Prociw and Knudsen
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: The Chronicle kicks off its election coverage this week with a focus on mayoral races in Creswell and Cottage Grove, plus an in-depth Q&A from Creswell city council candidates. Springfield council candidate Kori Rodley offers a guest column this week, and more Springfield and Cottage Grove coverage will be featured Oct. 22. The Chronicle does not endorse any candidate. We present opportunities for them to speak for themselves with a Q&A and guest columns. Not all candidates chose to participate.
Q: What style of leadership does Creswell need right now and why?
Amy Knudsen: Creswell deserves to continue to have articulate and confident leaders. Previous mayors Dave Stram and Richard Zettervall have set great examples, and I intend to follow their lead. The mayor’s voice should not be louder than the council’s. The mayor needs to lead efficient meetings and needs to listen and respect council and staff. The mayor needs to be able to collaborate with the city manager to further city and council goals. Several years ago, before Mayor Stram was elected, there was a lack of respect and divisiveness in the council, and a lack of collaboration between council and city manager. There was a lack of trust from the citizens. I will not go down that same path. Council and the city have been working well together and working hard to achieve goals, and I will work to support that balance. We must continue to have a cohesive council. That does not mean that the council needs to agree all the time. Each councilor needs to have their own opinions and speak for the citizens. But the council still needs to have common goals in mind that benefit the majority of the citizens. And the mayor needs to be able to keep that respectful collaboration strong. It is my foremost goal as mayor to make that happen.
Kevin Prociw: Creswell needs leaders that listen first. Leaders need to discern the current pulse of the community by engaging them where they are at. In-person, online, or on the phone (or text), leadership needs to be proactive about creating opportunities for people to express input and concerns. Community engagement is a focus of my campaign and I will work to improve that process when elected mayor of Creswell.
Q: Do you think Downtown Creswell is healthy, safe and successful and what would you do to help improve it?
Knudsen: I feel safe walking downtown alone or with my young children. I know businesses are successful, but they can always use support from the city and citizens. As mayor I will seek ways to attract more businesses to our Downtown area. There are unoccupied spaces that could be a good spot for a small business. Downtown consists of numerous blocks, not just Oregon Avenue. And we could increase the walkability with improved streets, completed sidewalks, and better lighting, benches and way finders. I want to continue contracting and collaborating with RAIN Oregon to help support our businesses. It is not in the budget to have a full-time economic developer, but we can contract with organizations to help build our local economy and support our businesses.
Prociw: I do. Creswell is really in a good place and on track for future growth and development in our downtown core. Street projects are either already happening (A Street) or being planned (South 2nd Street) and our rock star city planners are already innovating on ideas to make Creswell easier to navigate for residents and visitors. Our focus now should be to revive our chamber of commerce (for which the city is a member) and ensure that we have a sustainable plan to keep our annual July Fourth celebration happening. Additionally, I want to do all that we can to promote our local business and attract more investment into our community. I am committed to fostering those conversations in Creswell to the best of my ability.
Q: What is an immediate goal you want to accomplish, or significant changes you intend to make?
Knudsen: Creswell will have three new councilors elected in November. So, my immediate goal as mayor would be to train and orient new councilors to their role and ensure they know and understand council rules, meeting procedures, and their responsibilities. Another goal of mine is to fill vacant spaces and buildings in our city and attract more businesses. We have prime real estate off I-5 that is not being utilized. We have a need for more eateries in our city and I would like to make that happen.
Prociw: The immediate goal is to build upon existing foundations and then evolve them by making trust and respect a focal point for which all city business takes place. I want to foster high trust relationships between the council, staff, and the community. This involves developing a trust vocabulary and trust behaviors. These are competencies we can build through workshops and through our ongoing discussions and practices. It is within this “culture of trust” that we can operate and get the work of the city and its citizens done. From there, we would then begin work on the city’s next five-year strategic plan.
Q: What is your opinion on the need to address social justice and racial issues in Creswell and what ideas do you have on making the city a more welcoming place for all walks of life?
