ROGERS CITY COUNCIL : WARD 4 POSITION 1
Posted on Thursday, October 9, 2008
Goodwin
The candidates: Dan Brown and Bob Goodwin (incumbent )
Question: Provide those aspects of your background that would most help you perform the duties of a city alderman.
Brown: As a consulting civil engineer for 35 years working in municipal and governmental practice, I have experienced the workings of many cities, counties and state agencies. That experience offered insight into many different styles and methods of governing, some worth adopting and some not. Locally, I have served on the Rogers Planning Commission for the past 15 years (twice as chairman ), which has allowed me to be involved with many aspects of governing the city of Rogers. In addition, I have proven leadership skills through my service in the Rogers Noon Rotary Club, the Arkansas Society of Professional Engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arkansas, having served as president of each of these organizations. I believe the collective effect of these experiences has provided a strong background for my service on the Rogers City Council.
Goodwin: I worked as a bank loan officer in Rogers for 30 years. Almost everyone who sat down at my desk had a need or a problem and, hopefully, I would be part of the solution. I enjoyed helping people realize their hopes and dreams. Quite often, I meet middle-aged people on the street and hear them say, “ Bob Goodwin, you financed my first car. ” What a joy it is to see men or women who have become successful in a business and know that I may have had a small part in their success by extending credit to help get them started. I believe helping good people have a better life is, or should be, the aim and purpose of government at every level.
Question: Although there are few complaints about the performance of the Rogers city government, there is always room for improvement. In what ways can the city become more accessible, more efficient or more responsive to its citizens ?
Brown: Based on my experiences with the city staff, I have found them to be very professional, treating their customers with dignity and respect. They seem to understand they are there to serve the citizens of Rogers, and I believe they do a commendable job in performance of their duties. It would seem appropriate to me for our city staff to continue their efforts to provide a high level of service by periodically reviewing their job performance, particularly any problem areas that may have arisen, and make adjustments to the process as needed to correct the problem. In other words, we need to operate our city the same as any business in the private sector.
Goodwin: Prior to every council meeting in Rogers, there is a public forum, which allows any citizen an opportunity to address the council about any item on the agenda or any other matter of concern. The mayor has maintained an open-door policy in his office from day one. Every council member has a telephone, and the numbers are listed in the directory. Also, most council members have e-mail addresses, which can be found on the city’s Web site. I find it difficult to expand beyond this. I believe our system works well and is adequate. However, I would certainly be open to suggestions for improvement.
Question: With developments in the Pinnacle Hills area, Downtown Rogers ’ term as the city’s prime location has ended. What would you propose to restore the downtown to the success it once enjoyed while maintaining the booming west side of the city ?
Brown: I believe the key to revitalizing downtown is bringing people back into that area. The Frisco Festival and the many other activities sponsored by Main Street Rogers are, of course, designed to do just that, but they occur on an intermittent basis. The Rogers Little Theater and the Daisy Museum are great attractions yearround. However, I’m most excited about the possibility of renovating Lake Atalanta into a newly energized recreation facility and tying it in with the downtown area by means of trails. The older neighborhoods lying between Lake Atalanta and downtown have seen some improvements taking place over the last couple of years, and the renewal of Lake Atalanta should help accelerate that process. These two historic Rogers entities can then feed off each other and create new energy for the area.
Goodwin: Rogers ’ growth has been to the southwest because Beaver Lake and city limits block expansion in other directions. With the advent of Interstate 540, commercial development in this direction has blossomed and, I believe, will continue to do so into the foreseeable future, barring a depression. For the most part, Rogers has elected not to participate in depressions. Historic Downtown Rogers may never again become the hub of commercial activity it once was, but it remains alive and well, thanks to a vital Main Street program and people who have directed it, like Jenny Harmon and Marge Wolf. Now that our city offices and a county annex are located in downtown, this part of the city will continue to play a vital role in our community.
Question: How would you, as a council member, balance the needs of your ward with those of the city as a whole, especially in times when those needs are in conflict with each other ?
Brown: I don’t think that the needs of other wards necessarily conflict with the needs of Ward 4 citizens. We all benefit from infrastructure improvements in the city, regardless of where we live, because we are all moving through different parts of Rogers as each of us goes about our daily activities. I believe the current city government has done a reasonable job of allocating city-funded infrastructure improvement projects based on citywide needs, and has not unduly favored one ward over another. My personal goal would be to continue that decision-making strategy. One point to keep in mind here is that the infrastructure improvements in the newly developed areas of Rogers are typically paid for by the developers of the land and then donated to the city, so there is no expenditure of city money for those projects.
Goodwin: Council members are elected at large, not by constituents from your ward only. Therefore, when an issue as you describe comes to a vote, the councilperson must make his or her decision based on what is in the best interest of the entire city
Question: With a Target store slated to open early in 2009, the city has seen success drawing national retailers. Would you support further solicitation of larger businesses or promote smaller businesses and mom-and-pop shops ? How would you propose the city pursue your choice ?
Brown: I would support working to attract additional national retailers as well as other new businesses to the city of Rogers for two simple reasons. First, new businesses mean new jobs, and jobs are the driver of our economy. Secondly, new retail stores create new sales-tax dollars, which are the primary revenue source for the city of Rogers. Rogers has been very fortunate to attract the growth we have enjoyed in recent years, but that growth didn’t happen on its own. It has involved the hard work of many different groups within our city to create a welcoming and supportive environment for new businesses. I’m proud of the growth we have collectively achieved and will work to support continuation of that process as a City Council member.
Goodwin: The city of Rogers is a unique, loose-knit partnership comprised of city government, the Chamber of Commerce, the schools, churches and civic clubs. Each shares a common goal — make Rogers a better place to live. It was a red-letter day when Raymond Burns became our chamber executive. Raymond works closely with city government and has the uncanny ability to pursue and bring home the type of businesses and industries that are desirable for our community. We need retail businesses, large and small and the chamber, under Raymond’s guidance, knows how to recruit them. I believe city government should not enact laws that hinder this operation.
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