Greg Eitelberg - the man the people chose

PLAINS - New mayor Greg Eitelberg enjoyed the holiday in his festively decorated home. Eitelberg seemed content in his cozy Christmas sweater surrounded by his loving family. It was the calm before the storm of taking office.

Eitelberg knows there will soon be a lot on his plate, but he is feeling self-assured.

“I feel extremely confident. I have run organizations this big or bigger so I’m not overwhelmed with the idea of having employees,” Eitelberg said. “My main concern is to familiarize myself even more with the town.”

Eitelberg already knows quite a bit about the town. He grew up in Plains from the sixth grade through high school. His junior and senior years of high school, Eitelberg worked at the once prevalent saw mill. After high school he joined the Coast Guard but afterward he had every intention of returning to Plains.

“I had plans then to spend my life here because I love this valley,” Eitelberg said.

Unfortunately, the closing of the saw mill forced him and his then-pregnant wife to relocate elsewhere. Eitelberg moved to the coast and began a career in the telecommunications business but he never forgot Plains or his love for the small town. He continued to subscribe to the paper and kept up-to-date with the goings-on.

“I always wanted to move back but raising three kids and finances prevented me from doing so,” he said. “So as soon as I retired we bought this place here.”

Although Eitelberg’s business ventures prevented him from returning to Plains sooner, they weren’t for nothing. This work and leadership experience coupled with his love for the town is what inspired him to run for election.

“Being raised here, I love this town so much and I thought maybe the training and all of the things I’ve done over the years could help the city go in the right direction,” he said.

Eitelberg tirelessly campaigned for the election, leaving nothing to chance. He knocked on every door in town and if the residents were not home he left a note asking them to give him a call, which many did. In all, he handwrote 576 letters to various members of the community. To Eitelberg, all of the personal attention and hard work paid off.

“I really got the chance to find out from a lot of people in town what their concerns were and where they thought the city should go,” he said.

There are numerous issues that will require attention from Eitelberg throughout his term in office and most are of the financial persuasion. A few of these issues he plans to address right away.

“Water rates are a huge issue. When it comes to people’s money it is of major interest. Everybody is very conscious of where our dollars are going and you should be,” he said.

According to Eitelberg, the town also has some issues concerning safety that he wishes to address as soon as possible.

“Our roads have deteriorated and our sidewalks are in certain sectors dangerous. Hopefully, I can find some money [grants] out there that will help us to work through some of the issues we have,” he said. “We are going to have to look at safety issues overall.”

Eitelberg has had, and will have, a strong support system as he works to address these issues. His family was there every step of the way. They rode atop the parade float that launched his campaign and they went with him door to door up until the results came out.

He also has the support of former mayors Dan Bates and Michael Brinson. Their experience and guidance will be useful during Eitelberg’s first year.

Eitelberg sees the 2014 year as his “learning year.” He intends to spend a lot of time in the office learning the ropes as quickly as possible. He also plans to build a solid working relationship with the City Council.

“As mayor you can have ideas but those ideas won’t go anywhere unless you have the backing of City Council,” he said.

Something new Eitelberg wishes to invoke is a one, three and five year plan for the city. He is looking forward to working with City Council on this.

“I don’t know how you measure success without a goal,” he said. “Also, I think it would be easier to relate to the citizens of Plains if they see where we are trying to go.”

Keeping the citizens of Plains informed, and representing them effectively, is of the upmost importance to Eitelberg.

“I promise that they will be represented correctly and the city will run smoothly,” he said.

The people are the ones who will decide if they are being represented accurately, so Eitelberg means to keep the door of communication wide open.

Eitelberg said he intends to be in the office during all business hours so that anyone who wishes to voice concerns can come and talk to him. He also hopes for greater community participation.

His first day in office, Eitelberg will be there in the quiet morning when others are still sleeping, eagerly awaiting what is to come.

Eitelberg will be officially sworn in as mayor Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 11:00 a.m. at Plains Town Hall.