Dorothy Jo Weiss

(Three candidates – Susan Gragg, Jeff Judson and Dorothy Jo Weiss – are vying for a pair of open seats on the Olmos Park City Council. Councilman Ron Tefteller’s seat will open up after his ascension to the mayoral post following Gerald Dubinski’s retirement. Also up for grabs is the seat occupied by incumbent Judson, who was appointed last year after his predecessor’s mid-term resignation. The election is scheduled for May 10.)

In running for City Council, institutional knowledge – by virtue of more than fifty year of residency – is the primary attribute Dorothy Jo Weiss would convey to constituents.

“I’ve been a resident of Olmos Park since 1952,” she said. “I want to make a difference in our historic city by adding my many years of experience of residency to the City Council of Olmos Park.”

That personal experience yields intimate knowledge into community needs, Weiss said. Her agenda would include aggressive action on resolving infrastructure needs, quality-of-life issues, enhanced communication between council and residents, and revamping the city’s business district.

She cited a $9.2 million infrastructure project – a four-phase initiative begun in 2000 which has seen $1 million in change orders and a year-long delay she categorizes “a disaster” – as a prime example of first-hand familiarity into issues. On completion’s cusp, the project yielded a point of controversy over unresolved questions related to damaged curbs. Project engineers contend much of the damage was already there, but residents assert otherwise.

In December, the City Council reluctantly re-appointed engineers until this year’s end – except for Councilman Joe Izbrand, casting the sole nay vote. From her residential viewpoint, the debacle cast real-life implications – including still-unrepaired curbs and rainfall accumulation at her driveway’s base possibly attributable to a drop in street escalation, she said.

“They seemed like they were more on the side of the contractors. After that, I became thoroughly disgusted,” Weiss said of council’s action. Of engineers: “I felt they weren’t really helping the neighborhoods and were against us rather than trying to assist us.”

The situation’s saving grace was her pleas to City Council members during its meetings brought her to the attention of fellow residents, who urged her to run.

Quality-of-life issues Weiss has pushed for include enhanced exterior street lighting for safety and tougher ordinance enforcement. Chief among the latter would be more control on the timing of putting trash out on curbs (she’s pushed for the night before collection) and enforcing residential parking rules related to boats or recreational vehicles.

As a former business owner, Weiss says she would provide expertise on improving the city’s central business district running along McCullough’s Avenue’s length, she said. To that end, she’d push for aesthetic uniformity among businesses, blending with the character of surrounding neighborhoods.

She cites personal history in urging revival of civic participation by the Olmos Park Garden Club and other volunteerism toward municipal beautification. She recalls the garden club being more active 20 or 30 years ago, and sees them as invaluable contributors to envisioned McCullough traffic roundabout beautification Councilman Sean McNelis is spearheading.

Weiss supports Councilman Jeff Judson’s efforts at establishing railroad quiet zones: “Having lived here all these years, I can tell you that I’m up all night. We used to have a train come in about 6 or 6:30 in the morning, another one at approximately 10 at night. Now, it’s all night long. It’s terrible!”

Weiss said she reconciles change with adherence to current council practice: “I am a conservative who believes in financial restraint. I believe in blending our Olmos Park traditions while moving into the 21st century.”

FULL NAME:

Dorothy Jo Weiss

DATE OF BIRTH:

August 3, 1940

EDUCATION:

Graduated Alamo Heights High School, attended Monticello College in Alton, Ill. with a triple major in communications/sociology/psychology.

OCCUPATION:

Manager of her husband’s internal medicine office since 1999; owned Amol’s Wholesale Distributing Co. before selling to son in 1993.

PERSONAL:

She and husband, Dr. Robert A. Weiss, have two grown sons.