Wimberley city leaders attend annual municipal conference

Wimberley Mayor Gina Fulkerson, Place One Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Rebecca Minnick, Place Four Council Member Jim Chiles, and City Administrator Michael Boese attended the Texas Municipal League 109th Annual Conference and Exhibition Oct. 6-8 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. They were among 3,000 local government leaders from 300 cities at this signature event which is an opportunity to hear about new legislation affecting local governments and other timely topics, including infrastructure, water, natural disasters and crisis management.

John Register, speaker and change management leader, delivered the keynote address, “Shift from Fear to Freedom and Embrace Your New Normal.” Register is an Army veteran who offered a unique perspective on perseverance in the face of adversity. Despite losing his leg in a devastating accident, he achieved success competing in the Paralympic Games, and has succeeded in his career to motivate and inspire audiences for more than 20 years, including the Wimberley representatives at the event.

“The TML conference is an important way for local government leaders to stay current on legislation, share success stories with peers, and leverage innovations we take away to strengthen our communities. It is also motivating to hear speakers like John Register whose inspirational message reminds us of the importance of persevering in everything we do to serve our local residents,” said Fulkerson.

The 3-day event included a packed agenda, with the Wimberley delegation taking full advantage of the sessions.

“On a day-to-day basis, it’s easy to feel that we are in a Wimberley bubble, that the issues that we are dealing with in our city are unique to us. In a gathering on as large a scale as the TML conference, I had the opportunity to meet with council members and mayors of other towns to network and learn how they solve challenges similar to our own. It’s valuable to learn from others’ experience,” said Minnick.

One important takeaway for the team was the importance of tapping all local organizations to communicate with residents in the event of a large-scale emergency.

“The winter storm and the pandemic presented massive challenges throughout the state. Sharing how other cities cared for their citizens during and after this disaster gave me some ideas on how we can improve this kind of interconnectedness in our own town,” said Minnick.

Wimberley city leaders noted that the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are creating an unprecedented opportunity for often cash-strapped cities, and when comparing notes with other municipalities, the city of Wimberley had a head start in allocating funds and mapping out the maximum value for local citizens.