After having completed a summer job with the City of Whitesboro, Whitesboro High School Student Body President (class of 2027) Layke Cole addressed the city council at their regular scheduled meeting last Tuesday.
Cole, grandson to longtime retired City employee Kenny Smitz, was able to work in every city department this summer. That included the Water, Streets, Fire and Parks and Recreation Departments as well as Whitesboro Dispatch and the Whitesboro Public Library.
In his address, Cole said during his time with the Water Department, he was able to learn all about how the city’s water and sewer leaks are fixed as well as all about the chlorine levels and chemicals needed.
“Big shout-out to Donovan (Barger with the city). He’s a cool guy! He’s great at his job,” Cole said, bringing laughter from the audience.
Cole noted that it takes a lot to operate the city. During his time working with the Streets Department, he had the opportunity to see the process to chip and seal the streets and see how they program the school zone lines.
One thing he said that he noticed, and was very appreciative of, was that his safety was a priority for all city employees. They always guided him when things were safe to touch and when they weren’t.
The third department Cole worked with was the Whitesboro Fire Department. Cole said he was able to watch the live fire training and he rode in the ambulance for two days. Cole said the paramedics were already so busy and worked so well, but took the time to answer any questions he had. They were also very detailed and patient with him.
Next, Cole was able to work with Curlen Barger at the Police and Dispatch Department. He said she was very detailed to demonstrate how everything worked. Cole mentioned how hard they work in dispatch and also observed how careful the library workers are with historic artifacts.
However, in addition to his words of praise, Cole gave some suggestions on things that could be fixed. He mentioned some old documents being stored in the wrong location at the library and observed leaks where old town documents are currently being stored. He said those could be damaged and he thought maybe they can be preserved at a better location.
Cole said he spoke with City Administrator Phil Harris about the possibility of turning the Sullivan House into a museum. He said the artifacts and old tax records and documents could be stored there, while also bringing revenue to the city.
Cole worked with Penny Renfroe, PARD Director, working with the office, making calls to residents about certain upcoming sport registrations and even helped work with the lifeguards. He was given the opportunity to help sell concessions at the public pool. Cole added he thinks the city could definitely benefit from a City Planner.
“I really enjoyed working with the City and I respect what y’all do and everything that Phil does. I’ve never heard a bad word about Phil,” Cole said. “This has come to show me that we definitely need a City Planner for our city -- somebody that oversees most of our planning decisions for our city.”
After listening to Cole’s address to the council, Whitesboro City Mayor Jeff Butts said, “We need more young men like you.” The audience agreed with applause.
“The things that you see out there, that is what this town needs. We need people to think outside of the box and come up with those new ideas and fresh ideas,” the mayor said. He acknowledged Cole’s parents and grandparents that sat in the crowd.
His mother beamed with pride and said, “I am very proud of him.”