Time for council to get to work

Residents of West Newport now know who their new City Councilman is:

Steve Rosansky, who ran for the seat in 2000 and most recently has

been a Parks, Recreation and Beaches Commissioner.

By most accounts, Rosansky was the best person for the job, the

one most knowledgeable on city issues: He is a graduate of Leadership

Tomorrow, has a real estate and business background and, obviously,

has been working within City Hall as a commissioner. During the

interview process at Tuesday’s special council meeting, he showed the

best command of what needs to be done, not just tomorrow but years

into the future. He also likely was the best fit with the rest of the

council.

Now comes the hard part: serving. We have already heard that

Rosansky’s phone has been ringing off the hook since his appointment.

He will find that an overly active phone is the least of the worries

of an exceptional council member. The time demands are immense. The

issues can be confusing and cavernous. Often the decisions are ones

that seem to have multiple right answers.

We trust that Rosansky’s intent is to be nothing less than an

exceptional councilman. He -- and the residents he represents -- is

fortunate to be able to draw upon seasoned, experienced councilmen

such as Gary Adams and Tod Ridgeway and a mayor, at least for the

next few months, in Steve Bromberg who repeatedly has shown a

willingness to help other members figure out their jobs.

Rosansky should not hesitate to draw upon their expertise. And

residents also should not hesitate to draw upon the services of the

city’s newest leader.