I hope everyone is having a very Happy Valentine’s Day!
Doug Weiss | City Council
Today, our Pfaces of Pflugerville is City Council member Doug Weiss. I originally met Doug through his involvement on Facebook, but later met him in person through mutual friends.
He is frequently available to answer city and neighborhood questions. If you want to know what business is going in where and how that is going to effect schools and traffic, Doug usually has the answers.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
While I share my last name with one of the founding families of Pflugerville, we’re not actually related. At least not as far back as I’ve been able to track. My family emigrated from Germany and began farming in the mid-west before slowly moving south. I was born in Dallas and have lived in Texas my entire life.
2. Tell us your history with city politics?! Why did you decide to run for city Council?
I’ve always been interested in how cities grow. I was raised in Plano, which grew from 25,000 people to over 200,000 when I lived there. The city of Frisco grew from 35,000 people to over 100,000 in the six years I lived there. When I moved to Pflugerville, I knew the population was going to explode, and I wanted to help ensure that our city learned from the successes and failures of other areas. I originally wanted to join the Planning and Zoning commission, but, in the midst of a recession, there were no new projects to plan or zone at the time. After doing some research, I found the PCDC, which helps bring jobs and businesses to town. That made perfect sense to me; instead of waiting for new projects, I’d help go out and encourage the best businesses to come to Pflugerville.
Running for council was something I hadn’t considered until recently. I’m the type of person who goes to meetings, not to parties. I was content to work behind the scenes. But, in early 2016, I recognized that there were lots of changes on the horizon, and I didn’t see enough qualified people stepping up. It was time for me to step out of my comfort zone and campaign. Winning the election was a humbling experience. At that moment, the citizens of Pflugerville had taken me up on my offer to help our city, and I won’t let them down.
3. How long have you lived in Pflugerville and what brought you here?
I’ve always worked hard to provide the best I could for my family. After my wife received her Master degree from SMU, she was accepted to a Ph.D. program at the University of Texas. Our daughter was just ready for kindergarten, so I narrowed our search to towns with great schools, reasonably price homes, and friendly people. After only one day of visiting the area, we were sold on Pflugerville.
4. What do you love most about our growing city and what changes would you like to see in the next 10 years?
What I love most about our growing city is that we still hold on to that small town feel. I believe that “small town feel” is based on three simple components: knowing your neighbors, feeling safe and secure in and around your home, and having a say in how your town is being managed. As we continue to grow, these traits are embodied in our neighborhoods, but we all still identify with Pflugerville. That kitschy “Pf” you see around town is just one part of what brings us together.
Over the next 10 years, I would like to see more corporate and professional jobs in town. The SH-130 corridor is prime for development, and we can greatly improve our citizens’ quality of life if we can save them the commute into Austin. As our town grows to the east, we need to keep up with roads, water lines, and other city services, while also ensuring a proper level of retail and entertainment zoning to serve those areas.
