Candidates for council offer their answers

ALASKA NEWSPAPERS STAFF

October 02, 2008 at 3:13PM AKST

Candidates are competing for two seats on Dillingham City Council Oct. 7. Carol Shade, the incumbent, will run against William Rodawalt for Seat B. Three newcomers – Jackie Chase, Vivian Braswell, and Robert Himschoot – will vie for Seat C.

The Bristol BayTimes spoke with candidates to get their views and find out what they would do for Dillingham residents if elected to council.

SEAT B
Carol Shade
What are three top issues you think the city council should address?
Saving money on energy in the city budget, determining what role the city might play in the proposed Harvey Samuelson culture center, and making sure the city’s fully staffed.

What will you do as city council member to address these issues?
On energy, we need to look at keeping costs down. When I worked for the state we kept our thermostat at 68; it could be those kind of energy conservation tactics, or working with other agencies to get alternative energy for the city.
For the cultural center, the city needs to keep its eyes open and discuss with the tribe and other agencies how the operation costs will be handled.
Getting the city manager position permanently staffed is the first step to keeping the city fully staffed, because that person takes the role of ensuring the rest of the positions get staffed.

What related experience do you have that helps qualify you for city council?
I’ve lived in the community since 1977. I’ve worked for various non-profit and governmental agencies. I sat on planning commission for a little over a year now. My experience in the accounting field can come in handy as we approach the budgeting system. As a 30-year resident of the community I have an idea of what’s necessary to work as a team with the rest of the council.

Why should voters elect you to Dillingham city council Oct. 7?
I’m a person who represents the community; I know how they feel, I personally know a large portion of the community, and I can represent them in a way they would like to be represented.

William Rodawalt
What are three top issues you think the city council should address?
Saving money on energy in the city budget, creating more constructive recreation opportunities for young people in town, and doing a better job of communicating with the public about what’s going on with the city on a regular basis.

What will you do as city council member to address these issues?
I’ll help make prudent decisions if there need to be cuts or enhancements to revenue in the city budget.
I’d like to see more work done on the youth center. Originally the Harvey Samuelson center was proposed as a youth center. In the last drawings I saw for it, they had added a culture center and the youth center had become a wing of it. I feel the whole project has grown way past what the original intent was, and I’d like to bring the focus back on the youth center.
It’s imperative that people are kept abreast of what’s going on with the city. I’d like to see the mayor or council members talking on KDLG, letting people know what’s going on in the city.

What related experience do you have that helps qualify you for city council?
I’m a social studies teacher; I understand government. I often attend school board meetings and have been to a number of city council meetings. In the past, I’ve worked on social committees, and have worked on homeless issues.  

Why should voters elect you to Dillingham city council Oct. 7?
I’ve become active in a number of different areas – I care about Dillingham, and I want to see things get better.

SEAT C
Vivian Braswell
What are three top issues you think the city council should address?
Creating infrastructure to handle growth and encourage the fishing industry to develop on-shore processing, expanding the city limits to include areas that use city services but do not pay for them, which could include getting out to off-shore processors, and preserving or upgrading the city's infrastructures that provide services to the community.

What will you do as city council member to address these issues?
I would direct management to meet the goals set by Dillingham City Council.

What related experience do you have that helps qualify you for city council?
I was the city clerk for 24 years, and filled a one-year term on the council after leaving that position. While employed with the city, I attended all meetings and workshops of the council and have history knowledge for this position. I do not represent special interest groups because city government is for us all and should work for us all equally.

Why should voters elect you to Dillingham city council Oct. 7?
I was born and raised here, I will retire here and would like to have input for what will happen in our city government.  I was lucky to have worked for the city for 24 years and would like to give some of that experience back.  

Robert Himschoot
What are three top issues you think the city council should address?
Finding ways to improve cost of living in Dillingham, ensuring that money from the school bond is spent in a way that benefits the longevity of the schools and education of children, and reviewing the city’s revenue sources to ensure we are funding services and infrastructure that our community relies on in the best way possible.
What will you do as city council member to address these issues?
I will look for solutions in the examples of other successful communities and in the successes of our own community. I will work with the council to bring city resources to bear in the development of alternative, sustainable energy sources for our community, and find ways to cut the cost of living in Dillingham.
I will work with the council to stay current with the progress of our school renovation project and help find cost-effective solutions to challenges that arise.
The city must fully fund existing infrastructure maintenance and community services, and also explore promising alternatives and additions to city services. We must maintain city revenue without increased property-tax burden. If we could find a way to cut cost of living and stimulate local spending, then sales tax revenue will naturally increase through a healthy increase in local economy.

What related experience do you have that helps qualify you for city council?
I have been a resident of southwest Alaska for the past seventeen years. I spent three years on the Bethel transportation committee. I bring an average intelligence and the will to use it to the best of my ability.   

Why should voters elect you to Dillingham city council Oct. 7?
We face serious community issues in the present and near future; I will work with the council to address these issues with an open mind to all ideas, and work to find ways for Dillingham to become more self-reliant and find solutions within our community and region.

Jackie Chase
What are three top issues you think the city council should address?
Getting the roads done, updating city code and addressing maintenance and repairs at the schools.

What will you do as council member to address these issues?
It’s something that’s going to take time to look at. You have to bring it up and go through it. There’s a whole procedure.

What related experience do you have that helps qualify you for council?
Motherhood.

Why should voters elect you to Dillingham council Oct. 7?
There needs to be a change in the City Council — new  points of view.