Government Affairs
2008 Election Candidates and Candidate Survey Responses back to main Candidate page
CITY COUNCIL Candidate
Coral Evans
Coral has lived in Flagstaff for 31 years and moved here at the age of four. Her family has been in Flagstaff since 1929 and she is the third generation to reside here. Coral has an MBA from the University of Phoenix and serves as the Executive Director for the Sunnyside and Southside neighborhood associations.
Candidate Survey Responses – On The Issues
1. Please list and briefly describe the three most important issues you intend to address if elected in May.
A. The Affordability Crisis in Workforce Housing
Workforce Housing and Affordable Housing must be an immediate, expedited priority. This includes the creation (through partnerships between government, non-profit and for-profit organizations) of a supply of diverse housing that directly meets the needs of the low-income and moderate-income families
B. Bringing better-paying jobs to Flagstaff
It is vital we diversity the local economy through well-planned &sustainable economic development efforts. This includes aggressively recruiting businesses that pay higher wages, businesses consistent with the City’s environmental policies and offering appropriate incentives to businesses paying higher wages. Businesses that are offered incentives must be held accountable to the established incentive guidelines (e.g. hiring local residents, paying livable wages, etc.) and incentives should also be offered to established businesses.
C. Reliving Traffic Congestion
It is important that we make transportation, traffic management and roads a priority. This includes expanding the current bus system to decrease local and tourist traffic by extending hours, increasing frequency, adding routes & linking with NAU. It will be important to review, re-evaluate, and (possibly) change current City plans & funding to expedite solutions to the most pressing traffic problems.
2. Describe your commitment to solutions related to the growing homeless problem in Flagstaff.
I have long been committed in finding a solution that will effectively address Flagstaff’s growing homeless population. Over a year ago, the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association (of which I am the executive director), working in partnership with the Royal Inn (a for profit organization) implanted a program called “OASIS” to assist in alleviating the homeless crisis that we saw happening in the (Sunnyside) neighborhood (this program has since then spun off into a separate 501 c 3 organization).
I believe that there is a need for a comprehensive homeless shelter in Flagstaff that is fully equipped to meet the specific needs that this population; assisting them in becoming fully self-sustainable. Any viable solution to this problem will require a multitude of partners working together. These partners should include private, public and non-profit sectors.
3. Outline your opinion of the Flagstaff housing market and what role you feel local government should play in attempting to influence that market. How specifically would you use local government to affect our housing market?
For those who have the money the Flagstaff housing marketing offers many different housing opportunities; however, the Flagstaff housing marketing proves to be impossible and out-of-reach for most first-time home-buyers and individuals with low to moderate incomes.
I believe that the City should work directly with the local contractors (and others in the building trades) in the development of any new programs, policies and/or regulations that will ultimately have an effect on housing. I believe that if such entities were at the table during the planning stages this would assist the City early on in identifying the impact that any new programs, policies and/or regulations will have on the overall idea of housing affordability.
Providing a sustainable solution to the housing crisis that the City is currently facing must be a collaborative effort and that effort must include partners from the private, non-profit and government sectors. As a City Council member I am looking forward to hearing and acting on what those working in the building trades and those who are currently running programs designed to provide affordable housing have to say about what would work best to address the current situation in our City.
4. What is your position regarding Development or “Impact” Fees in Flagstaff?
I support fees for infrastructure necessitated by new development however I do not support the proposal currently before City Council which would implement an impact fee of $9,000 per new home, approximately. I believe that such a high impact fee would simply work to further the affordability housing crisis that the City is currently facing.
5. The City of Flagstaff’s Historic Overlay Zoning District has generated a high profile lawsuit on behalf of citizens who seek to improve their properties, but are not restricted by the Overlay Zoning. What is your opinion of the Overlay Zoning? Would you have voted for/against this zoning change?