Knudsen: I want all citizens to feel welcome and safe, and I have been told that is not the case. Addressing social justice and racism in our city is very important to me. To that end, I intend to reopen the discussion around equity and inclusion. It is important to continue this discussion and to come to an understanding. I want those that feel unsafe and not heard to feel support from their city and council. One way to show support is to recognize that discrimination exists in our city and that we will not tolerate it. Some say it is not the responsibility of the city to make such statements. But if the leaders of our city do not stand up to inequities and make it uncomfortable to discriminate, then we are not leading by example. We are ignoring those that deserve to be heard and treated fairly.
Prociw: By listening to others and reading social media, it is clear that we cannot dismiss the existence of racism in Creswell (as it exists just about everywhere.) Creswell as a municipality already has non-discrimination policies, and inclusion is already a part of the vision statement in the city’s strategic plan. It is not up to the city to legislate behavior, but we certainly can be role models and lead by example. I think we need to start with that and then do our best to make inclusion and equity echo through our actions and our public projects. For example, the way that we design a park, how we name the park, the features that it includes, the benches around town, our future street names, our public art, etc., are potential ways that we can honor diversity in Creswell. The solution will need to be a public process that results in something that a strong majority of the community can support.
Q: Creswell contracts with LCSO for $995,701, providing four deputies and a sheriff. Contractual services increased $208,541 this fiscal year in order to add a fourth deputy. What does “defunding the police” mean to you, and what steps would you take to ensure Creswell is a safe place to live?
Knudsen: When I hear “defund the police” I hear “let’s use our resources the best we can to have a safe city.” I do not advocate for decreasing policing or decreasing funds to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. But I have been an advocate for figuring out what it means to feel safe in our city. People that do not have jobs, housing, or struggle with mental illness can feel unsafe. That has nothing to do with increasing policing. Those issues take creative solutions to help support those that need it. I want to continue to talk about public safety and the perception of our citizens. I want to better understand what Creswell needs to be a safer community.
Prociw: It means ‘balance.’ In addition to our existing coverage, we need to consider supplementing our public safety program with resources that consider an individual’s mental health. Each situation requires a different type of response that is appropriate to the circumstances. I believe we can do better but it will require a careful, thoughtful approach, possibly involving partnering with other communities on shared resources. With limited resources and a revolving door at the county jail, working to eliminate the root cause for addiction, crime and homelessness could be a better approach rather than continuing the vicious cycle that only drains our tax dollars, burdens our courts and jails, and does nothing to effectively solve the issue at hand.
Q: How would you deal with negative criticism from the community?
Knudsen: People that criticize their local officials have a right to do so. It is my job to listen to them and come to an understanding. Our current political climate has people on edge and defensive. I do not take criticism as a personal attack. I see it as an opportunity to have an open, respectful conversation, even when we do not agree.
Prociw: One develops a thicker skin over time and being able to weather criticism is kind of a job requirement. My years of public activism have certainly helped me in that regard. More importantly is how one responds to and learns from criticism. In some cases, it may be an opportunity for me to grow and evolve. Being open-minded to other possibilities and perspectives helps in creating understanding with others.
Q: Both of you have served, and are currently serving on city council. What is one project you were proud to work on that you believe has/will lead to better living in Creswell?
Knudsen: I was very proud to help coordinate and implement our first Emergency Preparedness Fair in May 2018. I collaborated with the Public Safety Committee, council, staff, and volunteers to help our citizens prepare for a major disaster or emergency. I volunteered numerous hours leading up to the fair and at the fair to make the event happen. I wrote monthly newsletter tips that were published in The Chronicle on how to be prepared for various disasters and emergencies. I hope to hold another fair in the future because it is important for us to be prepared.
Prociw: I am very proud of the work that we have done on the Public Safety Committee that led to the additional deputy that has us at very close to 24×7 coverage now. I am also proud to have helped reboot our neighborhood watch program. It is a work in progress, but I feel that a good foundation has been built for future growth as a partner with our contracted LCSO coverage.
Read more:
Creswell mayor race – click here
Creswell City Council race – click here
Cottage Grove mayor race – click here
Candidate columns:
Chalice Savage – Cottage Grove City Council candidate
Shelly Clark – Creswell City Council candidate
Kori Rodley – Springfield City Council candidate
Ivan DelSol – Cottage Grove mayor candidate
