FAIR OAKS RANCH– The city held its annual State of the City event at the Fair Oaks Ranch Golf and Country Club. Speaking in front of nearly 150 attendees, members of the city council, as well as livestreaming to residents of Fair Oaks Ranch. Mayor Maxton declared the state of Fair Oaks Ranch is, “Very good!” His declaration was the final closing to a presentation that highlighted the mayor’s vision for the future of Fair Oaks Ranch The event began with Scott Huizenga, Assistant City Manager, serving as Master of Ceremonies for the event, introducing the Fair Oaks Ranch Police Department Honor Guard for the Presentation of Colors, and with graceful invocation by Cibolo Creek Elementary School teacher, Heather Maples, who also happens to be the wife of City Manager, Tobin Maples.
Mayor Pro Tem Laura Koerner introduced the main program and welcomed representatives from surrounding counties and the Boerne Independent School District. Councilman Roy Elizondo recognized the many volunteers who make up the City’s Boards and Commissions for their dedicated service. Afterwards, council members Scott Parker and Emily Stroup took turns recognizing the accomplishments of individual departments. Tobin Maples, City Manager, presented the Employee of the Year award to winner Jennifer Hudson, for her exceptional work and dedication to residents and her fellow employees, whom she lovingly refers to as “Ranchers.”
The majority of the night belonged to Mayor Maxton. He began his remarks by pointing out that the people on the Ranch are drawn to the city by its unique qualities. He states, “It’s the qualities of our city, combined with the people that live here that make Fair Oaks Ranch a special place.” He continued, recognizing Ralph Fair Jr. as “the Father of Fair Oaks Ranch” and Bob Weiss as “the Master Developer”, thanking both for their vision, hard work, and determination to turn Fair Oaks Ranch into the special place it is today.
He thanked City Council and staff for their dedication to “providing exceptional services to the residents of Fair Oaks Ranch.”
The mayor quickly moved into the bulk of his speech. Listing off his top three priorities: Safety and Security, Growth Management, and Quality Essential Services such as water, wastewater, and roads. The city has been focused on these efforts while still maintaining fiscal responsibility. He began with the police department, thanking Chief Tim Moring and Lt. John Ojeda for their stewardship of the department. Because of their leadership and through the hard work of the officers, the Ranch is ranked as the 24th Safest City in Texas as well as the Safest City in the Greater San Antonio area. He remarked, “Chief Moring and his team have responded aggressively to establish an environment that deters criminal activity in our City. […] Many nights when we are sleeping, your police force is hard at work.” He continued to recognize two officers who received life-saving awards, School Resource Officers, and the departments work of positively integrating themselves within the community.
Maxton ended his remarks on safety by also taking the time to thank Judge Kimberly Kellar and the municipal court team for their hard work and the role they have in protecting and serving. In lieu of more punitive measures for juvenile offenders, the Court has implemented a community service plan where they prepare handwritten letters for recipients Meals on Wheels. He also lauded the Court for its efforts to help repeat offenders by partnering with the Hill Country Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse, and for its donation of returned juror payments to Golfers Fore Others, a Fair Oaks Ranch based non-profit that renovates homes for disabled and elderly residents.
Maxton moved through his next priority of Managing Growth, taking the time to highlight the need to balance land rights with the preservation of the City. He acknowledged that as developers look into undeveloped land around the City, the Planning and Zoning Commission as well as City Council are committed to using the tools at their disposal to preserve the City’s unique character.
The remainder of the mayor’s speech discussed the future of essential services in the city. He addressed high-interest roadway topics such as the expansion of Ralph Fair Road, where he mentioned the City’s continued focus on working with TxDOT to ensure resident interests are represented if the expansion occurs. Maxton also spent a portion of his speech addressing environmental issues impacting the Ranch such as the efforts of the City’s Environmental Program Manager, Kelsey Delgado. Delgado equipped residents to deal with issues ranging from the drought to the spread of Oak Wilt. He also made sure to mention the City’s efforts to coordinate a onetime brush pickup resulting from the recent winter ice storm. “We have 35,000 square feet of brush that is laid out on our city streets, so we are working with the services that we have. We have reached out to Bexar County, and we are also reaching out to the State of Texas now to find ways they can help us as a city.”
The mayor’s speech concluded a night that was filled with recognition of Board members, Council and City staff accomplishments, and a vision for the future that many hope will continue to make Fair Oaks Ranch a unique place to live.
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