Brian Stanfield Responses

 Below are the responses I received from city council candidate Brian Stanfield

 

1. Why are you running for city council?

I came to Carbondale for graduate school at SIU and I loved the city so much I never left. Now that I am a professor of philosophy at John A. Logan College and own a house in Carbondale, I want to be more engaged and give back to the community that I’ve made my home.

 2. What do you hope to accomplish during your term on council?

I want to promote a city council that will be more accountable and transparent in its deliberations and decisions. With problems in housing, homelessness, crime, and economic stagnation, Carbondale’s city council must take the lead in generating accurate and widely available data about these issues. We need to create specific task forces to tackle each unique problem and recommend data-driven solutions for the council to enact. These efforts must be a collaboration of city, public, and private entities to ensure that the best possible outcomes are achieved.

 

3. The city has embarked on some major projects during the last several years. (multimodal transit station, demolition of blighted properties, entertainment plaza, upgraded downtown lighting, upgraded downtown sidewalks). Is there a project you would like to see the city undertake?

Now that Carbondale Community Housing has announced an executive director, I’d like to see that organization work collaboratively with the city to promote first-time homeownership for our citizens who might otherwise not have that opportunity. Converting vacant rental properties into single family homes should be a top priority. In addition, the city should incentivize filling vacant downtown buildings with locally owned businesses. The city must also streamline its existing procedures, such as rental property inspections, so that enforcement for habitual violators can be achievable.

 

4. Given how much the health of Carbondale and SIUC intertwine, how can you see the city and university working together for the benefit of each?

As a former SIU student, I would love for both Carbondale and SIUC find ways to entice students to stay and build careers in Carbondale. The collaborative efforts among Carbondale, SIU, and also SIH will be essential in creating an atmosphere of job creation, economic development, and home ownership. There are already some templates for city/university collaborations, such as the Sunset Concert series each year, that can inspire more ways to work together to revitalize our city.

 

5. What additional steps (if any) should the city take regarding rental properties?

I’ve already outlined several specific steps above, but in general the city must centralize and rationalize its already existing code for rental properties to become more transparent and accessible to both tenants and property owners. The city should be focused on enforcing the existing rules in ways that will punish habitual irresponsible property owners. Responsible property owners should also be supported by the city to help maintain and improve their properties through grants and tax incentives.

 6. In the 90s, downtown Carbondale was a shopping district. Today, most visitors to downtown Carbondale visit one place and leave. Is there anything the city could/should do to change this or is this a natural progression of behavior?

One of the mistakes Carbondale made, decades ago, was to promote chain stores and restaurants that built up on the outskirts of town, to the detriment of its local downtown businesses. While it appeared to be a shrewd move to generate a growing tax base, we’ve now realized that there are certain demographic triggers that result in these stores to pull up stakes, cut their losses, and leave the area.

 Our two eclipse events over the past decade have shown that Carbondale could recapture that downtown feeling if we all are pulling in the same direction. The city should prioritize a clear and effective vision for revitalization of its downtown properties and locally owned businesses. We need accessible parking available in more inviting areas in order to encourage people to stay, with better signage in the downtown area to direct visitors to parking and other specific landmarks.

 7. How do you visualize Carbondale and what steps can the city take to achieve your vision?

I envision a vital community that people will enjoy visiting, investing, working, and living. Carbondale must explore new kinds of business development opportunities such as clean industry, manufacturing, and tourism. Many of these opportunities already exist throughout the area but must be brought together to work collaboratively for Carbondale’s growth. I’d like to see a community where homeownership is an achievable goal, where people can become more invested in their homes, become part of a more stable tax base, and to feel engaged in their communities. Engaged citizens will also create a safer community composed of neighbors who know each other, not just anonymous property owners.