WELL, GOOD EVENING, SOUTHLAKE, I'M MAYOR JOHN HUFFMAN.
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[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR[2. Administer the Oaths of Office for City Council Places 5, 2 and Mayor.]
BEING HERE. WE ARE HONORED BY YOUR PRESENCE AND WE ARE HONORED BY YOUR SUPPORT.SO I'D LIKE NOW FOR THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS ALL OF YOU SUPPORTERS AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
SO WE'LL START WITH DR. ROBBINS.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
IT REALLY MEANS THE WORLD THIS LAST THREE TO THREE AND A HALF MONTHS HAS CERTAINLY BEEN A WHIRLWIND. I WOULD JUST SAY, THANKS TO TO GOD FIRST FOR HIS GRACIOUS SALVATION AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE YOU AS FELLOW CITIZENS AND NEIGHBORS OF SOUTHLAKE.
TO MY WIFE, JENNIFER, I'VE DONE REALLY WELL UP TO THIS POINT.
MY DAUGHTER [INAUDIBLE], MY DAUGHTER MACY AND MY SON CALEB.
THEIR SUPPORT HAS BEEN IMMENSE DURING THIS TIME, AS I HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY MIA ON THAT FRONT FOR THEM. BUT THEY HAVE BEEN A ROCK AT HOME AND THEY HAVE JUST CARRIED THEMSELVES WITH GRACIOUSNESS AND STEADFASTNESS ABOVE ALL, TO FRANCIS FOR HER INCREDIBLE WORK.
TO CRAIG, HER HUSBAND, FOR SHARING HER WITH ME FOR SO LONG.
AND THEN TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, I AM MORE EXCITED THAN I CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE TO BE HERE AND TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE SOUTHLAKE.
AND LIKE [INAUDIBLE] DEFEND SOUTHLAKE AND WE WILL FIGHT FOR THE GOOD OF SOUTHLAKE AND WE WILL DO WHAT'S BEST FOR SOUTHLAKE.
AND WE WILL SERVE THE CITIZENS OF SOUTHLAKE THROUGHOUT THE NEXT THREE YEARS FOR SURE.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND THANK YOU ALL FOR FOR CASTING YOUR VOTES IN THIS ELECTION. [APPLAUSE] WELL, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBBINS, IT'S REALLY FUN TO BE ABLE TO CALL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW BY THE WAY.
FIRST OF ALL, JUST A HUGE THANKS TO MY FAMILY, MY HUSBAND, SCOTT, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HEARD MY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX THOUSAND SPEECHES ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, I CALL THEM THE BEST SIGN GUY IN TOWN.
BUT REALLY, HE'S THE BEST AND MOST AMAZING HUSBAND EVER.
HE DIDN'T MISS A MEET AND GREET.
HE'S BEEN THERE RIGHT NEXT TO ME, MY PARTNER, ALL ALONG.
SO THANK YOU. MY AMAZING KIDS ON THE FRONT ROW.
BRANDON AND CAITLIN, NEWLY MARRIED, FLEW HERE FROM MINNESOTA FOR TONIGHT.
BLAIR WAS OUT DELIVERING LETTERS THE NIGHT BEFORE ELECTION DAY.
SHE HAS BEEN AT MEET AND GREETS.
SHE HAS HELD THE SIGN AT TOWN SQUARE.
JUST AMAZING IN THE STEADFAST AND PAIGE, I LOVE YOU.
YOU'RE AMAZING. YOU'VE BEEN AT MEET AND GREETS WITH MY AMY SHIRT.
STEPHEN DROVE ALL THE WAY FROM A&M WITH FRIENDS TO VOTE.
I LOVE THAT. AND LITTLE DILLY.
DILLY LOVES THE TEXAS ICE CREAM TRUCK EVENTS.
SO NEXT YEAR WHEN I HIT THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, WE'RE GOING TO SCHEDULE THE TEXAS ICE CREAM TRUCK A WHOLE BUNCH. MY CAMPAIGN MANAGER, KAREN SHERMAN, I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU AND EVEN YOUR DAUGHTER, CELESTE AND CHRIS, THE WHOLE FAMILY.
I MEAN, THEY'RE TAPING NOTES TO MAILBOXES TO GET PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND THE EARLY TEXT MESSAGES, THE LATE NIGHTS, THE BUILDING OF THE DATABASES.
I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU.
MY TEXAS EXCEL TITLE WORK TEAM.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT IT WAS THE WEIRDEST WHIRLWIND OF A CAMPAIGN TRAIL EVER. AND I JUST FELT LIKE I WAS OUTSIDE OF MYSELF AND EVERYBODY AT WORK DOUBLE TIME THAT'S HERE TONIGHT OR NOT HERE TONIGHT.
