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July 23, 2020 The Glendale

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Glendale’s Community Weekly Since 1978 The Glendale Star is a circulation weekly published every Thursday.

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Steve T. Strickbine

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Michael Hiatt

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The Glendale Star is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, and for subscription information, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. COUNCIL FROM PAGE 2 tation is critical. To replace that poor reputation with a positive and desirable description of itself would aid in repairing our reputation in the public mind. People respond in a positive way when they have something.

What is your track record and style of responding to questions from the public? Bryce Alexander: I do not claim to be a refi ned orator, I have gained quite a bit of experience giving sermons as a pastor, and I am comfortable with public speaking. I seek honesty as my guiding principle in my public speaking, which, sadly, isn’t always the most popular thing to do in this era of political spin and division. Joyce Clark: I have an extensive record of accessibility. People contact or text my cell (602-320-3422) and I usually respond within 24 hours; or email me at jclark@glendaleaz.com or clarkjv@aol.com. I publish a weekly digital e-newsletter, hold twice yearly districtwide meetings, meet with HOA and neighborhood groups when invited, and mail a district newsletter to all 11,000 households in my district twice a year. I communicate frequently on social media such as Facebook, NextDoor and Twitter. I publish a blog on Glendale’s issues at joyceclarkunfi ltered.com.

What current elected offi cial do you most admire? Joyce Clark: Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina because of his efforts to bring both sides together on a Police Reform bill. Bryce Alexander: Susan Collins.

What historic elected offi cial do you most admire? Bryce Alexander: Jimmy Carter. Joyce Clark: President John F. Kennedy and his call to action with, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”

What is the role of the General Plan goals and policies in your decision making on development proposals? Joyce Clark: I view the General Plan goals and policies as a blueprint for our city. However, it is created at a fi xed point in time and its relevance may diminish over time. It should be viewed in that context. Just as a house’s blueprint may have to be adjusted to meet current construction conditions, so too, the General Plan goals and policies may have to be considered as advisory and adjusted to meet current conditions within the city. Bryce Alexander: I would always be alert for appropriate land use. That any growth be compatible with existing features of the community. That there be appropriate buffering zones between types and densities of zoning and that common areas and infrastructure are appropriate for maintaining a desirable place to work, live and play. A healthy General Plan needs to focus on the vision of a city where people want to spend their money, and those general statements need to be a guiding principle for the development of that plan.

How important is neighborhood safety, livability and compatibility in development proposal decisions? Bryce Alexander: These are right at the top of my list of issues. While I do applaud the efforts to bring in the industries that create new jobs, it is equally important to ensure that we are able to retain the holders of those jobs by ensuring our city is a safe and comfortable place to live. I am opposed to the idea of waiting to build out our public safety facilities until they become necessary and relying on neighboring communities to honor mutual aid agreements in order to protect the safety and property of the new growth. The city should be proactive in this role; if the city is not willing to commit itself fully in the new endeavors, the city should not be in the expansion business until they are ready to demonstrate that full commitment. Joyce Clark: Creating a holistic neighborhood is very important for our city and is always a part of my decision-making process when considering the viability of a development proposal.

Are you supportive of selling publicowned parks and open space for private development? Joyce Clark: Generally, no, but there may be compelling reasons for the city to do so occasionally. I think it’s a situational decision that must be made with careful consideration of all factors while keeping the competing principles of taxpayer cost vs. loss of an amenity in mind. Bryce Alexander: While it is impossible to say I would never be supportive, I am strongly opposed and would not vote for deleting a public-owned park or open space, even if it is poorly used by the public, until we have examined every available option, such as repurposing. Examples of repurposing include shifting a golf course to a public park or perhaps building out a community center on the property. Selling should be the last possible option and only done with public support. This is one example where decisions like this raise questions about the ethics and motivation of such attempts to sell city-owned amenities. SEE COUNCIL PAGE 5

