Mount Pleasant Town Hall Magazine

59 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.MPTownHall.com MOUNT PLEASANT Town Hall functions of town business operations, whereas prior to completion the departments and department heads were scattered about town. This will make it easier for our citizens and our businesses to engage with the town and make better use of their time; now they’ll have the benefit of one central location in getting their respective questions answered and transactions completed instead of traveling across town. Whether the new Town Hall is accepted for its design characteristics or rejected by some because of the size and cost, the town is thoughtfully filling it to accommodate the needs of the townspeople for decades to come. I encourage our citizens to come by and get familiar with “their” new Town Hall. Councilman Gary Santos I am so excited about the opening of our new Town Hall. To be sure, this is going to be much more than a Town Hall. This is going to be a community center where our citizens can relax in our beautiful park by the reflecting pool, meet with members of the town’s staff in a modern facility or get some exercise in our new double gym or our new rubber track. Modern technology envelopes the facility with state-of- the-art security features and spacious open areas where citizens can work on their personal electronic devices while enjoying some quiet time while waiting to meet with a staff member. Additionally, a double gym with multiple basketball and volleyball courts will enable our citizens to exercise in the morning, evening or during their lunch break. If you’re not into team sports, our new rubber track will surely make your cardio workout more enjoyable. I look forward to joining our citizens in utilizing our new Town Hall for work, fun and fitness. Councilman Mark Smith The new Town Hall, for me, is symbolic of the tremendous progress being made in Mount Pleasant today. First, it will be a wonderfully convenient one-stop shop for residents. No longer will valuable time be spent running across town or from building to building in order to secure services. And all of the work – from issuing permits to resolving parking tickets to liaising with police – will be done in a warm, welcoming hub of civic pride. As a Council member, I’m especially excited that our new chambers will accommodate an additional 40 attendees, alleviating the cramped conditions that often result from our town’s tremendous civic engagement. For staff, the upgrades are incredibly significant. An example: The award-winning Planning Department, among the busiest groups in town, worked for years in dilapidated offices where the ceilings often caved in. Now they’re free to focus on keeping the town on-task – and not on dodging ceiling tiles. Town Hall’s enhanced security – and solidity – should not be overlooked. New safety features will offer protection during public meetings and court sessions. Those necessary measures simply weren’t in place before. Meanwhile, the Municipal Emergency Operations Center will be located in the building, ready to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes (though hopefully not at the same time). In other parts of the complex, a park fronting Houston Northcutt Boulevard and a new gymnasium at the rear of the property will offer exciting recreation options for years to come. As we grow, it’s important that the town come together. The unification of our service offerings is a tremendous symbol of doing just that. Please “come on over,” as often stated in our wonder town’s communications, see for yourself and share in the pride of where the work of and for the people will occur for generations to come. May God continue to bless our town, its citizens, its employees, its leaders and the beautiful structure in which most of the work will be done. TH Councilman Mark Smith Councilman Gary Santos Photo courtesy of the town of Mount Pleasant. Photo courtesy of the town of Mount Pleasant.