CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN

Candle Wester-Mittan Occupation: Law Librarian & Professor Education: Master of Science in Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Ur-

bana-Champaign Juris Doctorate with Concentrated Study in Alternative Dispute Resolution, University of Ne-

braska College of Law Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Nebraska Wesleyan University Experience in politics and/or community activities: Volunteer for the Quinn/Simon campaign and the Bennie Vick campaign 1. What is the single biggest issue facing voters in this campaign, and why should voters

elect you? From talking with citizens, the issue on most voters’ mind is taxes. Voters should elect me

because I will collaborate with the other members of the council, the city staff, organiza-tions, and concerned citizens to solve problems and address issues, such as taxes. One idea to explore to address citizens concerns about taxes is to hold a forum with the city and all the other taxing bodies where citizens could ask questions and learn more about how the revenues from the different taxes are used. 2. With pension and employment costs rising, what can the city do to keep a balanced budget

and avoid laying off workers? Would you approve tax increases, if needed? The City should continue to examine the budget to find ways to save money where it can and

consider reassessing its budget priorities. I would want to research, analyze, and hear from concerned parties regarding the purpose and

implications of any proposed tax increase. 3. What does the city need to do to attract new business and grow the economy? The City needs to work with established organizations, such as Carbondale Main Street, the

Chamber of Commerce, Jackson Growth Alliance, the University, SIH, while at the same time reaching out to citizens through forums and taskforces to generate ideas to attract new busi-ness and grow the economy. A particular industry I would like the City to pursue is technology. I believe Carbondale would be an excellent environment for high tech jobs. We have a highly educated workforce and a low cost of living. It would also provide internship opportunities for students and which may develop into permanent positions and then permanent citizens of Carbon-dale. 4. What should the city’s relationship be with SIU, and should the city be active in helping

boost the university’s sagging enrollment? The City and SIU should have a symbiotic relationship. By working together both will grow

stronger and succeed in their shared and independent goals. The City can assist the University with enrollment by providing a safe and welcoming community to the students, faculty, and staff. 5. Do you view crime as a major problem in Carbondale? What, other than provide funding to the

police department, can the city do to decrease and prevent crime? Every member of the Carbondale community has the right to feel safe and secure in his or her

home. One way to decrease and prevent crime, without providing additional funding to the police department, is for the City to encourage and find new ways to advertise neighborhood watch pro-grams. 6. How closely should the city follow the Comprehensive Plan? The Comprehensive Plan is a terrific resource because it helps the City focus on and work to-

wards the mission and goals for Carbondale. Yet, as with any plan we need to be mindful of the balance of implementing the plan and being open to new opportunities and tackle unforeseen challenges along the way. 7. Finally, Carbondale’s housing stock is roughly 70 percent rental, and many homes in town

are rundown and dilapidated. What can or should the city do to increase owner-occupied housing numbers and reduce the number of houses that are unsafe or eyesores? One way the City could encourage home ownership is to work with the two largest employers in

the area, the University and SIH, to negotiate with local banks for better interest rates for employees and/or reduced signing fees for homes in Carbondale. To reduce the number of unsafe or rundown houses in Carbondale the City should examine the or-

dinances regarding these matters and make the sanctions tougher and increase the fines for such

violations. The money collected from the fines could then be put aside to assist in the reha-bilitation of the properties.

R. Rick Jackson

Occupation: Pastor – Bethel AME Church, Carbondale

Shaffer Chapel, Colp

School Bus Driver – Handicapped Children

Education: B.A. Purdue University

Payne Theological Seminary

Christian Theological Seminary

Experience in politics and/or community activities:

Director of Feed My Sheep Community Kitchen

Southern Illinois University 150 Year Community Vision Team

Human Relations Commissioner

Mayor’s Task Force for Eurma C. Hayes Child Care

Board of Directors – Boys & Girls Club, Carbondale

Board of Directors – SIRRS

Advisor to the Board of Directors – Big Brothers, Big Sisters

Leadership Carbondale, Class of 2003

Attucks Community Services –Board of Directors

1. What is the single biggest issue facing voters in the campaign, and why should voters

elect you?

The single biggest issue: Economic Development, growth, and job retention. I have had success

while in Carbondale as a non for profit business operator and I believe that I can bring that

commitment, expertise, and energy to the city council.

2. With pension and employment costs rising, what can the city do to keep a balanced budget

and avoid laying off workers? Would you approve tax increases, if needed?

With limited knowledge of the city’s budget, I could not speak to any aspect of the budget

until I am on the council. As only one voice of the council, my ultimate goal would be to work

with the Mayor and council to seek a viable solution once I am elected!

3. What does the city need to do to attract new business and grow the economy?

Carbondale must aggressively market itself as a city that offers greater opportunities than

other cities in this area. Carbondale must celebrate itself and foster an atmosphere of ex-

citement.

4. What should the city’s relationship be with SIU and should the city be active in helping

boost the university’s sagging enrollment?

Carbondale and SIU must have a mutually beneficial relationship and understand that sharing

equitably can build both the city and SIU enrollment.

5. Do you view crime as a major problem in Carbondale? What, other than provide funding to

the police department, can the city do to decrease and prevent crime?

Any crime is a problem. First, because we have a lot of juvenile offenders, we need to sup-

port activities that offer alternatives to younger people. Second, we need to help foster a

climate of community responsibility of all citizens.

6. How closely should the city follow the Comprehensive Plan?

The current economic developments have caused some circumventing of the comprehensive plan.

We need to review the comprehensive plan given our current vision and need for economic growth

for all of Carbondale.

7. Finally, Carbondale’s housing stock is roughly 70 percent rental, and many homes in town

are rundown and dilapidated. What can or should the city do to increase owner-occupied housing

numbers and reduce the number of house that are unsafe or eyesores?

Hold landlords to a higher standard of upkeep on rental property. The city needs to put more

effort in marketing themselves to businesses that would develop more jobs. Jobs could in turn

bring about an improved housing market.

Michael C. Riley

Occupation: Manager for Sherwin-Williams

Education: Studied Political Science/International Relations at Southern Illi-

nois University

Experience: In politics none, I will be a true citizen politician

1. What is the single biggest issue facing voters in this campaign, and why

should voters elect you?

The single biggest issue for Carbondale voters is how to grow the city responsi-

bly in combination with creating an inviting place for economic opportunity. It is

my view that we as the city need to address revitalization of “The Strip” and

economic development. These two areas are key to growth as Carbondale is, and

should remain, the regional leader in economic opportunity. We cannot afford to

become lax and complacent, allowing the city to digress. “The Strip”, at its full-

est potential, can be a revenue source with additional attractive businesses, or

town center for students, visitors, and residents alike. We have several lots

available for business opportunities. Currently, these lots do not reflect Carbon-

dale’s lively business district. Beautification through greenscaping, green belts,

and green space use are viable options for improving the aesthetics of downtown

which can be considered as a method of improvement. Economic development is also a

prominent issue for our city. Carbondale has a major university located within our

city which should be a large draw for research and development. As a city, we

could work with university interests, such as SIU School of Business Marketing

Department, to attract more research opportunities to our area. The tech industry,

for example, would fit well with the university and could utilize the student

population in employment needs. Attracting these types of businesses would allow

Carbondale to grow and potentially keep students here year round, curbing the

large fluctuation we see as a result of the school year. In addition, it would

bring the needed jobs to stabilize our housing concerns. More businesses, more

jobs, more potential residents.

2. With pension and employment costs rising, what can the city do to keep a bal-

anced budget and avoid laying off workers? Would you approve tax increases, if

needed?

We need to evaluate need versus desire with respect to the budget. An informed

decision must be made based on the need and not a blanket approval. An evaluation

of city owned buildings should be conducted. Are we using the most effective

lighting practices and recycling practices in order to alleviate costs to the city

that affect the budget? Are we efficiently using our current staffing levels? Are

we able to explore more solar alternatives to help reduce our carbon footprint and

reduce electrical costs to the city? How much of the city budget is used on out-

side sources that our staffing has the capability to complete? I believe these

things are just a few areas that need to be evaluated to determine if we use the

limited budget resources appropriately and efficiently. In regards to tax increas-

es, while I am not necessarily happy to consider increasing them, I cannot say

that I would reject a tax increase in some form. I do not believe a blanket state-

ment to that effect would not be a responsible statement.


We need to take a more active approach to bringing business to the area. With a

robust SIU marketing school, we can work together with the university to evaluate

and grow the opportunities to inform prospective business about the opportunities

in Carbondale. The need to work together is imperative for both the city and the

university. A major university located within our city should be a large draw for

research and development. As a city, we could work with university interests to

attract more research opportunities to our area. Again, the tech industry, for

example, would fit well with the university and could utilize the student popula-

tion in employment needs. Attracting these types of businesses would allow Carbon-

dale to grow and potentially keep students here year round as well, and curb the

large fluctuation in population we see as a result of the school year. Making “The

Strip” a more attractive area and a draw for “customers” would help bring in the

business opportunity to downtown. Working with SIU on marketing Carbondale to

manufacturing and research opportunity would target the types of business we need

to procure to keep Carbondale the economic leader.

4. What should the city’s relationship be with SIU, and should the city be ac-

tive in helping boost the university’s sagging enrollment?

It is in Carbondale’s best interest to continue its strong support for SIU. As a

major force within the city, the symbiotic relationship can only be a plus. Part-

nering with local business and development groups could expand the university’s

influence beyond its local sphere. Including Carbondale as a reason to come to SIU

in the marketing of the university, needs to show the prospective student why we

are the place to call home. Perhaps through videos and providing an online experi-

ence is an example of many ways to outline the reasons we should be the university

home for that prospective student. Additionally, campus tours could include expos-

ing prospective students to specific events with the city, such as the art and

wine festivals. The mayor or a council member could also act as an ambassador in

conjunction with university staff to research additional methods of working to-

gether to increase the student population. These partnerships could be created at

minimal costs to the city. This whole question revolves around “marketing” Carbon-

dale. The Marketing Department at SIU would be a viable resource for research and

ideas on how to effectively market the city and university as a package. I am

familiar with several of the professors there and they are more than accessible

and have been willing to work with me in the past.

5. Do you view crime as a major problem in Carbondale? What, other than provide

funding to the police department, can the city do to decrease and prevent crime?

Education of crime prevention design concepts for local architects can play a

significant role to increase public safety in Carbondale. The Neighborhood Watch

program could be utilized to get the information out into the community as methods

to communicate this safety aspect to the public. A community relations officer

from the police and fire departments available to attend meetings by the various

groups can help disseminate this information to the public as well. This would

reinforce the importance of the added safety to the populace, while promoting

community involvement. In addition, an officer in such close contact with the

public helps foster a relationship different from the typical adversarial form

normally in place with respect to the police. Review of “Crime Prevention through

Environmental Design” (CPTED) should be conducted to add concepts that can be

implemented with minimal cost to the city or its residents.


The Comprehensive plan was put in place as a guideline for the city. It should

not be considered “written in stone” but utilized as a guide. Current conditions

invite us to look at the plan with consideration of today’s issues, and the plan

modified if required. To place a plan above all else may be detrimental, while

modification to reflect current events may still allow the plan to live and grow.

7. Finally, Carbondale’s housing stock is roughly 70 percent rental, and many

homes in town are rundown and dilapidated. What can or should the city do to in-

crease owner-occupied housing numbers and reduce the number of houses that are

unsafe or eyesores?

I believe that a major portion of the housing occupancy issue is the lack of

sufficient industry to attract the long term resident that we are searching for.

The influx of new industry along with the residents that would be seeking perma-

nent places to reside would be a first step in alleviating this concern. The most

concrete solution for housing occupancy is an increase in permanent employment

opportunities. Any tangible short term solutions? Explore looking to townhouse

type complexes for smaller family units. This would potentially open them to al-

ternate occupants such as single families or encourage landlords to sell property

to permanent residents. With respect to houses that are “unsafe or eyesores”, the

city code is in place with responsibility to the property owner. Enforcement of

the current code by code enforcement staff and police officers forces action by

the individual owners. Start with the warning, as we currently do, and take fol-

low-up action. The main issue will be to evenly enforce the regulations.

Lee M. Fronabarger

Occupation: Articulation Coordinator / Transfer Student Services — SIUC

Education: B.S. in Secondary Education / Social Studies Major


While I have been a volunteer for several political campaigns, this is my first

venture into running for an elected public position.

