Tell Us About You
1. How long have you lived in College Station, and what neighborhood do you call home? What drew you here, or kept you here?
I have lived in Bryan or College Station off and on for over the past 55 years. Most recently I have lived in College Station for 10 years. My wife and I live in Woodcreek. My parents moved to College Station for a job opportunity for my dad 55 years ago. He stayed here and has been in the real estate business for around 50 years. I grew up here, finishing high school at Bryan High School in 1984. I went to college and had job opportunities locally and stayed here because of the opportunities and the environment that College Station and Bryan afforded for my family.
2. What in your professional, volunteer, or public service background has best prepared you to serve in city office?
I believe that my varied background has prepared me well for College Station City Council, from owning and starting small businesses to most recently working in real estate and residential development. I have worked with city staff, planning and zoning, and city councils to bring developments to surrounding areas. Most of those residential developments have been in the starter home category.
Neighborhoods And Quality Of Life
1. What makes a neighborhood healthy, and what is one thing the city could do to strengthen established neighborhoods?
Residents participating together and coming together makes for a healthy neighborhood and a healthy city. Just meeting your neighbors is a great first step that seems simple but lately with our busy lives is not always done. Sometimes HOAs can help draw neighbors together. For those neighborhoods in College Station that don’t have HOAs it takes more effort. CSAN has helped those neighborhoods come together and have a voice. In Foxfire, a great example of a fun neighborhood get-together is the 4th of July Parade that Blanche Brick has promoted for years. College Station Fire Dept. has sent equipment out, making it a fun collaboration.
One thing that the city can do to strengthen established neighborhoods is simply maintain and improve infrastructure, roads as well as parks. I believe that this elevates not only the neighborhood but the city as well and lets home buyers and home sellers know that this neighborhood is maintained and improved at a high standard. I believe that this makes young families and retirees feel like their investment is secure and more willing to put down roots.
2. How should the city balance new housing growth and student housing needs with protecting the character of existing neighborhoods?
I would like to encourage the university to build more housing on university-owned land for students. Effective zoning is another tool that could be used to help with this issue. I believe that most of the new housing growth will occur further away from Texas A&M and those neighborhoods will establish HOAs and restrictions that would encourage families and retirees to live in those areas.
3. Residents in some neighborhoods consistently report issues with noise, parking and trash. These issues are reported, but there have been few successes in resolving the issues long-term. What changes would you support to increase the effectiveness of Code Enforcement?
I do believe that in neighborhoods with a large amount of turnover of new residents, effective communication about codes and laws needs to be constantly renewed. CSAN presented some ideas at council recently and those kinds of things need to be considered and implemented. It may be that either more code enforcement needs to be done, or a certain number of complaints, or enforcement issues need to be elevated to a law enforcement issue. I find more communication and effective communication help tremendously.
A Growing And Fiscally Responsible City
1. With TeraFab now under Phase 1 construction, what does the city need to accomplish during your term to be better prepared?
We need to consider the Fitch corridor and what infrastructure improvements may need to be in place. We also need to be talking to the landowners that are in our ETJ to see how we could work together to possibly bring them into the city limits, with thought going into how that property might be used. An overall plan would be very effective for that area of town.
2. When considering a Chapter 380 economic development agreement, what criteria would you use to determine its value to the community? Please give an example of a deal, here or elsewhere, that meets or fails your test.
Chapter 380 Agreements are only one of several tools that can help promote local development. Knowing which tool is right for a particular project is an important part of the equation. There are TIRZ, PID, Management Districts as well as 380s to name a few. In the case of 380s or the others, I would want to know what kind of benefits the project brings to the city and over what length of time. Is there any risk to the city and how much? What is the economic viability of the requesting entity, have they been successful and met requirements on other projects?
I believe that the Target area in Bryan was a 380. I believe that area turned out to be successful. Thornberry Drive in Bryan was a 380, which was also successful.
Trust And Transparency
1. Many residents feel major decisions are largely settled before the public has a real chance to weigh in. What specific practices would you support to build trust between City Hall and residents?
My understanding is that state law requires the agenda for a Thursday council meeting to be posted by Monday morning prior to the Thursday meeting, although College Station has historically posted agendas on Friday afternoons. For major issues such as the data center, this is clearly not enough time for meaningful public input. I would support notifying the public at least 15 days before a City Council meeting, consistent with the notice period for zoning changes. The key question is which matters warrant more than four days’ notice. The city would need a clear threshold, such as an unanticipated expenditure above a certain amount, a request from a council majority, items with non-disclosure agreements or another defined measure.
2. What does fiscal transparency mean to you, and how would residents be able to tell whether the city is achieving it?
There is a lot of fine print. Unfortunately, the only way to get through it is to read and ask questions. Most residents don't have the time to do all of that, especially for city business. That is why council is elected to be the citizen representative and make sure that we are being fiscally responsible with the tax dollars that we are given. Council workshops might be a useful tool for more open discussion on how those dollars are spent. Organizations like CSAN seem to have the ability to be a good check on transparency and accountability. More open communication between council and citizens is also crucial.
Governance And Leadership
1. Describe a time you changed your mind after hearing from people who disagreed with you.
I was a professional photographer for around 25 years. Working in a collaborative creative environment was challenging at times. I found that by being open to a variety of opinions and ideas, the optimal solution was often found. Early in my career I often thought that because I had the technical skill that my approach was best. Sometimes it was. I also learned that considering different ideas and approaches often resulted in a superior result.
2. What would success look like to you at the end of your term?
Changes for the good were being made…
The best Public Safety in the state. Zero or very little retention issues.
The budget process changed to include not only what things need to be done but how those things will be paid for simultaneously. No tax rate increase surprise at what seems like the last minute.
Reduced fees for home ownership.
Forward thinking zoning and infrastructure investments.
A list of deferred maintenance items and a plan to fix them. Whether they are infrastructure or parks.
Closing
1. What's one thing you'd like voters to know about you that hasn't come up in the campaign?
I am excited to serve! As crazy as it may sound, I think that my experience as a professional photographer has helped me see things a little differently, listen, work collaboratively with others from all different walks of life and make things happen in often challenging situations. This along with my hospitality and development experience will make me an effective representative of you!