Barb Eidlin - Writing Samples

Question 1: How do you see the role of a City Council Member/Mayor aiding the new Carbondale Downtown Master Plan?

As has been well established, in the Council-Manager form of government, both the Mayor and the Council review initiatives like the Downtown Master Plan, and once reviewed, advise the best course of action for their implementation. In this form of government, the Mayor’s role is as a key political leader who functions a lot like an Ambassador – they facilitate communication between elected officials, act as a guardian of and promotor for the community and its needs, and can be a key representative in relations on a State-wide and international level. 

If you are following City politics, you know that the Council recently approved Houseal Lavigne as the consulting firm to assist with the Downtown Master Plan and has instructed the City Manager to negotiate a contract with the firm. So, first of all, we need to finish creating the plan. As Mayor, I will make ensure that the Downtown Advisory Committee has the support they need to continue guiding this major endeavor.

After that, the mayor and council need to advise what in it we need to prioritize and what in it we can realistically accomplish within our budgetary and legal constraints— we can only do so much, and the downtown isn't the only part of the city that needs attention.  I have suggested engaging a grant-writer for the City. Perhaps one of their first assignments would be to find revenue sources for projects the community would like to prioritize. I would also take my role as an “ambassador” seriously, using the position to work with regional, State, and even Federal offices to help recruit business and seek out alternative means of funding projects.

I also appreciate my opponent’s vocal support of the widely-circulated community sentiment that we should draw from local talent wherever we can in the process of implementing different projects. It would be a great thing to see SIU’s metalworking department making signs or grates for new buildings, or to see local artisans brought in to do sign work, or murals. 

But, again, we need to finish the plan first. Then the Mayor and Council's job is to figure out what policies we need to implement so city staff has clear direction in carrying them out.

2: What are your plans for areas of Northwest Carbondale where properties, roads and alleys are in disrepair and seem to have been forgotten? Do you have a plan to hold accountable the slumlords that control a major portion of the area?

First of all, with regard to properties in disrepair, my response depends on whether or not those properties are owner occupied or rental units. With regard to rental units, I completely endorse the City’s Mandatory Rental Inspection Program. As a result of the success of this program, it may surprise you that many of the larger landlord’s properties are, in fact, in better compliance with Carbondale code that some owner occupied homes. That said, I will also continue to support the City’s zero tolerance attitude toward landlords that refuse to maintain their properties.

With regard to owner-occupied homes, much of the ability to affect the appearance of those properties lies in the hands of the owner. If, for instance, the owner has managed to hang onto their home through the recent economic downturn, but has experienced economic distress in the process, their property might not be in the condition they’d like it to be. In instances like this, we can refer them to programs like the City’s Single Family Rehabilitation Grant Program which may offer them the assistance they need. We can also encourage reinvestment in the community by promoting programs like the City’s first-time homebuyer assistance grant and single family housing conversion grant.

I can, and will continue to support the programs in existence which help to regulate the appearance of the landscaping of these properties, as well as the monitoring of debris or objects that may accumulate on these properties.  In severe instances, I encourage residents to contact the Carbondale Police Department for additional support. They have a Nuisance Property complaint portion on their website covering junk & trash, vehicles in yard, overcrowding and poor property conditions.

With regards to roads and alleys that are in disrepair, we have a terrific street department. As part of the Department of Public works, they do their best to keep up with their constant upkeep these resources demand. If you’ve driven anywhere in the last week or so, you will notice that the repair work necessary this spring is extensive and they have already started making the repairs. That said, residents who see problems with pavement failures or other infrastructure problems are encouraged to call and report them to the City's Maintenance and Environmental Services Division at 618-457-3275. One other thing to note is that not all alleyways are maintained by the city. Some are the responsibility of adjoining property owners.

Question 3: Many residents of the NW are concerned with the quick destruction of our climate. Do you have plans for what the city of Carbondale could do about this crisis?

I am concerned about the wellbeing of our future environment, both for myself and for my grandchildren. I am happy to report that the city has done many things that most people don't know about. For instance - our sewage plants used to produce methane that left untreated, would just vent into the atmosphere. Now the City recaptures it and uses that methane to help heat the treatment plants.

As Mayor I would support our exploration of and conversion to sustainable methods of power generation where possible. I support implementation of projects like the Brightfields solar project – but in an area that is supported by the community at large and to the detriment of none. I would encourage SIU’s interest in windfarm development.  I will fight to keep our water clean and in the public trust. 

