General Manager's Note — February 2010

By Laura Wickett Friday, 19 February 2010

CEDAR PARK — It’s not every day that a water park project lands in your town, especially one with a world-famous name. And it’s not every council meeting that’s standing room only.

The night the Cedar Park City Council voted to bring Schlitterbahn to the city, newscasters looked for citizens to go on camera with a statement on the project. Residents near me declined to comment, opting to hear the presentation first.

We first wrote about the water park in January 2007, and since then, I’ve received more questions about this story than any other. After watching it unfold, it’s good to have some answers finally.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, that night made clear to me how decisions our local governments make shape our cities.

It also made clear how important public involvement is. Some residents who opposed the park cited increased traffic on FM 1431. Council took their concern seriously and asked residents for their help in rallying support to improve the road.

While we may not always agree, government is at its best when both the public and its representatives work together. So, the next time your school board or city council meets, I’d encourage you to attend a meeting and get involved.

On another note, some of our readers are receiving the paper for the first time. We just added a portion of 78726 to our distribution area. Welcome to Community Impact Newspaper! We will continue to bring local, useful news to your mailbox for free every month.

Laura Wickett

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