Recordpub.com - Kent voters face five-way choice for City Council

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

At least one Kent City Council at-large seat will change come January no matter what happens during Tuesday’s election.

Councilman Rick Hawksley, who is not seeking re-election, is running for mayor against Jerry Fiala, a former mayor and councilman. Incumbents Michael DeLeone and Robin Turner, both Democrats, face challenges from fellow Democrat Vic Hart and independent candidates Drew Smith and Erik Valenta for the three seats open on council.

Council’s at-large members, unlike the other six council members, do not represent a specific ward. The at-large representatives, therefore, are viewed as being responsible for any number of neighborhood issues or concerns that may arise from Kent’s more than 24,000 residents.

Plans for a canoe and boat-launch facility in one of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods, River Bend, on Kent’s north side, has many residents there concerned about its impact.

The park is not a hot issue for Valenta, who lives with his wife, Dr. Mary Ference, around the corner from its planned location. Valenta said he is not necessarily opposed to, or in favor of, the park but is more concerned with how the additional traffic created by the park will affect the intersection of River Bend Boulevard and North Mantua Street.

“It’s how the city works with the affected residents that is the major concern,” he said.

Both DeLeone and Turner said the Kent Parks and Recreation Department intends to consult residents throughout the design process.

Hart said he did not know enough about plans for the park to comment on its potential impact.

“If the neighbors don’t want it ... I would be inclined to go with the request of the neighbors.”

Smith did not return a call for comment for this story.

Infrastructure

Kent’s aging sewer system and eroding streets seem to be the most important issues for residents, Turner said.

“So I think that we have to put additional emphasis on that, but there’s a cost associated with it,” he said. “In order to do that, we have to develop a more expansive economic base that can bring additional resources to the table.”

Hart said he believes Kent’s sewer and water rate fees are reasonable compared to other communities and that moderate rate increases are warranted for operational and capital costs.

Valenta pointed to the city’s flat revenue stream as one reason why road and sidewalk maintenance is lacking in Kent.

“It would be great to have every road done ... but the dollar can only go so far,” he said.

Housing stock

A number of former family-owned houses near Kent State University have been turned into student rental properties.

Hart said he is not opposed to seeing some of the more blighted properties purchased by the university to make way for extension of its campus-wide pedestrian walkway, The Esplanade, or for other redevelopment projects.

“The sad reality is a lot of these property owners just don’t put enough money back into their properties,” he said. “If part of the process is to eliminate some of the more blighted homes, for lack of a better term, I think that’s a positive.”

Valenta described student rentals as a catch twenty-two.

“There is a need for student housing,” he said. But he believes by promoting investment the city can encourage property owners to maintain their land.

“The market will self-correct itself,” he said. “Decreased property values don’t help the city, nor does it help the owner as well.”

DeLeone said recent property maintenance code changes adopted by council will take some time to impact the city’s neighborhoods.

“We’re a policy board,” he said. “The best thing we probably did was (adopt) the exterior maintenance code ... but how are you going to force someone who doesn’t have the money (for repairs)?”

Economic development

Overall income tax receipts — the city’s primary source of operating funds — slipped in the last half of 2008, and the city experienced a $250,000 budget deficit. City administrators are projecting a $2 million deficit for 2009.

Four of the candidates believe the city’s recent downtown property purchases can promote redevelopment and balance the city’s revenues with its expenses.

“The reality is you’re building the infrastructure for this kind of economic expansion,” Turner said. “That’s the way you do it. You have to have the properties first.”

DeLeone said he supported the recent land banking efforts downtown because he believes it will spur redevelopment.

“I don’t think I’m in favor of giving that land away,” he said. “It did cost the taxpayers a lot of money and I don’t want to give anything away.”

Hart, like DeLeone, does not want to see the city simply give the land it owns downtown to a developer.

“The city owns those properties, at this point it doesn’t make any sense to not pursue (redevelopment),” he said. “It does erode the tax base to hold onto it.”

Town-gown relations

The candidates agree the city’s relationship with KSU has improved in recent years by “leaps and bounds,” as Valenta described it.

And they all agree the city must continue to nurture the partnership.

“With the university’s willingness to expand and undertake capital projects it’s a win-win situation to see that enhanced,” Hart said.

DeLeone said he is hopeful both parties can work together to redevelop downtown and improve Kent’s tax base.

“I think (KSU is) more than willing to step up to the plate,” he said. “We just have to put our money where it can benefit the city as a whole.”

Turner said early discussions are taking place among council members about creating a liaison between the city and university. “I think it would, in many ways, devote more time to the issues that the city and the university have in common,” he said.

“I think that the residents of the community ... will get a better feel for how this relationship can really work.”