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Read Mayor
Cole's 2007 Platform
in PDF
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Mayor
Brad Cole's 2007 Platform
Preface
Putting ideas and goals on paper, for
everyone to see, discuss and
understand, is an important aspect of being a serious candidate for
public office. Brad Cole developed a comprehensive, eighteen page
position paper that he immediately released to the community when he
announced his first bid for Mayor of the City of Carbondale in
2003. That position paper has served as a steady template and
guide post for Cole’s four years in office; a copy rests on his desk at
City Hall for daily reference.
Now, with many accomplishments under his belt and with numerous
projects in motion, Mayor Brad Cole releases an update to that original
position paper. This document, part of his plan for the next four
years as Mayor, symbolizes his continued belief that a candidate should
have reasonable and rational goals and objectives when seeking
election. The position of Mayor requires responsibility,
leadership and professionalism. It is a full-time post that
deserves full-time attention. Some ideas include “big thinking”
goals that will take longer than four years to achieve, but they must
be started now for success in the future. Other ideas are “common
sense” and just need the right vision for prompt implementation; they
need a clear vision like Mayor Brad Cole’s.
In addition to his annual State of the City addresses, the original
2003 planning document and this 2007 update, these position papers are
Brad Cole’s written pledge to move Carbondale forward as a community,
as a municipal government and as the recognized Capital of Southern
Illinois.
More information and all of the documents mentioned here, including
press releases and remarks made at several public events, are available
anytime on-line at www.teambrad.com. The public is invited to
give feedback and make suggestions as these plans develop further and
are put into practice.
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Growing the Community
It has been a central effort of Mayor Brad Cole’s administration to
recruit new investment and build a revitalized economy that diversifies
its interests to include more than just a few centerpiece
industries. In today’s competitive environment, where communities
and even states fight against each other to offer the most-attractive
incentive packages for new business, this effort takes longer than many
people understand and it becomes more and more complex with each new
business prospect. Our mayor understands what it takes to start
from scratch, to begin to rebuild an economic base and to stimulate new
growth.
Government, especially local government, must begin to adopt an
entrepreneurial approach, a spirit of initiative and a willingness to
consider how rules, regulations or bureaucratic red tape impact
business development. Too often, the people who regulate business
have lost touch with the people who run business. A meeting of
the minds, a more constructive atmosphere and an open dialogue need to
be established in order for both sides to understand the other and for
government to increase its effectiveness. Mayor Cole has named a
Business Development Roundtable for this very purpose; it meets
quarterly and its sole function is to bring forward ideas and
opportunities to make it easier to do business in Carbondale.
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Economic
Development
Knowing that full-scale changes needed to happen, the Mayor garnered
widespread support to pull economic development back into City
Hall. The organizational change meant substantial savings and
greater accountability, which came along with better, more integrated
customer service that could be offered to new businesses as they moved
from concept to completion with their projects. Efficiency and
timeliness are critical issues for developers who commit thousands or
even millions of dollars to see a deal get done. Improvements
could be seen almost overnight and are still being made every day along
these lines.
Undertaking the City’s first-ever Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
district to spur development in the downtown area, the City of
Carbondale has seen nearly thirty acres of previously blighted land
turned into prime real estate, ripe for rapid development. With
an aggressive plan to demolish old buildings and clear the land for
speculation, the heart of the community has been transformed during the
past four years from an area with falling-down, abandoned structures
and busted-out windows and doors to the center of positive attention
along our main commercial traffic thoroughfare. With new retail
stores and professional services, the first full-service and
family-owned grocery store to be located downtown in decades, and other
developments already underway, the TIF project has shown what can be
done when government planning and foresight join together with
concentrated private investment.
An emphasis has also been placed on improving retail stores and outlets
that attract consumers from throughout the region. Carbondale is
known for its national, name brand stores and unique specialty shops
that provide customers with products that they would normally only find
in major metropolitan areas. Balancing both sides of the retail
equation – the developers and the customers – is often tricky and
relies partly on financial forecasting, partly on trends and market
adjustments, partly on gut instinct and largely on timing and
luck. The community has fared-well under the leadership of Brad
Cole, someone who knows when a deal is worth making and also knows when
the costs are just too high or the benefits are just too low to work
out in the best interests of the community. The same is true for
restaurant development, an industry with an appetite as fickle as the
customers they serve and one that sees constant change within itself.