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and not funded at recommended levels, leaving public safety understaffed, underequipped and underfunded. I will bring staffing up to recommended levels so our police officers and firefighters have the staffing need to keep us safe. Glendale must do more to improve residents’ quality of life. We can do this by improving city services—such as street and park maintenance—and offering more community resources—libraries, after-school programs, community events, and promoting neighborhood associations. Our residents’ safety and welfare comes first. Weiers: Those are very important considerations. Safety One of the functions of the mayor of Glendale is to run city council and other meetings. (Glendale Star file photo) is obviously our top focus. We spend two-thirds of our city budget on stakeholders to cultivate that vision of logical. I most appreciate elected offipublic safety, and our police and fire growth that will meet the needs of rescials who truly care about the work and have some of the best contracts in the idents and help new and existing busithe people that they serve. There are a state of Arizona. Livability of course is nesses succeed. fair number of people who are attracted something we are looking for all over to politics for less-than-noble purposthe city. And I think compatibility matAre you supportive of selling publices. They serve special-interest groups, ters because anytime you put someowned parks and open space for they seek personal fame or fortune, or thing new into an area where someprivate development? they are trying to feed their own egos thing else already exists, you want the Weiers: Over the last several years or ambitions. I like the elected officials sum of the parts to be greater than the these things come forward and we alwho are the opposite of all of that. whole. And you can’t do that if you are ways do our due diligence to see what Robertson: (no answer) forcing a round peg through a square would be in the best interests of the hole. city. My general preference is to keep What historic elected official do you as much of what we have as possible most admire? What is the role of the Glendale unless there are extraordinary circumRobertson: (no answer) General Plan goals and policies stances. Weiers: For me it was Reagan because in your decision making on Robertson: I am not. The residents of he took over when America was very development proposals? Glendale want us to keep and improve much at a low point, and he restored Weiers: For those who don’t know, it what parks and open space we already it to a very high point, through force is our long-term vision for the city—so have. The voters have been very clear of will, personality and an unshakable much of what we do or decisions that they do not want the city to sell off our belief in America, Americans and our impact us immediately or in the short parks and land for new developments. capability for exceptionalism. term—and we want to make sure that I am supportive of development, but the decisions we make also fit a longparks are important to the quality of Why should someone vote for you? term vision. Of course the process is life of a community, providing a place Weiers: Experience: Obviously I’ve not perfect, because it is nearly imposfor residents to relax, hold events and been mayor and appreciate the recogsible to predict what will happen over a letting residents enjoy recreational acnition we’ve received as a city, but sev10-year period, but it is still a valuable tivities. We need to honor the voice of eral decades as a small-business ownpart of the process. our residents. er, as an activist for charitable causes, Robertson: The Glendale City Generand some time in the Legislature gives al Plan provides our vision and policies What current elected official do you me a very broad skill set. that determine how our city will grow most admire? Deep community roots: I’ve spent and develop. The city of Glendale’s Weiers: I know a lot of them as you decades here, working in the commuGeneral Plan is a long-range comprecan imagine, so I’m not going to pick nity and with local charities like Shrihensive plan that guides development. one because I will hurt a lot of feelings ners, food banks, women’s shelters and As mayor, I am responsible to refer with whoever I leave off. But the qualothers. When you help open a place to the General Plan and work with all ities I admire most aren’t always ideofor kids to go and be safe after school, the whole city doesn’t notice it or even know about it, but it makes a huge difference to that neighborhood and to those families. I’m willing to work with everyone: We’ve got a very open and transparent government in Glendale. If you watch the council meetings you’ll see we’re seven really different people, but I’ve been endorsed by almost everyone on the council because they know that even when we disagree, we’re all trying to do what’s best for the city. We’ve also done amazing things with community groups, churches, small businesses and our chamber of commerce. My strong government connections are great for Glendale because I meet with legislators, our federal delegation, our governor and even the president of the United States (twice) to talk about issues that matter to Glendale. That makes a huge difference when we talk about issues like infrastructure; public safety; dealing with the COVID-19 crisis; or attracting major events like Mecum Auto Auctions, the NCAA National Championship and the Super Bowl.

Commitment: My opponent tells people she will keep her 9-5 job in her grade school and the second salary if she’s elected. I think that’s nuts. You can’t do this job on nights and weekends, and I can’t imagine giving anything less than 100% to this job. We’re a city of 250,000 people, we pay for a full-time mayor and Glendale deserves a full-time mayor. Robertson: My decision to run wasn’t about a political career or a personal agenda. My decision to run was and is about doing what’s good for Glendale, and that means all of our community!

It’s about engaging our residents and hearing their voices, revitalizing our downtown, supporting our businesses, having fiscal responsibility and accountability of utilization of tax dollars, safer neighborhoods, and looking out for the welfare of all of our residents and city employees.

Working together we can move Glendale forward, making it a better place to live and work!