THANK YOU. BECAUSE I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU.
TRULY SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR HILL AND ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBER MCCASKILL AND EVERYBODY BEFORE ME AND ALONGSIDE OF ME, I HAVE INDIVIDUALLY REACHED OUT TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALONG THIS WAY. AND SO I'VE HAD COFFEE AND MANY CONVERSATIONS AND MANY TEXT MESSAGES AND MANY WHAT THE HECK DO I DO NOW CONVERSATIONS AND ESPECIALLY MISS TALLEY DOWN THERE AT THE END. YOU WERE YOU WERE AMAZING.
AND HAVING JUST DONE THIS SIX MONTHS PRIOR THE ANSWERING ALL THOSE PHONE CALLS.
SO THANK YOU. OK, DAN KUBIAK, I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S HERE TONIGHT, BUT I MISSED HIM IN MY LAST ROUND OF THANK YOU'S.
HE'S THE CHAIRMAN OF OUR PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, AND HE WAS JUST ALMOST THE SWEETEST. HE SAID, AMY, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A PERSONAL VESTED INTEREST TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE ELECTED. AND THE ENTIRE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION SUPPORTED ME.
AND THEY ALL RALLIED BEHIND ME.
AND AND I SEE A COUPLE OF THEM HERE TONIGHT.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, FOR YOUR DONATIONS, FOR SUPPORTING ME, FOR SEEING ME.
I'M ONE SEAT OVER FROM MY LEFT, FROM P&Z.
I LOVE BEING UP IN THE DICE AND I'M SO HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SERVE YOU GUYS.
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SO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO VOLUNTEERED FOR THE CAMPAIGN, WHO CAME OUT AND DONATED TO THE CAMPAIGN. THIS WAS THE MOST HUMBLING EXPERIENCE.I WOULD WAKE UP AND I'D GET A NOTIFICATION THAT SOMEBODY HAD DONATED FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS AND I'D NEVER EVEN MET THEM.
AND THAT WAS JUST THE THE BIGGEST BLESSING, JUST TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE COMMUNITY RALLY AROUND ME. AND AND FOR THAT, THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO RAN AROUND SIGNS IN MY EX-HUSBAND RAN AROUND SIGNS AND HE'S HERE TONIGHT, TOO.
SO IT'S AMAZING TO SEE THE SUPPORT OF SO MANY AND EVERYBODY WHO HOSTED, MEET AND GREETS.
SHE HOSTS AN AMAZING MEET AND GREET AND JUST THE JUST THE GENEROSITY, THIS COMMUNITY.
AND REALLY, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT AND VOTED, EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT AND MADE THIS HAPPEN AND AND HELPED PUT US UP HERE AND BELIEVED IN SOUTHLAKE.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO STEAL LAURA HILL'S SLOGAN, BUT I BELIEVE IN SOUTHLAKE TOO.
[LAUGHTER] BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND I REALLY THIS IS AN HONOR TO BE UP HERE AND TO SERVE AND AND I LOOK FORWARD TO PRESERVING AND PROTECTING OUR AMAZING CITY.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TORRES-LEPP. IT'S ALSO GREAT TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO CALL YOU THAT AS WELL.
LET ME ECHO A LOT OF WHAT RANDY AND AMY JUST SAID.
AND THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR JOINING US HERE ON SWEARING IN NIGHT.
THIS IS MY FOURTH SWEARING IN, BY THE WAY, AS MY FIRST AFTER A CONTESTED RACE.
AND ALTHOUGH THERE'S MORE STRESS INVOLVED IN THIS ONE THAN AN UNOPPOSED RACE, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE STRESS, IT IS A LOT MORE REWARDING AT THE END.
SO SWEARING IN NIGHT IS A NIGHT THAT MEANS A LOT OF THINGS FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
FOR SOME, IT'S THE NIGHT OF BEGINNINGS.
FOR THE CITIZENS OF SOUTHLAKE, IT'S THE BEGINNING OF OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER WITH ME AT THE HELM AS MAYOR FOR MY COLLEAGUES ON COUNCIL, RANDY AND AMY, IT'S THE FIRST NIGHT ON THE DAIS AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEY'RE GOING TO DO A PHENOMENAL JOB.
I SAID MANY TIMES ALL OF US DID ON THE TRAIL THAT THEY'RE READY TO STEP IN AND DO THE JOB DAY ONE. AND THEY ARE.
AND WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE THEM WITH US.
FOR OTHERS, IT'S THE NIGHT OF ENDS TO LAURA AND SHAWN, MY COLLEAGUES, MY FOREVER COLLEAGUES WHO WILL BE ENJOYING [INAUDIBLE] VERY SHORTLY.
