Four of five candidates for Junction City Commission participated in a forum this week where they were asked to respond to questions submitted by the public. Approximately 80 people attended the forum at the Geary County 4-H / Senior Center.
During the next few days we will carry the responses by the candidates. Up first today will be Matthew Bea.
Matthew Bea
What is your vision for Junction City's future?
• My vision for Junction City starts with a new, updated, measurable, and comprehensive plan for the city. Studies and plans have been done for the city, and it’s time that we look at acting on them. Junction City Main Street has been a great source of information for plans looking forward. Junction City Main Street partners with Flint Hills Regional Council, a council geared toward bringing opportunities to the Flint Hills Region. Through this partnership, and paid for by Flint Hills Regional Council grants, Stantec, a consulting organization geared towards solutions for community development, has done studies within Junction City to get residents input on what plans should look like to improve the city. These plans and studies need to be used to help point and guide us in the right direction to build upon the areas that need the most help.
• The second part of my vision for Junction City moving forward, is to mend the bridges and relationships between the City, the County, the School District and Ft. Riley. These four entities are major deciding factors in our community, and we need cohesiveness within the relationships. All 4 need to work together to ensure that Junction City is a marketable community for everyone to live, work and play!
• The third part of my vision is to get back to a community first mindset. We as leaders need to remember that we are working for the overall good of our entire community. Leaders need to make sure to hold everyone accountable within the City and ensure that 1 person is not left to make all the decisions. I believe that our city has been on “auto-pilot” for the past 10-12 years, paying down debt that former leaders got us into. While this model has worked to ensure that the City has paid off what was owed, it is time to look forward at what the residents of this community deserve. We need to look at each department, staffing, budgets, and availability, to ensure that they are doing what is needed to improve the overall quality of life for residents.
• My last vision is to overhaul the Quality of Life within Junction City, taking what has been started and moving it to the next level. Cohesiveness within our youth programs, ensuring that our youth have many options to participate in activities they are interested in. Youth programs, whether sports, the arts, or finding new hobbies, engages local youth to be involved and to take pride in their own city. I believe that Junction City has the potential to be a great destination within the Flint Hills that people want to visit, bringing in revenue of our City. We need to build upon the great opportunities that are already being offered, like FreedomFest, Juneteenth, Oktoberfest and the 911 Memorial, along with all the events our school district hosts. Let’s become the place that people want to hang around after a K-State game, the city that people drive to check out a new local brewery and updated downtown area, and the place that offers the beautiful sights, sounds and activities of Milford Lake.
What do you think are the priorities that need to be addressed in the city?
• Priorities that need to be addressed within the city are blight, generating more income for our city through transient taxes and addressing things that help the quality of like for our residents, such as childcare availability. Blight, or improving the “face” of our city is a huge priority. We need to examine the way that we deal with blight to see if there is a quicker and more effective way to make changes and get to results that make a difference. By helping residents and business owners be invested in and taking care of their own properties. Looking at ways to incentivize property owners to keep their property clean, to keep our community nice looking.
Also, looking at ways to generate more transient tax is a priority that needs to be addressed. Transient tax is key to helping keep our debt down and making more money available to address needs within our city. We need to continue exploring ways, activities and events that will bring more transient tax into our City. Lastly, addressing things that contribute to our overall quality of life is a priority. Currently there is a significant childcare shortage within our community, which affect our workforce development. Working with the Childcare Coalition that has been established to address this need, along with engaging with the school district to look at things like infrastructure, availability of grant funds and other accommodations that could be made is important to look at.
What are specific changes that need to be made and how would you implement them?
• I believe that holding our City employees and residents accountable by re-addressing policies and agreements. Examining how we currently address problems, such as blight within the city. And addressing the quality of life by providing more options for our residents, things to do, events to attend and brining more revenue in.
What solutions do you see to reduce the debt the city currently has?
• Transient taxes, or guest taxes, I believe is a solution to reducing the debt that the city currently has. Our city and community has the great potential to bring in events and people from all over, which would increase our transient tax amounts. Transient taxes could assist in reducing the current debt without burdening our local residents.
Are you in favor of an interchange at Taylor Road? Why or why not?
• I believe that road infrastructure at Taylor Road needs to be addressed. The bridge over Taylor Road is said to be crumbling and becoming unsafe for passage. This itself needs to be managed, but how is the question. Do new need a whole new interchange at Taylor Road or just a fix to a current problem. I mentioned in a forum before that we need to address our Front Yard before we invest more money into our Back Yard. In that statement, I believe that we need to ensure that the interchanges and exits that we currently have need to be inviting and cared for as they are the entrance and welcoming part of our city. If we can’t take of this part of our city first, how does adding to it provide any benefit at this time. If an interchange at Taylor Road is a way to develop our City further, I believe we first need to question how the infrastructure of that development would impact our City and taxes. And make sure that the development of that area is something that everyone agrees and is on board with.
What would be your approach to landowners along Taylor Road who do not want to sell or develop their land?
• My approach to landowners along Taylor Road who do not want to sell/develop their land would be to encourage them to continue to do what is the best interest for them and their family. Current landowners in that area need to know that it is their land, and no one should be telling them what they need to do with it. Everyone on both sides, needs to be willing to listen to all parties involved and figure out what is best for all.
Are you in favor of a slaughterhouse on Taylor Road? Why or why not?
• For me, this a two-part answer. Do I believe that our community could benefit from another large company investing in Junction City and bringing in good paying jobs for our citizens, yes. But what type of company/business that is, along with where they would go, is the more important answer.
If a Harvest Plant on Taylor Road is the answer, NO, I do not believe this is good fit for our community. Looking at an overall view and what I do know, if the City isn’t ready to spend money on infrastructure needs that currently exist, why would the City add more debt by investing in infrastructure that doesn’t even exist. In addition, understanding that a plant like that would harm our drinking water, effect the rivers that dump into our lakes (and protect us from tornados), and impact the air quality in our area, is not worth having a business like that here.
Lastly, forcing current landowners to make quick decisions that they don’t want to make is not taking care of our current residents.
How would you include the public in the plan for upcoming developments and a long-range plan for Junction City?
• I think we need to look toward a current organization already doing this for our community and follow their lead. Junction City Mainstreet models itself that everything they do is to directly benefit our community. From bringing events in town, like Hometown Christmas or the Main Street Market, to hosting open houses and meet and greets. As I mentioned earlier, they used Stantec to survey the pubic on what they want for our community, by getting feedback, asking questions, and getting ideas. I believe that our residents need to have a voice in what upcoming and future plans are for Junction City and believe that an organization like Junction City Mainstreet can help with that. In addition, providing the residents with more information and communication about what is being done at the City level. Putting out a “review” of the City Commission meetings and providing more open communication I believe is important.
Tomorrow we will provide the responses from Richard Pinaire.