Questions for Carbondale's new city manager

The search is on for a new city manager of Carbondale. The present manager, 30-year city employee Jeff Doherty, will step down this summer after 13 years in the top spot.

This is an historic opportunity for Carbondale. It's not as exciting as the Obama/Clinton/McCain struggle that flashes across our televisions, but it will affect us as much, if not more than, the national contests.

First, some background: The city manager is the chief administrative officer of Carbondale who advises, informs and recommends actions for city council approval. The mayor is the first among equals on the council with power to appoint commissions, conduct meetings and propose initiatives. The council functions as a legislative body for the citizens. The manager/council form of government was adopted in 1974 in a wave of reform and operates under an Illinois Statute.

We had hoped that the city council would take this opportunity to revisit the 1974 decision, and perhaps they still will. Thirty years of experience has convinced some people that authority and responsibility in government is too diffuse.

Who is in charge? The mayor, the manager or the council? Where does one put responsibility for failure or for success? Most people think it is the mayor, but that is often not true.

The search for the new manager is not a public process. There will no forum where citizens may ask questions of the candidates. Instead, our elected representatives on the city council determine the criteria and choose the candidate.

We have some questions that we hope our council members ask of the candidates. Perhaps others in the business community, the faith community, students and faculty can generate their own questions for the council members in the selection process.

So, here we go.

1. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is the economic and cultural engine of our entire region. Carbondale doesn't exist without a healthy SIUC. Do you have experience in working in a college town, especially one that has 20,000 plus students and is a research center?

2. What ideas do you have for enhanced cooperation with the university and the community's neighborhoods, and what specific areas would you target?

3. Our present system of codes and ordinances is one of the 1974 reforms. For instance, zoning in the city does not allow for mixed-use neighborhoods. Mom and pop stores are outlawed. Professional offices and home offices are only allowed in certain zones. Do you favor the "new urbanism" that allows for more density, mixed use, nearby services and walkable neighborhoods?

4. Carbondale has a significant stock of rooming houses that have had minimal investment in maintenance. The costs of bringing them up to code may well be prohibitive. What should the city do about what may become a large number of uninhabitable buildings?

5. Our Park District in Carbondale is struggling with debt that has tied the hands of the commissioners. Are you in favor of merging the Park District with the city and finding a savings in costs? Are you familiar with running a parks department?

6. How would you encourage more owner-occupied homes in the city?

7. We have lived uneasily in the Arbor District with a lack of code enforcement. While we look forward to more code inspectors beginning next year we remain concerned. What is your experience in solving this problem?

8. There may not be another decision that has harmed our community more than the "two way couple" of Main and Walnut. It sends speeding trucks, cars and motorcycles hurtling through the middle of our community. U.S. 51 plays a similar role on University and Illinois avenues. What would you do to ameliorate or solve these problems?

9. Our community needs investment, including commercial development. We resisted the locating of a 24-hour drugstore, CVS pharmacy, in the Arbor District because we thought it was inappropriate development. How do you think that development can proceed in these neighborhoods so that we all gain?

10. Our Council voted to send an earmarked portion of the city's sales taxes to the university. In light of an economic slow down and the possible drop in sales taxes what would you recommend if there is a shortfall?

Finally, we believe you are coming into a community that is poised for great things. We have a vigorous leader at the university in Glenn Poshard, a young and energetic mayor in Brad Cole, and a genuinely open and progressive city council. Moreover, new leadership will be taking over at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, another of our central institutions. We hope you are excited at the opportunities.

We certainly are.

JANE ADAMS AND D. GORTON are residents of Carbondale's Arbor District and are community activists.