Re: “We Need More Retreats, Says Small”
When Mayor Jim Clarke asked his City Council colleagues at last month’s Strategic Planning Retreat about the most inspiring person in their lives, Thomas Small said it was an aside, an interlude, but a pleasant one.
As one of two freshmen, Mr. Small said the five members already know each other well, and knowing the answer to the above question did not draw back any curtains.
“We get along remarkably well,” he said.
Launching into a more elaborate reply, Mr. Small suspected he surprised his mates. “I confessed that my colleagues who were on the Council before me, each of them kind of inspired me in their own way. I think they didn’t see that one coming.”
To the question of who was most inspiration, he first mentioned Councilperson Meghan Sahli-Wells. “Our kids are in school together, and she certainly was an inspiration,” he said. “What a wonderful thing it has been for her, for her family and for the city for her to serve on the Council. I admire her energy, her articulation and her commitment.
“Meghan has an incredibly strong moral compass,” Mr. Small said. “She is kind of a beacon for me even if we don’t agree all of the time. You can see it in her commitment, which is a great way to describe her.”
Next, he lauded Vice Mayor Jeff Cooper as “a regular guy. He does feel as if he has to comment on every single thing,” Mr. Small said. “He has no hidden agenda. He calls things as he sees them. As a new Councilman, I found it great to be sitting next to him.”
(To be continued)
