The individuals we select to represent us on City Council are our closest connection to city government. Their decisions have greater impact on our lives than most national decisions. Yet, during the 2014 municipal election only 16.70% of registered voters in Phelps County turned out to vote. The year before that roughly 8% of registered voters turned up at the polls. These local elections are decided by a handful of votes. In 2013, the election for City Council in Ward 6 was decided by 6 votes. In Ward 5 it was decided by 7 votes. Your vote is very important. That is why Rolla Preservation Alliance decided to contact the candidates so voters can be informed and to take time to cast a ballot and act on their best judgement.
This week we will focus of the candidates running for City Council in Ward 1. Running for City Council are Jonathan C. Hines (incumbent) and Ryan Yoakum.
Q&A with candidate Jonathan C. Hines (incumbent)
Name?
Jonathan C. Hines
Where are you from?
Grew up in Collinsville, Illinois, not far from St. Louis. Graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO, and was commissioned into the Air Force. I served 22 years in the Air Force, and when it was time to prepare for life after the Air Force my family and I chose to come to Rolla. Throughout our lives we often came to this area for vacation and we intend to stay here for the rest of our lives.
How long have you been a resident of Rolla?
July of 2015 will be 10 years.
What is the single most
important issue in your ward?
Economic development and jobs
What is the worst thing to
happen in your ward in the last five years?
The increase in drug problems a couple of years back was really a black
eye for the ward. The neighborhood
watches and police have done a very good job cleaning this up
What is the best thing to happen
in your ward in the last five years?
Revitalization of the downtown area with some new buildings, parking,
new businesses
What does Rolla do well?
Our parks system delivers great recreational opportunities and park
acreage to everyone at very low cost, especially compared to much large
cities. Our parks help us draw in sports
tournaments and aid economic development.
So what we do well is get the most out of our dollars for our park
system which makes our city a great place to live.
What could Rolla do better?
We need to address our transportation congestion problems with Hwy 63
and Kings Highway. The volume of traffic
is a constant source of frustration for many in the city, and it is only going
to get worse. The traffic study being
done should give us data and insight to aid in developing solutions to the
traffic problems.
How can you/the city support
small business development and expansion?
Keep reasonable regulations and minimal taxes in place to enable
creative entrepreneurs the ability to start their businesses and grow them
here. There is great local talent coming
to and through the university. It would
be great if more of our local talent could develop businesses here.
People relocate for jobs and quality of life. Rolla has a good quality of life which
appeals to many people. The parks,
schools, and easy access to outdoor recreation are positive for our city. We also need to maintain a business friendly
atmosphere to create more jobs.
What should we do to encourage
graduates from Missouri S&T to stay in Rolla?
The university’s technology transfer building is helping students
develop their ideas into viable companies.
These all have the potential to decide to remain in Rolla. Keeping a business friendly environment of
reasonable regulations and low taxes makes it easier for the business to decide
to stay here.
Do you support the Rolla West
Master Plan and the Westside Transportation Plan? Why or why not?
The Rolla West Master Plan is an important part of the city’s future
growth. The transportation issues that
have been noted for many years are going to be studied and have recommendations
come from the study so the city can decide how best to proceed.
Do you support the Forum Plaza
Community Improvement District (CID)? Why or why not?
I did vote for it, reluctantly. The
costs of the development will be passed on to the customer, whether it is
hidden in the cost of the products purchased, or is clearly visible as a sales
tax on the receipt. The CID approach at
least allows customers to see what the increased costs are for a refurbished
shopping center, and if they don’t like it, they can choose not to shop
there. In which case, none of their
money will go to support the redevelopment improvements at Forum Plaza.
What is the proper use of tax
increment financing (TIF)? Is there a
proper use?
This has been a hot button issue, mostly due to some of the efforts
with it in the past. As we talk about
the need for jobs and economic growth, we also have to realize that we, as a
city, compete with other cities for business relocation and development. Cities should not be in the pickers of
winners and losers economically. The
free market does a much better job of allocating resources. However, there are times that using a portion
of increased tax assessments to help pay for a large development project are
needed to bring the project to Rolla.
The benefits of the project, via jobs, sales taxes, and property taxes,
to the community must far exceed the tax increment financing costs to be
considered.
Is eminent domain ever warranted?
Only for public infrastructure, like roads, where it is a critical
need…not to be used to take someone’s property away for economic development.
Due to the growth of the student
population at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, more student
housing is needed. With the recent
proliferation of student housing construction by private investors, do you
think stronger regulations and building codes are needed from Planning and
Zoning Department? Why are why not.
No. The current regulations and
codes are sufficient.
Do you support the overall
campus master plan of the Missouri University of Science and Technology? What
do you like? What changes would you like to see?
