Hughson took one more step towards a new positive future for the small town on Monday as new city manager Bryan Whitemyer took the oath of office at his first official city council meeting.

“It is good to be here in Hughson,” Whitemyer said on Monday.

His first official day was Nov. 15 and he got right to work on three main goals as the new city manager — identifying critical issues, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of Hughson and understanding the budget.

“I really enjoyed the first week,” he said. “So far, so good.”

As of Monday, Whitemyer said he has gotten up to speed on the budget and has worked on reaching out to people and organizations within the community — specifically Hughson Unified School District Superintendent Brian Beck.

“He is getting up to speed fairly fast,” said Matt Beekman, Hughson council member. “The city is in very good hands.”

Council member Jeramy Young agreed and said he looks forward to working with him.

Whitemyer took over the city manager position that was left vacant after previous city council members voted not to renew the contract of former City Manager Joe Donabed. Director of Planning/Building Thom Clark took on the role of interim city manager while also serving as public works/city engineer for the past six months.

The most important things that Whitemyer hopes to improve in Hughson are communication between the council and the community in an effort to have true transparency, city infrastructure and the use of resources to better conduct the business of the City of Hughson such as providing low utility costs for the residents of Hughson, he said.

He brings with him experience from working as interim city manager for the City of Patterson for the past six months. Before that he was the assistant city manager for the City of Patterson for three years. He also worked in the city manager’s office for the City of Modesto for three years.

Whitemyer said what drew him to Hughson was the small town community feel.

“I do enjoy working in Hughson,” Whitemyer said. “The feel of the community, the look of the community, people take pride in the community.”

A fresh start is what many in Hughson are hoping for after three City Council members were recalled in an August special election.

There will be a goals and objectives brainstorming meeting at 8 a.m. on Dec. 11 at the Hughson Senior Center with the City Council, city manager, Parks and Recreation and the Planning Commission to create a game plan for Hughson to head in a positive direction. Anyone can attend the brainstorming meeting.

To contact Maegan Martens, e-mail mmartens@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2015.