Bella Vista City Council hopefuls gathered for a public forum on Sept. 25 at Riordan Hall. The event, sponsored by The Weekly Vista, gave the 10 candidates a chance to deliver their platforms in front of more than 60 people.
Candidates were each asked five questions and given two minutes to respond. The topics ranged from concerns about budget issues and how to better promote cooperation between the city and the Property Owners Association, to the candidates' familiarity with the Freedom of Information Act.
Three council spots are up for grabs this election cycle: Ward 1, Position 2; Ward 2, Position 2; and Ward 3, Position 2. Ward 1 has five candidates vying for alderman: Tom Candela, John Flynn, Jason Frederick, Ashley Linden and Dane Zimmerman.
Current Mayor Frank Anderson and Rick Neal are battling in Ward 2, while Philip Bardasian, Rory Crivello and Alderman Larry Wilson -- the only incumbent -- are vying for alderman in Ward 3. Anderson and Bardasian were the only two candidates absent. Both had prior commitments and were unable to attend.
City, POA cooperation
The collaboration -- or lack thereof -- between the City of Bella Vista and the POA has been a lingering issue since the city incorporated in 2007. All the candidates agreed that both parties must work together to ensure the city's growth.
Candela opened the forum, saying that a compromise between the POA and city is vital to increasing commercial development in the area. Flynn agreed, but added that Cooper Communities Inc., is an important "third player."
Frederick, who said that businesses have a hard time committing to Bella Vista because the lack of the availability of utilities, insisted that cooperation between the city and POA is the best way to "get things done."
Linden and Zimmerman both noted the strained working relationship between the POA and city, but argued that the issue was solvable. Zimmerman cautioned that there "is no one solution," while Linden called it a "hurdle, but not something that couldn't be overcome."
Neal, citing Bella Vista's location along U.S. 71 as ideal for business, said the cooperation between the POA and city would be good for uniting the east and west sides of town.
Crivello said that "communication is a coordinated effort" and requires equal participation from both the city and POA.
Wilson concluded the first round of questions, saying residents shouldn't look at the POA and city as "separate entities," arguing that "as the POA goes, so does the city."
Understanding the FOIA
Neal opened the question on the Freedom of Information Act, which sought candidates' knowledge of FOIA laws and how it would effect their actions if elected. He said the law was designed to encourage transparency, and promised "to be open because all that the POA and city does is for the public."
Wilson followed, touting his legal background and council experience made him very familiar with FOIAs. Wilson also discussed his recent experience with an FOIA, citing last year's incident when four aldermen were accused violating FOIA by the Weekly Vista. Then-Benton County Attorney Van Stone said the council did not violate FOIA laws.
Calling himself a "no frills, shoot from the hip guy," Crivello said the FOIA won't change his style of governance. He added that he was a "lousy poker player" and said FOIA holds "everybody accountable."
Flynn, who has a background in corporate law, said the legal definition of the FOIA was somewhat convoluted. Flynn added he wouldn't be "calling anyone on the phone or speaking to them at the grocery store about city business."
Frederick said he would go beyond FOIA requests for government transparency. "My contact info will be available," he said. "I'll be fully approachable."
A small-business owner, Linden relied on her business background as proof of her sterling character. "Nothing will change," she told the crowd. "People know me from my business and know I'm honest -- there's a personal trust. That won't change if I'm elected to the city council."
Zimmerman cited his career in the National Guard, specifically pointing to the military's Code of Conduct, as giving him a moral compass that would guide him as an alderman.
Candela, the only candidate other than Wilson with prior experience serving on a City Council, said that "seeing things done from the inside" gave him a better perspective of how FOIA requests work. He added that the "easiest way to tell you're doing a lousy job, is if the press is filing a lot of FOIAs." He served on the City Council in Carthage, Mo.
Promoting
Bella Vista
The candidates were asked how they would bring Bella Vista more recognition, primarily focusing on how they would tie into the other major hubs around northwest Arkansas. While this session allowed for the candidates to delve into the finer details of their platforms, most agreed that balancing Bella Vista's influx of younger families with its older residents was important.
Wilson, who has served on the city council for the past two years, said Bella Vista needs an outreach program. "My goal is to turn Bella Vista into an All-American city," he said.
Crivello, meanwhile, championed Bella Vista's reputation as a safe and affordable city. "Bella Vista is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 places to live in the country," he said. "That's what we should be advertising."
Cautious of spending money on advertising, Frederick said simply filling vacant homes in the area would be the best route. "We have nearly 2,000 empty homes for sale," he said. "Filling those up and giving them places to shop that aren't 20 minutes away would help Bella Vista."
Linden, who is ex-officio member of the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce Board and on the chamber's Bella Vista business task force, said a nationwide campaign could be beneficial. Wary of the expense an initiative like that would cost, Linden cited a successful campaign for a similar-sized town in Tennessee, adding that pursuing the opportunity is "worth the potential for growth," despite the risks.
