Wisdom is the ability to separate the important from the unimportant. Leadership is the ability to focus on the important and dismiss the unimportant. Both qualities were sadly lacking in yesterday's lengthy City Council meeting.

The meeting began sensibly enough with discussion about a Drought Contingency Plan, (See Drought Contingency Plans),  a presentation by interim City Manager Dale Brown about making more information readily available to the public, and a number of routine business items.

The City has two over-riding priorities right now: 1) meeting Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) public water supply requirements and 2) meeting TCEQ waste water treatment requirements. The twenty-five item agenda did not present a plan to correct these glaring deficiencies, but instead veered into a rambling discussion about various grants that might be available to the city. A walking path along the creek, a new animal shelter and solar panels on the roof are not priorities. They are distractions to divert public attention from the City's failure to provide basic public services.

But the Council saved the biggest distraction for last as MUDualistic manager Ben Siebert asked the city to give him $47,000 because his ATV park development had to comply with federal, state and local law. The outlandish, almost comical, demand is certain to set tongues wagging, divide the community and distract everyone from basic public services.

The sad fact is that it won't distract the TCEQ or satisfy their Notices of Violation, issued years ago. After Brady failed to take action to bring things into compliance, the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued a Notice of Enforcement which allows the city 18 months to comply. Failure to meet this deadline will bring serious penalties.

To put things into perspective, over a year ago the city began pouring serious money into the MUDualistic ATV Park over strenuous citizen objection. Since then, they have dumped some two million dollars into a ill-defined, open-ended warehouse project. If the City Council and City Manager had the wisdom to set proper priorities, we would not be borrowing millions on an emergency basis now.

Drama and gossip are no substitute for tending to business. Don't be distracted.