I would also encourage far less “sexy” projects – for instance, we can look into a more sustainable approach to water retention and runoff by investigating permeable paving, which may, in the long run, save on maintenance costs to our storm water processing systems. I don’t know if the Sustainability Commission has looked into the cost of such a project, but it they haven’t, it would be a good use of City resources to have them do so. 

I would encourage investigating LED lighting solutions for unsafe walkways which would go a long way both toward long-term savings and crime prevention.  I know there has been a lot of research into using CEPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design) standards in the Neighborhood Alliance meetings. Many of these solutions serve both economic and environmental needs. 

Question 4: Do you have any ideas on how to resolve the differences between SIU’s population and our town’s population? 

We live in a college town by choice – it comes with some downsides, but gives us the benefit of living in a college town. We have ordinances to regulate things like noise levels, festivals and alcohol consumption. These help our core neighborhoods enjoy some peace, and an environment of civility. At the same time, we want re-development of our downtown which will increase the noise, the traffic, our nightlife, and boost our economy. To me, the question is how do we get our students to adopt a mature attitude and our Adults to adopt an attitude of guidance. 

If we encourage projects such as getting our local Fraternities and Sororities to adopt a neighborhood, we might begin to revive some of that Town/Gown spirit that people seem to be missing. Practically, it would let the members of the SRO fulfil their community service requirements and at the same time, form a neighborhood level bond with Carbondale. If we extended that, by having the coordination go through one of our commissions – maybe Human Relations or Sustainability, residents could sign up to work with each SRO. 

We can promote, in our recruiting efforts, the idea that respect for this town and the institution of SIU go hand in hand.

Question 5: What is your stance on animal control and the city’s often ignored leash law?

It should be obeyed. All dogs are required to be registered with the Carbondale Police Department, with varying fees depending in whether they are fixed or not. Unfortunately, the City of Carbondale has one animal control officer.She is as dedicated a control officer as anyone, but she is one person -- and enforcing leash laws one dog at a time is very time consuming. We have about as strong an animal control ordinance as the state of Illinois will allow. But at the moment, the solution to this on a wide scale basis is neighbor to neighbor. If you see a dog running wild, report it. If it is unregistered upon apprehension, its owner must pay fees to get the dog back. Many neighborhoods have a Neighborhood Watch Officer – part of their job is to keep the safety of their neighbors in mind. Perhaps through that program, the Police Department could engage these residents to get to know which of their neighbors have dogs and drop off licensing forms to them.  As Mayor, I would encourage partnerships like this. As I said, right now, our solutions are going to come from our residents as the city has limited funds to expand current municipal programs.

Question 6:  New York City has just banned possessing, selling or offering single-use styrofoam containers or cups – even “packing peanuts” – beginning July 1. What is your opinion on community wide bans such as this. Would you support such an effort in Carbondale? Why or why not?

While I agree this is the right thing to do, paper containers can cost up to four times more than Styrofoam containers. This is a concern for many small businesses who count every penny of every expense. I have heard proposals from Carbondale citizens ranging from an outright ban, to adding a container charge to each individual bill, to doing nothing at all as to some people this is not an issue. I support our local chain retailers in their efforts to educate people – Schnucks, for instance, has a huge campaign going to encourage customers to use reusable bags. Aldis doesn’t supply plastic shopping bags for free, at all. I think a good place to start would be to encourage our sustainability commission to work with local retailers to help them educate their customers. 

Question 7: SIU has begun to upgrade its campus lighting with energy-efficient LED lights that cut costs & improve the overall quality of light. Programs such as this have been shown to improve quality of life and decrease crime when implemented. Would you support a gradual transition of Carbondale street lights to energy efficient LED lights? Would you also support a strong lighting ordinance to compliment such a transition? Why or why not?

I believe Carbondale did this with some traffic lights many years ago using grant funding. LED bulbs are cheaper now, but we had municipal authority over those. Ameren Illinois actually owns most of our streetlights. As Mayor I would certainly support conversations with that utility company to investigate a transition to LED lights. I would also like our city to investigate what grants its own organizations – like Keep Carbondale Beautiful - might be able to bring to the table for alternative lighting projects.  Encouraging a partnership between this organization and a department at SIU – Art & Design, for example -- might end up with some projects that bring both beauty and safety to our streets.

Question 8: The Northwest Carbondale Neighborhood Association board of directors has proposed creation of a Traditional Neighborhood District within our zoning code as a way to encourage reinvestment in our older neighborhoods. Would you support the creation of such a district, either as a stand-alone district or as an overlay on our existing districts? Why or why not?

