Interview with Todd Eidson, City's Newest City Council Member

By: Jim Mikula

As a former Chamber Chair and the 2024 Chamber Man of the Year, we wanted to learn more about Todd’s goals, and his expectations for his performance as a city council member. Here is the entire interview:

Jim: Congratulations on being elected as our newest city council member.

Todd: Thank you.

Jim: So how does it feel to be a city council member?

Todd: I feel like I've got a lot of responsibility, and I'm excited about it. I'm ready for the challenge.

Jim: What are your initial goals in your first year of being a city council member?

Todd: The very first thing I want to work on is water. So, I'm meeting with Clinton Bailey Wednesday and the first thing I'm going to ask him is to set up a meeting with Kris Kneese. I’ll also meet with Paul Babb of HCUWCD. I want to form a task force or a similar small group to start working on water issues.

That is the very first thing that I want to do, but I'll be in office less than six weeks when we start working on the budget. I expect the budget process will take up much of my first four months. I will need to learn all the all the ins and the outs of the budget season.

Jim: Well, that's a learning curve for you.

Todd: Yes, and Emily told me back in January when I was mulling over to run for office, that I

wouldn't have a very steep learning curve. She said, “You've got enough experience and it isn’t going to overwhelm you.”

Jim: You were involved with the Chamber for six years. You served as Board Chair, were honored as the Chamber’s 2024 Man of the Year, and you chaired the Affordable Housing Committee - a tough challenge. How will that help you become a city council member?

Todd: Yes, worked on affordable housing with Bobby Watson, Kathy Sanford O'Neill, Tim Lehmberg, and Kent Myers. I spent a lot of time in city hall, and it is now a familiar place to me.

Also, being on the historic review board for a year provided additional experience about the nuances of how the city is run. I was also on the broadband committee with Jay Mallinckrodt, and we had numerous meetings with city staff.

I was in city hall at least three times a month for meetings via the Chamber. And then of course, time on comprehensive plan representing the Chamber.

Jim: You were involved in the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Please share with us your thoughts on the plan.

Todd: Yes, the Comprehensive Plan, I've worked on it. I'm proud of it. I want to see as much

implemented as fits in the budget.

It's a good guide. I would call it light compared to other cities of our size. It doesn't address anything on transportation, even though we have a transportation master plan as an example.

Maybe in five years we need to do another one that's much more wholesome. But yes, it's an excellent guide.

Jim: What would be a successful term for you in your opinion?

Todd: Having someone from Summit County, Colorado come visit Fredericksburg and talk about how they've tackled affordable housing. We talked about other places so many times while Vince was here. We're so much like Napa or Sonoma or Vail or Martha's Vineyard, but we never had any conversations with any of those people.

There are many communities, tourist driven, economically based on our size that have done

something. And that's the issue; we haven't done anything novel.

Jim: Anything else you'd like to share?

Todd: I would never have been experienced enough to serve on city council if it wasn't for my involvement in the Chamber and Leadership Gillespie County.

Jim: That's quite a compliment; I’ll share it with the board and our members!