Cllr Miriam McGillycuddy was deemed to be elected as Chairperson by 9 votes to 3. She thanked all the Councillors who voted for her and, in particular, her proposer and seconder and she looked forward to working with all the Councillors and staff of the UDC launching into the second half of the Millennium Year.
'I wish to compliment former Chairperson, Cllr Norma Foley for the fantastic job which she has done during her year in office. I have had the pleasure of sitting through a range of wonderful evocative speeches during her term. Due to her assiduous hard work and dedication, I had a very easy year as Vice-Chairperson.
I am looking forward to the challenge of a year as Cathaoirleach of Tralee UDC. Tralee is a fast growing and developing town. It's face is changing annually with large projects and infra-structural back-up. It is important that the needs of it's individual citizens are not forgotten.
In the case of the elderly of the town, the Community Hospital must be a priority for myself and all the Council. Tralee UDC is committed to the setting up of this institution to cope with the aching need in Tralee for local full-time care for the elderly.
The housing crisis needs to be tackled at local and central government level. I am committed to lobbying for positive changes to help low income families and individuals to obtain secure housing. Employment and Training remain key priorities for the town. If the drive is towards high technology, value-added industry, then training and education must meet those needs.
A consultant on the local urban transport study recently referred to the special urban character of Tralee, nestled as it is between the mountains and the sea. We need to tap into the well-developed aestethic sense of Tralee people to improve the town in removing litter, enhancing shop fronts and exteriors and making the town approaches more pleasing and welcoming. The Tralee Tidy Town Committee, Tralee Civic Trust, Tralee Task Force and the business organisations of the town must all be encouraged in their ongoing efforts to beautify and improve Tralee. I will continue to work for road improvements - in terms of footpaths, pedestrian crossings, cyclelanes, lighting and ring roads.
Tralee UDC is, I believe, committed to Customer Service to the internal customers (the staff of Tralee UDC) and to its external customers (the citizens of the town), all citizens, young and old, business and private. Tralee UDC, by its professionalism, can I believe encourage pride and loyalty in Tralee.
My theme word for the year is Tralicity. I see the word as having a double meaning - firstly in its crystallization into a city into the next Millennium. Like the pupa emerging from its chrysallis we don't want it to be a moth but rather a beautiful butterfly. The second meaning is to harness the co-operation, dynamism and enthusiasm of its inhabitants as a kind of electricity to benefit the town as a whole.
I am looking forward to the development of the Lee Valley in a way that will preserve the unique unspoiled nature of this beautiful habitat. One of the most stunning photographs I have seen of Tralee recently was of horses on top of the former town dump set against the mountains.
While Tralee is part of the decentralisation stampede of welcoming committees, our brochure depicts a realistic and rosy view of the town and I will work to lobby for a government department in the town.
Water, I see as a key focus for Tralee historically in the elimination of the flooding problems and, more recently, in the opening of the sewage treatment plant, the excellent water supply from Lough Guittane, the Jeanie Johnston, the Canal Works, and Blennerville developments. Future projects to which I am committed include the Lee Valley Development, the Ballyseedy to Cockleshell Road walk. Water-based tourism projects offer an exciting future for the town. We could yet be seen as the 'Amsterdam of the West', having beaten the flooding; being awash with art galleries; and welcoming canal traffic.
Finally, I am committed to the openness and transparency of the Council. Some Tralee people still do not realise that our Meetings are open to the public and I just wish to reinforce this by saying that 'All are welcome'
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