Questions for City Council/Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire

 

We asked that responses be returned by February 15, 2023 to thearbordistrict@gmail.com, or to respond by that date if more time is needed. Responses are here.

 

• ​The Arbor District is within easy walking distance of our two largest employers, SIU and SIH, a grocery store (Schnucks), and Downtown. But State Highway 13 flows through it with large numbers of drivers speeding far over the 30 mph speed limit, and speeding is a concern on the secondary streets, as well. In addition, many streets do not have sidewalks, storm drains, or curbs. 

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What kinds of policies and investments, if any, would you pursue to enhance the safety and walkability/bikeability of this neighborhood?How would you address the complex zoning within the Arbor District? 

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 If you are not expert in zoning, what kind of redevelopment would you envision and, , as an elected official, promote for the Arbor District and the TIF district it surrounds?​

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• There is a disproportionate amount of crime in the Arbor District. How do you understand the nature of crime in our neighborhood and, as an elected official, how would you attempt to address it? 
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• Do you believe the City has a responsibility to enhance the aesthetic qualities of Carbondale’s residential neighborhoods and business districts? If so, what policies and investments would you promote to improve the visual appearance of the Arbor District?

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• Do you believe the City has a responsibility to improve the quality of housing in Carbondale’s residential neighborhoods? If so, what policies and investments would you promote to address the large numbers of vacant, boarded up, and blighted properties in the Arbor District?

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• Arbor District residents have noted that some landlords have rented vacant properties for weekend parties, which sometimes become sites of gun violence. What policies would you promote to prevent such illegal rentals?

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• The Arbor District held a public meeting in January to address the large number of shootings in the neighborhood. The City Manager said he would meet with the Arbor District board, but not a general public meeting. 

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• What do you see as the responsibility of the City Manager and other relevant staff to meet with the public? What policies would you promote to clarify the relationship of City administrators with the public?

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• The Arbor District, like Carbondale, is ethnically and racially diverse. What policies, services, and programs can the city provide to bring various groups together to work on common interests?  More broadly, as an elected official, how would you address race relations in Carbondale?​

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