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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Tim O'Connor is retiring as director of the West |
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| 6 | 7 | | University Place Parks and Recreation Department in February 2017, |
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| 7 | 8 | | drawing to a close an outstanding tenure in public service; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Raised in West University Place, Mr. O'Connor |
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| 9 | 10 | | developed an interest in parks management in his youth, and his |
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| 10 | 11 | | subsequent work in the parks and recreation field culminated in his |
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| 11 | 12 | | present appointment in the early 2000s; since that time, his broad |
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| 12 | 13 | | expertise, coupled with leadership skills of a high order, has |
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| 13 | 14 | | enabled him to guide a sweeping transformation of the West |
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| 14 | 15 | | University Place parks and recreation facilities; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, During the course of his eventful tenure, |
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| 16 | 17 | | Mr. O'Connor oversaw the implementation of a master plan, created |
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| 17 | 18 | | in 2000, to dramatically upgrade the city's recreation |
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| 18 | 19 | | infrastructure, as well as to acquire additional parkland for the |
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| 19 | 20 | | community; he has also led the development of a new park master |
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| 20 | 21 | | plan, approved in 2015, which will ensure that the revitalized park |
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| 21 | 22 | | assets continue to be maintained in the future and that the |
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| 22 | 23 | | department can develop new parks and facilities as needed; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, The work accomplished by Mr. O'Connor and his staff |
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| 24 | 25 | | has not gone unnoticed; the Texas Recreation and Park Society |
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| 25 | 26 | | Institute presented West University Place with a 2016 Gold Medal |
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| 26 | 27 | | Award, which recognizes cities whose parks departments have |
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| 27 | 28 | | demonstrated excellence over the previous three years, and |
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| 28 | 29 | | Mr. O'Connor himself received the organization's Fellow Award in |
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| 29 | 30 | | 2005; in addition, the city's 2015 Parks & Open Space Master Plan |
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| 30 | 31 | | earned an honorable mention in the Planning Process category in the |
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| 31 | 32 | | Houston-Galveston Area Council Parks and Natural Areas awards |
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| 32 | 33 | | competition; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan has rendered admirable service |
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| 34 | 35 | | to the citizens of his community, and he may reflect with great |
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| 35 | 36 | | pride on a career well spent as he embarks on the next exciting |
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| 36 | 37 | | chapter of his life; now, therefore, be it |
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| 37 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 38 | 39 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Tim O'Connor on the occasion of his |
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| 39 | 40 | | retirement from the West University Place Parks and Recreation |
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| 40 | 41 | | Department and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; |
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| 41 | 42 | | and, be it further |
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| 42 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 43 | 44 | | prepared for Mr. O'Connor as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 44 | 45 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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