THESE WERE SIX OF THE GREATEST YEARS OF MY LIFE.
REALLY INCREDIBLE MEMORIES WITH YOU GUYS.
THE CITY IS DEEPLY, DEEPLY IN YOUR DEBT FOR ALL OF YOUR SERVICE.
YOU'VE GOT ONE YEAR OFF, REMEMBER? AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE YOU BACK UP HERE, TOO.
AND IN THE END ON ELECTION DAY, SOUTHLAKE SPOKE VERY CLEARLY.
AND SO NOW THE TIME FOR CAMPAIGNING IS OVER AND THE TIME FOR GOVERNING HAS BEGUN.
AND SO FOR ALL OF US NOW, IT'S A NIGHT.
TONIGHT IS A NIGHT OF THANK YOU'S.
I'M SO GRATEFUL PERSONALLY FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WORKED SO HARD TO HELP US ALONG THE WAY.
AND THERE WERE SO MANY OF YOU WAY MORE TO POSSIBLY THANK BY PERSON.
BUT LET ME FIRST BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, ALL GLORY TO GOD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY HE'S GIVEN US TO SERVE YOU IN THIS WAY.
WE ARE HUMBLED BY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ALL OF YOU.
IT'S A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE TO HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE VOLUNTEER AND DONATE AND SUPPORT AND WEAR YOUR SHIRTS AND YOUR HATS.
IT'S AMAZING. AND MAKE NO MISTAKE, WE WILL STRIVE TO HONOR GOD WITH EVERY SINGLE OPPORTUNITY THAT HE GIVES US TO LEAD THIS CITY WITH INTEGRITY AND WITH HONOR.
THANK YOU TO MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE, ELIZABETH.
I COULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL IN POLITICS OR ANYTHING ELSE IN THIS LIFE WITHOUT YOU.
YOUR STRENGTH AND YOUR GUIDANCE AND YOUR SACRIFICIAL LOVE WITH OUR FAMILY AND WITH OUR KIDDOS, EDUCATING THEM AT HOME AND POURING IN ALL YOUR BEST YEARS INTO THEM.
IT'S VERY HUMBLING TO HAVE YOU BY MY SIDE.
AND I APPRECIATE I COULD NOT DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.
AND TO MY KIDS, CAROLINE, ANDREW AND ANNA, MY 14 YEAR OLD, IS WINCING.
SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY.
YOU'VE BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE IN EVERYTHING.
AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU'VE SUPPORTED YOUR MOM AND I IN WHAT WE DO.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT OUR SERVICE COMES AT A COST TO OUR FAMILY TIME.
AND I AM ALSO HUMBLED IN I LOVE THAT YOU'VE NEVER COMPLAINED ONCE.
YOU'VE ALWAYS JUMPED IN HEADFIRST AND THAT YOU ARE REALLY BEGINNING TO ASSUME THE MANTLE AND THE BURDEN OF VOLUNTEERISM YOURSELF.
AND I LOVE THAT. I LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM.
AND THANK YOU FOR DONATING YOUR DAD TO THE CITY FOR A FEW MORE YEARS.
THANK YOU TO MY MOM AND DAD ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.
THEY TAUGHT ME HOW TO THINK AND HOW TO WORK AND HOW TO ARGUE, WHICH COMES OUT FROM TIME TO TIME. THEY'VE GIVEN SO MUCH TO MAKE ME THE MAN I AM.
AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
YOU KNOW, MY GRANDFATHERS ARE BOTH IN HEAVEN NOW.
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MY MOM'S DAD WAS A GERMAN IMMIGRANT WHO SPENT YEARS IN A RUSSIAN PRISON CAMP AND WENT ON TO BECOME A VERY SUCCESSFUL AMERICAN ENTREPRENEUR.MY DAD'S DAD WAS A BLUE COLLAR BOILERMAKER FROM TEXAS CITY, TEXAS.
HE SPENT HIS LIFE WORKING WITH HIS HANDS TO GIVE HIS SON THE CHANCE TO GO TO COLLEGE AND THEN MEDICAL SCHOOL. NEITHER OF THEM COULD HAVE IMAGINED THAT SOMEDAY THEIR GRANDSON WOULD BE ELECTED MAYOR OF THE GREATEST CITY OF TEXAS.
AND I THANK BOTH OF THEM AND ALL THE LEGACY OF OUR FAMILY FOR FOR MAKING ME THE MAN I AM.
I APPRECIATE IT TO MY AWESOME BLACK DOOR WORK COLLEAGUES, SOME OF WHOM ARE HERE TONIGHT.
YOU GUYS DONATED SO MUCH OF YOUR TIME TO SUPPORT ME ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
AND IT MEANS THE WORLD. APPRECIATE YOUR HOLDING DOWN THE FORT.
