In front of mostly empty chairs, three of the four candidates for seats on the Clarkston City Council answered questions from a small audience on Oct. 24 at the Carriage House in Clintonwood Park.
Hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Oakland Area, the candidates? night was meant to help residents understand candidate viewpoints and issues key to the village. The small audience was made up of local media and people affiliated with the LWVOA.
Candidates Corian Johnston, James Brueck and incumbent Walter Gamble Jr. gave opening statements, answered five or six questions and gave closing statements during the hour-long event. Incumbent Dan Colombo was not present at candidates? night and was not at the city council meeting. Colombo could not be reached until after deadline.
In his opening statement, James Brueck highlighted the environment, budget and downtown preservation as three key issues to the village.
‘Environmentally, Clarkston is on the Upper Clinton River Watershed and most of us live on lakes and rivers, or are in the watershed, so anything we put on our grass etc., makes its way into our water’We have a stewardship to the environment to protect,? said Brueck.
After saying he would spend money wisely according to the will of residents, Brueck discussed the downtown area.
‘You see a lot of people out and about. It’s a magnet to attract people downtown. It’s one of the things that attracted me,? said Brueck.
Walter Gamble Jr. referenced his 10 years on the council and his experience with budgets as reasons why he is again running for a seat after he contemplated not running.
‘In the last ten years we’ve accomplished a lot. We’ve spent a lot of money and put the town in good order. We’ve beautified the town, put in water and roads,? said Gamble.
Gamble also said a recent ruling by the Michigan Tax Tribunal forced the village to pay over $8,000 back to Consumers Energy in adjusted taxes is creating further economic challenges for cities around Michigan including Clarkston. He warned of a similar ruling in regards to Detroit Edison.
‘Primarily, my function over the last ten years has been a person that keeps accountability to make sure dollars are spent wisely,? said Gamble.
Corian Johnston opened saying he has attended many planning commission, city council and zoning meetings, giving him a firm understanding of what is going on in Clarkston. Johnston said the council is made up of caring people, but offered criticism of their effort much of the night.
‘I think they have become somewhat more concerned in preserving what we have instead of making sure we go forward,? said Johnston. ‘I think more has to be done to protect our city, to protect the values we like and to protect the value of the property.?
Johnston said increased traffic and environmental concerns need to be addressed. He also said there was insufficient discussion over a downtown business study conducted in 2000.
‘The council has an opportunity to make it a better place and make sure it stays that way,? said Johnston.
The first question by Lisa Bauer of LWVOA, who moderated the event, regarded the study with which Johnston argued so little was implemented by the council.
‘I was opposed to it from the very beginning because the answers they produced were self-evident. It didn’t take a $5,000 study to come up with a bunch of suggestions that were self evident,? said Gamble, who said the company conducting the study is usually brought into cities that are floundering.
‘They came into town and said ‘Gee it’s a great town.? They’re not the type of people you bring into Clarkston? It was $5,000 thrown down the drain,? said Gamble.
Johnston suggested some of the recommendations dealt with signage in the downtown area, which could make visiting Clarkston less confusing. He pointed to the lack of signs to direct people back to the village after going past Depot Park, as well as other recommendations that could be implemented.
‘One of the issues I raised to council is a lot of the businesses are putting up sandwich board signs on the street. I don’t mind them. I think its good to promote business, but they were becoming more and more? I found out the zoning ordinance specifically forbids them but no one was doing anything about them,? said Johnston.
Brueck and Johnston both raised environmental concerns during the debate. Brueck used a personal example of petroleum seeping into his well as an example of incidents that need to be prevented to preserve waterways.
In response, Gamble emphasized roads like M-15 are state roads in which environmental issues mandated by the state will be enforced.
‘There’s nothing we could have done in the past to preclude any environmental damage,? said Gamble.
Bauer later asked the candidates how they would handle budget cuts and operating with a restricted budget made worse by instances such as paying back Consumers Energy.
Johnston said the council has the most power to control police and DPW costs. He highlighted the DPW’s spending $1,400 on a weather information service and the purchase of a $50,000 ‘bucket truck? to replace light poles as an example of where cuts could be possible.
‘I haven’t heard anything back from the council on if we’re getting our money’s worth (in reference to the bucket truck)? I’d like to know,? said Johnston.
He also said parades and events like Taste of Clarkston are great at promoting Clarkston and bring people downtown, but come at a cost.
‘If we’re going to fund township events, we don’t have the money. We need help from surrounding areas. We’re a very small village, we can’t support everyone around us,? said Johnston.
Johnston also criticized the council for not acting on advice from the city attorney two years ago that the Consumers Energy payment was coming. He also said the council has not aggressively pursued dealing with problems on state roads.
Brueck used the DPW and police department as examples to look at where the money is going and suggested considering more collaboration with the township to provide services with more fiscal responsibility.
‘I think you look at practical solutions. You look at what your options are. I don’t support raising taxes. We have to live within our means,? said Brueck.
‘The village is one square mile and you have to look hard at the services we need and where they come from.?
The candidates responded differently to a question about the high volume of traffic through town, an issue heightened by area development.
‘We’ve been addressing that for the last 10 years? It’s not that we haven’t worked on it, you can’t stop the traffic’basically there’s nothing you can do about it,? said Gamble, who pointed out the council’s victory at keeping trucks from passing through town when turning off Dixie onto White Lake.
Gamble explained that the paving of Holcomb and White Lake roads increased traffic. He said studies of traffic flow were conducted and the state has said the council cannot do anything to impede the traffic on a state road.
Brueck pointed out difficulties navigating through town as a frustrating problem.
‘There are only so many roads that lead around town and through town. To try and artificially restrict the traffic is probably beyond our capability,? said Brueck. ‘Short of creating a magnificent bypass’I don’t know if there’s a way to control the traffic with so much building going on in the areas around the town.?
Johnston advocated a more proactive approach to the traffic problem.
‘We can’t do anything about the traffic, I agree because the township is growing? but my first thought was to try to reroute traffic around town, but talking to the business people and looking at the study, both said that’s what kills a town,? said Johnston. ‘I think we need to develop the downtown so people want to drive through and stop. They’re going to slow down in town? let’s take advantage of the traffic. What’s most important to our residents is to make it pedestrian safe and I’ll fight MDOT on that.?
The final question addressed the candidates? support of the police department and lead them to discuss whether Clarkston is better off with its own police force.
‘The sheriff’s department is not cheap and would cost more and all you’d get is a drive through? We need it (the police) for the traffic. We need it to slowdown traffic and control speeders on Main Street and Holcomb,? said Gamble. ‘We need to manage the traffic we can’t stop? With the sheriff’s department, we would have no control. We would spend money only for a drive through.?
Johnston believes Clarkston can afford the department and called for the police to be more visible in the public patrolling the streets on foot.
‘I support the local police and am glad we have them. I’m glad they’re within five minutes of any house in the village,? said Johnston.
Brueck took a different approach to the question crediting the police with doing good work, but said looking for other solutions to control traffic might be a good idea.
‘We’re a one square-mile village. I think the police department is a real luxury. They’re expensive and a luxury,? said Brueck. ‘They do a good job with traffic enforcement and if that remains a priority with the village and the citizens okay’I don’t know you need a full-time department. Common sense tells you that’s a pretty high ratio of police to citizens.?
The election for the Clarkston City Council is Nov. 8. Polls will open at 375 Depot Road from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Four candidates are running for three two-year term seats.