Important Message: Housing Committee

In the December edition of our Town Newsletter, Barbara Bruno called anyone who criticized her, as a candidate, a part of the problem in Springdale. She then highlighted the need for more kindness in the future.

Fast forward only a few days and we discover that Barbara has removed her opponent in the election (Pat Campbell) from his position on the Housing Committee. Pat and I (Tom Kenaston) have served on the Housing Committee for a number of years and I can attest that Pat has always been well prepared for each meeting and he always provides our group with well thought out questions and a thorough review of each issue.

His removal from the Committee can best be described as a purge of someone who does not always agree with our mayor. As of late, our mayor has been laser focused on the reassignment of the Trapper Circle apartment project to a new vendor called Switchpoint. Pat and I are both alarmed with the lack of diligence in vetting this vendor. And the steady push by Barbara to avoid input by our recommending body to better evaluate this vendor's competencies as a housing provider for Springdale is troubling and unacceptable.

Barbara has finally agreed to allow a standard RFP to be opened for this Trapper Circle project, but the abbreviated timeline makes it difficult to accomplish a complete review on this project, especially given the upcoming Holidays. What are the Town's motivations for this fast-tracked project? What are the mayor’s motivations? How can we, as a community, provide better oversight on this Town Project?

In a recent edition of The Springdale Sun, a Town resident made a strong case for a Community Oversight Committee. He cited hypothetical issues with Town staff, purchasing rules, Auditor reports, etc. What about a multi-million-dollar infrastructure project for workforce housing? Should we rely on our Housing experts to provide guidance? Should we rush to select a housing provider? Or, when the need arises, should we have a Community Oversight Committee available to help ensure the proper diligence is applied, with the correct resources, to ensure the best decision for Springdale is made for our residents? I believe Pat Campbell would be a good choice for this Oversight Committee. I believe I would have a lot to add to Town Oversight also....

Thank you. Tom Kenaston