In just a few days, on April 7, Iola’s citizens will have the choice of deciding who helps lead them in the coming years. Two men are running for a three-year term on the City Commission. Former police chief Jim Kilby has challenged two-term incumbent Bill Shirley for that right. In other years, the choice might not effect too much change. This year, when one candidate espouses enlarging the commission and the other does not, each citizen’s vote might also impact the make up of their government.
At heart, though, stand each man’s views on issues.
Bill Shirley’s opponent accused him of waffling over issues, especially his decison to rebuild the flood-inundated pool at Riverside Park. But Shirley said that’s not the case.
“I certainly listen to everyone,” he said of the approach he thinks spurred the criticism. And, he said, “I like to let people know my thinking.”
Consider the rebuilt pool at Riverside Park, for instance. While some grumble that Shirley decided the matter at a meeting where the issue wasn’t on the agenda, he said that’s not so. “It was on the agenda,” he said. Plus, he said, it all came down to timing.
No one will debate that the pool needed replacing, he said. Opting for an outdoor pool when he did allowed the city to snag Federal Emergency Management Act funding available after the flood of 2007. That funding helped pay for the pool — or will, once the rebuild is approved, he said.
FEMA dollars were available to repair the pool, Shirley said, but the city determined the pool was beyond the point of repair and opted to rebuild it instead, making FEMA repair money unavailable.
Shirley asked City Administrator Judy Brigham to explain.
“FEMA refers to an alternate project,” Brigham said. “You can take the funds and do an alternate project that the community deems important, so that’s what we did.”
The city decided to use $1.5 million in funds FEMA earmarked to repair the city’s steam generation plant to rebuild the pool at Riverside park, she said. “We should hear back in a couple of days if that’s approved.”
Typically FEMA provides 75 percent of a project’s cost, Brigham said, and the state provides another 10 percent. The city covers the remaining 15 percent of the project’s total cost. So far, work on the pool has cost $1.95 million, Brigham said.
“Since we’re asking for an alternate project, we’re only getting 90 percent of the 75 percent,” or $1.35 million, she explained. Money to get the pool to its current point was taken from the city’s utility reserve fund, she added.
Shirley never considered using the FEMA funds for a year-round pool and recreation center. “I said from the beginning I was for an outdoor pool.”
And he said the location was a no-brainer, too.
“That’s where our park is. The community building is there, our track is there, our fair is there.” Plus, Shirley added, “It is not a flood zone. If water does come in, well, pools are built to hold water.”
SHIRLEY’S platform is simple. “What I want to see is a reversal of our population, to start building our population up again; to have jobs for workers, the infrastructure in town, keeping utility rates down.”
Prompted for specifics, he cites “a long range plan we went through 2-3 years ago,” that addresses “streets and sewers.”
“Sewer lines need upgrading,” he said, and “we do have some streets that are in pretty poor repair.”
In addition to sewers and roads, Shirley would like to revive a program where the city split the cost of sidewalk installation with homeowners. While the city owns the right-of-way for sidewalks, Shirley said he doesn’t see the sense in putting in sidewalks along an entire street at once. Instead, he feels it is each individual property owner’s choice. “To do broad coverage of sidewalks is expensive,” Shirley said. “We have to be so careful with how we spend our money.”
Regarding the business community, Shirley said “It is very important to do everything we can to keep the industry we have open. We have brought in new industry, we work very closely with Iola Industries to bring in businesses. It’s a real concern to all of us when we have that many people laid off, but state-wide this is happening. I’m hoping Gates and Haldex can put them back to work.”
Shirley wasn’t aware of infrastructure such as wifi or municipally supplied Internet other towns have used to lure in small businesses, but said he was open to listen to such ideas. Still, he figured those were expenses better left to businesses.
“We are a community of single parents, a lot of senior citizens,” he said. “We do have hunger in Iola.”
To help keep money in people’s pockets, Shirley believes in not raising taxes, and “keeping utility rates as low as we can.”
SHIRLEY wasn’t swayed by the 300-plus voters who signed a petition to increase the commission’s size, he said.
“I think the city commission as it is now has proven that it governs well. We haven’t raised taxes in six years. We have some of the lowest utility rates in the state. And I think during the flood of 2007 we showed how effective a small council is — we were reactive to the emergency response.” And he said expansion of commission size would cost the city money, if commissioners are paid a salary as they are now. City commissioners are currently paid $250 per month to attend two afternoon meetings, Shirley said. The mayor earns $300. Many municipalities avoid the issue by having volunteer councils.
Shirley will not comment on the ongoing city-county ambulance issue, saying it’s too close to being reconciled for him to speak publicly on the matter. “Right now our mayor and County Commissioner Francis are in negotiations. From the briefings I’ve received, it’s been very positive.”
He will say that “I think it’s important for Iola to have its own professional fire service — including ambulance service. The citizens of Iola are served best that way. Our city workers do a good job. I think we’re fortunate to have the city workers we have.”
Overall, Shirley said he takes just one approach to deciding Iola’s future: “I like to make informed decisions. It’s not that I don’t make mistakes. But if they’re pointed out, I will correct them.”
No comments:
Post a Comment