I REALLY DO. TO MY AMAZING CAMPAIGN MANAGER, CHRISTINE KEMP AND HER HUSBAND, GARY AND HER FAMILY. THEY WENT THROUGH SO MUCH THIS SPRING, SOME OF WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTION. AND ALL THE WHILE, CHRISTINE WAS JUST A WARRIOR FIGHTING FOR US, FIGHTING FOR SOUTHLAKE.
AND I COULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT YOU EITHER.
I THINK YOU KNOW THAT. SO THERE'S TOO MANY OTHERS TO THANK BY NAME.
BUT YOU'RE ALL IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AND MY HEART AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS ROLE.
THANK YOU FOR THE TRUST YOU'VE PLACED IN ME AND IN THE REST OF THIS COUNCIL.
SO WE MADE A LOT OF PROMISES ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
WE PROMISED TAX CUTS AND I INTEND TO KEEP THAT PROMISE.
WE PROMISE THOUGHTFUL, LOW DENSITY DEVELOPMENT AND I INTEND TO KEEP THAT PROMISE.
WE PROMISE TO BE READY FOR THE NEXT CRISIS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, AND I INTEND TO KEEP THAT PROMISE. AS MAYOR, I WILL LEAD YOU WITH INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY, AND I WILL STRIVE EVERY DAY TO EARN THE TRUST YOU HAVE GIVEN TO ME.
I WILL BE A MAYOR FOR ALL OF SOUTHLAKE.
NO MATTER WHO YOU VOTED FOR OR WHO YOU SUPPORTED.
I WILL GO FORWARD WITH THE MANDATE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME TO DEFEND THE CITY AND ITS FAMILIES FROM THE NEGATIVE VOICES THAT WANT TO TEAR US DOWN AND TEAR US APART.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE AND LISTENING LATER TO ENGAGE US IN THIS POLITICAL PROCESS. WE ARE BETTER WHEN THE CITIZENS ARE ENGAGED, IF YOUR HEART IS FOR CIVIL DISCOURSE AND FOR POSITIVE CHANGE, YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A SEAT AT THIS TABLE.
GUYS, OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT BROKEN AND NO ONE IS GOING TO WRITE OUR NARRATIVE FROM HERE BUT US, I TRULY BELIEVE WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER.
AND AS MAYOR, I'LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO STRENGTHEN THOSE BONDS OF COMMUNITY SO THAT WHEN WE FACE TOUGH TIMES AGAIN AND WE WILL FACE TOUGH TIMES AGAIN, WE WILL BE READY AND WE WILL GET THROUGH THEM TOGETHER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING IN THE ARENA WITH US, MY FRIENDS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS.
AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE ONE ITEM OF BUSINESS, BECAUSE IN COUNCIL WE HAVE LEADERSHIP, WE HAVE A MAYOR PRO TEM, WE HAVE A DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.
SHAWN WAS MAYOR PRO TEM AND HE'S OUT.
SO IN THE INTEREST YOU WERE MAYOR LAURA, I'M SORRY, YOU WERE MAYOR.
YOU WERE MAYOR. YOU'RE RIGHT. SO IN THE INTEREST OF CONTINUITY FOR CITY LEADERSHIP, WE ARE GOING TO CALL THE NEXT ITEM AND THE ONLY ITEM STANDING BETWEEN YOU AND A RECEPTION, WHICH IS RESOLUTION NUMBER 21-018.
DANG IT. MY FIRST MESS UP, LAURA.
IT'S DOWNHILL FROM HERE. WE ARE GOING TO BE APPOINTING THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM. AND WE ARE NOTING THAT I HAVE ASKED MR. CHAD PATTON TO BE MAYOR PRO TEM AND MR. RANDY WILLIAMSON TO BE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.
AND THEY HAVE BOTH AGREED TO SERVE IN THOSE ROLES FOR WHICH I THANK THEM.
SO WITH THAT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION? YES, THERE IS MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I MOVE WE APPROVED RESOLUTION NUMBER 21-021, APPOINTING MAYOR PRO TEM CHAD PATTON AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM RANDY WILLIAMSON, AS RECOMMENDED BY OUR NEWLY APPOINTED MAYOR, MAYOR HUFFMAN.
THANK YOU. THERE'S A MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND.
SECOND. WITH THAT COULD THE CITY SECRETARY PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
COUNCIL MEMBER TORRES-LEPP. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH.
MAYOR HUFFMAN. YES, AND WITH THAT.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE MEETING AND INVITE ALL OF YOU TO JOIN US FOR THE RECEPTION IN THE LOBBY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
[APPLAUSE]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.