Tedder looks back on tenure

Despite being in Boulder City less than three years, Taylour Tedder said he will always have a place in his heart for the town he served as city manager.

“I’ll always feel like I’ll have friends here and be welcomed,” he said. “I really do love Boulder City. The people are wonderful and we have a great staff and council.”

Yesterday (May 8) was Tedder’s last day on the job after accepting a job of the same title in Rehoboth Beach, Del.

“I am finishing up several things to ensure the city is left in a good place,” Tedder said Monday. “With (Community Development Director) Michael Mays in the interim position, I have full faith and confidence in his abilities to keep the momentum we’re been working toward.”

Recruited

Tedder said that in regard to the Rehoboth Beach position, recruiters reached out to him but he’d been aware of the opening over the past year.

“I decided to go for it because you never know what can happen,” he said of applying. “It’s not hard to apply for something but it is hard to make the full commitment.”

He said he was very excited when he got the call that he was chosen. He said Rehoboth Beach has a very different dynamic than Boulder City, starting with its size of just one square mile as opposed BC’s 212. They have 1,500 permanent residents but in the summer that jumps to between 25,000 to 40,000 residents, which brings different challenges, he noted. Rehoboth Beach also has its own water and wastewater utility like Boulder City but has just one labor union as opposed to this city’s eight.

“Taylour is extremely qualified,” Rehoboth Beach Mayor Stan Mills said in the release earlier this month. “His experience and skills align well with the challenges and opportunities that exist in Rehoboth Beach. He is fiscally savvy, experienced in the day-to-day operations of a destination community, enthusiastic and energetic, and a fantastic communicator. We look forward to welcoming Taylour to Rehoboth Beach and to working with him well into the future to further Rehoboth Beach’s reputation as the Nation’s Summer Capital and as one of the best places in Delaware to call ‘home.’”

ARPA

In looking back at his tenure and the initiatives he’s most proud of, without hesitation, Tedder said it was the use of the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, which Boulder City received $21.7 million.

“For a city this size, that’s really high,” he said of the dollar amount. “It’s just because there are not that many cities in Nevada. We were able to get a larger share than I’d guess most cities in the country that are triple our size. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make this kind of an investment for the residents of Boulder City and improve the quality of life.”

A big chunk of those funds went to improve water and wastewater infrastructure, the new dog park and the soon-to-be constructed pickleball courts, all of which he feels will leave a lasting impact on the community.

He said he’s also proud of the improvement on customer service, explaining that it’s not that it was bad but that improvements were warranted. This included community surveys on various projects. He also enjoyed the introduction of electric vehicles to the city fleet, specifically the police department and was also proud of their hiring of Utilities Director Joe Stubitz, Finance Director Cynthia Sneed and the promotion of Julie Calloway to Parks and Recreation director during his tenure. He was also hoping, before he left, to finalize the hiring of the city’s next public works director following the recent departure of Jamie Curreri. (See the City Talk column on page 4 for additional staff praise).

Hardy praise

On Tedder’s departure, Boulder City Mayor Joe Hardy said at the time of the announcement, “By law, Boulder City operates under a strong city manager form of government; in Taylour Tedder, we’ve had one strong leader. His ability to do so much, and do it so well, has made City Council look good and we appreciate it. City Council and I are grateful for his service, congratulate him and wish him all the best in his next endeavors.”

The city has yet to start the search for a new city manager. But in terms of what advice he’d give his successor, Tedder said, “I would say do a lot of listening and meet as many people as you can. My first week, I got a meeting request from Joe Hardy and I didn’t know who he was. He was a current state senator, former state assemblyman, former councilman and doctor but said, ‘Just call me Joe.’ Little did I know he’d become our mayor. I’ve gotten to know him very well and really appreciate his leadership and friendship. Point being, you never know who you will meet and how they’ll play a part in your future.”

Ron Eland is editor of the Boulder City Review. He can be reached at reland@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523.