Member of City Planning Commission for the past four years. Advocate for resto-

ration of Varsity Theater as a Downtown Center for Visual and Performing Arts and

volunteer in cleanup/restoration efforts of theater. Past member of Carbondale

Main Street Program – Town Square Landscaping, Pig Out Festival Volunteer, Board

Member and Committee Member. Served on Carbondale Park District Hickory Lodge Task

Force and currently serving on Hickory Lodge Citizens Advisory Committee, Charter

member of Aquatics Complex Citizens Advisory Committee, and past member of Grounds

& Facilities Citizens Advisory Committee. Past volunteer for Keep Carbondale Beau-

tiful Annual Spring Clean-Up Day. Participant in public forums for 1997 and 2010

Carbondale Comprehensive Plan.



The biggest issue facing Carbondale voters is who to select as city council mem-

bers and mayor that will work together and with the citizens of Carbondale to

preserve our quality city services, maintain a balanced city budget, and improve

the quality of life in our community. City expenses must be closely watched and

analyzed and revenues (especially sales tax receipts) must be boosted to avoid

higher property taxes and/or staff layoffs as some towns are experiencing. I watch

my own budget very closely and would do the same with the city’s budget. I care

very much about our town and want to see it grow and prosper in an orderly fash-

ion. Over the past nineteen plus years I have been a homeowner, I have had the

privilege of volunteering with other caring residents on various projects with

Carbondale Main Street, Carbondale Park District and Varsity Theater restoration

efforts, just to name a few. I have gained knowledge of the city, staff, and oper-

ations by serving on the City Planning Commission for the past four years and in

preparation for the city’s future, have read through the entire 2010 Comprehensive

Plan. I consider citizen input and the opportunity for citizen involvement through

public forums as vital factors in making decisions about the future of Carbondale.



needed?

The expenses of each department must closely be watched as well as revenues be-

ing generated throughout the fiscal year. Departmental operations and processes

should be reviewed to ensure tasks are being completed in the most economical and

prudent manner. The City, Chamber of Commerce, Carbondale Main Street, Carbondale

Tourism Bureau, and SIUC should work cohesively to grow and maximize sales tax and

hotel/motel tax revenue generation by creating special events and promotions

throughout the calendar year. Carbondale should be strengthened as the regional

center for commerce, medical care, education, entertainment, and the arts to draw

more shoppers and visitors to our community. Use of shared resources and bulk

purchases with the school districts and park district should also be investigated

to hold down costs. To generate more revenue, a tiered fee system for trash dis-

posal services should be enacted with those setting out more bags of trash each

week paying a higher fee. Many cities are also starting to establish a fee on

plastic grocery bags to generate more revenue and reduce the amount of plastic

bags going into landfills as an environmental effort. This should at least be

studied to see how it has affected citizens and what revenues were generated in

other communities. Tax increases would be a last resort and out of necessity or as

an initiative from the citizens.


The city staff and economic development staff must exemplify a friendly and wel-

coming environment that will go that extra step to assist existing businesses to

expand and attract new businesses and industry to locate in our community. Staff

must be aggressive in recruitment of business development and website information

should be updated and enhanced on a regular basis. Quality of life traits of Car-

bondale as the regional center for commerce, health services, education, enter-

tainment and the arts should be showcased, as well as the natural beauty of south-

ern Illinois, to prospective businesses and industry. Guidelines and procedures

for business expansion and development should be reviewed to streamline processes

and remove unnecessary or over-demanding road blocks to development. Regional

efforts to grow the local economy with groups such as the Jackson Growth Alliance

must be encouraged and expanded. The city should work closely with the Dunn-

Richmond Economic Development Center to encourage and grow local entrepreneurship.

Continuing to shape and market Carbondale as a prime retirement community with its

many friendly amenities and beautiful surrounding scenery must also be a high

priority.



The growth of the City and SIUC are intertwined and the two should expand their

partnership to lay the foundation for future growth and progress. A boost in en-

rollment results in a boost in revenues for the city. To assist in boosting uni-

versity enrollments, the City should present a good first impression to students

and their parents when they make a visit to the campus and community. Primary

routes in the city leading to the university campus must present an attractive and

tidy appearance. The highly visible downtown area must continue to be upgraded and

enhanced with streetscape landscaping and decorative lighting and made more pedes-

trian/bicyclist friendly to the student population and community. Ensuring crime

is under control and rates are low is a major concern to parents who will be

bringing their children to study and be a part of our community on a daily basis

during the school year. The city must ensure students have adequate and safe hous-

ing available. Friendly customer service for city services to students is also

important to impressions students form and spread by word of mouth to their

friends and prospective students. Friendly and welcoming customer service by the

business community can also contribute to a good impression perceived by students

and their parents.



Crime has become a problem in Carbondale and steps must be taken to get a handle

on certain types of crime in our community as this creates a bad impression of our

community to outsiders and prospective students and their parents. Opening of the

new Public Safety Headquarters should enhance the resources for the Police Depart-

ment to combat crime in the community. Expansion of the Neighborhood Watch Program

into more residential areas of the city would assist the Police Department in

deterring crime. Better lighting along routes and in areas used heavily by pedes-

trians should be undertaken as a project to combat crime as well.


A considerable amount of city funds, city staff time, and volunteer time by cit-

izens went into the development of the 2010 Carbondale Comprehensive Plan. It is a

master plan to help guide the city over the next 10 to 20 years. It is not set in

concrete, but should be a reference to assure orderly, progressive growth and

improve the quality of life for the citizens. It represents a vision of community

goals as suggested by citizens in public forums, focus groups, and a citizens

committee. The Plan should be reviewed at least yearly to gauge progress, consider

any conditions that might cause the need for revision, and to help set priorities

to achieve the expressed goals of the citizenry. It must be a somewhat flexible

reference document as with time, changes do occur in our world. To place the plan

on a shelf to collect dust would be a wasted effort of time, talent, and money.


homes in town are run down and dilapidated. What can or should the city do to

increase owner-occupied housing numbers and reduce the number of houses that are

unsafe or eyesores?

The city should be aggressive in removing unsafe and dilapidated structures.

Programs to provide incentives to convert rental properties back into single fami-

ly housing should be continued and expanded. Attainment of funds through grants

for rehabilitation of housing units must be continued. An incentive package for

local contractors and developers to rehab older houses for young couples or first

time home buyers should be explored. Carbondale is not alone in the issue of run-

down and dilapidated housing, so successful programs offered by other similar

sized cities across the country should be researched through the Illinois and US

League of Cities and other resources for possible implementation here in our com-

munity.

Lance Jack

Occupation: Owner of Fat Patties

Education: Attended Iowa State University, Black Hawk College, Southern Illinois University,

John A. Logan College


Elected to Carbondale City Council twice (2003, 2007); Member of Carbondale Main Street, board

of directors

1. What is the single biggest issue facing voters in this campaign, and why should voters

elect you?

Declining student enrollment! SIUC is the main economic engine of our city. With an increased

enrollment we would see an increase in the number of employees at SIUC. This would translate

into more people living, playing and spending money in our town.

If SIUC were an auto-manufacturing plant that had laid of several thousand workers over the

past decade, we would be doing Everything in our power to get those employees back to work! A

declining enrollment has the same effect on our economic stability!

2. With pensions and employment costs rising, what can the city do to keep a balanced budget

and avoid laying off workers? Would you approve tax increases, if needed?

Unfortunately most of these cost increases are beyond the control of our city government. Un-

til these problems can be properly addressed at the state and national level, we must continue

to tighten our budgetary belt.


We are a service industry town and should capitalize on our strengths. We need to foster an

atmosphere of entrepreneurship and encourage the development of more locally-owned, small busi-

nesses. Over the past eight years our city council has worked to develop a strong economic

foundation. With greater use of TIF District incentives, Enterprise Zone benefits and strategic

rezoning, our downtown can blossom.

Our city government must take a much more involved and pro-active role in the once in a life-

time opportunity to redevelop our downtown. The heart of Carbondale.

4. What should the city’s relationship be with SIU, and should the city be active in helping

boost the university’s sagging enrollment?

The city and the university must do a better job of working together to increase enrollment.

Overall, this should be our top priority. For too long we have neglected what is our greatest

asset!

5. Do you view crime as a major problem in Carbondale? What, other than provide funding to the

police department, can the city do to decrease and prevent crime?

Because we are a college town, and therefore a heavily transient town, our problems are dif-

ferent from those that most rural cities encounter. Since the hiring of our new police chief,

the police department has done a much better job of reaching out to the community and creating

the partnership that is needed to begin addressing our unique situation.


While we need to refer to the Comprehensive Plan and use it as a guide to future development,

it must be a flexible, working plan that can be adjusted as situations change.

7. Finally, Carbondale’s housing stock is roughly 70 percent rental, and many homes in town

are run down and dilapidated. What can or should the city do to increase owner-occupied housing

numbers and reduce the number of houses that are unsafe or eyesores?

During my two terms on Council, the city has made great strides in addressing these problems

through rental conversion programs, infill incentives, and by aggressively identifying and

eliminating problem structures. By increasing the enrollment at SIUC and encouraging small

business development we can increase the city coffers and continue to fund these and other ef-

fective programs.

John Holt

Occupation: Real Estate Broker

Education: Wabash College (Crawfordsville, IN) and SIU-Carbondale...no de-

grees, minor concentrations in English, government and accounting.


I have never sought an elective office, been involved in the campaigns of

others, nor been particularly involved in city politics. I do have experi-

ence in civic clubs (Rotary) and I have served on the boards of local non-

profits (Synergy, Inc. and Gaia House) as well as holding staff positions

at Synergy and at Good Samaritan House, which I do regard as community ser-

vice of a sort.

1. What is the single biggest issue facing voters in this campaign, and

why should voters elect you?

The most pressing issue is fiscal health and stability. Having operated a

successful small business for fifteen years, as well as being self-employed

as a real estate broker, I am accustomed to making difficult choices in

order to meet this goal.

2. With pension and employment costs rising, what can the city do to keep

a balanced budget and avoid laying off workers? Would you approve tax in-

creases, if needed?

City and county governments should respond to these rising costs just as

private-sector employers have done. We need to create a “second tier” of

employment benefits for all future hires; one that does not impose an undue

future burden on the city. Balancing the budget is clearly a matter of ei-

ther reducing expenditures, increasing revenues, or a combination of the

two. If the taxpayers don’t want to cut services or payrolls, tax increases

are the obvious first solution.

3. What does the city need to do to attract new business and grow the

economy?

First, we should “level the field” by reconsidering the barrier of regula-

tory burdens we have set up for prospective businesses. At present, we can-

not easily compete with other communities who welcome and cooperate with

businesses that are interested in locating in Southern Illinois. Second, we

need to continue providing a supply of suitable land for redevelopment as

well as existing developed properties, using appropriate methods of lever-

aging cost (TIFs and similar devices, and possibly even eminent domain.)

And third, we should consider establishing a commission to recruit actively

the types of businesses we think will complement our city and each other.

4. What should the city’s relationship be with SIU, and should the city be

active in helping boost the university’s sagging enrollment?

As the host city of SIU, we first should be looking for ways to make our

city more inviting and friendly to students...and then doing these things.

Simply being friendly at an individual level is a good place to start. We

also need to provide any individualized political support we can in Spring-

field to help the university get the green light for its budgets and so it

can make needed changes in program and focus.

5. Do you view crime as a major problem in Carbondale? What, other than

provide funding to the police department, can the city do to decrease and

prevent crime?

Crime is a problem everywhere, and Carbondale is no exception. Our police

department is much better than average in my opinion, and some of its pro-

grams (particularly in crime prevention) are impressive, even exemplary. We

do need to realize that our police are also municipal employees, and we do

have the right and responsibility to provide some oversight and guid-

ance...as well as funding the work they do.


The Comprehensive Plan is a statement of collective values and aspira-

tions, not an unfunded mandate. We owe it to ourselves to be informed by

it, and (to the extent permitted by fiscal realities) to use it for guid-

ance and education. One concrete place to start using this document is in

the proposed overhaul of our pitiful zoning ordinance.

7. Finally Carbondale’s housing stock is roughly 70 percent rental, and

many homes in town are run down and dilapidated. What can or should the

city do to increase owner-occupied housing numbers and reduce the number of

houses that are unsafe or eyesores?