As the Southside Community Association’s Executive Director the downtown Historic Overlay Zoning District topic has come up in several neighborhood discussions in a general way. As such I have basic knowledge of proposal, however I do not feel that I know enough about the integrate details of the proposal to state whether or not I support or oppose it at this time.
I can state, however, that I believe that all of the effected properties inside of the proposed zoning district should have a vote (say) in any building/zoning changes and/or restrictions that will ultimately affect them.
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6. What role do you feel the City of Flagstaff should play with respect to economic development? Specifically, what should local government do or not do to influence economic development?
I feel that it is vital to diversify the local and region economy through well-planned and sustainable economic development efforts.
I feel that as a city we need to:
1) Recruit businesses that pay higher wages and are consistent with the City’s environmental policies; and,
2) aggressively recruit businesses that pay higher wages, businesses consistent with the City’s environmental policies; offering appropriate incentives when appropriate to businesses paying higher wages (Businesses that are offered incentives must be held accountable to the established incentive guidelines [e.g. hiring local residents, paying livable wages, etc.] and incentives should also be offered to established businesses).
I feel that it is vital to invest in Workforce Development and Education as well.
I feel that as a city we need to:
1) Invest in job training programs in partnership with business and education to ensure businesses have access to a reliable workforce on-demand; and,
2) Invest in youth development programs that prepare youth for skilled trades.
7. Do you support/oppose the adopted Downtown Management Plan? Why or Why not?
I believe that the overall Plan will work to assist in maintaining the vitality of downtown business. Certainly there are areas of the Plan that have created controversy but the overall Plan in general does have merit.
I believe that the success of the Plan (as with any Plan/Strategy) ultimately comes down to a) what are the identified measurable goals/outcomes [what are we trying to accomplish], b) was the Plan implemented correctly [did we follow the plan and do what we said we would do] and c) Evaluation [were we successful, did the plan work].
8. Describe your level of commitment to our City’s airport and its needed improvements beyond the airport runway extension.
Certainly our airport is vital to the growth of our local economy and I support its development as a full regional airport.
I am looking forward to learning more about its needed improvements in support of that goal.
9. What opinion do you have of the City’s approved plan to end train horn noise downtown and mitigate noise on the east side of town?
If the decision is to end train horn noise, I feel that a quiet zone can and should be extended throughout the entire City.
10. Would you support/oppose the City offering financial incentives, including infrastructure improvements that may assist in attracting new employers to Flagstaff? Why or Why not?
I would support the City offering financial incentives that may assist in attracting new employers to Flagstaff when appropriate. However, I also firmly believe that businesses that are offered and accept such incentives must be held accountable to the established incentive guidelines [e.g. hiring local residents, paying livable wages, etc.] and such incentives should also be offered to established businesses (when appropriate) as well..
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11. What are your priorities to improve transportation in, around, to, and from Flagstaff?
I support all five ballot propositions that are currently being proposed by NAIPTA. We need to make transportation, traffic management and roads a priority. It will be important to review, re-evaluate and (possibly) change current City transportation plans and funding to expedite solutions to the most pressing traffic problems.
12. What is your position regarding the City’s new energy-efficient building codes? Specifically, do you understand the codes? Do you feel they are overreaching and unnecessary or a necessity for development in our community?
At this time I feel that I would need to review the completed set of code(s) before stating a position. I am looking forward to reviewing complete set of code(s) and hearing more about what the community feels are the code(s) strengths and weaknesses.
13. What is your opinion of local government competing with local, state or national businesses for services in our community?
Local government should not be in competition with private business (local, state or national) for services in our community.
14. Do you have an opinion on storage boxes and their use in our community?
I am not necessary for or against storage boxes; I would say that such storage boxes should be up to code and within current guidelines/ordinances.
15. What are your specific thoughts about residential and commercial development in Flagstaff?
Residential and commercial development is vital to the long-term sustainability of our City. I support mixed-use types of development that allow businesses and residents/customers to interact at a higher frequency.
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16. How would you address commercial redevelopment opportunities in areas like Fourth Street/Sunnyside and Southside/Downtown?
Commercial redevelopment in the Fourth Street/Sunnyside and Southside/Downtown areas are vital for the overall success of our community.
I have been active for years in various efforts to revitalize the commercial corridors in both neighborhoods. A specific example of this would be the East Flagstaff Focus Future Strategic Planning Process, which I participated in and the more recent Fourth Street Corridor Redevelopment Planning Process (the Fourth Street, Cedar Avenue & Sunnyside Business Redevelopment Taskforce) which my organization lead (over 45 businesses, organizations and agencies worked together to develop this plan; which included identified [possible] funding sources).
I would address the commercial redevelopment of the Fourth Street/Sunnyside corridor by implementing the plan developed by the Fourth Street, Cedar Avenue & Sunnyside Business Redevelopment Taskforce.
In addressing the commercial (and residential) redevelopment of the Southside/Downtown it would be vital to work together with State and Federal agencies to remove the Flood Plain requirements. Removal of those requirements will assist in making redevelopment in the Southside more likely.
17. Are you committed to maintaining the Arizona Cardinals summer training camp in Flagstaff? Do you view the partnership with the Chamber and NAU on this issue as a priority or not a priority?
I think that having the Arizona Cardinals summer training camp here in Flagstaff is a positive thing for the community, both economically and image-wise. I do feel however that we need to contain to seek out and expand these types of possibilities/partnerships.
18. Do you support the City’s contract with the Arizona Snowbowl to sell Snowbowl reclaimed water for snowmaking? Why or why not?
I do not support the City’s contract with the Arizona Snowbowl to sell Snowbowl reclaimed water for snowmaking as I feel the process which lead to the decision was flawed. I believe that the decision to sell reclaimed water to the Arizona Snowbowl should have involved additional community input prior to being voted on.
There are many aspects to the decision that were not thoroughly investigated prior to the signing of the contact. These aspects would include not only the sacred/religious aspects raised by our Native American community members but also the sell of water that could prove crucial/needed in solving water shortage problems that Flagstaff is predicted to be facing in the near future. Additional points of question include who would pay for the waterline up to the peaks (the tax payers of Flagstaff or the business purchasing the utility), the cost of such a waterline, whether or not the pipeline would be above- or under-ground and the effects that would have on individual property along the proposed waterline route.
This kind of decision is indicative of many decisions that have been made by council in the past. An example of this would be the decision to sell the Murdoch Building (site of the historic Dunbar Elementary School) located in the Southside neighborhood prior to discussing the decision with neighborhood residents.
19. What are your specific thoughts on the City’s Public Works yard? How would you work to improve the current Public Works yard? Do you support relocating the yard?
In 2002 I was a member of the City’s Bond Taskforce. During that process I was one of the few members in support of a new Public Works yard. Public Works is a basic government (public) service and the fact is, is that we need to improve this service; we need to relocate the yard and make the overall system more safe, efficient and effective.
20. What major capital projects does our City need? How would you propose funding these projects?
There is a lot of talk about a parking structure downtown. An ideal place (I think) would be the west parking lot area of City Hall. This project could be a public/private venture and funded as such (with assistance from revenues expected to be generated through the implementation of the Downtown Management Plan).
I think an additional overpass, from Lone Tree to Route 66 would assist in eliminating some traffic issues. One possible way to accomplish this could be the use of bonds.
Again, we need a new Public Work Yard. Perhaps this could be accomplished as a capital project.
21. How do you feel about the size of Flagstaff’s government? Do we need more employees/departments? Less employees/departments? Just right? What do you feel we need to add/subtract?
The city should operate in a contentiousness manner (as should any business) and manage their personnel and resources effectively.
22. Would you support/oppose adopting the attached “Small Business Bill of Rights” three page document attached with this survey? Why or why not?
At first review I believe that this is a good starting point to further the discussion of business at the local level. I believe that prior to any type of adoption this document should be reviewed by local small businesses and their input consolidated into a final draft. |
