[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 174 (Tuesday, December 10, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING FRED MEURER ON 27 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF MONTEREY, 
                               CALIFORNIA

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 10, 2013

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of a 
truly remarkable public servant who I am proud to call a friend. Fred 
Meurer is retiring from the position of City Manager for the City of 
Monterey, California after holding the job since 1991. That is a 
remarkably long tenure in any job. In the field of city management, it 
is unheard of. But for those of us who have had the honor and pleasure 
of working with Fred over the years, those twenty-two years are a 
testament to his tremendous ability and professionalism.
  Fred joined the City of Monterey in 1986, initially as the Special 
Projects Manager in the City Manager's office, and then as the City's 
Public Works Director for the next five years. In July of 1991, the 
City Council appointed Mr. Meurer to the position of City Manager. 
Since his appointment, Mr. Meurer has been actively involved in 
fostering working relationships between business districts, residential 
districts and City Hall. He has overseen the re-development of the 
City's residential neighborhoods and business districts. Neighborhood 
policing, waterfront acquisition, the main street program, tourism 
development, historic preservation programs and development of the 
education and research economic clusters have been instrumental in 
diversifying Monterey's economy. The success in this effort has 
financed the City's program for developing ``preventive'' programs in 
policing, fire protection, community services, recreation, public works 
and other public services.
  Fred has been actively involved in developing cooperative 
relationships between the City and the Department of Defense (DoD) 
activities in Monterey in an effort to further increase DoD mission 
effectiveness while reducing their operating costs. Fred was 
responsible for germinating an idea--which Congress enacted in 1994 as 
a pilot program--of allowing military installations in Monterey County, 
California, to purchase a range of maintenance and municipal services 
from local government agencies in the County. Over the subsequent 
years, the Army Audit Agency has consistently validated cost savings to 
the Army and ``the Monterey Model,'' as it become known in the 
Pentagon, became a permanent national program in 2013.
  In conceiving this program, Fred's goal was to provide the same high 
quality municipal services to DoD activities and personnel as the City 
provides its civilian neighborhoods, while saving the City money by 
spreading its overhead over a larger base. Similar cooperative service 
agreements have been negotiated with other cities in the region. These 
inter-governmental partnerships have also helped broaden the economic 
base of the City.
  Recognizing the value of integrated municipal services between 
military installations and the city brings not only financial benefits 
to both parties but strengthens the town-base relationship. Fred 
nourished that relationship and looked for ways for the town and the 
military to interact seamlessly. This inter-relatedness was especially 
evident during the 1995 and 2005 BRAC rounds when the BRAC Commission 
determined that, because of the inherent value of the community 
contribution to the functioning of the local installations, there was 
no way to reproduce those functions elsewhere and those installations 
had to remain open and in Monterey.
  Fred graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point 
in 1966, and received graduate degrees from Stanford University in 
Water Resources Planning and Civil Engineering in 1971. He served 
overseas assignments in Germany, Viet Nam and Korea. His final active 
duty tour was as Director of Public Works and Housing at the former Ft. 
Ord. He retired as a Colonel from the Army in 1986.
  Mr. Speaker, Fred Meurer is the epitome of a model public servant who 
brought wisdom, professionalism, creativity and problem solving skills 
to the job of City Manager of Monterey and leaves a legacy of 
accomplishments that not only benefit the residents of Monterey but 
also serve as a model of sound civic management for others to learn 
from and emulate. In his 1961 State of the Union address to Congress, 
President John F. Kennedy commented on his administration's commitment 
to civil service and the following words, ``Let the public service be a 
proud and lively career,'' struck me as the embodiment of Fred Meurer's 
stellar career.
  Fred along with his wife Phyllis will now begin a new journey in 
life. An avid Oakland A's fan, Native American art collector and 
delicious ice cream maker, new adventures await this dedicated husband, 
father and grandfather. I wish Fred and his wife all the best in their 
well-deserved retirement years.

                          ____________________