We need to approach this mammoth housing problem in several ways, and a

full discussion is outside the apparent scope of this questionnaire. For

now, I’ll just say that we need to continue and expand existing programs

that facilitate conversion of rental property to owner-occupancy, and we

also need to facilitate (and control) the extensive redevelopment of larger

areas (such as entire blocks or subdivisions) through eminent domain, raz-

ing and well-planned “showcase” architecture and construction of new homes.

(I am available to discuss these ideas in greater detail.) We all know peo-

ple who work in Carbondale but who have preferred to commute to other set-

tings, even other counties, to reside. I would like to see us make “return-

ing to Carbondale” an attractive option for those people.

Jessica Bradshaw

Occupation: Office Systems Specialist at SIU (in the Department of Work-

force Education)

Education: B.A. in Human Ecology, College of the Atlantic, 2003. CCHS

graduate, 1999.

Experience in politics/community:

Past student member, Sustainability Committee, City of Carbondale; Member,

Carbondale Main Street; Volunteer DJ & Member, WDBX; Member, Community Ac-

tion Players of Southern Illinois (CAPSOIL); Member, Sierra Club; Past mem-

ber of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce and Historic Town Square Coali-

tion



The biggest issue currently facing the citizens of Carbondale is the chal-

lenge of revitalizing our city. Carbondale used to have more vitality and

life, especially downtown. I think the recent Comprehensive Plan is a good

place to start – and in fact, that is what got me started down this path of

running for office. The Comprehensive Plan is truly a peoples’ document,

and I would like to see it be followed more closely than in years past. I

would like to make Carbondale a more livable, sustainable, and walk-able

community, with a vibrant downtown. It should be safe for children, pedes-

trians, bicyclists, and the disabled. As a former business owner, I also

think we could be doing more to support our local businesses. Voters should

elect me because I would use the Comprehensive Plan, which so many citizens

contributed to, as my guiding document. In addition, I believe that elected

officials should be open and available to their constituents. I would hold

open office hours, so citizens could stop by and address their concerns. In

fact, if voters have any questions or concerns before the election, they

are welcome to contact me via my website: bradshaw4council.wordpress.com.



creases, if needed?

It is easy enough for any candidate to say they will cut spending and in-

crease revenue. That is a common refrain at every level of government. But

most of the time, when you start cutting government spending, it is the

social programs and government employees who get hurt. I would like to ap-

proach the budget problem in a slightly different way. Instead of relying

so much on sales taxes, which are inherently regressive (meaning that the

poorest people pay more, percentage-wise, than wealthier people), I think

we should try to implement some more user-based fees. For example, I would

like to start charging a small fee on the purchase of Styrofoam, bottled

water, and plastic bags. This would have the intended effect of reducing

the use of these environmentally-harmful products – but in the meantime,

could raise some much needed income for the City. Also, by making this City

a more pleasant place to live, I would hope to encourage more people to buy

homes in town, thereby increasing the revenue from the property tax – with-

out having to raise it. If elected, I would look for other creative ways to

increase revenue – without letting the burden fall on those who can’t af-

ford to keep paying more.


economy?

As a former business owner (of Rosetta Stone Bookstore), I understand the

struggles of owning a business. I am dedicated to supporting Carbondale’s

locally-owned businesses. The City should try to source items locally, as

much as possible. The City needs to stop focusing so much on bringing in

big-box, multi-national corporate businesses on the outskirts of town, and

instead focus on re-invigorating downtown businesses, and filling in those

empty storefronts. I would like to look into the option of offering free

parking downtown. If we need parking revenue from anywhere, it should be at

the mall, and the Dick’s/Best Buy/Walmart complex across from the mall. We

should at least have free parking for people who work downtown, which is

not the case now. Free parking would encourage people to shop and stay

downtown. And, in turn, that would increase the revenue that stays in the

community. For every $100 spent, a local store will keep $68 in the commu-

nity, versus $43 from a national chain store, according to the American

Booksellers Association. The City could also offer more support and re-

sources for those young people who want to establish a business (or non-

profit organization) in Carbondale. We need a more accessible, friendly

atmosphere for those who are just starting out.



Carbondale and SIU are almost inextricably linked. The city can try to

help SIU’s enrollment problem in a few ways. In the short term, the City

can start by being more conscientious about the need to be more welcoming

to students – for example, in its parking (and towing) policies, a better

system of bike lanes, and a more deferential or at least student-

friendly attitude from police. The City can help SIU by increasing artis-

tic/entertainment opportunities in town. The City could contribute funds to

bring in bigger acts to SIU. Or the City could help bring more entertain-

ment, or better promote it, through local artistic organizations like the

Varsity Center for the Arts, Carbondale Community Arts, the Big Muddy Inde-

pendent Media Center, and the R. Buckminster Fuller Dome Home. The City can

also help by re-invigorating the Strip and supporting local businesses. If

Carbondale had a wider variety of entertainment options, more students

would come to, and stay at, SIU. The City and SIU could also perhaps insti-

tute a 1-2 week orientation before classes start, for freshmen and new

transfers, where students could either apprentice with a local business,

take a trip in the Shawnee Forest, work on a local farm, or some similar

activity. This would introduce students to each other, to local businesses,

and to the area.

Longer term, the City should seriously pursue a vision that has long been

discussed but never acted upon: Creating a downtown pedestrian mall, in and

around the Strip, that would be closed to auto traffic -except access to

parking near a new transportation hub, to be constructed around the exist-

ing Amtrak station. Dedicated bike lanes, Amtrak, Greyhound, and the Saluki

Express bus system could all converge at the hub, which would be at the

center of the pedestrian mall. There should also be a downtown hotel (pos-

sibly City or community-owned and operated), so that train and bus travel-

ers would have an attractive place to stay within walking distance of down-

town. Cities like Joliet and Normal are constructing such a hub as the cen-

terpiece for downtown renovation. It is a good, positive model, and would

create a much more attractive City.



prevent crime?

A city should always strive to have zero crime. But of course, very few

can achieve that, given today’s poor economy and all the strife and dispar-

ities in our society. As I have said above, I want to make Carbondale a

better place to live, which includes providing jobs with more livable wag-

es. If more people have jobs, especially jobs with livable wages, there

will be less crime. In addition, the principles of Crime Prevention Through

Environmental Design (CPTED) can provide us with some guidance. Some of

these principles are pretty straightforward: provide more, or better,

street lighting, especially in alleyways and narrow streets; don’t put

bushes or fences in areas that people can hide behind; and making store &

restaurant entrances and exits more open. If we made the city more pedes-

trian and bicyclist-friendly, we would have more foot traffic, which helps

deter crime. Also, the City Code and Code enforcers should have only short-

term tolerance for boarded-up windows and doors. I would also like to see

more restaurants offer outdoor seating, which would also help beautify the

area. If we had a more vibrant downtown, we would have less trouble.


The Comprehensive Plan should be followed closely, as a blueprint for what

Carbondale citizens would like to see our city become. After months and

months of dedicated work from an array of people, it would be a shame to

throw it out the window. But I am also not saying that we have to follow it

by the book. Things are constantly changing, and the City needs to stay

flexible. But as I mentioned (in question #1), the Comprehensive Plan is a

collaborative work that should be taken seriously by the City Council, be-

cause it did come from the city’s citizens.

7. Finally, Carbondale’s housing stock is roughly 70% rental, and many

homes in town are rundown and dilapidated. What can or should the city do

to increase owner-occupied housing numbers and reduce the number of houses

that are unsafe or eyesores?

We need to continue to offer the first-time home buyers credit, and make

it more well-known and easier for people – especially young people – to

find out about this and other financing options that are available. Also,

offering credits to make homes more eco-friendly will not only help new

home-owners, but will also help improve the housing stock. The City

should be more proactive in disseminating this information, as well as oth-

er, more basic information on how to buy a home, to potential new home-

buyers. The City should also consider starting a grant or revolving

loan program that would encourage landlords and tenants to cooperate in

renovating properties, in exchange for providing tenants with an option

to buy the property. The City should also continue the rental housing in-

spection process., and even hire more inspectors, if necessary. But the

inspection process must be enforced. If there are repeat offenders, or

properties that are not up to code, they should be fined until all of their

properties are up to code. The City should certainly not be playing favor-

ites. The City should also disseminate information about tenants’ rights,

especially to students. Most renters do not know their rights, and fear

repercussions if they complain about their landlords.

Jerrold Hennrich

Occupation: Student/Soldier/ paralegal intern @ Jackson County State’s Attorney

office

Education: Bachelor in Political Science and will graduate in May with a Parale-

gal Studies degree


First time candidate for office volunteer at the boys and girls club



The biggest issue facing Carbondale voters is public safety. If you do not feel

safe walking down the street at night then how can you expect growth, prosperity,

jobs, revenue, increased enrollment in the University, funds for infrastructure

improvement, or for people to stay in our community.



needed?

We need to create a downtown environment both vibrant and safe, an environment

that caters to both families and students. If we do this, we will see increased

revenue from the current sales tax rate, encourage business expansion and entice

students not only to attend college here, but also to stick around town and become

involved in our community. We cannot continue to spend beyond our means, but we

must keep in mind that if we fail to make the necessary changes in our municipali-

ty to support the business community and the consumers then the only way to make

up the difference is to either cut programs, raise taxes or a combination of both.

We pay plenty of taxes already in this town, and the prospect of adding more is in

my opinion a worst-case scenario. Obviously, we cannot responsibly spend more than

we take in. If we have exercised all of the other options and we are still coming

up short then I would support tax increases if we determine that an increase would

be in the best interest of the community.


Simple, enforce the City Code, protect the citizens and invest in making the

strip look like we care about the image of our community. Why should a business

make an investment in Carbondale, if the community fails to invest in simple

things like painting the curbs and pedestrian walkways? We need to invest in bet-

ter lighting along the strip so people can feel safe when they walk down it. The

concrete has cracked where trees were planted in boxes that left no room for the

roots expansion. We need to work together to clean up this town and make an envi-

ronment conducive to growth and prosperity.



SIU is the lifeblood of our community. The city is responsible for making an en-

vironment both safe and attractive to citizens, students and visitors. Of course

we need a good relationship with the University. I believe that if we make a good

effort to fulfill our role, the enrollment in SIU will be positively affected.



Crime is a major problem in Carbondale. With the opening of the new Public Safe-

ty Center, the community is taking steps in the right direction to reduce and

prevent crime in the future. We need to invest in better lighting both on the

strip and in our neighborhoods. We all have to work together as a community to

make our town a safer place to live.


The Comprehensive plan lays out a well thought out representation of the direc-

tion that we should take our community. The Comprehensive plan lays out the direc-

tion but not the means to actually implement these ideas. In reality, the Compre-

hensive plan is a reference point from which community leaders can draw from the

hard work of those who devised it and implement any and all of the practical pro-

visions set forth in the plan.



increase owner-occupied housing numbers and reduce the number of houses that are

unsafe or eyesores?

The landowners and Building and Neighborhood Services will need to work together

to improve the housing in this town. We currently have extensive lines of code

that is intended to protect the safety of individuals housed within the rental

property. Yet, we cannot lose site of the protections afforded to the landowners

who invest their time and effort to ensure our students have a place to live. City

officials need to enforce the Code and property owners need to continue to make

the effort to improve their property to reinforce the high standard of living that

we all should enjoy while living in this community.

Janet Elizabeth Donoghue

Occupation: development director at The Fuller Dome

Education: BA Theater (SIU) / MA Speech Communication (SIU) / Currently

Doctoral Candidate in Speech Communication


First time running for office. Long-time organizer/volunteer for a variety

of causes including educational, environmental and social justice issues.

Six year volunteer for community radio.



The single biggest issue is deciding the future of Carbondale. This is a

big election and one way or another things are going to change, so when

voters look at the candidates they are making some serious decisions about

what they want or think Carbondale can be. I know the biggest issue is the

economy; we need more jobs that pay better, that retain and attract people

to live to Carbondale. People have to be able to work and earn a living

wage here. Yet, the economic situation is so connected to our livability as

a city. There seems to be some stuck attitudes and beliefs about what can

actually be done in Carbondale. So I hope when voters think about the “big-

gest” issue that it is really about seeing the big picture. This election

is really a chance to go in a completely different direction.


a balanced budget and avoid laying off workers? Would you approve of tax

increases, if needed?

