New Plymouth mayor happy with his town
Joe Cook says the small community atmosphere
proves beneficial
By Brielle Kennington
Argus Observer
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:51 PM PST
Joe Cook said he wants New Plymouth to be the best city in Idaho.
The recently-elected mayor of the small township said he likes the hometown feel of the city and believes it has a lot to offer.
“I just really get into the small town community. It’s a great place to be,” Cook said.
Before he was elected mayor, Cook said he was involved in a number of community events, including the City Council and the school board.
Cook said service to his community is a priority and a key reason he ran for mayor.
“I just enjoy serving the community. I’ve lived there 30 something years and it’s just something I’m interested in,” Cook said.
Since his election in November, Cook said being the mayor has been great, and he has not received any negative feedback. He said he attributes the positive reaction of his election to the community and to what he termed as a “great City Council” making his job easier.
Cook said there are several goals he would like the city to achieve this year. One key aim, he said, is information dissemination.
“Well, I’d like to continue doing a better job keeping the public informed in what is going on in the city,” he said.
Another key project, he said, is the widening and improvement plan for U.S. Highway 30 and the installation of a new well west of town.
Also, Cook said, plans are well underway for a new fire station in New Plymouth. Cook said the land has already been purchased for the project, but he is still working on securing grants to help move the venture along.
“Hopefully this year the building will be ready,” Cook said.
The mayor said he did not see any problems with the city, but he said he feels there are some things he would like to improve such as better service for senior citizens.
“They (seniors) are at the top of our list,” Cook said.
As for the future of New Plymouth, Cook said he sees the town growing slowly but steadily in the next couple of years. Though he said he welcomes growth, Cook said he isn’t looking for New Plymouth to become a boom town.
“I want to keep the city moving in a positive direction,” he said.
Cook said he grew up in St. Louis Mo., and then moved to New Plymouth after visiting while on vacation. His wife’s family was living in New Plymouth at the time and he and his wife thought it would be a nice place to raise their family. Cook has been married to his wife for 41 years, and they have four children. His family supported his decision to run for mayor, and he said, they really weren’t surprised he wanted to run in the first place.
“New Plymouth is the best city in Idaho in my outlook. It’s a great place to raise a family and put your kids through school,” Cook said.
Currently Cook works as a code compliance administrator for Fleetwood Homes in Nampa, but he is planning on retiring in the next month or so. One of the reasons Cook ran for mayor was he thought the mayor’s office needed someone to devote more time to the position. His retirement will allow him to spend more time on the city’s needs and working with the community.
“I thought that was important, more time should be dedicated to the mayor’s office. I want to devote nearly full-time to the mayor’s office,” Cook said.