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Quality, Affordable
Housing
In order for a business to come to this or any other community, there
has to be reason for investing. As big or small business looks at
growing they also look to see if the community is growing around it,
and how. For too long, Carbondale was stagnant in the growth of
its housing stock. Old properties were the norm and barely a
dozen or two new houses were being built each year. Under a plan
designed by Mayor Brad Cole, that has changed remarkably.
New housing starts in any given month now equal what they had once been
in a full calendar year. Home construction incentives were put
into place to offset certain infrastructure costs that seemingly made
the overall cost of building and owning a new home slightly out of
reach. The result will be meeting the lofty goal of building 200
new homes within three years of establishing the program. And the
program isn’t only for new subdivisions and planned growth, it also
recognizes the availability of existing lots throughout town and
provides resources for those lots to be developed one at a time or in
blocks to in-fill and reduce sprawl. This program is the envy of
other communities and should be continued indefinitely, and it will be
under the renewed leadership of Mayor Brad Cole.
Why focus on housing starts and building new residential opportunities
for Carbondale? Why is it the city government’s concern?
Quite simply, because just as the community sat still for years in some
of its economic development efforts, it also sat still in population
growth. It is Mayor Cole’s vision to see Carbondale reach a
population mark of more than 30,000 by the year 2020… or sooner, if
possible. For too long the city’s population has hovered just
above 25,000 residents. The trend must be reversed and the
community must look to all possible ways to increase its population
base. This will assist with business development and job growth
potential, and it will help stabilize the public school systems that
have seen steady declines in general student enrollment at the
elementary and secondary levels. The downward spiral needs to be
reversed into a steady uplift, or the harsh effect will be felt for
years to come.
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Taxes
and Spending
A key factor that everyone points to when discussing both business
growth and housing expansion is real estate property taxes; they’re too
high. It was Brad Cole who proposed eliminating the City’s
portion of property taxes and since he has been Mayor not one cent in
property tax has been collected for city government purposes. It
is the Mayor’s commitment to continuing this policy and continuing to
make the government’s ends meet without adding to the property tax
burden of already-strapped home owners and small business people.
As your Mayor, Brad Cole will never vote to re-instate the City’s
portion of property taxes. Creative “big thinking” about new
revenue sources and reducing government expenditures are the way to
keep hard-earned tax dollars in the pockets of hard-working tax payers,
and not in the cash drawer at City Hall. It has worked for four
years and with committed, strong leadership it can continue to work.
At the same time, it will be important to keep a watchful eye on
government spending. A standard has already been set to keep
costs down and slow the expansion of government, but as more people
want more things and expect the local government to pay for them, tough
decisions wait around almost every corner. The City Council
should continue to review and examine the funding process for outside
organizations, making sure that priorities are kept current and that
there is a return on investment for public dollars. That return
can be in the form of services or programs to underserved populations
or at-risk individuals, and in some cases that may warrant more funding
rather than less, but accountability should be in the forefront.
Budgeting and financial management skills are essential in a
mayor. Mayor Brad Cole has proven himself to be an informed and
dedicated steward, with an intricate knowledge of the city’s budget and
financial policies. His common sense approach to difficult
situations and his willingness to consider new solutions for old
problems will help guide the community through the end of the decade.
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Investing
in the Future
Public infrastructure takes on many forms in today’s world. It’s
not just the roads and bridges or the water and sewer lines of past
generations. Today, investing in the future of a community
involves planning for technologies that don’t currently exist and
recognizing both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence and
improve the quality of life for families, neighborhoods and an entire
community.
The
Virtual World
Virtually everything that someone needs or wants can be obtained via
the World Wide Web. The youth of today have resources available
at their finger tips that were dared to be dreamed of by prior
generations. From on-line academic programs to e-mail and instant
messaging, 24-hour banking to global mapping, internet shopping,
on-demand entertainment and so forth, technological advancements
continue to outpace even the boldest inspirations and
expectations. Meeting the needs of evolving market influences for
internet access and providing electronic opportunities for managing
daily chores are challenges that local governments must be able to
address and meet.
Mayor Cole recognizes the need for keeping up with the opportunities
and advantages that come with new technology. It is because of
this that the City of Carbondale expanded its on-line bill paying
programs and updated its web site to include new products and services
that can be accessed from any where at any time, reducing the need for
people to physically stop by City Hall for a permit form or job
application or to pay a water and sewer bill.