The pension issue is something that must be handled. It’s going to take

some problem solving and planning but I know there has to be a way to take

care of our employees, make good on our promises and not go into debt doing

it. We need to locally enact solutions that help us deal with the problem

in the long-term.

I’m against increasing taxes any more than the current rates. I’d like to

work toward decreasing taxes eventually, especially the property tax. We

must start attracting visitors and residents in new ways. I’d like work on

making Carbondale a conference destination for educational, business and

personal gatherings of all sizes. I also think one of the best things we

can do is push for local spending incentives and buying programs. Growing

our wealth starts with keeping it. There are many ways to encourage and

nurture more local spending and thus local growth and more successful busi-

nesses started in Carbondale. We need to be selective but welcoming to out-

side businesses wanting to develop here. I’m all for developing if it

serves Carbondale residents but I’d rather support a company that can pay a

small group of people well than a company that pays a lot of people poorly.

Growth will be our main ally in increasing revenue but there are a variety

of short and long-term solutions that can be presented too. Short-term we

can look at various options including environmental fee based incentives

and revenue generating services. Long-term I think the idea of cooperative

ownership of vital resources and services is worth exploring. Other cities

have successfully enacted cooperative models of ownership that generate

revenue while protecting the citizens and resources and keeping costs low.

I will never vote to privatize our water or any essential resource for that

matter. However, I am all for looking at ways we can generate revenue by

using our greatest assets in sustainable ways.


economy?

One of the biggest things I think we can do is make sure that our brain-

power from the University has plenty of opportunity to express itself and

be nurtured. There have to be better ways to make opportunity accessible.

For instance the business incubator affiliated with the university, and the

Center for Innovation are located across a highway with no easy access to

students. I want to do more to create positive relationships between the

city of Carbondale and the students of SIUC. One example of this is creat-

ing service-learning opportunities that are wins for the city, student and

university.

I also want to promote cottage industry. This region has resources that if

managed correctly could create wonderful economic opportunities. One exam-

ple of this is our unique position as far as agriculture. I’d love to be

viewed as the “bread basket” of Illinois and/or a food destination.



This question is so interesting to me. It comes up in every interview and

on every form for a reason. We are a university town. Let’s embrace that.

It’s a good thing. There are all kinds of ways to enhance the relationship,

some already discussed. As a city we must think and act in terms of at-

tracting and retaining young citizens because it’s smart planning. So just

as SIU has to work on retaining students and boosting the sagging enroll-

ment numbers, the city has to work on retaining citizens and attracting new

residents. If those are the goals then how could we not work together, we

want the same thing.



prevent crime?

Yes, crime is a major problem. Crime and the economy are inextricably

linked so one important aspect of lowering crime is growing the local econ-

omy and creating opportunities. The other part of reducing crime is commu-

nity organizing and planning.

My house was broken into several years ago and it has really changed my

perspective on crime issues. Ironically, it also boosted my confidence in

the effectiveness of our police department. They were so professional and

great to work with in that situation. My computer ended up being recovered

because a citizen cared enough to call when they witnessed suspicious ac-

tivity. An effective police investigation meant that the person that broke

into my house was arrested. The thief got a short jail term, was released,

and then busted months later for robbing a house less than a mile away from

me (because he accidentally broke in while someone was home). There is an

obvious breakdown in the system here. I think we have a great police force

and we should be listening to their recommendations and working with them

to reduce crime. Yet, they can only do so much. In order to decrease and

prevent crime we must build and encourage the social and economic solutions

needed for making crime a non-option. I’m all for environmental design cen-

tered on safety. I also think enhancing and growing community programs fo-

cused on safety and crime prevention is key and this can be done largely

without increasing funding. Neighborhood watches are good and should be

promoted as well as organizing and communicating beyond just our neighbor-

hood. Crime in any part of the city shouldn’t be tolerated and I’d like to

target high crime areas for comprehensive change. I also believe the city

should continue to support programs that provide productive programming to

at risk youth.


The city should look to the comprehensive plan as a map to our desired

destination and whenever possible we should follow the design solutions

that our citizens paid for and helped create. It really is a smart document

and it helps give citizens a tool in more ways that one. For instance, re-

cently the comprehensive plan was discussed in relation to a rezoning issue

on Rt. 51. It was very obvious that one business interest wanted the area

rezoned against the wishes of neighbors, school commuters and citizens at

large. The comprehensive plan had suggested that this area was a very im-

portant green space, needed to enhance the attractiveness and health of our

city. In most cases I think following the comprehensive plan will also be

the solution that the residents of Carbondale want. It will help us grow

sustainably and improve the quality of our life. That said, it isn’t the

ultimate authority to be followed regardless of context, each situation is

unique and my bottom line in making decisions will be if I think it it’s

going to be the best thing for the residents of Carbondale. Luckily, that

seems to be one of the main operating principles behind the Comprehensive

Plan.

7. Finally, Carbondale’s housing stock is roughly 70 percent rental, and

many homes are dilapidated. What can or should the city do to increase own-

er-occupied housing numbers and reduce the number of houses that are unsafe

or eyesores?

Housing is big problem in Carbondale and we have to change it. I’d like to

see that 70% rental rate reduced to 50% in the next four years. The city

has already taken one of the first steps by initiating and approving valua-

ble expertise with zoning issues. I’d like to see several areas rezoned in

ways that enhance property values and encourage student ownership and stew-

ardship. It’s important to have eclectic neighborhoods where students and

professionals enjoy living. I really want to promote rental to owner pro-

grams that benefit both the landlord selling the property and the renters

becoming homeowners. I’d like to see a rental alliance association that

rates rental businesses and provides that information to renters. I’ve had

enough of landlords that don’t take good care of the properties they al-

ready own but continue to increase their number of properties. That has to

be changed in order to turn the situation around. I’ve had both bad and

good experiences renting in this town, and generally the bad experiences

could have been prevented with more information and awareness. I’d also

like to promote various cooperative ownership models that can raise proper-

ty values and enhance the lives of residents. Responsible landlords who

take care of their property should be rewarded for contributing positively

to the greater good of the neighborhood and community.

Jane Adams

Occupation: Retired Professor emerita Anthropology and History, teaching

one course this semester at SIUC, Anthropology. I own and operate rental

properties.

Education: Ph.D, Anthropology, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign


Long history of civic engagement:

Created Center for Delta Studies at SIUC, which promoted interdisciplinary

research relevant to the region.

Carbondale Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee, 2990-10

Arbor District Neighborhood Association, currently Treasurer

ACLU of Southern Illinois, Former President currently Treasurer

Migrant Headstart, Inc. (operates Su Casa Migrant Headstart), Board member

1986-1998, Chairperson 1987-1994.

Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Board member 1992-1997, Chair 1995

Illinois South Project Advisory Council member, 1987-1989.

Freedom Summer Volunteer, Mississippi civil rights movement, 1964-1965

Helped desegregate Carbondale’s restaurants, 1960

Active in international scholarly associations, including President, Agri-

culture, Food, and Human Values Society, 2004-05, and founding member of

the Rural Women’s Studies Association.

My scholarly research involves learning the history of Southern Illinois

and the Delta region. I’ve given many public lectures and participated in

local and regional public history programs.

I have participated in a number of state and federal political campaigns

over the years, working at the precinct level.



I have shown my commitment to improving Carbondale over many years, most

recently as a member of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee. I was

raised on a farm in Southern Illinois and educated in the area’s schools,

including SIU University High School and my B.A. from SIUC. Because of my

academic work as an anthropologist and historian at SIU as well as my per-

sonal history, I have become deeply informed about the historical, politi-

cal and economic issues facing our city and region. Those who know me and

my family recognize that I will not shy away from difficult decisions.

During my lifetime, I remember a city that bustled with ideas and innova-

tion known throughout the United States for its university and the geniuses

like Buckminster Fuller who taught there. Carbondale must regain its confi-

dence in itself and optimism about its future. We should work together to

create a beautiful college town where prosperity and innovation is the

norm, not the exception.



creases, if needed?

We need more taxpayers and fewer taxes. Making our city more attractive to

employees at SIUC and Memorial Hospital would be a solid strategy. Carbon-

dale has suffered for years from people choosing to live outside the city

or in Carterville because of a perception of lower crime and better neigh-

borhoods and schools. That has to change. These are the people who can help

improve our neighborhoods, shop at our local businesses, lead our civic

organizations and populate our schools.

Our present reliance on sales taxes is looking untenable. Big box stores

are being hammered by the growth of online businesses such as Amazon.com.

Shopping centers in the region are going bankrupt. Just recently the Mall

at Marion changed hands because the developers could not pay their taxes.

The city should continue to streamline its operations so that City admin-

istrative costs are as low as possible. Before considering tax increases,

government must make sure that all its income from taxes, fees, and other

sources are effectively used to maintain essential city services. However,

we may face shortfalls that can only be covered by a tax increase. This

should be a very last resort, after all other options are examined. High

taxes harm business, and afflict people on fixed incomes.


economy?

Carbondale has a uniquely strong economy: Its two largest employers, SIU

and SIH, are relatively unaffected by either boom or recession. Due to SIU

and SIH with Memorial Hospital, Center for Medical Arts, and a large medi-

cal community, Carbondale’s unemployment rate is consistently the lowest in

the region and well below state levels.

Outside of these institutions, which pay no property taxes, our greatest

accumulated wealth is in our housing and locally-owned businesses. However,

this wealth has been allowed to decline as absentee owners fail to reinvest

their rental income into their properties.

The City needs to take the bull by the horns and develop a wide range of

regulatory tools, strategic infrastructure reinvestments, and collaborative

relationships to revitalize our neighborhoods and business districts, par-

ticularly downtown, the west side, and South 51. Unlocking the hidden

wealth already existing in the city will make it a destination for stu-

dents’ families and people visiting the Wine Trail and Shawnee Hills, at-

tract former students to establish businesses, and spur the intellectual

and cultural capital of its residents.

We do not have to reinvent the wheel. Many other university towns have

faced and solved the same problems we confront. We can draw on their expe-

riences regarding regulations, investments, and collaborations.



SIU is central to the City. A majority – probably a large majority – of

the City’s residents are SIU employees or retirees or are students at SIU.

This includes medical staff and programs at SIH.

The City missed an opportunity to enhance SIUC’s enrollment and its aca-

demic standing when it chose to invest in Saluki Way rather than in a

scholarship program, as many members of the Carbondale Community argued

when the new tax was proposed. That decision cannot be revisited for many

years.

However, the City, hopefully in collaboration with the University and with

SIH, can help make Carbondale a destination that attracts students and

their families. The City’s safety, appearance, and amenities must improve.

Parents want to be assured that their children will be safe on the streets

and in their homes, and that the apartments and houses they rent are safe

and well maintained.



prevent crime?

A clear connection exits between blighted neighborhoods and crime. The

City must make sure that neighborhoods in which rental properties predomi-

nate are well maintained, both inside and out.

Indeed, Carbondale has historically had the highest crime rate of any uni-

versity town outside of Chicago, and far higher than our major regional

competitors, Eastern Illinois University and Murray State. It is a major

barrier to student recruitment and retention and to residents’ quality of

life. Fear of crime also keeps many people from visiting our increasingly

vibrant Downtown.

The Carbondale Police Department has taken some major steps forward in es-

tablishing a web site and email feed that alerts residents to criminal ac-

tivity and that posts information about arrests, including addresses of

those arrested. An informed citizenry is an empowered citizenry, and this

is a major improvement in police-community relations. It has also triggered

a significant drop in crime in those neighborhoods with a critical mass of

organized residents.

The City can do more. Better lighting is crucial. Ameren’s lighting on

residential streets and alleys is often inadequate and not sited to accom-

modate our highly valued mature trees. Code needs to be strengthened to

make sure that front porches, other entrances, and interior hallways in

rental properties are well lighted at all times.

The City needs to work with the State’s Attorney’s office in Murphysboro

to make sure that repeat offenders charged with burglary, theft, and as-

sault are not simply fined and released into the population.


The priorities and goals established in the Comprehensive Plan came out of

participation by many hundreds of Carbondale’s residents, and it was passed

unanimously by City Council. These goals and priorities should not be al-

tered without careful consideration not only by Council but also by the

larger community. The procedures for such annual and tri-annual reviews are

established in the Plan should be followed.


many homes in town are rundown and dilapidated. What can or should the city

do to increase owner-occupied housing numbers and reduce the number of


For several decades homes in neighborhoods surrounding the University have

been converted to rooming houses owned by absentee landlords. The conver-

sion of homes, including homes zoned for single families only, has moved

west and north, threatening once-stable neighborhoods with over-occupancy,

poor maintenance, and blight. However, several factors appear to be con-

verging, creating a real opportunity to reverse this process.

