MARYSVILLE — Although he doesn’t start serving in his new office until Aug. 2, Marysville City Council member Jon Nehring was officially sworn in as the new mayor by outgoing Mayor Dennis Kendall at the July 26 City Council meeting.
The evening proved to be a tribute to Kendall’s time in office, as Council member Jeff Seibert introduced a unanimously approved resolution honoring Kendall for his “distinguished service” to the city of Marysville as its mayor, which city of Marysville Chief Administrative Officer Gloria Hirashima followed by naming Kendall the City Employee of the Month for July of this year.
Seibert read aloud from the resolution praising Kendall for his “commitment to public service, leadership and sound fiscal responsibility he brought to the job,” and summarized Kendall’s accomplishments in the areas of not only leadership and financial stability, but also economic development and inter-local cooperation.
The resolution credited Kendall with applying a businesslike approach to city services and delivering six balanced city budgets during his time as mayor. It also cited his influence in attracting major new retail and residential developments to the area, and in “creating a new era of collaboration and cooperation” between the city of Marysville and Tulalip Tribes, as well as Snohomish County and neighboring jurisdictions.
The resolution further noted Kendall’s chairmanship of local and regional boards and committees as diverse as the Snohomish County Emergency Radio System Board, Snohomish County Tomorrow, and the Community Transit and the Snohomish County United Way boards of directors, as well as his 2007 appointment by Gov. Christine Gregoire to the state Public Works Trust Fund Board.
Hirashima read aloud from the nomination form that described Kendall as “a blast of energy” who has demonstrated “unwavering dedication to the city during his six years in office. The nomination recalled Kendall’s frequent holiday appearances as Santa Claus throughout the city, as well as the framed document in his office, written by his grandson, titled “My Hero.”
“My grandpa is my hero because he sets a good example of how people should work together and act towards each other,” Hirashima read aloud from the document. “He makes the world a better place by making Marysville a better place to live in.”
The nomination praised Kendall’s enthusiastic attitude and optimism, and concluded by teasing him for “being silly” as one of his hobbies.
“Thank you, but can we get back to work now?” Kendall asked, to laughter from the meeting’s attendees, after receiving the award.
