31st of January 2025 - Ian VanSteenbergh

A MONTH AS A COUNCILMEMBER

It's officially a month into my term serving the people of Midway. A month filled with snow and ice. I'm still pinching myself that I have the opportunity to represent the finest people in the world. I get to represent our Hallmark town wherever I go. As Mayor Vandegrift said in our last council meeting, "Midway is a small town that does big things." I couldn't agree more. We're a small town, especially when you compare us to our neighbors. But that doesn't stop us from making progress and showing people that we can do big and important things. Let's keep the momentum going!

What Did the Council Get Done?

The Council meets on the first and third Monday of every month. Our first official council meeting was held on Zoom because of Winter Storm Blair. At that meeting, Mayor Vandegrift explained the city's response to the storm, especially how well we were responding. I was then appointed and confirmed to the Midway Parks Board and then all the council members learned about their committee assignments. On top of being on the Human Rights Commission as the Midway representative and as a Board Member for the Midway Parks Board, I have the pleasure of serving on the Cemetery & City Property Committee. 

Because of MLK Day, we had our second meeting on Tuesday, this time, in person. On the agenda was the appointment (or re-appointment) of several Midway residents to the county's boards and commissions. The majority of the meeting was discussing the events the Midway Business Association is going to hold for the remainder of the year. All of which were confirmed by the council.

Parks Board Update

I was excited when the opportunity arose to join the Midway Parks Board. After being appointed and confirmed at the first Council meeting, I met with the Parks Board on the Thursday of that same week. While there wasn't much on the agenda, it was great to meet with the cohort I will be serving with. I was quickly caught up to speed on all the work the Parks Board does, along with the long and short term goals for our city parks. There is surely more to come!

Looking Forward

While I was attending the Statewide LGBTQ+ Leaders Summit, Midway officially opened our 24/7 Fire and EMS facility in Midway Station. Lt. Governor Jaqueline Coleman, Judge/Executive James Kay, District 1 Magistrate Liles Taylor, and Mayor Vandegrift all spoke on how important this is for our community. This station will hopefully serve us for many decades to come and provides a necessary lifeline for emergency services. 

As always, we are dreaming up big ideas for Midway. I want to hear from you! What issues do you want the Council to discuss?