First, both local and out-of-town developers have recently built a large

number of apartments that better meet students’ needs. This has put a lot

of pressure on landlords who have not maintained their properties.

Second, current credit markets make it difficult for many people with good

jobs to buy. They seek quality rentals and will pay competitive rates for

well-maintained, attractive homes. I know, as a landlord, that neighbor-

hoods within walking and biking distance of SIUC and Memorial Hospital are

experiencing increased pressure for high quality, “turn-key” rentals like

those we provide.

Third, increasing gasoline prices make neighborhoods close to work far

more attractive than they previously were, both for prospective homeowners

and renters.

The City must quickly address the dislocations caused by the large number

of new apartments, and the opportunities presented by the factors listed

above. It must focus on the City’s housing stock and improving the appear-

ance of those neighborhoods where rental houses predominate.

As I wrote earlier (numbers 3 & 4), the City should try to enlist SIUC and

SIH/Memorial Hospital in efforts to revitalize and reinvest in these areas.

With or without such collaboration, the City can take several steps:

1. Vigorously and systematically enforce existing codes so that all rental

housing meets minimum standards, both inside and out, and to deter over-

occupancy in residential (R-1) neighborhoods.

2. Revise its code so that the regulatory playing field is leveled for

prospective homeowners and developers. It’s beyond the scope of this short

questionnaire to detail some possible changes, but there are models from

other cities that I and other citizens will discuss with the City’s con-

sultants as they revise our existing zoning code.

3. Help establish a non-profit housing reinvestment corporation that can

a) provide low-interest loans and expertise to homeowners to renovate their

homes; and b) acquire and renovate rental houses for sale to homeowners.

Such housing reinvestment corporations have been important in revitalizing

comparable areas in many other cities; it is recommended in the Comprehen-

sive Plan.

4. Use land ownership records and GIS to discover areas that are under

pressure from absentee landlords and work with remaining homeowners to sta-

bilize the neighborhood.

5. Invest in infrastructure to improve the desirability of neighborhoods

that are under pressure from absentee landlords. Specifically, a) establish

a strategic plan for repairing and replacing our aging water and sanitary

sewer mains; b) establish a strategic plan for installing storm sewers,

gutters, and sidewalks in the many neighborhoods that lack them, and place

these as a high priority on the Community Investment Plan so that both ex-

isting city funds and future “targets of opportunities” in state and feder-

al funding will be allocated to these improvements.

6. Study ways to increase density in the city that will facilitate walk-

ing/biking to work, shopping and school.

7. Make sure that high speed internet is available throughout the city,

and work to bring in even higher speed internet to facilitate high tech and

work-at-home eCommerce businesses.

Housing was named as the City’s number one problem facing the city by eve-

ry group involved in developing the Comprehensive Plan. The next Council

must address this issue head on and aggressively seek solutions. If elect-

ed, I will work hard to find viable policies and programs, create necessary

partnerships, and promote infrastructure improvements that will spur inves-

tors and homeowners to reverse the long decline in our housing stock and in

the appearance of our community. We need new developments and reinvestment

in our existing neighborhoods to revitalize our city.

Hugh R. Williams

Occupation: Attorney

Education: BS Illinois State University (Political Science) 1997

MS Illinois State University (Political Science) 1999

JD Southern Illinois University 2002

Experience in politics/community activities:

I have worked on various campaigns.



The City of Carbondale must learn to live within its means. They cannot continue

to give massive gifts to SIU, make bad business loans, and buy property at inflat-

ed prices. Instead what has happened is when Carbondale needs money, they raise

taxes. The idea of cutting spending and perhaps laying off employees from a bloat-

ed payroll never seemed to come to light. To this end, I pledge to never support

any type of tax increase and my first act once elected will be to introduce a bill

that will require Carbondale to run with a balanced budget. The voters should vote

for me as I will work to restore financial sanity back to Carbondale.

2. With pensions and employment costs rising, what can the city do to keep a

balanced budget and avoid laying off workers? Would you approve tax increases, if

needed?

The only thing that can be done is to have deep spending cuts. Carbondale gives

SIU $1,000,000 a year for its sports teams. Carbondale has chosen to tie its fu-

ture to SIU football and basketball. Did they need to give SIU $1,000,000? There

was no need to, yet they raised taxes to fund this. When you have outrageous

spending such as that, other programs will suffer. Carbondale spent a lot of money

on its new police station. Did they need a new police station? Not at this time,

but they raised taxes to fund it. Was it necessary to loan the Stadium Grille

$350,000? That restaurant was opened to great fanfare with promises of lots of

jobs and how it would be a great shot in the arm for Carbondale. It was out of

business in six months. To be clear, I will never support a tax increase. Money

can be achieved by layoffs and spending cuts. Simply because you work for Carbon-

dale should not mean you have a lifetime job. It does not mean that for any other

place that people are employed.


Carbondale can make itself consumer and business friendly. This can be done by

doing two things. One is to remove the parking meters and replace with two hour

parking signs. Don’t make shoppers feel like they are tied to parking meters. I

realize the city makes money on parking meters and fines, but increased sales in

Carbondale can more than make up for that in tax revenues. Second, allow each

business to keep a portion of the city sales tax for reinvestments in their busi-

nesses. Have the city help these businesses grow by being able to pay employees

higher wages or by investments in improving their buildings. Carbondale is full of

empty and underused buildings and this has to end.

4. What should the city’s relationship be with SIU and should the city be active

in helping boost the university’s sagging enrollment?

Carbondale should realize that without SIU, this town would be much smaller and

have much less money. They should work to make the town friendlier to the stu-

dents. That having been said, Carbondale has no business giving gifts to SIU. As

to the problem of SIU’s declining enrollment, only SIU can address that problem.

Carbondale has shown it cannot even run itself. They do not need to be giving

advice in areas they have little if any idea apart.



There is no question crime is a major problem. It is impossible to read or lis-

ten to local media news without hearing reports of another burglary or robbery.

The police must become more proactive in their dealings with crime. An example of

this would be to keep a better eye on the gazebo. This downtown place has become a

gathering place for bums, junkies, and prostitutes. Normal citizens are unable to

enjoy that area as they are afraid of being panhandled, robbed, or solicited.


The plan has some very good ideas. There are clearly infrastructure problems in

Carbondale. The problem becomes where will the money come from to institute some

of the better ideas? Carbondale chose to squander its money on unneeded projects

and now we are seeing the consequences of irresponsible spending.

7. Finally, Carbondale’s housing stock is roughly 70 percent rental and many


increase owner-operated housing numbers and reduce the number of houses that are

unsafe or eyesores?

In dealing with the rental property, landlords essentially fund the inspection

program. They pay $35 a year to the city for the inspection fund. The city spent a

lot of money to buy software that they claimed would make the inspection program

easier to manage. The city can strictly enforce the building codes and this will

go a long way to improving rental properties. The inspectors should be checking

out single family occupant housing for what can be seen as obvious problems. Rent-

al properties are not the only problem. Carbondale like it or not is a college

town. As a result it will be hard to lower the numbers of rental property as col-

lege students will not be looking to buy houses, rather they wish to rent. If the

building codes are enforced fairly, without regard to friendships, this will take

care of an annoying and dangerous problem. Simply throwing money at the problem

will not work. Even if it did work, Carbondale has no money to throw.

Earl Czajkowski

Occupation: Braille teacher

Education: SIU graduate in marketing


Was on Undergraduate Student Council at SIU in 1982. Third time running

for City Council.



I don’t want to use it as a crutch, but I am a disabled person, and there

are not a lot of disabled people that are involved in the city, either with

the council or with organizations. Hopefully I can get into the City Coun-

cil to bring up some of these issues. There are a lot of disabled people in

Carbondale, because it’s an easier place to get around, and not too many

people really think of disabled people. You’ve got the Department of Mental

Health, but it goes beyond that.



creases, if needed?

The city should lay off non-essential workers that are in City Hall and

really not doing anything but collecting a paycheck. There’s a lot of non-

essential personnel that really don’t do anything.

On a tax increase, of course not. We can tax and tax and tax all we want,

but if it’s tax and spend, it’s not going to do us any good. That’s why the

state is in the bad shape that it’s in.


economy?

I’ve been in Carbondale 34 years, and have seen a lot of businesses fold

up, because of these big corporations.

What they need to do is quit giving big tax breaks to Wal-Mart and the big

stores. Wal-Mart wuuldn’t be here if not for the university, and the city’s

got to back away from its dependence on the university. The way the busi-

ness climate is in Carbondale, it’s small business-unfriendly. Quit giving

tax breaks to the big businesses, and give them to the small ones like Mary

Lou’s and Harbaugh’s.



Stop putting all of our eggs, financially, in one basket with the univer-

sity.

But they should work more closely with SIU. Why not work with the univer-

sity and say, if people are trying to get a degree in Political Science,

then come work at City Hall. Involve the students with the city. Don’t just

sit there and keep taking their money, and using it as a cash cow for you.

That’s why we’re having a problem with enrollment, is once a person gets

their degree, they’re out of here. But let SIU be part of the community.

Now, it’s like the city doesn’t want to do anything with the university

but make money off of it.



prevent crime?

It’s starting to be a problem. We need to be more open about it. Instead

of wasting all the police efforts in trying to bust house parties, because

this is a college town and college kids will party, they need to focus more

on their police work. They shouldn’t be putting the young person or college

student off. If there’s a problem, investigate it.


They’re probably right on target with it. It should be used as a guide-

line.


many homes in town are rundown and dilapidated. What can or should the city

do to increase owner-occupied housing numbers and reduce the number of


They should definitely crack down on the worst rentals in town. It makes

everybody else look bad, and when new people from out of town come in and

look a the student housing, they say, “Wow, this is Carbondale? Do I really

want to send my kid here?” The city should crack down. That would attract

students, and if you can get people to buy houses and live here after they

graduate, like I did, that would kind of revitalize the city.

Don Monty

Occupation: Retired public administrator. I was employed by the City of Carbondale

for 35 years.

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Geography, California State University, Chico, 1966

Master of Arts, Geography, Miami University (Ohio), 1968

Additional graduate study in Geography, Southern Illinois University Carbondale,

1968-71


I have never been involved in elected politics; however, for my entire 35 years as

a City of Carbondale employee, I was involved in issues of public policy. I was ap-

pointed by the Jackson County Board to the Jackson County Mass Transit District

Board of Trustees in 1998. Since then I have served as the Transit Board’s Chairper-

son for over ten years. I have been an adult Boy Scout leader since 1984. Over the

years I have served at different times as Den Leader, Assistant Scout Master, Dis-

trict Committee Member, Unit Commissioner, and Assistant District Commissioner. I am

a Member of the Board of Directors of the River to River Trail Society and volunteer

to maintain sections of the River to River Trail. I was a founding member of Keep

Carbondale Beautiful and served for many years on its Board of Directors. I have

been an active lay leader in St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church since the 1970’s and have

served as Senior Session Director for the Episcopal Church Camp of Illinois for over

20 years. I am also a member of other local community organizations.

1. What is the single biggest issue facing voters in this campaign, and why should

voters elect you?

I believe the biggest issue facing voters is the future financial condition of the

City of Carbondale and the resulting ability of the City government to provide the

services which the residents expect. The primary responsibility of the City of Car-

bondale is to protect the public health, safety and welfare. Doing so requires sub-

stantial monetary resources. The City’s budget has been under great stress in the

past few years due to the poor national and state economies. The result was lower

revenues while required expenses continued to rise, often as a result of unfunded

state mandates. The City faces the same dilemma that many other governments are fac-

ing. As a society, we expect a wide range of public services; however, we often ex-

pect someone else to pay for those services. As a result, the City struggles to se-

cure the resources to fund the services that the public desires. In the past the

City was very successful in securing state and federal funds to finance City ser-

vices and projects. However, given the dire financial straits facing the State of

Illinois and the Federal government, the prospects for substantial funds from those

sources in the future are uncertain, at best.

