During my service as the Fourth Ward City Council Member, there has been a focused determination to get things done, some of which have been under consideration for some time.

I believe I have been an effective member of the Council, and I am confident that my experience will be valuable in a second term to make our community an even better place to live.

I’m running to build on what has been 

accomplished over the last three years.

1. Improved City Employee Compensation
2. Automated Waste Collection
3. Water Plant Upgrades
4. Short-Term Rental Ordinance
5. Allocation of ARPA Funds
6. Equity and Inclusion Initiatives
7. New Departments and Facilities
8. Increased Social Services Funding

Future goals include addressing the housing crisis, enhancing community safety, upgrading infrastructure, promoting renewable energy, and using equity as a guiding principle. 

Here is more detail of the important issues we have addressed, some of which have been under consideration for some time. 

• Increasing compensation for City employees. Early in my term, Council voted to change the City’s approach by moving our policy from paying at the mid-range of the market to leading the market. That has resulted in significant pay raises for many if not most employees, an increase in job applications to the city, and an uptick in filling open positions in essentially every department.

• Moving to automated waste collection. After consideration for some years, Council moved ahead and roll carts are now a big part of our waste collection system. This has resulted in safer working conditions for employees and a more efficient system of refuse management.

• Initiating updates to the City’s water plant. This also has been part of the community’s conversation for some time; now the upgrades are underway and improved water quality will result. I am confident we will also soon see a water tower in place to serve the southwest portion of our community, a much needed improvement.

• Passing a Short-Term Rental (STR) ordinance. The Planning Office and Planning and Zoning Commission worked hard and Council approved the ordinance last year to bring STRs into compliance. Once more, this was a matter Council intentionally pursued to completion. The approval process for STRs is ongoing and our community benefits from having addressed this City policy.

• Completing ARPA allocations. These available additional funds were welcome while also presenting challenges as to how they would be used. Thanks especially to the work of employees in Public Health and Human Services, Council was able to fully commit the $25.2 million to address homelessness, community violence, mental health services, and workforce development, interfacing with many partner organizations in our community.

• The Council also initiated initiatives that reflect the character of the community. These include the Safe Harbor Ordinance which speaks to our City’s values of acceptance and diversity, providing assurances for LGBTQ+ individuals. And paid family and medical leave for city employees provides greater stability for those households and contributes to employee retention.

Responding to leadership from City Manager De’Carlon Seewood and City Staff, Council voted to support a number of other initiatives:.

• Creating the Housing Department. This provides focused leadership for the City’s efforts to address our housing crisis.

• Purchasing the Ashley Street facility (the former VFW building) as a home for Room at the Inn (RATI) as well as Loaves and Fishes. With City support, RATI has moved to year-round operation and CoMo Mobile Aid has located their medical clinic at the site.

• Establishing the Office of Violence Prevention to bring greater emphasis to addressing the root causes of crime in our community. 

• Increasing fiscal support for social services after a decade of flat funding. 

Upcoming, the City Council, in collaboration with City staff and community partners, needs to do the following:

After establishing a new Housing Department and completing a housing study in conjunction with Boone County, we will aggressively address the crying need for new housing options across the income spectrum. At the same time, we will support those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, the goal being to assist getting those without permanent housing into stable housing.

Now that we have a new Office of Violence Prevention, to impact the root causes of crime by bringing a focus on poverty, education, and job opportunity, we will continue to support community partners who are doing this work on the ground. After seeing progress with increasing staff in both the Police and Fire Departments, starting our own Police Academy, and providing new tools such as the Flock camera system, we can anticipate improvement in safety throughout the community.

The importance of adequate infrastructure has become ever more significant for me as I become more informed about stormwater management, sewer functionality, and more. New upgrades are underway for our water system, roll carts are deployed, and it’s time to move forward the installation of a much-needed electric transmission line, as well as addressing concerns about the condition of the city’s roadways. 

More than ever, we must do all we can to protect our natural environment. The City does a great job of providing incentives for individuals and private companies to install solar panels, energy-saving appliances, and lighting. We need to pursue more renewable resources for our electric utility, especially as coal plants are closing, and educate our residents of the importance of conservation and recycling.

The upcoming months and years will continue to present significant challenges. With the support of my constituents in the Fourth Ward, I am determined to continue our forward progress. 

As we do so, we must always keep in mind the needs of every person in our community, especially those who struggle. Equity must be a lens we use in making every decision. 

As always, I will make myself available to any Fourth Ward resident who needs my assistance. I am always a phone call or email away!