Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I live in a smaller, but rapidly growing town of about 8,000-9,000. It is a town surrounded by mountains and prairie farmland, with the next closest, and larger towns about 6-7 miles away. I was also just elected to the city council last month and in my interaction with people, they state one primary concern is the "lack of infrastructure" or "infrastructure not keeping up with growth".
I can understand schools not keeping up. Of what else are people referring when the talk "infrastructure". Streets? I can see that also. But, what else.
(I realize you may not have enough information, but I'm looking for a general idea of what is included in "infrastructure".)
Are you actually serious in posing this question volosong? I would think a knowledge of "infrastructure" in your city would be a mandatory requirement for a City Council candidate.
I live in a smaller, but rapidly growing town of about 8,000-9,000. It is a town surrounded by mountains and prairie farmland, with the next closest, and larger towns about 6-7 miles away. I was also just elected to the city council last month and in my interaction with people, they state one primary concern is the "lack of infrastructure" or "infrastructure not keeping up with growth".
I can understand schools not keeping up. Of what else are people referring when the talk "infrastructure". Streets? I can see that also. But, what else.
(I realize you may not have enough information, but I'm looking for a general idea of what is included in "infrastructure".)
I'm beginning to believe vague requests for things like "mass transit" and "infrastructure" that have no plans or use cases can just be overlooked until someone gives solid examples of why they're needed. Unless it's YOUR idea you're presenting, leave it to the suggester to describe the use case if you're left without justification until further notice.
I'm beginning to believe vague requests for things like "mass transit" and "infrastructure" that have no plans or use cases can just be overlooked until someone gives solid examples of why they're needed. Unless it's YOUR idea you're presenting, leave it to the suggester to describe the use case if you're left without justification until further notice.
It depends on who your voting base is and who put you in office. If you were elected on demands for mass transit and 'better infrastructure' they will remember.
By the way I just looked up Pooler GA and it says your city had a population in 2010 of 19,000+ and the 2017 estimate was 23,000+. So it is much larger than the initial statement of 8-9,000. There is also a very large commercial presence including retail manufacturing and distribution along with all the travel business created by the intersection of two interstates (including a fairly major museum) So this isn't a 'small town'.
The prefix "infra" means below, so things at or below ground to support the building, aside from foundations. Roads, sewers, water lines, electric and gas. Elevated transit lines are included.
Are you actually serious in posing this question volosong? I would think a knowledge of "infrastructure" in your city would be a mandatory requirement for a City Council candidate.
Yes, I'm serious. "Infrastructure" can mean many things to different people. I was hoping to get a better understanding of where people are coming from. No, no knowledge set is required to be a candidate. The "qualifications" to run for city council are minimal. Just be a city resident for a minimal amount of time.
It was a very difficult decision to run. I was "drafted" or encouraged to run by my neighbors. The result of several "Letters to the Editor" that were published in the local paper. I only decided to run in the last half hour of the filing period, and for two reasons; 1.) People are "angry" with the rate of urban growth, and 2.) nobody else filed to run against the incumbent.
I did no campaigning except for a newspaper interview of the two of us running and only had two yard signs up on the highway. Nothing else. I defeated the 12-year incumbent in a very close election, 52% to 48%. We can only assume that people really are angry with the current growth trends and that they wanted a change. The other 12-year serving councilman was also defeated. The mayor was re-elected, probably because nobody ran against him.
A common theme I've heard is that the infrastructure is not keeping up with growth. I came here to this C-D sub-forum hoping to get a better understanding of what they meant. The primary thing that I will strive for is to end "leap frog" urbanization and concentrate on in-fill development first. And, since the elders in my 55+ community/complex put me in office, I would like to get a city bus transportation network started.
p.s. I'm not totally clueless in the ways of city governance. As part of my masters program in Geography at Cal State University, Northridge, I took a large handful of urban studies classes, (which at that time was part of the geography department). But, that was twelve years ago and surely I have forgotten much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MidValleyDad
By the way I just looked up Pooler GA and it says your city had a population in 2010 of 19,000+ and the 2017 estimate was 23,000+. So it is much larger than the initial statement of 8-9,000. There is also a very large commercial presence including retail manufacturing and distribution along with all the travel business created by the intersection of two interstates (including a fairly major museum) So this isn't a 'small town'.