In light of the City’s financial situation, voters should elect me because of my

many years experience in public administration. My experience with the City has been

diverse. I started as an intern and retired as Assistant City Manager. I worked with

many citizens, boards and committees. I supervised many employees and oversaw a wide

range of operations such as planning, code enforcement, housing rehabilitation, en-

ergy conservation, affirmative action/equal employment opportunity, child care and

social services. I was the City’s principal grant writer for over 30 years and

brought in millions of dollars to benefit Carbondale’s residents. For many years, I

had a major role in the preparation of the City’s budget. As Assistant City Manager,

I worked closely with the City Manager and served as Acting City Manager in his ab-

sence.

I know how the City operates: how water is treated and distributed, how enforcement

of City codes protects neighborhoods, the importance of police and fire services,

the complicated nature of economic development, what it takes to maintain streets,

etc. I also know how important it is for the City to work with local governments,

the State of Illinois and the Federal government. I am personally committed to an

open, transparent City government which involves its citizens.

I was appointed to the Jackson County Mass Transit District Board of Trustees and

have served as its Chairperson for many years. This has given me experience on the

governing board of a local government. In concert with my fellow Board of Trustees

members, I have wrestled with budget issues, dealt with State officials, addressed

citizen concerns, established public policy and provided guidance for the profes-

sional staff. All these are actions that a City Council member must take in coopera-

tion with the Mayor and other City Council members.


anced budget and avoid laying off workers? Would you approve tax increases, if need-

ed?

The City needs to continue to be prudent with expenses. I am a firm believer in

having a balanced budget. When I was involved with preparing the City’s budget, we

always produced a balanced budget. This required curtailing non-essential expenses

and was City policy long before the recent national recession occurred. As a result

of the economy slowing, some City revenues dropped at the same time that certain

state-mandated costs increased. To deal with the financial situation, the City Man-

ager and his staff have prepared budgets which have cut expenses, reduced staff po-

sitions, and sought to minimize the reduction in City provided services. On balance,

the City has done what was necessary to control expenses while maintaining the crit-

ical public health and safety programs. Unfortunately some key positions are vacant

and some services have been reduced.

The City needs to examine its sources of revenues. The biggest revenue area to be

addressed is the structural imbalance that has occurred to City revenues with the

changing economy. Unfortunately this is an area over which the City, even with its

Home Rule powers, has little authority. The structural imbalance has two components:

1) a shift from retail sales being dominant to a service economy and 2) the rise of

internet sales.

Initially when the sales tax was implemented, local retail sales were a significant

portion of the economy. Now services make up a larger part of the economy than re-

tail sales. Currently the sales tax is not applied to services. Services come in

many forms. Examples include professional services such as financial and legal, per-

sonal services like barber and beauty shops, maintenance and repair services, con-

sulting services, etc. Carbondale and other city governments need to press the Illi-

nois General Assembly to allow municipalities to assess a reasonable “sales tax” on

various services.

Mail order and telephone retail sales were small issues decades ago, but now with

internet retail sales, increasing amounts of customer purchases are made from busi-

nesses outside the City. These purchases are exempt from the City’s sales tax. Due

to a U. S. Supreme Court ruling, states and their municipalities cannot tax mail

order, telephone, or interstate retail sales that occur outside their jurisdictions.

This means that every time a customer makes an out-of City purchase by mail, phone

or internet, the City receives no sales tax. There is no doubt that internet sales

are going to continue to grow at the expense of local sales. The City must urge mem-

bers of the Illinois General Assembly and members of our Congressional delegation to

find a practical way for sales taxes to be collected on mail order, phone and inter-

net sales and then shared with local governments.

The City charges user fees for various activities. Examples include water and sewer

fees, parking meter fees, and refuse and recycling fees. These fees support the Wa-

ter and Sewer, Parking, and Refuse Funds. There are other fees charged by the City

such as for printed materials, permit applications, and excessive false fire and

police alarms. The City needs to evaluate the fees it charges to see if they reason-

ably cover the City’s costs.

The City imposes fines for violations of City ordinances and codes. This is another

area which should be examined to determine whether the cost to the violators is a

sufficient deterrent and adequately compensates the City to identify and prosecute

the violations.

The City needs to continue to be vigilant in seeking out private, state, and local

grants. Due to the financial circumstances facing the State of Illinois and the Fed-

eral government, the availability of grant funds is likely to be less in future

years. As a result, although the City needs to seek grant funds, it should not have

false expectations that they will be a source of funds for City operations.

One way for the City to increase revenues is to increase the level of economic ac-

tivity in the community. More retail activity means more sales tax revenue. More

jobs should mean more people and enterprises paying utility taxes to the City. More

people living in the City results in higher payments from the City’s share of the

State income tax and motor fuel tax. The same logic applies to supporting increased

enrollment at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

I am a firm believer in not increasing taxes unless absolutely necessary. As noted

in my response to question 1 above, we face a quandary. People expect services, but

often expect others to pay for them. In reality, if the community expects certain

services to be provided, then the community must come up with the revenues necessary

to provide those services. If the community cannot or will not provide those reve-

nues, then the services cannot be offered. The City Council has the responsibility

to make the decisions on which services will be provided and how revenues will be

raised to fund them.


The City has many tools available to attract new business. These tools need to con-

tinue to be used. One important City resource is the Assistant City Manager for Eco-

nomic Development who focuses on business development and retention. Unfortunately,

with reductions made in other City staff positions, the Assistant City Manager’s

time is stretched thinly due to performing other assigned responsibilities. As soon

as funding allows, I would restore the position of Development Services Director to

free up more time for the Assistant City Manager to work on economic development

activity.

The City has a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) from previous Federal grants. The RLF pro-

vides low-interest funding for new business development and expansion. The business

is required to match the RLF funds from other sources. The City should continue to

use RLF funds to stimulate economic development. Also, the Jackson Growth Alliance

recently gained access to over $1,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

for low-interest loans to new and existing small businesses in Jackson County. The

City should promote this loan program to Carbondale businesses.

Part of Carbondale is designated an Enterprise Zone. This is an important tool for

attracting new business and supporting the expansion of existing businesses. It pro-

vides short term property tax relief, sales tax exemption on construction materials

and other benefits for businesses that qualify. It is possible to expand the Enter-

prise Zone in certain circumstances.

The City also has a Tax Increment Finance District in part of the downtown area.

The City should consider creating a larger Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district for

downtown and perhaps other parts of the City as well. TIF districts allow increased

property taxes from developments to offset some private development costs. TIF funds

can also be used for public improvements such as streets, sidewalks, parking and

lighting.

The City should continue to play a significant role in economic development organi-

zations such as Carbondale Main Street, Carbondale Business Development Corporation,

Jackson Growth Alliance and the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce. Each of these organ-

izations has a vested interest in supporting economic growth in Carbondale.

The City needs to work closely with Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The

growth of student enrollment will spur economic development in Carbondale. In addi-

tion to the stimulus that students provide, the University has key assets that can

be used for economic development. These include the resources located at the Dunn-

Richmond Center and the entrepreneurial activity and creativity of students, faculty

and staff.

Another important effort of the City should be to support Southern Illinois

Healthcare, Inc. in its development of Memorial Hospital and the ancillary medical

activities associated with it. Medical providers are a major source of employment

for the community and bring many people to the City on a daily basis.

Entrepreneurs seeking locations for businesses often are interested in the cultural

and recreational opportunities available in a community. The City should continue

its support for the development of cultural resources, such as the Varsity Center

for the Arts. Cultural venues and events are important in bringing more people to

the community.

4. What should the city’s relationship be with SIU, and should the city be active

in helping boost the university’s sagging enrollment?

The City needs to be supportive of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. What

would the City be like with out SIUC? It is in the best interest of the City and its

residents to see a thriving SIUC. I do not see a direct role for the City in the

university’s efforts to recruit students. However, there are many things the commu-

nity can do to make the City more attractive to students.

City staff and residents of the community need to be welcoming to students. This

includes being friendly and courteous to prospective-student visitors and making the

community attractive and inviting to prospective students and their families.

Downtown is a gateway to SIUC. Most new students and their families will see down-

town when they make an initial visit to SIUC. The City should work to improve the

image that downtown presents to students and their families. Carbondale Main Street

makes special efforts to be welcoming to prospective and new students by sponsoring

various activities and attending recruiting events. The City has a history of

providing financial support to Carbondale Main Street in its efforts to improve

downtown as an attractive location for students. This support should continue.

Housing is important to students and their parents. The City has a role to make

sure that the available off-campus housing meets City code requirements. This neces-

sitates that the City inspects the housing on a regular basis and requires the own-

ers to correct any code violations.

University students and their parents are concerned about safety. The City needs to

work with SIUC to educate students on how they can remain safe in the community. The

Carbondale Police Department needs to continue to have an active presence in off-

campus areas occupied or frequented by students.

Students are also looking for amenities. The City can be supportive of the develop-

ment of entertainment venues such as the reconstructed Hanger 9. Likewise, the City

can be supportive of shopping and eating opportunities in the community that cater

to the needs of students and their visiting families and friends.

The City’s website must have a specific section clearly identified as being for

students and prospective students. This portion of the website needs to convey to

prospective students why they should come to SIUC. It should quickly take students

to the important information they need about the City and its various services and

requirements. The City’s website can also communicate information about how to keep

safe. The university can assist the City in this effort by promoting the City’s web-

site.



Crime is a problem in Carbondale, just as it is in most communities. Long term

trends show a decline in the overall rates of crime. However, residents remain con-

cerned about the levels of crime in their neighborhoods and the broader community.

In order to prevent criminal activity without tremendous increases in the Police

Department’s staff and budget, other steps can be taken.

The concept of Crime Prevention Environmental Design (CPTED) is widely recognized

as a method to reduce crime. The emphasis in CPTED is to use design measures for

buildings, the environment around buildings and public spaces to deter criminal ac-

tivity. These CPTED techniques create visual openness and seek to delineate between

public and private spaces. These techniques appropriately limit access to the spaces

and convey ownership of space in a manner that permits users to feel safe. This also

makes possible offenders aware of the risk of being detected and apprehended. CPTED

concepts such as designing buildings so that windows overlook streets, sidewalks and

parking lots; carefully using landscape and fencing design; using properly designed

lighting; and the design and placement of entrances should be applied in Carbondale.

The City can play an important role by applying CPTED principles as it reviews de-

velopment plans and by educating the public about CPTED principles. The City should

employ articles in The Carbondale Communique and distribute brochures to convey in-

formation about CPTED. Both the City’s and Carbondale Police Department’s websites

need to contain or have links to CPTED information. The City could provide CPTED

information to design professionals and builders. The Carbondale Police Department

offers Home Security Surveys to property owners and occupants to advise them of ways

to enhance security. If not already utilized, a simple CPTED checklist should be

used in the process of reviewing premises. When building plans are submitted, the

City’s Building Inspector should include CPTED principles in the review. The Police

Department should use CPTED principles when reviewing site plans, and it should have

a role in the review of commercial and multi-family site plans from a CPTED perspec-

tive.

Also consistent with CPTED principles, the City needs to be aggressive in its ef-

forts to see that the exteriors of properties are properly maintained. This is im-

portant to convey the impression of “concerned ownership.” In a similar vein, when

properties become dilapidated or abandoned, the City should take measures to require

the prompt repair or removal of the structures.

The City needs to be more aggressive to ensure that street lights are kept in oper-

ating condition. Police officers and other City employees who are on the streets at

night should be vigilant for street lights that are not working and report them.

When commercial and multi-family parking lots are used after dark, they are required

to be lighted. Police officers on patrol who notice burned out lights in parking

lots should report them to their supervisors so that the owners can be notified and

arrange to have the lights repaired promptly.

Another important aspect of crime prevention is working with youth to provide them

with values and activities that will enable them to become responsible citizens ra-

ther than prospective offenders. This means the City must work with private organi-

zations and local schools to assist with the positive development of youth.


The Comprehensive Plan is not a rigid document “set in concrete.” However, it does

provide a basic framework for the future development of the community. The community

needs to improve and to improve, it must change. The Comprehensive Plan is about

making change in a rational manner. Actions taken by the City and other actors in

the community must be viewed in the context of the Comprehensive Plan. Otherwise,

actions may be in conflict with each other to the ultimate detriment of the communi-

ty. As circumstances change, the Comprehensive Plan will have to be amended from

time-to-time to stay relevant.

