Mayor Joe Medinger

The bond election you are asked to support is the result of five years’ planning by groups of residents, consultants, city council and city staff. The plans provide a 10-15 year road map for the city.

Universal City is a quality community with first-class residents. To remain a first-rate community, we must provide superior services to our residents. The items in this bond reflect those services the city is stressed to provide and are the top priority needing immediate attention.

The current animal care and control facility, built in 1983 by volunteers, no longer meets the needs of the community because of design, size, and condition. The new site selected will increase public awareness, visitors, and pet adoptions.

The building will be situated so noise and odor concerns are handled within the facility. The structure design will be compatible with nearby businesses and homes and will be attractive and inviting to the public. Animal shelters today do not look like those of the past.

The fire and police departments have long ago outgrown their spaces, which makes it extremely difficult to operate in today’s demanding and changing environment. As the state grows, competition will increase for highly qualified firefighters and police officers. We must give our first responders the facilities and equipment to continue providing quality services.

As young families move into our community and residents become more health conscious, there will be a need for additional and better parks. The land that is available, will not be obtainable in the near future — developable land in Universal City is scarce.

Another bond proposition concerns wider turn lanes for Athenian Drive at both Pat Booker and Centerbrook. Much of the traffic increase in this area is due to The Forum at Olympia Parkway. However, this gives us the opportunity to capture some of the spending by those shoppers. The city’s goal is to secure more of this market and add more retail along Pat Booker and increase our sales tax base.

Please vote “yes” on all bond propositions as we lead Universal City into the future.