Grand Island's elected leaders ready to serve

Newly inaugurated town supervisor stresses teamwork and collaboration

Story and Photo by Alice Gerard

Senior Contributing Writer

Peter Marston, who was inaugurated at a ceremony Monday at the Sandy Beach Yacht Club, said that collaboration, fiscal responsibility and careful growth are some of the priorities he has as town supervisor.

He said, “We all know that I am into the whole bike path/trail/ecotourism promotion. That stuff is important to me. We are a growing town. We have to be very careful how we do it to be responsible in our growth and understand what we want Grand Island to look like at the end of the day. That’s the overlying priority to everything. We need to continue to stay fiscally responsible, figure out how to do more with less. We need to work with technology to do more with less.”

Having a town council that works collaboratively as a team is important, Marston said.

“We’re a small town. It shouldn’t be us vs. them; we should all be together,” he explained. “That’s how I look at things and that’s how I’m going to go forward with everything. I’ve made a lot of changes already, talking to the Town Board, and we’ve agreed to meet more frequently to discuss things and move more as a group versus singularly. I think we do much better work together than we do apart. I really push the team concept with the existing board. We’re going to do more things together. We’re going to make more decisions together, not as individuals, so I think it’s just collaboration.”

The newest town councilman, Dan Kilmer, echoed Marston’s call for collaboration and teamwork: “We’re going to move forward in the new year. We’re all going to work together and get stuff done.”

One of the changes that has been made is in the town supervisor’s office. The town supervisor’s desk has been replaced by a large meeting table. “You need to meet with people, not across a desk, but across a table,” Marston explained. “I think, again, it’s pushing the whole collaboration mentality. Councilman (Christian) Bahleda is there quite a bit. He says, ‘Hey, I want to sit at your table.’ That’s good. There’s nothing wrong with that. I think it’s more important that we work together than as individuals. I pushed that to all our department heads, too. I’ve had department head meetings already with them. I said, ‘Listen, we’re all in this together. It’s not ‘me’ or ‘you’ or ‘I.’ It’s all ‘we.’ If you say ‘I,’ you’re probably doing it wrong.”

Another collaboration Marston is looking forward to is with the Grand Island Central School District.

“We’ve looked a lot at shared services with the school district and with other towns,” he said. “We already have some things with the schools and with other towns. We’d like to expand upon that, especially if it gives us fiscal dividends. I’ve met with the school district and with some of the kids. I’d like to make that more commonplace, rather than a one-off thing.”

During the inauguration, Grand Island Chamber of Commerce President Eric Fiebelkorn, serving as master of ceremonies, said, “One of (author John Maxwell’s) simple but really powerful quotes is, ‘A pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.’ Please be people who adjust the sails for us. We’ve entrusted you to do that, even though, some days, you’re doing it in the face of strong head wind.

“Our community, like our country, can often seem to be split right down the middle on so many issues. Given this, there will always be those who agree with your ideas, and there will be plenty who oppose them. I challenge you to draw the resolve to keep an open ear and an open mind to all those you represent. Do so with a spirit of professionalism and kindness. God knows it’s easier said than done, but it most likely be the difference of whether you will be the leaders who can help move the town forward into the great future in front of us or not. So, I pray you stay hungry for progress, humble in spirit and persistently patient.”

Speaking directly to the five public officials who were being inaugurated, as well as to their families, Fiebelkorn said, “Win or lose, it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there in the public eye when you run for office, especially in today’s day and age. I commend and thank you for running very respectful and mindful campaigns. I also think it’s important to acknowledge the spouses and families of those who will be serving in the elected role. They often bear a heavy burden in supporting our leaders, and sacrifice much in service to their neighbors. More than just giving up time together, they often are the few sympathetic ears and comforting shoulders that (public officials) have available to lean on when they get home after a day’s work. Not to mention having to endure the sharp tongues and negative words that can be levied publicly against the person they most care about. Leadership is not easy, and it takes family and those at home to support you. So, thank you for your service in this venture.”

Marston thanked his family and the community for the support they offered him.

“My family has been hugely supportive in this whole thing,” he said. “All of the people on my election team, which was very bipartisan. It was all parties. They were very diligent to help me get across the goal line. Many of them are here today. Every time I had a committee meeting for my election team, it was kind of like putting Grand Island together. I appreciate that because it’s my mentality.”