Zimmerman, however, charged that the chamber hasn't been active for Bella Vista. He said the unique landscape of Bella Vista sets it apart from the rest of northwest Arkansas, adding that he would try and maintain the feeling of "visiting your own little, gated community," when coming into town.
Candela also wanted to utilize the aura of Bella Vista. He said that the city, despite its limitations, has done "pretty well" to ingratiate itself into the region. Warning the audience that growing a city the size of Bella Vista is "harder than it seems," Candela recommended putting up "magnificent signs" that catch people's eye as they come into town.
"We've got existing (sign) pedestals on each end of town," he said. "We could do it on a limited budget as well."
Flynn also advocated advertising the positives of Bella Vista, citing low crime statistics, widespread home ownership, and affordable real estate. His primary argument was to change the advertising message, saying "the negative ads should no longer set the tone," which drew a round of applause from the audience. He added that Bella Vista was a hybrid town, straddling the line between a "retirement community and a bedroom community."
"I propose we make Bella Vista the No.1 reasonably priced recreation community in the U.S.," Flynn said. "We're not far from it, and the reason California and New York can't do it is because they don't seem to understand the definition of 'reasonably priced.'"
Neal took a slightly different approach. He argued that people in the region are already aware of the progress in Bella Vista, and said that "he'll continue the job to get the good message out. We're already on the cusp."
Promoting better communication
Candidates were asked how they would improve the level of communication between residents and city officials. Many said more public forums and improved outreach from city hall would help.
Neal said its his job as an alderman to "get the word out." He added that he would be active however he could in spreading the message about meetings and issues the council was discussing.
"We have a pretty full room here tonight, but I'm still a little let down at the turn out," he said. "Because I know people are concerned."
Crivello said the issue could be solved two ways: word-of-mouth communication and reaching out to various media outlets.
"Word-of-mouth works really well, and it has a pyramid effect," he said. "And not everyone uses the same media to follow things. I'd like to hold a forum once a month where people can come and voice their thoughts and concerns while also getting a feel of where I am on an issue."
Wilson agreed with Crivello's assessment, saying that a forum setting would work very well. He also argued for improved "one-on-one communication" and a revamped city website.
Expanding on the need for an improved online presence, Linden said she would explore social media integration as well.
"I have a marketing background, and things like Facebook make it easy to stay up-to-date with what's going on," she said. "One-on-one (communication) is great, but it's not efficient."
Zimmerman, who admitted that he had trouble keeping up with municipal issues when he was younger, said simplifying the way residents interact at meetings could be beneficial.
"I know we can't all make it to every meeting," he said. "And putting more meetings on TV -- not just the final vote -- would be affordable and beneficial."
Candela agreed with the proposals to increase "civic enthusiasm" via online outlets, but cautioned that it takes public participation for the system to work.
"There's that old saying, 'there are none so deaf as those who will not hear,'" he said. "Still, the more good things we do to get people involved, the better."
Flynn, the only candidate to have a web presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin, said social media could increase communication at a local level.
"The televised meetings would also benefit from a short summary," he said. "Some of the ordinances lack details, and a short summary that appeared during TV meetings could help keep people informed."
Frederick pointed out the benefits of social media, but worried about the residents who did not consistently check, or have access to being online. He also compared the communication between city officials and the public to a marriage.
"Both situations are a two-way street," he said.
Replenishing city reserves
Since 2007, Anderson and the city has been putting funds into the reserve. But there are current needs for a new Street Department campus and a new fire station, and candidates were asked how they would replenish the city's reserves. While most considered it a top priority, but their plans of action varied.
Zimmerman framed the argument in terms of maintaining a family budget.
"Every financial decision I make, I think about how it would effect my family's budget," he said. "And replenishing the fund has got to be a top priority."
Candela, arguing residents shy away from tax increases, said replenishing the funds takes an alderman with vision.
"You need someone who can get a consensus," he said. "Someone who can galvanize things but get creative if the city needs to be frugal."
Channeling the mayor's successful business model, Wilson said the issue is a simple matter of monitoring the city's spending habits.
"There are natural increases over time," he said. "But we kept it tight, and we did that by taking in more than we spent."
Neal agreed with the need to keep a tight budget, quoting from well-known financial author Dave Ramsey for inspiration.
"Keep it simple and straightforward," he said. "We need to control our own wallet first before we tell anyone else how to use theirs."
Crivello expanded on an earlier answer, urging the need for more businesses in the city.
"We should have more commercial development in the area," he said. "Creating incentives with home developers would be a good plan as well."
Billing himself as a "fiscal conservative," Flynn said tax increases aren't always the answer, but that "people are for them if they're prudent." He complimented the mayor's ability to keep a deep reserve fund, adding that it should be the council's "No. 1 goal."
Linden, questioning the need for a new fire station, said that the reserve fund is important, but is something the city should maintain for its immediate emergencies.
Keeping in tune with his message of calculated spending, Frederick argued that replenishing the reserves requires "wise spending" habits, and that the council will need to take measures to keep spare funds.
General News on 10/01/2014