| 09/27/2007 |
| Author hopes to 'rewrite' clerk job responsibilities |
| Peter Jones , Staff Writer |
If writer
Linda Gawlik wins the race to become Centennial's next city clerk,
residents should not expect her simply to sit passively taking notes
at city council meetings.
The clerk's official duties include keeping a detailed record of council meetings, calling the roll and reading proposed ordinances into the public record. Gawlik would plan to take the job a step further by disseminating information about council actions through homeowners' association newsletters, forums and other media. "It's not just about taking notes," she said of her vision for the post. "I could be an information source to the community. Citizens need to know what decisions are being made on their behalf. Most of them are good decisions. Sometimes they're not." Gawlik thinks a sort of town crier will be particularly important as Centennial contemplates home rule and embarks on a long-term visioning process. Her opponent for the job is insurance adjuster Karl Goeken. Incumbent Goldie Fishbein is not seeking re-election. "I'm older than Karl, and sometimes with age comes wisdom," Gawlik said. The candidate touts her working knowledge of Robert's Rules of Order. In addition to electing a clerk, four council members and a treasurer, Centennial voters will decide in November whether Centennial should create a home-rule charter, a document that would potentially earn the city new autonomy in many areas, including economic development and new voter-approved revenue streams. "If we have home rule, we can be in more control of our destiny," Gawlik said. "It's an exciting time for the city, as we're growing and having to make decisions about the future of Centennial. I'm particularly concerned about maintaining the quality of life and population density." If Gawlik sounds more like a candidate for city council than a hopeful city clerk, it is because the Ward 3 resident has eventual ambitions to serve in a voting position. She opted against it this year because Ward 3's contest looked crowded this summer. The race later dwindled to two first-time candidates after one candidate realized she was not registered to vote and was legally forced to withdraw. "I should have run for council," Gawlik said. "I was out of town, and when I came back, it was so late to do any campaigning. In retrospect, I should have run." In the meantime, Gawlik, if elected, would plan to expand the clerk's job beyond its traditionally functional responsibilities. She would plan a particular communications outreach to Centennial's senior citizens. "A lot of older citizens don't have the computers that younger people have," she said. "So we have to reach them in more traditional ways, such as the Centennial Citizen. There are also things we can do as citizens by word of mouth." Gawlik, 64, counts Centennial as one of the best locations in the country for seniors to live, a conclusion she reached while researching a book on the subject. The writer and her husband spent six weeks this summer traveling the nation comparing the various retirement lifestyle choices offered in 18 states. The unfinished book is the latest in Gawlik's long line of writing projects. Her 30-year career ran the gamut from organizing marketing campaigns for major corporations to authoring position papers for presidential candidate Richard Nixon in 1967. "You had to read and write down on one page exactly where he stood on the issue," Gawlik recalled. "At the time, I thought he was the best candidate. In retrospect, I don't know why a man of his intelligence and opportunity would have made some of the mistakes he made." The mother of two grown children and grandmother of two teenagers is a party precinct leader and a volunteer for several nonprofit organizations. Born in St. Joseph, Mo., Gawlik has lived in what is now Centennial for 14 years. "I have the nicest neighbors," she said. "I love the people of Centennial. In unity, there is strength. I believe we can bring that unity to bear for us and as a city go forward and be an example for other cities to follow. I think we have that ability." |
