Government Affairs
2008 Election Candidates and Candidate Survey Responses back to main Candidate page
CITY COUNCIL Candidate
Morgan Hagaman
Morgan was born and raised in Flagstaff, and has lived here for 33 years. He received a marketing degree from Northern Arizona University, and is currently a Mortgage Officer at Mountain Country Mortgage as well as the Broker and Owner of Hagaman Realty..
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.
I want to ensure that our City and streets are as safe as they possibly can be by getting the police the funding they need to fight any crime and that our public works department has what it needs to give us the best possible roads to drive on. Anytime one of our local business’s gets robbed or has property crime done to it is too much. Our roads need to be maintained properly so people can get to our local businesses. I want to keep new development and construction fees at a minimum to keep housing as affordable as it can be, and to keep current businesses interested in expanding in Flagstaff, and new businesses interested in moving here. I want to relieve the traffic congestion in our City by adding more North/South Corridors.
2. Describe your commitment to solutions related to the growing homeless problem in Flagstaff.
The homeless problem is something that definitely needs to be addressed. It isn’t going to go away. The temporary shelter is only a temporary fix and isn’t going to work. The city needs to investigate in finding a permanent location and look into working with other organizations to make this happen. I will be open to any ideas and options that will allow us to help those who have been less fortunate that ourselves.
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?
The Flagstaff market is a little slow right now, but no where near as bad as other markets in our state. Most of the major mortgage companies consider Flagstaff to be in as good of market that there is right now. There are a lot of homes on the market right now, but houses are selling. Flagstaff is still a very desirable place to live and should always do well in the Real Estate market. Local government is very limited on what it can do to affect our housing market. Our real estate is market driven, and government has little if any control on that market. Some things government can do are keep the cost of starting a new home at a minimum and not to impose regulations that counter affordability. They can also keep working on making Flagstaff the desirable town that it is and the housing market will continue to do well.
4. What is your position regarding Development or “Impact” Fees in Flagstaff?
I am against impact fees. Impact fees are just added costs to the developer that the developer is already paying for. The developer is already setting aside land for parks, trails, streets and sidewalks. The impact fees that the city wanted to impose put most of the fee towards these items that the developer is already paying for. Adding these costs will just be added to the cost of the house when the buyer shows up. The developer isn’t going to eat those extra costs. Studies show that for impact fees to be needed, your city needs to have more than 3% growth. Flagstaff is less that 3% growth. We need to listen to our own study. The cost of a house in this town is already very expensive. We need to do everything we can to try and keep the costs of building these homes as minimal as possible, to keep the housing as affordable as possible. These impact fees also affect any new commercial building that will prevent businesses from expanding or even starting up which does not help Flagstaff economically.
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?
This lawsuit has proven that the city needs to be extremely careful when it comes to doing these types of changes. Any time you mess with a person’s property rights there are going to be problems. I believe that the city is going to continue to have problems with this change. I would have voted against the zoning change.
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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?
The city should do everything in its ability to support economic development. They need help current businesses grow by keeping expansion costs at a minimum and offering incentives to keep their businesses in Flagstaff. The need to have minimal start up costs for new businesses. The need to make sure that Flagstaff is a safe desirable town to live in to make future employees excited about the opportunity of living in Flagstaff. Our businesses and economy are what drive this town, and by not looking at economic development as a priority our town won’t survive.
7. Do you support/oppose the adopted Downtown Management Plan? Why or Why not?
I would not have supported the Downtown Plan as it was. I believe that we can do better. The parking meters are not going to help and I think the million dollars to put them in could have been put to a better use. The city definitely needs to do something about its parking. I believe a garage is the answer. We need to figure out where the garage is going to go and get it done. For the time being, the City should look at Copeland Lumber as a possible parking lot for downtown employees.
8. Describe your level of commitment to our City’s airport and its needed improvements beyond the airport runway extension.
I will be committed to doing everything I can to help the airport. Any improvement we can do to our airport will benefit Flagstaff. A better airport will help our current businesses expand and become more successful and will attract new businesses to coming to Flagstaff. A more improved airport will benefit Flagstaff’s economy and benefit the citizens’ of Flagstaff.
