I want to share a document I wrote a couple of weeks ago in preparation for a recent forum and for use in a voters guide. I made the mistake of writing five pages instead of the one requested.

My bad.

A painful editing process resulted in a one-pager, but the exercise of the longer piece was beneficial for me, helping to further flesh out my perspectives as the campaign continues.

At forums, candidates struggle and often complain about the difficulty of responding to complex questions in the one or two minutes given to provide an answer.

Believe me, I understand.

So, here are my one-page-that-became-five-pages answers to the questions I was given. I hope this provides at least a little more context and information as regards some of the challenges we face as a community:

What are the 3 most important issues facing your ward and how would you address them?  

1) The housing crisis impacts everyone in Columbia - and beyond. This includes those who live in the  Fourth Ward. We need housing across the income spectrum, for those at the lowest income level to those with high incomes.  

While I want to see the City take advantage of every opportunity for infill development, there is a limited  amount of available land for infill in the Fourth. The likelihood is greater that new development will likely  take place in what is currently Boone County, adjacent to Columbia City Limits to the southwest. As the  City grows, these areas may very well become part of the Fourth. What has the greater impact currently  in the Fourth is the rise in the cost of housing generally, meaning that some have limited opportunity for transition to more desirable housing or to acquire housing when moving to the City. This creates a  domino effect, pushing some into lower tiers of desirable housing and then forcing some out of housing  altogether as rental rates increase.  

I would point to several things that have happened recently and/or are ongoing to address this matter.  One is the creation of the Housing Department. With this now in place, we have someone whose  primary focus is in addressing housing. They are doing this by leading the way, working with Boone  County counterparts, to put into action the recommendations of the recently completed housing study.  The purpose is to have measurable goals and results in meeting our housing needs.  

The Department is working to address the necessary changes we need to make to code, policies, and  procedures that govern construction, thereby reducing or eliminating unnecessary barriers to  development. One recent example would be zoning changes that provide for the construction of  “cottage homes” on smaller lots than previously allowed. This has already been fruitful.  

The Department has primary responsibility for exploring the use of the Housing Trust Fund, which was  created in this fiscal year. We need to find ways to incentivize new construction of all kinds. The Trust  Fund may very well be used for this purpose.  

City Council and County Commission, along with City administrative staff, are meeting together regularly  to review progress and strategize about efforts moving forward.  

2) Upgrading infrastructure. A good sign is that long-delayed upgrades are underway on the water plant, an indication of Council’s commitment to moving projects forward. We need to act soon and  decisively on increasing redundant and additional electricity transmission capacity to the southern and southwestern parts of the City, including the Fourth Ward. This too has been long delayed and is one of  the issues I am determined to act on with intentionality.  

I will add that aesthetic concerns will be a factor in successfully solving this problem. While I hear such  concerns and understand them, the public good will need to be the leading concern regarding location and type of installation. Unease about living near transmission lines also needs to be addressed with full  and comprehensive information.  

As noted, with housing being a primary concern, we must be sure that adequate infrastructure is  available for each new housing development as we continue to maintain current infrastructure. This  includes availability to sewer and, as the City grows, we must be forward-thinking to plan for growth.  

3) Concerns related to public safety. This is true in the Fourth Ward as well as in the City overall.  Everyone deserves to feel safe at home and in the community. Our police department already does an  outstanding job of closing cases. We need to continue to provide them the resources they need to carry  out their mission, such as the recently approved Flock camera system. We are making good progress with filling vacant police positions in the Department and I anticipate this will continue until we have a fully staffed department. We also now have our in-house police academy that will result in quicker placement in the field and greater loyalty to the Department. Council recently provided additional funding for both police and fire retirement funds and will remain open to further enhancing those funds.  

Additionally, we will soon see the beginning of the work of the Office of Violence Prevention, which will  address the root causes of crime in our community, with the goal of reducing it, especially gun violence.  There are simply too many guns in the hands especially of young people escalating conflicts with tragic results.  

It is important to point out that over 50 percent of the City’s General Fund (the only part of the budget over which Council has significant discretion) goes toward public safety. More than half of that amount is for the Police Department.  

