the floods of the swollen rivers – what has gone on in Gonzales in the last couple of years, that has gone in the right direction, that could have earned us this miss?"

Morrow said it is because of the city's placement of "In God We Trust" on all city vehicles, when the rest of the world is going in the opposite direction.

"It rang in my heart that you have taken the right steps as city leaders. Thank you," he said. "I want to encourage you to keep opening the meetings in prayer. To keep all of our monuments in place. And, if we see anything happening in the big city, our natural reaction should be to go the other direction and continue on with it."

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