The same rationale was the impetus behind pushing for public access,
wireless internet, also known as Wi-Fi. The initial plan that is
already in process will allow for wireless internet access in the
downtown area, giving transient business people, students of all ages
and many others the ability to log-on for short periods of time for
personal or professional reasons. The network will be ready for
easy expansion to include many more of the community’s parks, schools
and open spaces as additional resources are committed and improvements
are made to equipment and transmission products.
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Public
Facilities
Already more than ten years old, the City Hall/Civic Center has taken
its place in the heart of downtown. As a convenient meeting place
and popular reception hall for small and large functions, the building
has become a symbol of the community. Investments must be made to
stay ahead of the aging process and to be able to market the facility
for additional uses. Maintenance and upkeep are obvious needs for
any structure, but there should also be upgrades and finishing touches
that improve the appearance and appeal of this important facility.
The City Hall side of the building needs a breath of fresh air to
rejuvenate some of its sterile walls and corridors. This is why
Mayor Cole has worked with area school children to line the second
floor hallway with painted tiles, one from each elementary school
student (more than 1,000 total). The dynamic color this will
bring when completed will be a daily tribute to our youth and it will
also inject some excitement into the otherwise stoic structure.
The same can be done throughout various offices, with designs and
colors and messages aimed at improving the surroundings for both
employees and customers. Paying a traffic ticket or going to
court is depressing enough without being engulfed by a drab office that
only reminds that person of an overcast day. Small but noticeable
changes could make a lasting impression and also improve morale of
those who work in the building everyday.
Perhaps the most important community investment project now underway is
the planned construction of a joint-use public safety center to house
the City of Carbondale Police Department, the Southern Illinois
University Department of Public Safety, an emergency services control
center and administrative offices for the City of Carbondale Fire
Department. It was Brad Cole who obtained a $750,000 Illinois
FIRST grant to kick-start this effort and he continues to lead the
advocacy effort that seeks to garner federal, state and local funds to
see this through to completion. It may take several more years
until the doors are opened for this first-of-its-kind joint-use
facility, but Mayor Cole believes in it and he won’t stop working until
it’s done.
Better coordination between departments and more efficient use of space
will allow all of the proposed tenants of this public safety center to
improve and increase services to the public. State of the art
equipment, the addition of holdings cells and more-spacious evidence
storage areas, as well as improved public accessibility will be just
some of the benefits from the new structure that is to be located on
the site of the former Lincoln Middle School. The surrounding
area will also be bolstered by the regular presence of public safety
personnel in an area that has undergone drastic demographic changes
from a single-family residential neighborhood to low-end and subsidized
rental housing.
With the City Hall/Civic Center and the planned joint-use public safety
center as necessary cornerstones to the downtown area, there is at
least one other component left missing. The City of Carbondale
must immediately begin to develop plans for a consolidated Inter-Modal
Transportation Center.
The increased frequency of passenger rail service provided by Amtrak is
to be celebrated and will quickly outgrow the existing, sub-standard
rail station on South Illinois Avenue. When this reality is
combined with the fact that there is no central pick-up/drop-off site
or permanent station for Greyhound Bus service, an inter-modal facility
is a necessity. Such a terminal can also support better taxi
service and Saluki Mass Transit routes, as well as serving as a
catalyst for public and private investment downtown. This dream
has been fulfilled in numerous other communities similar to Carbondale
and planning must start now to identify the best location and begin
seeking outside assistance for the project. The idea is not just
for a bus stop or train station, but for a public facility that could
house restaurants or shops, host simple meeting space and serve as yet
another attraction to the downtown business district. Plans
should be finalized soon in order to open the doors of this new
facility by 2012, a realistic goal to achieve within the next five
years. By that time, alternative transportation needs will
hopefully have increased the role of passenger rail service even more
than it is today, and this Inter-Modal Transportation Center will be
the hub of activity.
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The Great Outdoors
The natural wonder and beauty of southern Illinois are unmatched
anywhere else in the state. The region has been blessed with
tremendous natural resources for hiking, horseback riding, boating and
fishing, hunting and observing the rich scenery and wildlife.
Although Carbondale does not have a navigable river or waterway running
through the city, there are numerous creeks and tributaries that
meander about, each with their own character and neighborhood charm.
As the City has invested in constructing open green spaces and
recreational areas, such as Friendship Plaza and the Super Block
complex, now the City must also rededicate itself to cleaning-up and
improving natural areas. The recent Community Clean-Up Program
was a great start to removing brush and trimming trees, and it
contributed to sprucing-up many pieces of property that had been
neglected or disregarded. But there is more to be done and the
Community Clean-Up Program should be continued, both for the obvious
benefits and for the confidence its builds in the young people who
participate.