As to fire protection, there are few vacancies - if at all - in the Columbia Fire Department. With the addition of Firehouse 11 in the southwest (Fifth Ward), the number of staff has increased. As Council has  approved the addition of Firehouse 10 (Sixth Ward), that number will increase again. These two  additions significantly contribute to safety in those areas as well as to contiguous areas such as the  Fourth Ward. 

What priorities should Columbia be focused on? How will you work to address them? 

In a general sense, managing growth. The recently completed Citizens Survey indicated concerns related  to homelessness, crime, and infrastructure - more specifically roads. While the latter bears more study  for detailed understanding, I think all are reflective of the rapid rate at which the City has grown for decades. We are no longer a sleepy little university town of 30,000 souls. At the current 130,000  population, and the attendant surrounding population growth, we face the challenges of similar, larger  cities.  

Growth puts a kind of competition between the desire for walkability and the need for reliable roads  beyond one’s neighborhood. Alongside those roads are electric and sewer lines managed by the City, waste and recycling services provided by the City, public transit, etc. (See #2 above.)

Growth puts larger demands also on public safety providers with a greater need for more staff, equipment, and administrative support. (See #3 above.) 

We must put a greater focus on planning, but also on making use of the studies that are done to help us  plan, e.g., the ongoing transit study and recycling study. The Council of late has proven, I believe, that we  will take up this challenge. Examples include the short term rental ordinance, introduction of roll carts,  and initiation of water plant upgrades, each of these having been delayed for years previously.  

As noted above, there is a deep commitment, along with County officials, to carrying out the  recommendations of the housing study released last October. That study provides specific targets for  housing needs and offers steps that can be taken to reach those goals. 

Homelessness and housing are closely linked. While homelessness has a lesser direct impact on the  Fourth Ward, most who live in the Ward are concerned. Because we do not have the needed housing  units available for households at the lower end of the income spectrum, more are becoming  unsheltered. Of particular note, we are seeing more seniors on the streets and seeking support from  service providers. As rents rise, we are likely to see more of this.  

I was involved for years in the effort to establish a 24/7 day center for the provision of shelter and  comprehensive services for the homeless and those at risk of homelessness. With the Opportunity  Campus, this will become a reality in 2026. While the Campus will not solve our homelessness challenges, it will  provide a central hub for services and bring greater efficiency and effectiveness to our efforts.  

We need to continue to support those who are providing services for the unhoused, with the goal of  placing everyone possible into stable housing. As we address the housing shortfall, we must  compassionately manage the challenges homelessness presents for those seeking housing and for the  community at large.  

All of these things have a significant fiscal impact. A recent Council work session reviewed a recent reduction of revenue from sales and use taxes, reflecting a national trend. As the City grows, and along  with it an expectation for the provision of City services, budgetary realities will be significant. The next  two years will likely be critical in determining our path towards support for robust service to our  residents.  

I will support specific steps to carrying out the planning we need, beginning with a review of current  guidelines, such as the Strategic Plan, provided to and for staff in the budgeting and policy-making  processes of the City, and push for a new version of Columbia Imagined to guide our vision.  

The number of crimes has gone up as the population has risen, but rates are steady or lower than in  the past. What are your ideas to address Columbia residents’ concerns in their neighborhoods?  

There’s little question in my mind that we do have a perception problem. This is exacerbated at least in part by the use and access to social media which heightens awareness of individual crime events in a way that would not have been true in years gone by.  

Much of these concerns, I believe, are also informed by perceptions of dangers in the downtown area. Even for those who seldom visit downtown, we all have a sense of shared “ownership” of that part of the City, and concerns there impact the sense of safety throughout the community. 

At the same time, there is a genuine perception that crime is greater and more dangerous than previously, as expressed in the recent Citizens Survey results, and we must respond to that.  

Many call for more police officers to be hired; this is widely supported and I am encouraged that CPD is  making progress in filling empty positions. To support this, Council has increased pay for police (and all  other City employees), instituting the policy of leading the market in compensation. Previously, the  policy had been to be at the mid-point of the market.  

We also approved starting an in-house police academy which will graduate its first cohort in March. The  academy presents a number of advantages over the previous academy. These include training recruits  directly on and within CPD systems and policies, meaning they should be able to complete field training  sooner, and establishing an immediate connection to the Department, resulting in greater loyalty.  