The Comprehensive Plan has a chapter on “Community Mobility” which addresses

streets and walkways, bicycling and public transit. There is also a chapter on

“Housing and Neighborhoods” which considers issues such as rehabilitating existing

housing, defending neighborhood integrity, and ensuring affordable and sufficient

housing. The Comprehensive Plan’s discussion of Community Growth specifically talks

about many factors affecting the future growth of the City including the importance

of the public water and wastewater systems.

The Comprehensive Plan’s chapter on Economic Development is very clear that econom-

ic activity provides the financial underpinning for the community. Without the re-

sources resulting from economic activity, the City’s budget will remain stressed and

its ability to offer services will be in jeopardy. The high quality-of-life availa-

ble in Carbondale can continue only if there is a strong, sustainable local economy.

This quality-of-life includes the availability of a wide array of public services

and educational, cultural and recreational opportunities. The Comprehensive Plan

recognizes that downtown has a significant role in the future of the community. The

Comprehensive Plan also articulates that retail sales, Southern Illinois University

Carbondale, Southern Illinois Healthcare, Inc. and Memorial Hospital of Carbondale

are all critical to the economic future of Carbondale.

7. Finally, Carbondale’s housing stock is roughly 70 percent rental, and many homes

in town are rundown and dilapidated. What can or should the city do to increase own-

er-occupied housing numbers and reduce the number of houses that are unsafe or eye-

sores?

There are three opportunities to increase home ownership and owner occupancy:

Existing rental houses that could be converted to owner occupancy, especially in

older neighborhoods;

Current owner-occupied vacant homes that could be purchased for continued owner oc-

cupancy; and

New home construction for owner occupancy.

Most rental homes and some owner-occupied homes available for purchase are located

in older neighborhoods. These neighborhoods need to be more attractive, and they

could benefit from the creation of a not-for-profit housing development or neighbor-

hood redevelopment corporation. These types of organizations exist in many larger

communities. Another way to support owner occupancy is the development of strong

neighborhood organizations, such as the Arbor District organization in south-central

Carbondale.

The City should continue its program to make grants to persons who buy a rental

house, renovate it, and convert it to owner occupancy. The City should also continue

to apply for grant funds from the Illinois Housing Development Authority to support

lowto moderate-income residents in their efforts to acquire and renovate a home.

The City needs to continue to promote the availability of Farmers Home Administra-

tion (FmHA) guaranteed and direct loans. Under the FmHA guaranteed loan program,

private banks make loans, sometimes for 0% down payment, to lowto middle-income pur-

chasers for owner occupancy. FmHA direct loans are made to low-income residents and

sometimes subsidies for the loan-payments are provided.

The City’s Zoning Ordinance can be an important tool for promoting owner occupancy.

The City is in the process of rewriting its Zoning Ordinance. The City administra-

tion, Planning Commission and City Council need to make certain that the new Zoning

Ordinance is written in a manner that will promote owner occupancy. This needs to

include provisions that will respect the integrity of single-family neighborhoods.

Owner occupants are particularly concerned about maintaining the values of their

homes. They expect the City to use its zoning powers and code enforcement efforts to

protect those values. However, in writing zoning standards, the City must take care

not to set minimum standards too high. This could make new housing construction

costs so expensive that the construction becomes unaffordable. The City also must

balance the need to protect neighborhoods with the need to allow for reasonable eco-

nomic development activity.

With regard to reducing the number of houses that are unsafe or eyesores, there are

various measures that the City already undertakes that need to be continued. The

Rental Housing Inspection program needs to be pursued diligently. The owners and

renters of rental housing have a shared responsibility to maintain the dwellings and

the premises around them. If they fail to do so, then the City needs to enforce its

housing and property codes to assure compliance. The City has the ability to issue

“Repair or Demolish” orders to property owners when the structures become dilapi-

dated. This authority needs to be pursued vigorously. As a practical matter, some

property owners do not have the money needed to demolish a substandard, often aban-

doned, building. The City has a program to finance this demolition. Unfortunately,

there have not been sufficient funds available to meet the demand. Also, the City

should continue its Federal and State funded housing rehabilitation program for low-

and moderate-income owner occupants.

Craig Kyle Anz

Occupation: SIUC Associate Professor Architectural Studies

Nationally Certified (NCARB) and Licensed Architect State of Illinois

Education: Doctor of Philosophy – Architecture (Ph.D.)

Master of Science – Architectural Studies (MSArchSt)

Master of Architecture – Urban Design (MArch, Professional Degree)

Bachelor of Environmental Design – Architecture (B.E.D.)


While I do not consider myself a politician per se, I do understand that the

idea of politics involves negotiating the poly- or multi-faceted nature of our

environment and our social actions within it. While there are many definitions of

„politics‟, I come back to an originative view here, that it involves a holistic

and interactive “complex of relations between people living in society” (Miriam-

Webster), and that it involves dynamic processes through which people in societies

or communities make inter-operative decisions. As such, it also involves making

informed, authoritative decisions that have larger affective relations, thus bound

by ethics. Within these auspices, one must be able to see beyond one‟s own per-

spectives and desires, to take in and respond to the multiple needs of community

and the greater environment of concerns. In addition, one must have the necessary

knowledge and be able to implement ideas within the systemic and inter-operational

nature of society. As my background is a composite of architecture, environmental

design, and urban and community development, I have always engaged the political

arena, albeit from the inter-operational aspects, and less the typical political

posturing we often experience.

Along these lines, I endeavor to play professional and personal roles in local

communities through active participation in neighborhood concerns and in the de-

sign of community-based projects, with services often provided pro-bono (for the

public good), because I believe in continually giving back. I have brought my

distinct training and experience in urban and community development to help commu-

nities have an informed advocate voice and to play instrumental roles in empower-

ing citizens to become vital participants in their local community efforts. As a

concerned neighborhood member, I also played a significant role as a co-chair of a

Carbondale Park District sub-committee to develop feasibility proposals to foster

usability and long-term vitality for the Hickory Lodge Park. Currently, I serve as

a board member on our Carbondale Main Street organization, playing a role to bet-

ter our downtown and its economic vitality, but also to retrieve its rich cultural

significance for the region.

In addition, alongside others at SIUC School of Architecture, I have endeavored

to reach out with our studio operations to address issues on campus and in the

region, wherein our students can learn the value of becoming model citizens within

their communities, as well as for others in their profession. The School of Archi-

tecture mission and vision statements, similarly stated in the university mission,

emphasize engaged service to the greater region and its communities. Much of our

work in this area emphasizes fostered advocacy and developmental thought for local

communities, as well as for our immediate campus. Since urban and community devel-

opment comprise the greatest number of intersections between human activities and

the greater socio-environmental domain, these classes have and will continue to

serve as a great source and convergent meeting point for inter-

disciplinary thinking and interactive communal development. These activities have

been highlighted in the news, hopefully inspiring others toward similar pride and

stewardship in engaging their community efforts. In this, I foster the idea that

all human endeavors carry the weight of multiple affections in the greater domains

of knowledge and the community of affairs.



The „single biggest issue‟ facing Carbondale, as with many other places as well,

is in actuality a composite issue, which I believe revolves around matters associ-

ated with „value‟. Within this inclusive view, the continuative issues of identi-

ty, community, meaning, aptitude, and economy prevail and are co-active. At no

time should any of these issues counteract or override the others, but instead

should be mediated to the best benefit of all. It seems that this has not been the

case, and thus the issue-at-hand.

We need to actively promote the significant identities of individuals (as models

of participatory citizenry), each neighborhood district as unique, the city center

and its regional influence (the history and place), our natural amenities (ecolo-

gy), and our educational hubs (university and community colleges) as together

recognizable and active agents within the regional community and the world-at-

large. With this, we should foster affective community relations between identi-

ties and their capacities to progressively work with each other toward overall

concerns and productive goals. The outcomes of these engagements must be able to

supply the ongoing basis for meaningful constructions that endure despite changing

times and economies, altering views, and shifting memberships within our community

of affairs. We need to capitalize on our current aptitudes which are at once the

meaningful aspects we build upon and make significant to their participants (and

hopefully beyond), intelligence-based, and productively vital as resources (and

funds) within the region. To capitalize on these issues collectively endeavors to

build an economy, to foster new business endeavors, and to form an ongoing mode

for a thriving quality of life and well-being. I should be elected to this posi-

tion because my particular professional training and experiences can greatly bene-

fit this city. I bring to the table the background, qualifications, understanding,

and proven ability necessary to bring ideas together, to implement them, and to

actively seek multi-level value through which these engagements can produce.



needed?

Tax increases are usually not a long-term answer. This action usually happens as

a knee-jerk response to problems and the need for additional funds to fix them.

Significantly, the budget cannot be thought of as a stand-alone goal as is often

the case. Revenue generation must be implemented alongside basic revenue saving

(balance), reduced spending and waste, increased potential for investment, and

increased possibilities for taxable revenue, as in creating new business and de-

velopment opportunities. These notions must also be implemented hand-in-hand with

initiatives to improve the quality of life and community that would also have

larger investment and revenue implications. In addition, collaborative partner-

ships (between individuals, groups, neighborhoods, colleges, businesses, etc) tend

to reduce overhead and provide multiple economic resources and knowledge bases

toward solving problems. These issues all require dedicated individuals to see

them through in viable, productive, and economically generative ways.

The city should also charge development impact fees to businesses that typically

have little local accountability and substantially add to the pollution, traffic

issues, noise, and water run-off, etc. especially near neighborhoods and ecologi-

cally sensitive or conservation areas. Having this charge in place would also

supply incentive to develop closer to the zoned, central business districts and

away from negative impact areas. In addition, the city should raise fines for

delinquent property and business owners as a type of impact fee. Since many of

these issues require redress, they inevitably tap city funds that could have been

spent otherwise. This inevitably leads toward the detriment of the city, its im-

age, and the quality of life in many areas. The city and its citizen participants

should not have to live with, much less be held accountable for the upkeep and

fixing of preventable problems, delinquent owners, and derelict properties. This

challenge would not only generate funds, but would also address negative issues

while supplying dutiful and employable roles for city staff. With this in mind,

eminent domain and revitalization measures (as policy) can also be implemented on

derelict properties, wherein better forms of ownership and quality can be fos-

tered.


Paired alongside budget issues, the city should progress beyond its initial

problems and actively promote distinct strategies toward long-term, profit-

oriented and manageable economic solutions. The city should plan active investment

strategies for the development of its city. With this, the city could generate

more economy, taxable revenue, co-profiting investment endeavors, and multiple

employment and duty opportunities for its staff and citizens, while reducing

spending on the perpetual fixing and management of problems. The top concerns in

regard to this issue are to: 1. Re-build downtown and establish distinct neighbor-

hoods in relation. 2. Re-create Carbondale as a Sustainable or even Regenerative

City. 3. Re-establish Carbondale as the intellectual and economic hub of the re-

gion. While many subcategories of approaches cascade from these initial goals,

these establish the foundation toward a strategic plan toward productive economic

outcomes.

Currently the quality of the built environment in many areas is declining with-

out effective overall efforts to fill-in where aged developments have been removed

or have become unusable, thus leaning toward money-pit problems and crime areas

(using tax dollars to monitor and manage). In addition, the beauty and quality of

many areas are becoming problematic toward bringing in permanent residents and

revenue producing businesses with the necessary amenities that would entice them.

These lead toward other continuing problems (ecological, social, cultural, etc)

and thus not durable, sustainable outcomes. Simply put, decline leads to more

decline and cascading detrimental, long-term effects. The east-side commercial

developments with increased traffic and pollution have proportionally outweighed

any efforts within the downtown areas and neighborhoods, where it seems citizens

are most concerned and where investment opportunity has diminished. A comprehen-

sive plan must actually be, dare to address, „comprehensive‟ and inclusive, and

not concentrated and isolated in its efforts. At the same time, the comprehensive

plan as a guideline must be prompted with an overall vision of its physical mani-

festation, set forth with an investable development plan in mind. Potential busi-

ness endeavors need to see ahead of investment where they can „fit‟ and where they

can „prosper‟ within a city that provides an overall image, organization, and goal

for quality and return investment.