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 you are going to end the train noise downtown, you need to end it on the east side of town as well. I have no problem with ending the train noise. If a person can’t hear the actual train coming, I seriously doubt that they will hear the horn.
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 look first at offering financial incentives to our current Flagstaff businesses to see if we can help them expand and grow. Flagstaff needs to take care of the businesses that have helped make this town such a great place. I would also support offering incentives to attract new businesses. Any new positive business that can succeed in Flagstaff will be a positive for Flagstaff.
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11. What are your priorities to improve transportation in, around, to, and from Flagstaff?
The first thing that has to happen is that our current roads in the city get taken care of. We do not need articles in the paper bragging about which street has the biggest pothole. We need to fix our streets and maintain them. We next need to expand on north south corridors through Flagstaff to relieve traffic congestion, not only on Milton, but on the east side of town as well. We need to continue to work with the State and County to ensure that our roads coming into the City are as efficient as they can be.
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?
The new energy codes are another way that the cost of a new construction increases and makes housing less affordable. Adding $10,000 to the cost a house with these new codes to save $50 a year does not make sense to me. I applaud the people that choose to build their homes in a greener manor, but they should not have to build them that way if they can’t afford it. The City should not try and completely change these codes. The savings do not justify the cost.
13. What is your opinion of local government competing with local, state or national businesses for services in our community?
Flagstaff needs to compete with whomever to be able to bring the best possible services it can to this community. It nice to see some of the new businesses and services that have come to town. Growing up in Flagstaff, I remember having to drive to Phoenix for many goods and services. It is nice to have those services here now and not have to go to Phoenix. Any services that can keep our residents in Flagstaff should be welcomed.
14. Do you have an opinion on storage boxes and their use in our community?
If they aren’t bothering anyone and aren’t breaking any laws I don’t have a problem.
15. What are your specific thoughts about residential and commercial development in Flagstaff?
I welcome positive residential and commercial growth to Flagstaff. I look forward to our current businesses being able to expand and grow. I look forward to new businesses coming to town and being successful. With economic growth, we will also have positive growth residentially which will help with our housing affordability. The City needs to keep the start up costs of these new developments at a minimum to ensure that these positive developments can happen.
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16. How would you address commercial redevelopment opportunities in areas like Fourth Street/Sunnyside and Southside/Downtown?
Projects like the 4th Street overpass and the Mall expansion are going have a good effect on the Sunnyside/4th Street area. Sunnyside has continued to improve over the years and that will definitely help these areas. The new conference center will be a real boost for the Southside/Downtown area. I believe that there will be some very good opportunities in both of these areas.
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 am committed to keeping the Cardinal’s in Flagstaff. This program is a big positive for the community and needs to stay in Flagstaff. Our local businesses prosper because of this, which only helps Flagstaff.
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 support the contract. It makes very good sense. The City has a lot of reclaimed water that is available for sale in the winter. The Snowbowl wants to buy it. It’s a good business decision. If the Snowbowl can benefit from snowmaking, it will only benefit Flagstaff. The more skiers that come to Flagstaff, the more money is being spent in our local businesses. It is a win-win situation.
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?
I know that the current Public Works yard is in need of some repair. I am not exactly sure what can be done to improve the current yard. I do know that the current yard is located on some of Flagstaff’s most valuable real estate and that the City should really look into relocating the Public Works yard and get Public Works everything that they need, and make better use of the land that the yard is on now.
20. What major capital projects does our City need? How would you propose funding these projects?
Flagstaff needs better roads and more of them. We need to make sure that our current roads are maintained in a satisfactorily manor. We need to bring in more north south corridors to relieve traffic congestion. We need to make sure that our Police have the proper funding to keep some police officers in Flagstaff. These projects have to be done and the City needs to look at any and every possibility of funding them.
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?
Every department in the City needs to be looked at and see if it is running as efficiently as it can be. I believe that some departments could probably use some more help. I think that some are overstaffed. The City does not need departments that have 3 people watching 1 person work. The most important thing is that the city is running as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
22. Would you support/oppose adopting the attached “Small Business Bill of Rights” three page document attached with this survey? Why or why not?
I do support these “Bill of Rights”. The City needs to do everything in its power to help its businesses. Without our businesses, there will be no Flagstaff. I think that these “Small Business Bill of Rights” will be a valuable resource when looking at public policy. |
