| | Published December 19th, 2012
| The Changing of the Guard
Steve Glazer reflects on the end of his term as mayor; Worth and Severson named mayor and vice mayor
| | By Laurie Snyder |  | | Vice Mayor Amy Worth thanks Council Member Steve Glazer for his 2012 service as mayor while council members Smith and Dean Orr look on. Worth was unanimously named mayor of Orinda for the third time later that same evening. Photo Ohlen Alexander
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Orinda's Dec. 4 City Council meeting was well attended and fun for many in an audience that included longtime and new-to-town Orindans, leaders from Orinda's business and non-profit communities, state and regional government officials, and former Orinda mayors Bill Judge and Bobbie Landers. All were on hand to thank outgoing mayor Steve Glazer for his service, and witness an annual ritual which takes place in early December each year - the transfer of the gavel from one mayor to another.
Following "For the Good of the City" community service recognitions (see photo spread page A7) and the review of basic city business matters, Glazer and his colleague, Victoria Robinson Smith, were sworn in for new four-year terms by City Clerk Michele Olsen. Council members Amy Worth and Sue Severson were elected later in the evening as mayor and vice mayor, respectively. Then, Worth praised outgoing mayor Glazer for his leadership before Dean Orr and his fellow council members took turns reading from a joint resolution honoring Glazer.
Expressing his thanks to the community, Glazer gave high marks to city staff for the job they have done during challenging economic times.
Later, he reflected further for the Lamorinda Weekly on all that has transpired during his year at the helm of the Orinda City Council.
"Thanks to the strong public support of Measure L, we are now implementing phase one of the 10-year Road and Drain Improvement Plan. This plan, adopted by the council this year, creates four separate funding stages for improving most of our public streets and storm drains," said Glazer. "This is the first new contribution of funds from our residents for road and drain repair since our city's incorporation 27 years ago."
The 10-year road and drain improvement plan, he said, "will require additional public funding stages in the coming years"; therefore, "it will be important for the city to "fairly and efficiently implement our road plan so public confidence remains strong in the council's leadership."
Adding that he and his colleagues "made the hard choices to reduce our budget and staffing and live within our means" this past year, Glazer also noted that this "was done while minimizing the impact on services to our residents. We appreciate the work of our staff these past few years to work longer and harder with less pay."
Glazer also cited the opening of new city-owned playfields at Wilder and the senior housing program groundbreaking likely to occur this month as highlights in a year that also saw Orinda replacing the Manzanita Drive Bridge and completing its Glorietta and North Lane storm drain projects.
"In addition," said Glazer, "our police department continues to provide outstanding public safety services to our schools, businesses and community. Orinda is the fifth safest city in California as ranked by the FBI and first for communities our size. Our department has provided life-saving help, attended school and neighborhood watch meetings, caught and assisted in the prosecution of many bad people, conducted emergency preparedness exercises and undertaken 86 home safety audits."
What pleases him most, though, is that “the conduct of city affairs was undertaken in an open and transparent fashion with civility to all.”
The past year, Glazer said, has been exhilarating and productive in other ways as well. “We saw our youngest child off to college. I have faced difficult decisions in ensuring an affordable and accessible higher education [for California’s children] as a Trustee of the California State Universities. I have enjoyed working with Governor Brown to stabilize state funding for schools and public safety through the passage of Proposition 30.” And his campaign for re-election to the city council was also successful.
When asked what Orinda will look like five years from now – particularly in light of the community’s current divisiveness over downtown development— he said he doesn’t “expect the downtown to change significantly in the years ahead. The city would benefit from efforts by downtown property owners to improve their buildings. More residential housing in our central core can be a positive if done in the right way. Any proposed project will undergo intense public scrutiny and will only be approved if there is a broad consensus that it meets our standards and values.”
Glazer’s life in the political arena will continue via his service on the CSU Board of Trustees. He will also “work with Governor Brown on ways to stimulate economic development and job creation,” as well as “with community groups to protect and improve our environment in Orinda and throughout the Bay Area.”
In closing Glazer said, “Our council’s collegiality has made this year’s accomplishments all the better. I am lucky to have such a wonderful group of council members in which to work on city matters. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as mayor of this city I love so much.”
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA