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January 26, 2006
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January 26, 2006 |
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EDITORIAL To-do list for new Village manager Eric Swansen, the new Village manager, has been on the job for a little more than a week. There’s no doubt that his plate is full already and that he has enthusiastically taken up his new position. He’s arrived during an important time for the Yellow Springs community, which is facing a number of challenges and opportunities. Mr. Swansen is a young, energetic administrator, who describes his role as facilitating dialogue and decision-making processes, and helping local residents and community leaders to define their visions for Yellow Springs. As he helps the community define its vision, here are a few suggestions for the new manager: • Help the community work through the debate over growth by leading local residents to an understanding of where and to what extent and by what means Yellow Springs will grow. Focus villagers on coming up with ways to ensure that development really reflects the community’s values, such as promoting diversity, in terms of both population and type of housing; creating pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods; encouraging innovative building designs; providing adequate open spaces. As Mr. Swansen said in an interview with the News, it’s “pretty clear growth is going to happen. Communities that plan for it are in a much better position than those that react to it.” • As part of this effort, embolden Village Council to take a more proactive position on growth by adopting measures that influence future development so that growth meets standards established by the community. • At the same time, help the community make progress on achieving a real greenbelt to the west of Yellow Springs, one that protects the village from sprawl while preserving some of the community’s natural characteristics. Work with Council to create a regular funding mechanism for the green space fund. • Encourage more people, especially young people, to get involved in the Village government, whether by volunteering for a board or with a program, coming to meetings or by simply sharing their opinions. Show them that it’s at the local level of government where they can have a say in public decisions and make a real, substantial difference in their community. • Cut through the rhetoric about the Village’s financial health by presenting budgets in an accurate, unbiased manner, without using scare tactics, or by being overly optimistic. Guide Council as it works to find solutions to the Village’s budget challenges of flat revenues and increasing costs, along with a long list of capital improvement projects. • Show Council that the Village does not need year-end balances that equal 25 percent of operating costs for the Village’s four main budget funds (general, electric, water and sewer). Such a high percentage puts pressure on the Village to generate additional funds, and keeps more money away from needed capital projects. Mr. Swansen could follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Rob Hillard, who said (not loudly enough for Council to hear) that 8 to 12 percent annual reserves were sufficient. • Devise a more effective approach to disseminate information about the Village budget, especially by putting into context the Village’s capital improvement needs. Most people don’t want to read budget documents, so find a method to help busy local residents understand the Village’s finances. • Encourage the Police Department to better and more forthrightly explain new approaches to policing, including its more aggressive drug enforcement tactics. Insist that the Village and the department put in place mechanisms to ensure that officers respect civil liberties and do their job in a courteous and professional manner. • Obtain a copy of Ohio’s Sunshine Laws, the Open Meetings and Public Records Acts: read them, study them, live them. Be a champion of open government by spreading throughout the Village organization, including Council, the principle that the government respects the right of the community to know what public officials and employees are doing. • Inspire Yellow Springers to get excited about the Village government and their community.
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