Enrollment can be stimulated by essentially making Carbondale a place where stu-

dents desire to come and feel at home, a place where they can feel safe, a place

to enjoy and build memories, and to brag about over all other places. A common

complaint we hear at the university from parents of potential students is that the

city looks run-down and as such does not look like a safe place to send their kids

to study. In addition, the city is lacking in basic amenities for daily life. We

have a limited array of quality eating establishments, with very few within walk-

ing distance to campus and dorms. The north end of campus has little connection to

downtown, which has little urban life. The crosswalks are hardly used due to their

precarious nature and the general lack of destination points of interest. The

north side of campus at the city should be developed with quality mix-use facili-

ties that may include a hotel near campus, restaurants of varying price ranges, a

student/city information area, safe crossing zones, and celebrated, quality public

spaces for gathering, outdoor events, music festivals, etc.

This city should promote its outdoor amenities to students with sponsored events

for students and community alike to participate. The city could sponsor a tourist

center with wine tours to promote safe travel to and from wineries and in turn

boost additional economic venture for the city and region alike.

Another key venture could be to enable more hands-on university participation in

city endeavors. There are many groups, student organizations, and educational

units whose main goals include urban development, sustainability, policy making,

cultural studies, or social advocacy. Fostering partnerships, grant co-writing,

and service-learning in direct relation to distinct city affairs and problems

would not only be co-beneficial, but also a great attractor for students coming

here studying those related topics and thus our future leaders wanting to make a

difference in their world (beyond just academic).



As pointed out in this regard in a similar question brought forth by the Shawnee

Green Party questionnaire to candidates, I am a strong advocate for “Crime Preven-

tion through Environmental Design (CPTED). On this subject, I brought to the ta-

ble:

As an architect and urban designer, my background is essentially rooted in Envi-

ronmental Design (the built environment), as well as the main focus of my expanded

doctoral research and teaching. Beyond just a neutral background or an ecological

bearing, the „environment‟ in this context must first be understood in terms of

the critical human condition and its betterment (quality). As such, it is under-

stood as a multi-faceted problem with many spatial dimensions requiring coordinat-

ed interdisciplinary approaches with multiple interpretations of well-being. In

environmental design, we understand that the physical, spatial structure of our

environment has capacities to enable both positive and negative social action, and

strive to create exceptional forms of place, life, and community. The significant

issues here are that well-being and quality of life are design issues, which from

informed stances can be consciously implemented. It cannot be left to happen-

stance. Spatial structuring has to be seen here as the right tool(s) for the right

job(s). Space is an active stimulant for social and communal action and cannot be

thought of as innate, but as axiologically enriched with potential use, value, and

meaning. The creation of secure, quality „place‟ should also enable more signifi-

cant connections between participants and their context, while also fostering the

diversity of views, the primacy of self(s), public and private opportunities, and

meaningful socio-communal exchanges.

Jane Jacobs, a proponent of these ideals, advocated positive approaches to envi-

ronmental design in cities, fostering not just „fixes‟ or preventives to precede

human actions, but to approaches which foster meaningful human engagements and

well-being, while also empowering identity for its participants. We need not in-

corporate „defensible space‟ per se, as this has many negative connotations with

social ordering and control. However within similar auspices, we can design quali-

ty public spaces which increase aesthetic stimuli, positive emotive responses, and

meaningful social connections. We should not have unused, incidental, or unmoni-

tored space, but instead promote usable public buildings, walkways, and places in

our downtowns and neighborhoods. We should be supplying quality housing options

(preferably owned) which are mixed-use, mixed-income, and trans-generational, to

avoid large pockets of differing social castes. Our streetscapes should have ap-

propriate lighting and be monitored by police on foot or cycle to get intimate

ground views of events within distinct city territories. With this, it must be

acknowledged that bettered physical space alone cannot solve problems; it just

makes it easier to enable positive social practice. The designed built environ-

ment, as a spatial device, must also be understood by its users whereby its func-

tions are legible and readily accessible. Most environmental issues are first

engaged by social response and daily practice. As such, we should also enable

public participation in design endeavors and sponsor (as well as educate) neigh-

borhood groups to monitor areas for unwanted behavior and to identify unused or

decaying spaces that can later become problematic. In this regard, I promote Crime

Watch neighborhoods and the monthly or quarterly “Night Out” events to foster

closer neighborhood relations, to bring to the collective table and address con-

cerns. Citizens here should support their police in every endeavor. Here, mainte-

nance of existing space, ownership of problems, and accountability for one‟s own

community is essential. Otherwise negative action finds its own place to flourish,

and our police are forced to work harder on crime instead of community service and

betterment.


The Comprehensive Plan should be treated as a generic and generative framework

to guide action, but also will need to be modified alongside its implementation.

Beyond this guiding framework, a physical master plan must be actively established

that manifests a distinct vision and image for the city. Significantly, we must

fine tune and identify what qualities make Carbondale distinct, even special, and

develop an overall design vision for how the city will be developed, how it will

express its character and identity, and how it is intended to perform as a whole,

as well as in specific areas. This goal requires a design and supporting strate-

gies, informed by additional case studies and proven procedures, which lead to

distinct layouts of key places and explicit features within the city. For in-

stance, the downtown is essentially the core of economic and socio-cultural devel-

opment, but it has been in a state of decline. The overall image is one of inter-

mittent publicity, decay, and general neglect, in lieu of being social, produc-

tive, and vibrant. It does not function well, as many other exemplary case cities

do. While some areas are getting better, many sites are vacant or barren, business

facades are in need of repair, and the sidewalks are of poor quality and even

inaccessible to many users. A downtown vision is needed, one which raises the

downtown experience, the social field, the density of activity, the quality of

life, and creates vibrant public places, high-end shopping and eating, and dis-

tinctly connective walkable zones and corridors to SIUC campus and local neighbor-

hood districts. Investable business opportunities must be envisioned and marketed

that can be implemented with physical design outcomes. Along these lines, Carbon-

dale has a range of quality neighborhoods, but these areas should be distin-

guished, each with their own character and representative body of associates. A

model of this can be seen in our own Arbor District, but others in the city must

also be established in order for each area to be equally represented. The current

layout of Carbondale indicates that many neighborhood areas share adjacencies to

the downtown and business enterprise zones, but that the connection to downtown is

not formally designated nor of any preferred quality. Entryways and pedestrian-

friendly crossings at key locations enable as well as celebrate interconnections,

indicate movement, foster safety, promote economy, and add distinctive character

to area districts. With this, our green spaces and public zones must also be in-

terconnected in like fashion with distinctly designed walking and biking corridors

and green links that foster everyday health and life quality, as well as boost

economic activity. These design associations together, backed by the guiding

framework of the Comprehensive Plan, provide the devices for a superior place,

economy, and quality of life.




unsafe or eyesores?

As this issue has escalated and invaded every aspect of city life and quality,

the city must take control of this issue in some form. There are many ways if

truly there is a will. It seems to be the 500 pound gorilla that no one will di-

rectly address. Since Carbondale benefits at multiple levels from changing this

ownership ratio, it seems that this is a key issue that has led to many other

cascading negative effects in and across the city, university, and it residential

neighborhoods. This detriment is directly related to problematic and connected

issues like city aesthetics, student enrollment, pollution, derelict properties,

the potential for mercantile, and crime control, etc., all of which inevitably

effect our economy and quality of living.

This issue requires first that the city itself (and an organization of neighbor-

hoods) intervene, take ownership of the problem, and implement distinct strategies

with a master plan and supporting policies. With this, Carbondale should perhaps

get involved with the development and housing market and play a vested role toward

increasing ownership possibilities in the area. This does not have to be direct

monetary investments, but must involve identification of key areas in the city as

potentially ownership dominant and foster reward programs for neighborhoods and/or

developers (in partnerships) that play a significant role in this endeavor. In

this, the city must work in conjunction with neighborhood representatives and

identify distinct housing needs and economic ranges (some of this is identified in

the Comprehensive Plan), and lead toward models which match those demographics and

desires. Since the rental market and run-down properties in association seems to

dominate the better part of established neighborhoods, thus decreasing property

value and the potential for quality home ownership investment, another more abrupt

approach could even involve assessing impact fee or fines on derelict rental prop-

erties. Those fees could be placed in a fund for neighborhood redevelopment.

Currently the population is under the economic norm and predominantly transient

and short-term college students, which fundamentally supports a rental market.

Because of the dominance of students, the city and university should partner and

create more quality student housing on campus and in proximity to downtown ameni-

ties in order to take the load off the neighborhoods. Once vacated, the homes

and/or properties would need to be significantly upgraded or replaced and filled

with the desired target market. This requires partnerships with developers and

significant money from vested parties who can afford and implement this. There

seems to be plenty of in-between, buildable lots and a critical need for quality

townhome or bungalow style living for single individuals, couples, or small fami-

lies available in the city proper. Currently there is not much available for the

typical tenure-track professor or young entrepreneur here, or even small young

families, except run-down and beat-up ex-student houses, hardly the type one would

consider quality. The city also needs to create living solutions and assessable

areas to keep our older residents, primarily coming-to-age baby-boomers, in the

area. In combination, the city needs economic generators and supporting amenities

to encourage people living here within city limits who can actually afford a home.

These developments can be worked in cooperation with landlords, vested parties,

and stakeholders to mutual benefit and as a potential investment incentive to

relieve rental property in trade. Then we might begin to gain ownership property

and thus better the quality in key areas, and not lose any more property to low-

quality rental or slum alternatives.

Tom Grant

Occupation: Farmer/Consultant

Education: Associate Degree from SIU-C STC in Commercial Graphics-design, Inter-

national Code Council Certified as a Building Inspector, Commercial Building In-

spector, Building Plans Review, One & Two Family Dwelling Inspector, Housing &

Property Maintenance Inspector


Member of the Illinois Governor’s Task Force for Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act

from 2007-2009; Keep Carbondale Beautiful, Inc.; Energy and Environmental Advisory

Committee to Carbondale City Council; Code Enforcement Officials of Southern Illi-

nois (past President); Building Board of Appeals for the City of Carbondale; For-

mer Member of Rebuilding Together Carbondale Township.



The city’s financial well being has to be the top priority in order to continue

providing and maintaining a high quality of services in police, fire, trash remov-

al and water and sewer service. As a former City employee I am familiar with the

city’s budget process and will advocate that a city staff member be assigned to

research availability and application process of funds through granting agencies

and foundations that will enhance the community.

If elected, I will encourage the citizenry to inform staff members of possible

funding opportunities. Caution should be exercised in grants that may later burden

the city’s budget.



needed?

City systems must be looked at to operate as effectively as they can without

compromising the integrity and delivery of services or overburdening individual

employees. The current City Council just re-instated the property taxes for Car-

bondale and this measure should help ease the financial situation for the city.

Increasing taxes should be the last resort of the City Council after all other

avenues of increasing revenue have been exhausted.


Implement and incorporate renewable energy systems and encourage “green” roofing

some of the older flat roof buildings as urban gardening areas is a possibility.

Renewable energy technology is a growth industry that is creating new jobs while

protecting the environment. As a farmer, I believe that local food speaks to many

different levels. It has the ability to provide healthier meals to our school

children and ourselves; to solve food security issues during a disaster; to be an

economic stimulus opportunity for our community; to be a health initiative by

making people aware of what they are eating and how it is being produced. Local

foods proximity to the community reduces green house gas emissions and is in keep-

ing with the “Cool Cities Initiative” signed by the current Mayor.



The city and university should look at the currently under-utilized industrial

park properties and actively seek to find business concerns that can utilize the

university student population in their process. On-the-job training will increase

the desirability of graduating SIU students entering the work force. Because an

education at SIU may then provide a more competitive edge to graduates, it could

help to increase enrollment and provide much needed jobs within the community.



Crime is on the increase in Carbondale. Citizens must take an active role in

helping the police stop and prevent crime by working with the police and other

city departments to report actual and suspected criminal activity. I would like to

see a more visible presence in the form of foot patrols in the downtown area to

protect the citizens and guests of the community.


The comprehensive plan for Carbondale is intended as a guide for sound growth of

this community. It is a flexible document to be used only as a guide.




unsafe or eyesores?

The city currently has ordinances that deal with property maintenance and are

enforcing these ordinances. Many dilapidated homes have already been or are cur-

rently marked for removal and/or renovation. Continuing these efforts is the best

solution. Emphasis should be placed on protecting established neighborhoods and

investing in infrastructure upgrades in older residential areas of the city to

make them more attractive to permanent residents of the community.

I would like to thank the Southern Illinoisian and staff for creating this op-

portunity for the candidates in the upcoming election to express themselves.

CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN

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