A VIEW FROM THE COUNCIL TABLE
Woodcreek City Council
Editor’s Note: The views expressed by the writer are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the city they serve.
At the June meeting of the Woodcreek City Council, Council Member Cyndi Jackson, as part of her responsibilities for Planning & Development, which she shares with me, presented a proposed ordinance to protect Woodcreek’s most valuable resource, our Heritage trees. The proposed Ordinance was the work of Ms. Jackson, an advisory workgroup of three citizens, and me. The packet for the meeting, which was posted on the Woodcreek website days in advance of the meeting, contained the draft ordinance, as well as the reasoning for proposing such Ordinance.
As part of our responsibilities for Planning & Development, Council Member Jackson and I oversee the City’s Comprehensive Plan and ensure development within the City and its Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) occurs in a manner that protects our environment and assures our citizens Woodcreek’s Heritage Trees are protected for future generations. Ms. Jackson and I meet, at least monthly, with a group of volunteer citizens. At our first meeting, we reviewed our purpose and set goals that include review of City Ordinances that regulate development within the City and ETJ. As part of this review and taking into consideration the growth in our area, the Advisory Workgroup concurred that an ordinance protecting Heritage trees was needed.
If you review the agendas for Woodcreek City Council, you will note that Council Members report monthly on their areas of responsibilities. Ms. Jackson and I take turns reporting for Planning and Development, and we also divide responsibilities for Ordinance review and drafting based on our expertise. She was the lead for the Heritage Trees Ordinance but all members of the Advisory Workgroup participated in the review and concurred with the proposed Ordinance presented at Council in June.
Our concern and desire to protect these magnificent trees that make Woodcreek such a desirable community is shared by many of our residents. Since I first took office in November 2016, I have engaged in an active communication campaign with those I represent. I maintain a Facebook Page, post on community pages, and communicate with citizens at every opportunity. Whenever I take a vote or participate in a discussion, I speak for those I represent rather than myself, but as I sit at my computer overlooking my garden, I feel that in this case I have an emotional and personal attachment to these gentle giants that shade my home and provide shelter to so many beautiful birds and mischievous squirrels. I do not think this is a negative as my communication with Woodcreek citizens confirms many share my emotion and attachment to our Heritage trees.
Council Member Jackson and Mayor Pro Tem Britner are currently working on joining the proposed Ordinance for Heritage Trees with an Ordinance to establish policies to deal with oak wilt, nuisance trees, and inspection of trees. We anticipate their joint effort will be presented to Council at the July 17, 2019 meeting.