Wednesday’s specially called city council meeting to canvass the results of the May 30 runoff election and discuss a few other matters that council member Samantha Bellows placed on the agenda was the last meeting for Bellows and her colleague Tammy Swaton. Bellows chose not to run for re-election and Swaton’s re-election bid was unsuccessful. Both had the opportunity to say some final words at the close of the meeting.
"It’s been interesting serving with all of you and I say "interesting" in a good way," Bellows told her council colleagues. "We can’t always see eye to eye. That’s not why we’re here. We should not constantly vote as a massive bloc. We should challenge each other and support each other and argue and debate and all those other funs things that go along with it. I have thoroughly enjoyed debating and discussing and finding the best paths for Kyle.
"I thought about people I should thank and the list went on way too long and I know you all don’t want to sit through that. So this is more or less a blanket ‘thank you.’ There are people in the community who have supported me since day one and people that have come around to seeing me as a good representative and people who have come around to the idea that I was a horrible representative. But either way I want to thank you all for engaging me, for talking to me, for challenging me.
"This was the most humbling experience I’ve ever had in my life. Specifically when I was mayor pro tem and something would go wrong and I would suddenly be forced into this spotlight of ‘You have to make a decision with us.’ And I’m like ‘Excuse me?’ So it was the scariest thing to realize that we make decisions that affect 30,000 people on a regular basis. And I want you to know how much I appreciate it even if you disagreed with me even if you hated me, even if you loved me.
"I want you to know that I appreciate every single interaction I had with every single citizen and I hope you can continue to interact with the council members because we are begging for information. Get involved. Be pro-active and talk to your representatives. We want to know. And I want to thank you in advance for doing that.
"I also wanted to thank staff because I know you had to put up with so much from me. And every single question I ever had and every single meeting I had to have right now because I have a lunch break in five minutes and it can fit into my schedule and can you rearrange your entire lives for me. And I want you to know that I did recognize that and I do appreciate it."
Bellows specifically singled out City Secretary Amelia Sanchez.
"Amelia, I’m sorry and I do love you and you’re fabulous and you have put up with so much from me and I love you and you’re fabulous and stay that way.
"So again thank you, council," she concluded. "It was amazing and I really hope the newest council members give you as hard a time as I did."
In her farewell remarks, Swaton said she intended to stay involved in city affairs and she indicated he would be specifically interested in activities that encourage increased citizen participation in the municipal government process.
"Community means everything to me and that’s the reason I got into this," she said. "I came from a strong community before I moved to Kyle and that was one of the first things I said to another member of council when I first moved here in 2004 is how important community is to me. I think everyone needs to give back to the community and when I was out campaigning, talking to people, that was huge and it just showed me how much I want to be involved still and I plan on doing so.
"Our citizens are great," she said. "They are wonderful to talk to. They have great ideas. My hope is to get them more involved with things.
"As for staff, I am a staff member at the University of Texas so ‘Go staff!’ I’m all for that. So I appreciate all your help, everything you’ve done, very much so.
"As for the council, everyone has been great," she concluded. "It’s been wonderful working with you all. Not that I agreed with you all the time, but it’s been great. Thank you"
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