I can think of many reasons why this would be a good idea. I understand the need to have input into future large scale developments – I remember the project slated for the old high school football fields caused some worry among the residents of Carbondale. I understand the desire to re-introduce smaller, mom and pop neighborhood stores – I have heard several stories about when Jim & Ruth’s Market closed a bunch of years ago, and how much it is missed.  I understand how maintaining green space and a healthy tree population can enhance a neighborhood’s property value. Establishing such a district brings the benefit of a neighborhood identity. The work of establishing that district comes through the creation of regulations, initially by the residents, which might include design standards or architectural recommendations. It would be crucial for the neighborhood to work with the City staff in this process, and important to have the support of council members and business partners on this project. It would be great if the Preservation Commission could assist in the process. As Mayor, I would support your neighborhood in your work on this in any way I could.

Question 9: Is there a role for the city government to play in Carbondale’s park system, or should the parks be left entirely to the Carbondale Park District? If you believe the city government has a role, please explain what the city government’s role should be.

Certainly, the city and Park District have their own responsibilities, but the city and Park District interact every day. Without this interaction, projects like the Waterpark might not have been partially publically funded or come to fruition. I believe the City’s role should be what it has traditionally been – an ally, and sometimes partner, to the projects developed by the Park District for the enjoyment of our residents and visitors.

Question 10: Is there a role for the city to play in improving Carbondale’s schools, or should the schools be left entirely to the school districts? If you believe the city government has a role, please explain what the city government’s role should be.

 The Superblock is a great example of a collaboration between all three governing bodies, as is the Splash Park. That said, the current condition of the City’s finances precludes this kind of endeavor for the foreseeable future. Each entity must levy their own taxes for their projects.

Question 11: Many streets within the Northwest Carbondale Neighborhood Association’s boundaries lack sidewalks, or curb and gutter storm water drainage, or both. Do you think investment in this infrastructure is a priority and, if so, how would you propose funding these expensive projects?

Regarding sidewalks, if a resident wants one, the City has a Sidewalk Construction Program to help them out. Property owners must request sidewalks, then the requests enter the budget process and construction begins when money is available. Regarding curb and gutter storm water drainage, I would lean toward support for the maintenance of ditches as they currently exist, and perhaps the creation of new ones, where feasible – they are cheaper for the City to maintain, and according to the experts, better for the environment. But you hit the nail on the head when you said these projects are expensive. We are also faced with an aging infrastructure which is in need of attention and in many instances, a priority. If we are installing new water lines and sanitary sewer, using buried storm water sewers may allow widening of the street and thus more parking. If the funds for such projects do become available in the future, I would like us to consider what is best and sustainable for the City at an economic and environmental level.

Question 12: What is your stance on the city playing a leading role in creating a local food economy?

The City can play several roles. They can acknowledge restaurants that use local or regional meats, produce, and beverages and local chain stores that carry the same, by giving awards and public recognition. The City can encourage the Chamber of Commerce and Carbondale Tourism to actively promote awareness for our local food economy.  The City can encourage local farmers to partner with SIU and school systems to get healthy food to our students. As Mayor, I would lend my energy to the growth of public/private partnerships to ensure the success of initiatives like establishing a central, year-round farmer’s market through a public/private partnership.

Question 13: A perennial concern for the residents of the NW is the general encroachment upon the neighborhood by Carbondale Memorial Hospital.  What do you propose can be done to protect the residential houses on North Almond in its stretch between West Oak and Main Street?

I have had feedback from someone on that side of town about the current and potential impact the construction of the SIH Generator facility had on the neighborhood. I understand that many of the homeowners with houses on or near this block have spent time and money restoring and preserving some of the largest and most beautiful houses in the Northwest neighborhood. I understand that the quality of the neighborhood will be impacted by future development. As Mayor, I would work with the Administration at SIH, The City Staff and the City Council, to keep the affected neighborhoods well informed of, to have some say in, any future development that might occur. 

Question 14: Carbondale is designated as a Tree City but some NCNA members are distressed that landlords may take down 100+ yr. old trees without cause and that Ameren prunes around power lines without regard for the life of the trees. Would you advocate for stronger protections for our Cities trees and/or consider a program to bury the power lines?

I don’t know the specific trees referred to in this question, but I would imagine there would have been some cause for removing them. Insurance premiums, or clearing the way for future construction or utility improvements, or even perhaps an un-seen, ill-heath of those trees, are examples that come to mind. But there are instances where ordinances protecting older-growth (Historic or Heritage) trees exist – the City of Waukeegan, IL requires a permit be issued before trees like this can be removed. If the neighborhood feels strongly that older-growth Heritage or Historic trees need the protection of an ordinance, the Mayor and the Council must consider that.