FULTON – Throughout her first month as mayor of Fulton, Deana Michaels filled up her schedule to meet with members of the community and work toward her goals for Fulton.
In her busy month, she has visited the city hall departments and met with its employees to look for ways to be more efficient and to better its operations, which was one of her goals for the beginning of her role as mayor.
Between meetings with the Common Council, the DRI Local Planning Committee, etc., Michaels has also been meeting with the public and business owners to get to know them better, including: various churches in the community, Fulton Tool Co., Menter Ambulance, Fulton Mills, Slice N’ Go Deli, the city school district, Chamber of Commerce and Cayuga Community College.
“To be out and be involved is how we’re going to learn how to run our city more efficiently and more effectively,” Michaels said. “I’m learning a lot from that experience. I’m learning what works; I’m learning what doesn’t work. I’m learning what the community is hopeful for, what their wishlist is, what their concerns are and what they’re excited about.”
She said it is important for her as mayor to continue to be active in the community because those experiences better help her to make decisions in the best interest of the city and its community.
Michaels also had the opportunity to watch the city’s first responders in action as they addressed motor vehicle crashes, such as when a tractor trailer crashed into the Slice N’ Go Deli Jan. 20.
“I’m so proud of what I’ve seen when I’ve showed up on scene to see our first responders in action,” Michaels said. “It’s reassuring to know that I can witness it and be a part of the process, to see firsthand how we handle these situations.”
Among several meetings, Michaels rode in a plow truck to see how the roads are maintained, appointed various city positions, began some cleanup at the old Nestle property, rearranged the mayor’s office and has begun redesigning the layout of the suite outside her office.
“We’re just chipping away at our to-do list one small project at a time,” Michaels said.
Michaels said the transition within the Common Council is going smoothly as well. The council has three new members in addition to three of its incumbent members. The next Common Council meeting will be held Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in the courtroom of the Municipal Building.
“They are taking their roles seriously and they are moving forward to do the work that is needed to make transformational changes in the community, in their neighborhoods, in their wards,” Michaels said. “They’ve been great partners, great team members who are having constructive, positive meetings.”
As for upcoming projects and goals, Michaels said she is excited about news regarding the Downtown Revitalization Initiative in the near future and that the city will be increasing its social media presence.
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Please!!! Have the house taken down on Gansvoort street it is an eye sore, it is currently leaning foundation is crumbling.
It is really disturbing to see some of these people stopping looking at thinking it is fixable. I’ve been taken inside that place
It is beyond salvageable.