[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 93 (Thursday, June 8, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     SALUTE TO M.L. ``LIN'' KOESTER

                                 ______


                          HON. ELTON GALLEGLY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 7, 1995
  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute a longtime friend 
and former colleague who will be leaving the city of Simi Valley to 
become Ventura County's chief administrative officer.
  When I joined the Simi Valley City Council in 1979, one of our first 
objectives was to find an administrator who could lead the city into 
the next decade while restoring the fiscal and personal security city 
residents expected and deserved.
  Lin Koester was that administrator. In more than 15 years on the job, 
he has established a list of accomplishments and successes that would 
be the envy of any manager in the private or public sector.
  Through Lin's tenure, Simi Valley has earned the respect of other 
municipalities from around the State for its strong record of fiscal 
conservatism and financial stability. With an annual budget of more 
than $88 million and more than 500 employees, the city has weathered 
the economic downturn that has plagued southern California and the 
entire Nation over the past few years and has emerged in good financial 
shape with a $14 million general fund reserve.
  But Lin's achievements are hardly limited to the area of financial 
management.
  While he has served as city manager, Simi Valley has established a 
statewide reputation for its innovative efforts and programs in the 
areas of recycling and hazardous waste management.
  Under Lin's leadership, the city has maintained its reputation as one 
of the top three safest cities of its size in the entire country. It 
has also financed and built a new city hall and senior center and has 
helped establish a local DMV office, a new county courthouse and a 
library. The city has also seen the construction and opening of the 
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, while construction continues on a 
new cultural arts center--scheduled to open later this year. A new, 
state-of-the-art, police facility is expected to open within the next 3 
years.
  None of these things happened by accident. They happened because of 
strong, thoughtful leadership and an ability to get the most from a 
well-chosen, well-organized professional staff.
  As Lin moves on to put his time-tested talents to work for the 
county, Mr. Speaker, I would like to join many of his former colleagues 
and friends in wishing him well. I know that Simi Valley is a much 
better place today because the years Lin spent at the helm. I am 
confident that, years from now, we will be able to look back and say 
the same thing about Ventura County.


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