You have me confused with another poster in this thread. My town in North Idaho is still a relatively "small town" of 8-9k.
To everyone, thank you for helping me gain a better understanding.
Infrastructure is the foundation that makes modern civilization possible. A good deal of it is invisible in one's day-to-day life. You flick a switch and the lights turn on, but you don't see the electrical wires and power plants that make it possible. You push a handle and the toilet flushes, but you don't see the pipes and pumping stations that brought the water into the toilet, nor the pipes and the treatment plants that deal with what gets sent back out. You drive down the street and things run smoothly; you don't necessarily notice the lack of potholes, or the functioning storm drains that removed the water from yesterday's rain, or the overhead street lights that illuminate your path, or the traffic lights that keep the traffic flowing decently well. And so on.
OP, it sounds to me as though you got elected by people who want to slow your town's growth. Apparently, their concern is that the infrastructure is not keeping pace with the demands of a growing population. What, specifically, is not keeping pace? Is traffic congestion getting bad? Is water pressure dropping because too many pipes are being tapped into the mains? Is electricity availability becoming erratic? Are there potholes on your streets?
If you want to serve your constituents, find out what they're concerned about. Then figure out what needs to be done to address their concerns. And then do it. Or else be prepared to explain why you can't afford to do it, or why you don't think it's necessary to do it, or what the tradeoffs will be if you do it.
Good luck, OP. At least you've got this going for you: if your town is experiencing rapid growth, that means that there's something good about it that's drawing people to move there.
And, since the elders in my 55+ community/complex put me in office, I would like to get a city bus transportation network started.
The foundations of planning a small-town transit system are not particularly complicated. (Finding the funding to operate such a system, however, is not always so easy.) Here's what you do:
1. Figure out who your riders would be. In a small town such as yours, they will be almost exclusively the elderly, the poor, the disabled, and students. In other words, people who can't drive or can't afford a car.
2. Figure out where they live. Your 55+ community is one such place. Low-income apartment complexes are another.
3. Figure out where they want to go. Shopping centers (especially Walmart, if you have one). Social-service agencies. Medical complexes. Major employment concentrations.
4. Map out the locations you want to serve. Draw lines to connect them. Unless your town is located along a single street, you will probably need to have more than one route in order to serve your desired locations. Try to establish a central transfer point, preferably someplace that is somewhere that people actually want to go (such as a shopping mall). Figure out how long it takes for a bus to travel the various routes and build the schedules. Try to coordinate the schedules in order to make your routes connect with each other without long waits.
5. Make a speech and cut the ribbon. Congratulations, you have a transit system.
OP, it sounds to me as though you got elected by people who want to slow your town's growth. Apparently, their concern is that the infrastructure is not keeping pace with the demands of a growing population. What, specifically, is not keeping pace?...
That's why I came here. To get some ideas of what's on their minds. To me, being retired, I see no issues with the current infrastructure. The roads are pretty clear during the middle of the day when I'm out and about. Only thing of which I'm concerned is that we don't have our own sewage treatment plant and ship pre-processed waste to the adjacent city, about five-six miles away. We pay them some amount to do so. It is also a rapidly-growing city and personally, I don't like being beholden to them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bus man
If you want to serve your constituents, find out what they're concerned about...
After i'm sworn in next month, and if the weather cooperates, I will be holding at least monthly "Sidewalk Office Hours" where I'll set up a card table somewhere in town and talk with people. I can't promise anything, but can discover their concerns.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bus man
Good luck, OP. At least you've got this going for you: if your town is experiencing rapid growth, that means that there's something good about it that's drawing people to move there.
Thank you. I'll need it. "Weird" stuff is already starting to happen. Idaho, and North Idaho in particular, is becoming somewhat of a retirement destination. Probably for two primary reasons, the cost-of-living and the political climate in the state. I moved here for my retirement years for the outdoor adventure, (e.g., mountains, lakes, rivers, bicycling).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
