On April 7, Jefferson City voters in Ward 2 will choose between three candidates for a Jefferson City Council seat, the only contested race of five open seats.
Aaron Mealy, Mike Lester and Gregory Butler are running for the open seat left by current Councilman Rick Mihalevich, who is term-limited.
The News Tribune held a forum for the candidates last week, where they shared their views on issues affecting their ward and the city as a whole, including the city's housing crisis, tornado recovery and the relocation of East Miller Park.
Following the forum, the News Tribune asked the candidates three questions submitted by residents and two additional follow-up questions.
Do you support net metering, a system in which solar panels or other renewable energy generators are connected to a public-utility power grid and surplus power is transferred onto the grid. If so, how would you work with residents to promote it and work with Ameren to achieve it? (Submitted by Barbara Ross.)
Aaron Mealy: "Renewable energy is becoming increasingly affordable and accessible. I commend residents for their part in making Jefferson City's net energy more sustainable. I would need to have further conversation with Jefferson City residents to determine whether or not the community supports this idea."
Mike Lester: "Yes, I support net metering. With net metering, all renewable energy captured is used directly by the consumer or by others through sharing the energy via the power grid. On my home, I recently installed solar panels connected through net metering to the Ameren power grid. These systems are energy and fiscally sensible. I should get 30 years of energy production from my panels; they are projected to pay for themselves in energy-cost savings in 10-12 years. If the city installed solar on some of its many rooftops it would publicize the financial/energy saving merits of renewable energy net metering systems."
Gregory Butler: "Before I would make that decision, I would first do my research to see if it is economically beneficial to the customer. In that time of research, I would then examine other similar options. If we come to find that net metering is more beneficial to them, then I would educate the citizens on this option. If they agree to this proposal, I will then give it my support."
What can be done to make our community more economically vibrant and to raise wages in Jefferson City? What responsibility does the business community have in achieving this? (Submitted by Barbara Ross.)
Mealy: "Sustainable wages are essential to provide residents with the financial independence they need to support themselves and their families. I am committed to working with business leaders to promote economic growth and in return would expect employers to provide fair wages that our citizens deserve."
Lester: "Jefferson City, a historic seat of state government on one of America's greatest rivers and longest bike trails in the center of the country and close to several universities, should be competitively situated to attract young entrepreneurs. Jobs of the future, heavily dependent on technology and an educated workforce, will drive wage and living standard growth. Companies providing those jobs will be started by young entrepreneurs. Development of MSP's 32 acres and implementation transformative plans like Southside/Old Munichburg, Parks Master, Bicycle and Historic Preservation will attract this younger, more innovative population to Jefferson City."
Butler: "There are many things that can be done. First, I would study other metropolitan areas, along with other small cities, and evaluate the successes they've had with creating an environment that attracts young professionals and families who are looking to settle. Take some of the ideas, present them to the city and encourage implementing these ideas to our city plan that will promote city growth for the next generation."
The loss of affordable housing due to the tornado has worsened a problem of absentee or bad landlords taking advantage of low-income renters. What should the city do to crack down on slum landlords? (Submitted by Mary Schantz.)
Mealy: "I am committed to affordable housing. The city must identify resources to help promote good landlord stewardship and community rebuilding. As a city, I think that it's important to act in a timely manner to show our commitment to our residents and to also show how resilient our community is."
Lester: "To address the slumlord problem Jefferson City needs a recurring rental inspection program. However, the program needs to be established in a way that encourages and rewards responsible property maintenance. Property owners who can document implementation of a property maintenance plan and who make repairs as needed would require less frequent inspection. Landlords who do not have active property maintenance or have a history of allowing their property to deteriorate to the point of jeopardizing the health and safety of their tenants would receive more frequent interior and exterior inspections."
Butler: "As a councilman, if it was determined that there was a situation identified as a slum lord situation, I would quickly move to handle that situation via existing ordinances."
How would you rate the city's response to that flooding? What do you see as a longer term solution to remediating the issue of flooding in the Capital City?
Mealy: "The city did a good job of keeping residents safe and informed during 2019. Moving forward, the city must work well with state and federal partners to identify and develop innovative infrastructure plans to prevent repeated and long-term flooding."
Lester: "Flooding occurs because of stormwater and/or Missouri River flooding. Once flooding occurs, the only response possible is to try to soften inevitable damage and disruption caused by flood waters. The city has become experienced and proficient at rescuing persons, protecting city property, blocking roads and rerouting traffic and informing citizens. Long term, the city - cooperating with private and public partners at all levels - needs to improve its stormwater management, harden and heighten the Capital View levee, increase the height of low-lying roadways, and give serious thought and study to locating a more regional airport out of the floodplain."
Butler: "I believe the city did the best that they could do given the circumstances. They tried to resolve every major city issue to the best of their ability. As a City Council we need to identify where the major problems are in the current infrastructure, hire experts to assist with creating an action plan for repairing that infrastructure in a way where there is longevity, find and create a budget for this plan, and then implement this plan in our city's endeavors."
How would you rate the city's response to disputes between neighboring property owners that left a partially collapsed building in the downtown area for more than a year? What, if anything, would you have done differently?
Mealy: "The downtown area of Jefferson City is beautiful and historically significant. As councilman, I will work to help mediate and promote the strong bonds that our business owners have. Any response to a situation like this one should not include any burden to Jefferson City taxpayers."
Lester: "Obviously, the city was not prepared to deal with a situation of buildings collapsing downtown. Years of accumulated deterioration of East Capitol Avenue properties demonstrate that, until recently, addressing blight has not been a city strength. Recently, the city put teeth into its "habitual offender" ordinance. Enhanced administrative fines, jail time or both are permitted under the revised code. Action under that ordinance should have been taken to force the owner of 200 E. High to cooperate with the adjacent owner to fix or demolish the property, or to sell the property so it could be repaired or demolished."
Butler: "The ending result to this issue was that a part of the taxpayer's dollar was going toward demolishing this property. Even though I would not fully support that decision, I would have at least encouraged the city to come to this conclusion sooner."