The master plan for the university is an important guide for university
growth over the next decade. The
university is a critical component of our city, and in my ward. The plan outlines projects that will make our
city more appealing for those who visit, attract more students, and help bring
more economic growth.
Do you support the Rolla
Preservation Commission and their efforts to retain and reuse the historic
built environment? Why or why not?
Yes. Not only is it important to
know who we are and see where we came from…it is good for economic development
and tourism. I am a history major and
live in a house nearly 100 years old…I love history.
What are your thoughts regarding
Rolla’s historic heritage and historic assets?
When I moved here I was somewhat surprised and saddened by how many
interesting buildings had been lost. It
is important to keep the city’s heritage, which can be done while still making
improvements. When done right it
improves economic development.
What do you think is the best
way to stabilize the core residential neighborhoods of Rolla?
Strong neighborhood watch programs and police relationships to ensure
safety and remove any drug or criminal activity.
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| Boundaries of Ward 1 in Orange. |
Q&A with candidate Ryan Yoakum
Name?
Ryan Yoakum
Where are you from?
I grew up in Dixon, Missouri.
How long have you been a resident of Rolla?
I have lived in Rolla for two years.
What is the single most important issue in your ward?
The City of Rolla supporting the growth of businesses is the most important issue. Many businesses
in Ward One have been a part of Rolla for a long time and are a tremendously important. These
businesses provide jobs for Rolla residents and taxes to the city.
What is the worst thing to happen in your ward in the last five years?
The aging building infrastructure within my ward has been a hardship on people living within the ward
and upon the businesses located there. Many new businesses would much rather locate in other areas
within the city, such as along Highway 63.
What is the best thing to happen in your ward in the last five years?
The expansion of the University has brought more business to the ward. The University expansion has
also resulted in many new residential buildings being either built or renovated.
What does Rolla do well?
Rolla works well with the University as well as playing host to several different regional economic
collaborations.
What could Rolla do better?
I believe that Rolla could better address severe poverty through more funding of community outreach
programs. Volunteer programs could be created for example to further education.
How can you/the city support small business development and expansion?
Small business development can be supported by continuing to keep graduates of MS&T within the city
as well as work to create a business incubator to assist with the actual creation of brand new businesses.
What should we do to encourage others to relocate here?
The City of Rolla continuing to support large employers within the region that have consistently
provided employment. Supporting these business will result in further growth creating more jobs
necessary to build the economy of the city.
What should we do to encourage graduates from Missouri S&T to stay in Rolla?
Graduates from MS&T need job opportunities within this city. So many of them leave because the
nearest available jobs for them are located in larger cities. More job opportunities would keep a
graduates within the city.
Do you support the Rolla West Master Plan and the Westside Transportation Plan? Why or why not?
Currently the Missouri Department of Transportation is facing huge budget deficits. The Rolla West
master plan would be much more feasible if MoDot were able to assist with funds for such a project. As
it stands the Department will have a large number of roads it is unable to maintain much less be able to
provide for such a project as this.
Do you support the Forum Plaza Community Improvement District? Why or why not?
I do support the improvement to the District. Renovating the area will attract more business and be
good for the community as a whole.
What is the proper use of tax increment financing (TIF)? Is there a proper use?
The proper use of a TIF is to use such funds for improvement of blighted tracts within a city. Such
projects should result in economic development that will increase city revenues.
Is eminent domain ever warranted?
Eminent Domain is certainly warranted whenever the health and well being of citizens is put at risk.
Some economic and transportation projects also warrant its use.
Due to the growth of the student population at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, more student housing is needed. With the recent proliferation of student housing construction by private investors, do you think stronger regulations and building codes are needed from Planning and Zoning Department? Why are why not.
The P&Z has upheld the codes that are in place and simple expansion of the University is not a cause
to warrant new codes to be put in place. The codes in place already exist to meet such needs and
standards.
Do you support the overall campus master plan of the Missouri University of Science and Technology? What do you like? What changes would you like to see?
I support most of the plans held by the University, however such plans should not impede
transportational development such as along Highway 63.
Do you support the Rolla Preservation Commission and their efforts to retain and reuse the historic built environment? Why or why not?
I do support the effort to preserve the architectural treasures within our city. We can grow as a city
without tearing down our past.
What are your thoughts regarding Rolla’s historic heritage and historic assets?
The historic heritage of our city is rather impressive. Buildings from the Civil War Era in particular should
be protected and treasured.
What do you think is the best way to stabilize the core residential neighborhoods of Rolla?
The best way to do this is to continue to grow the city as a whole. Business growth will provide more
jobs which in turn will keep the city growing at a continued pace.
Please stayed tuned as next week we will post the answers of candidates running for City Council in Ward 2
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