Further, the City should begin to study what can be done to support the
local ecological network. On the topic of creeks and tributaries,
the City should initiate a plan to seek funding and support from
environmental agencies and organizations to get serious about
protecting our environment. It should start with developing a
Piles Fork Creek Reclamation Project, beginning with the portion of the
creek that runs between Grand Avenue and College Street. This
natural habitat is in desperate need for attention, with work needing
to be done to widen the creek bed, to remove trash, litter and debris,
and to improve the lighting and other aspects that would increase
safety for those that enjoy walking or bicycling along the
greenway. A comprehensive study should be coordinated to identify
what can be done, how it can be done to include community volunteers
and college students, and what sort of time line is reasonable to see
real results. The long-lasting benefits from reclaiming Piles
Fork Creek will spill over into other projects and serve as a model to
do similar work on other creeks through and around town.
Working
Together
Things get done when people work together. Mayor Brad Cole
believes in working together with others to accomplish common
goals. He believes in providing solid leadership when necessary
and he believes in the power of people to make decisions on their own,
without the constant intrusion of government.
Regional
Leadership
It took a fresh perspective to bring together the mayors of neighboring
communities and that is exactly what Mayor Brad Cole brought to the
table after being elected. Never before had there been regular
contact and discussion with the mayors along Illinois Route 13, but now
there is constant communication and a willingness to work together as
one region. Carbondale has positioned itself as a convener for
resolving regional concerns and issues under Cole’s leadership, this
can and must continue.
This was taken one step further as Cole was chosen to lead the Southern
Illinois Mayors’ Association. After recently serving one year as
the organization’s president, Cole remains an active member of the
board of directors and help shape decisions that affect the entire
area. Recognized for his accomplishments in southern Illinois,
Mayor Cole was elected by his statewide peers to serve on the board of
directors of the Illinois Municipal League. He has rapidly earned
a reputation for no-nonsense decision-making and an ability to address
problems at all levels of government.
Whether it is with other communities around the state, or with local
school districts and elected officials, or simply working across
political lines, Mayor Brad Cole “talks the talk” and “walks the walk”
of promoting regionalism and working together. Anything less
would be a disservice to the citizens of Carbondale, the citizens he
represents every day.
Town/Gown
Nothing has changed since Brad Cole noted in his original position
paper that “as Southern Illinois University goes, so goes
Carbondale.” The community and the campus are interconnected like
a married couple… sometimes they like each other, sometimes they get
irritated with each other, but they always need each other to be
successful in their partnership. Mayor Cole has built
relationships on campus since his undergraduate days as Student Body
President in the early 1990’s. He maintains those contacts – as
well as new relationships with campus administrators – and together the
City and the University have forged ahead with new efforts to support
both entities.
One major highlight of this newfound partnership was the recent
annexation of all campus property into the corporate city limits of
Carbondale, something that had been discussed for decades but something
that took new leadership on both sides to accomplish. Daily
communication and an open mind toward working through common problems
has been the key to fostering this positive relationship.
Realizing that Carbondale and Southern Illinois University are not
unique to town/gown relationships, Brad Cole has engaged himself with
other mayors and campus leaders from across the country. Mayor
Cole serves on the board of directors of the University Communities
Caucus of the National League of Cities and meets regularly with others
to share ideas and information. Utilizing this collection of
knowledge and experience helps address issues locally by borrowing from
other cities and campuses that have dealt with similar problems.
Students concerns are heard at the highest level of city government
with the Mayor’s open door policy and his through unmatched interaction
with students. Brad Cole believes that students are as much a
part of the community as anyone else, he believes in treating them with
respect just as they should respect their college home town.
Student input is sought and welcome at all times and on all issues
before the City Council, and the Mayor actively appoints students to
community boards, commissions, committees and advisory panels.
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City Council
One of the more visible functions of the Mayor is to conduct and chair
meetings of the Carbondale City Council. Under Mayor Brad Cole’s
leadership, a professional style has emerged that utilizes Robert’s
Rules of Order and provides for efficient meetings with effective
discussions on all matters. Open access to meetings is important
for the general public, which is why Mayor Cole established the policy
of providing links on the City’s web site to digital audio recordings
of all City Council meetings, in addition to written minutes and agenda
items, both current and archived. Mayor Cole contends that when
the meetings run well, the government runs well and the people’s
business gets done… and that’s why there is a City Council, to do the
people’s business.
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