Regulars at City Council meetings may recall that a brief kerfuffel blew through town a few months ago.
There was a short-lived attempt to eliminate the pseudo-religious invocation that precedes most civic meetings in this country.
During his six years at City Hall, it was the habit of retired City Manager Jerry Fulwood to loosely tie together two or three strands of vague, casual observation.
The livelier Monday nights occurred when Mr. Fulwood was away and Asst. City Manager Martin Cole, the witty and playful Mr. Cole, was in charge.
Each time he created a light-hearted, heavily topical, often sports-themed invocation, he undoubtedly enhanced his chances for a winning career in standup.
Starting a New Tradition
For the past month, the urbane new City Manager, Mark Scott, has established still a different tone — substantive.
On the occasion of the opening of a new fiscal year, he moved invocations into rhetorical outer space.
Unlike his predecessors, dating back approximately to Lincoln and Fillmore, Mr. Scott, elevating the moment to unseen heights, read from a prepared statement at last Monday’s Council meeting.
It was a message to the community, intended to be considered and digested, not blankly flicked away, the traditional fate of invocations.
Writing down his address to the community was a first for him, too, Mr. Scott told the newspaper.
Why did he do it? “If you are going to do something, it is worth doing well,” the City Manager said.
He said he intended to invoke good will.
This, however, was not quite the volleying shot — or speech — heard ‘round the world.
Since the agenda was thinner than Chief Financial Officer Jeff Muir’s newly streamlined waistline, there were not enough people in Council Chambers to organize a good game of Solitaire.
Here is Mr. Scott’s109-word moment to remember:
“In a normal year, I might greet July 1 with the phrase, ‘Happy New Year.’
“ For much of the public, private and social sectors of America, we are at least commemorating, if not celebrating, the end of a mysterious and troubling economic year.
“We face daunting challenges as we approach this new year – needing to develop some entirely new models of service delivery and collegial public service. We encourage all men and women of goodwill to join and contribute their talents along this journey. Let us not forget that each individual matters. We ask for their goodwill, their hopes, their quiet contemplations and, yes, for their prayers. Thank you.”