An ongoing concern is the need to increase retention of officers. Among other approaches, securing  retirement benefits is important, making sure that we are meeting our obligations to those who are retired.  

To increase awareness, CPD has increased communications with residents, specifically providing more  press releases. These not only raise awareness of incidents, but describe CPD response and the results. CPD has an outstanding record of closing cases and the public would be comforted, I believe, to know that. 

To that end, Chief Schlude recently held a press conference to provide and interpret crime statistics that clarify what is happing in our community. Further efforts will enhance our ability to collect and interpret data and then to direct resources appropriately.

Council also approved the purchase of the Flock license plate reader camera system which will be  deployed soon. While there were reasonable concerns about surveillance, the Council also passed a  citizen oversight ordinance to address concerns and approved a CPD policy that provides for regular audits of the system’s use. My support stemmed largely from the institution of these oversights and by  the argument that the system will be a force multiplier, decreasing the amount of time officers will need to close cases.  

A fully staffed and equipped CPD alone will not result in the kind of response to crime that we all want to  see. That’s why I also supported creation of the Office of Violence Prevention to more comprehensively address the root causes of crime, including youth involvement and poverty. This was first proposed in  2014 by the Mayor’s Task Force on Violence and I am glad to see it finally put into place.  

Do you believe climate change is a serious problem, if so, what short-term and long-term steps can  Columbia take toward using renewable energy and decreasing its carbon footprint?  

Climate change is a reality. It is already impacting the entire planet and will continue to do so well into  the future. While our location in the middle of the continent may insulate us to some degree from the effects of climate change, such as rising tides, our community is certainly impacted - economically and as  regards quality of life. We are more vulnerable now to abnormal temperatures and the potential for  tornadoes.  

Beyond that, we are responsible for our part in contributing to climate change, most specifically through our contribution of Green House Gases (GHG) into the atmosphere. It is here that we can and must take action, being as aggressive as possible in policies and ordinances.  

I support updating the Renewable Energy Standard to a goal of 100% by the earliest possible date with 2035 as the target. While both barriers and opportunities may very well present themselves in an evolving market, Columbia is in a position to lead by example in our state with an aggressive approach. 

While being proactive and aggressive in this way is important, we will be constrained to some degree by  current Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with coal companies. The best opportunity in this regard is with the  Sikeston plant, generally thought to be the first and most likely to close in the next few years.  

If so, the power currently acquired from Sikeston will have to be replaced and the preferable replacement is with renewables. New PPAs will take time to finalize and I believe we must review these options in the very short term to assure the best position we can for the city with available sources.  

We also need to encourage use of non-motorized travel. We need to take advantage of every  opportunity to encourage and develop walkable neighborhoods throughout the City. So we need to  prioritize and be innovative about infill development and encourage elements of walkability in new  developments such as at Legacy Farms in the southern part of the City. We also need to continue  enhancements and extension of the City’s trail system.  

I support Livable Streets, promoted by Local Motion, which provides an excellent opportunity to  establish a roadmap for the City to follow in making our community more walkable and bike-friendly.  

Additionally, we need to take advantage of the recent transit study which has been sent back to the consultant with questions, concerns, and suggestions from the Council for review. A more robust and useful transit system must remain a critical goal for the City, not only to encourage its use, but to provide  a necessary service for people without other options. Council anticipates a followup report soon.  

And we need to encourage the use of the City’s significant programs to encourage installation and use of  energy efficient elements in the home such as home insulation and energy efficient appliances. I have  benefited personally from these programs when we installed new HVAC equipment (mini-splits) and we  will benefit again when we install a solar panel array for our home soon. (This latter installation is under  contract and should provide all our annual electricity demand.)  

While I am grateful to be able to take advantage of these incentives, I am also concerned that such  upgrades are financially out of reach for many and we should explore options for these residents such as the Pay as You Save approach and encouraging energy efficiency upgrades in rental housing.  

We also need to encourage and incentivize energy efficiency upgrades in rental properties. These  improvements could significantly impact low-income households in particular.

For more information, please see previous updates on my website.