By Charlie Smith
Gladewater City Manager
As we rush into the new year, I reminisce about 2024 and what has occurred over the past 365 days that has impacted our community. The city is moving forward in a positive direction with all departments working as a team to make the wheel turn. Current supervisors have filled positions with like-minded employees causing an atmosphere many have not experienced in the past. This was one of my goals when I arrived and we will continue to improve upon this as we move forward.
Charlie Smith
Gladewater City Manager
One of the biggest obstacles has been our aged infrastructure with water and sewer lines. Public works employees have worked to improve upon learning to do the job more effectively saving cost upon repeated repair. Instead of just placing a clamp on a broken line, they are replacing longer sections of problem areas for future life. The fire department has pitched in to help with rehabilitation of fire hydrants and flushing end of the line valves to ensure TCEQ compliance. This is just another example of Team Gladewater. Even though we will have these issues for many years to come, we will know that we are making progress. The more improvements we make, the more valves we insert, the more proficient we become and less boil water notices will be issued.
New signage has been raised at Lake Gladewater and more’s on the way in the New Year, part of the ongoing revitalization of the city’s primary water source and outdoor tourist attraction. Gladewater Fire Chief Mike Simmons and his team have also been adding new buoys to the water while volunteers have tackled a handful of projects on the shoreline and nearby public park.
Our police department, under the direction of Chief Kyle Ready, has shown several positive moves toward the future including grants to pay for equipment. Chief Ready applied for federal grants to replace antiquated bullet proof vest for officers. This grant reimburses the city 50% for the purchase of these vests, another piece of equipment to keep officers safe. Chief Ready and his department have started working toward a statewide recognition program through the Texas Police Chiefs Association. The program offers departments a voluntary program to be compliant with 164 best practices through the association.
Some other challenges with the city have been equipment repairs with the water and wastewater plants. The turnover of employees has plagued these departments for some time; however, we have established a more stable environment. Both departments now have supervisors overseeing the daily operations and required TCEQ reporting. Many pieces of equipment that affect daily operations have been upgraded and replaced. We will continue to work on grant funding moving forward to ensure these plants are run efficiently and effectively.
Fourteen sponsored-sections of fencing were recently erected downtown on the south side of the Union Pacific railroad tracks. Eventually, either side of Main Street will boast about 250 feet of fencing, part of the city’s agreement with the railroad for the acquisition of property adjacent to the tracks. At a total estimated price tag of $150,000, each 8-foot section of fence is available for sponsorship at $1500 per segment.
As I stated earlier, the Gladewater Fire Department has moved toward a more involved role with the city and other departments. GFD employees are working with other departments to ensure our citizens are being better served. Chief Michael Simmons has worked to solicit volunteers for city wide projects and community improvement. Some of his ideas include walking trails, new signage at Lake Gladewater, repair of the boat mooring and fishing pier areas. New hazard buoys have been placed in required areas throughout the lake and swim areas. Due to our retention efforts, we also have a waiting list of future members.
Roadways throughout the city are probably one of the most frequent issues I face. We have improved the way we repair the pothole problems and we are, “fixing it right”. The public works department now has the equipment they need to work more proficiently and professionally. We have recently applied for a Community Development Block Grant, which will be used to repair more infrastructure and roadways. We are diligently looking at grants in order to help our city get the necessary money to fix problems.
After a late-Fall facelift, funded by donors and completed by contractors coordinated by the City of Gladewater, downtown Gladewater’s newly refurbished public restrooms are ready for the New Year. There’s bright new paint on the exterior and a cleaner, brighter, fresher interior as well.
Another area we will be focusing on will be our park systems and areas of recreation for our citizens.
Finally, I would like to recognize our City Council and the vision they each have for the betterment of Gladewater. I work with each of them closely and know they are looking beyond today. This is the only way we can continue the forward movement of our city. They have been instrumental in making the hard decisions when it comes to keeping our downtown area more appealing to visitors. I look forward to 2025 and the challenges we will encounter. Team Gladewater will find solutions to these challenges and continue to move in a positive direction.