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Ward 2 candidates set sights on economy, neighborhoods
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| H&N photos by Megan Doyle City Council Ward 2 incumbent Bud Hart, left, is pleased with the East Main Street improvements that included planting trees and hanging banners. Challenger Jeff Ritter says the Ella Redkey pool is a good example of how geothermal energy can be used to benefit the community. |
By MEGAN DOYLE
H&N Staff Writer
A real estate broker and magazine publisher is challenging longtime incumbent Irving “Bud” Hart for a position on the Klamath Falls City Council.
Voters on Nov. 4 will decide between Jeff Ritter and Hart for the seat representing Ward 2, which includes the south end of Pacific Terrace and portions of downtown and the Mills Addition neighborhood.
Hart has served 20 years on the City Council and is involved with the League of Oregon Cities.
Ritter has worked with all levels of government, primarily in economic development roles.
Both promote planned development.
Candidates responded to questions from the Herald and News, readers and each other.
Irving "Bud" Hart
Incumbent
Age: 69
Occupation: Professor emeritus, retired, Oregon Institute of Technology distance education and on campus professor of mathematics
Political experience: 20 years city council, board of director League of Oregon Cities, prior to being elected served on the city planning commission
Why he’s running: “Because I think I still have some experience to offer. I’m younger than John McCain,” he said. He believes he has public support and people respect his opinions.
Herald and News questions:
Q: In what ways can the city council help to keep air service at the Klamath Falls Airport?
A: Hart believes the council has done what it can for air service from the Klamath Falls Airport by offering a one-year guarantee subsidy for northbound service.
“It’s just going to take care of itself,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to see any draw on that guarantee at all.”
He also would like the Oregon Air National Guard to remain at the airport because of the benefits. “They do a lot of our maintenance,” he said.
Q: What new ideas can you bring to the position?
A: Hart hopes to bring new ideas for the city’s economy. There was a study completed by the League of Oregon Cities that showed city revenues were not keeping up with expenditures.
“We’ve got to grow the economy and see if we can get stable labor costs,” he said.
Most cities are negatively impacted by property tax limitations, he said. Though the city doesn’t have authority to make those changes, Hart believes his position with the League of Oregon Cities could help make a positive impact locally on the issue.
Q: What area of the city are you most proud of?
A: Hart is pleased with the East Main Street improvements that included planting trees and hanging banners.
Q: What area of the city needs improvements?
A: “I’d like to see the streets improved, but I don’t have the funds to do it,” Hart said.
Opponent’s question to incumbent:
Q: When, during the past 20 years, have you worked in the private sector (not including consulting or third-party contracts for government customers), for how long and in what capacity?
A: “I have been continuously employed at Oregon Institute of Technology teaching mathematics since 1972.”
Questions submitted by Herald and News readers:
Q: Why does the city annex county property so a developer can build more homes when it cannot find any money to pave streets that are already within the city limits?
A: Most of the “new” residential developments such as Southview and Ridgewater were already within the city for many years before any development plans were initiated, Hart said.
“Both of these subdivisions will have private streets that will not be maintained by the city,” he said.
Green Acres was a recent annexation, and the developer is obligated to pay a fair share of the costs of improvements on off-site improvements that will be impacted when the development is completed.
“It should be noted that Green Acres was zoned and could have been developed as a residential subdivision without annexation,” Hart said.
Q: What is your future vision for Klamath Falls? What changes would you make?
A: “My vision for Klamath Falls is a community that retains its pride in western culture and reflects our rural lifestyle and values, while at the same time enjoying the positive aspects of controlled, planned urbanization,” Hart said.
Q: How would you help shift the focus of our local economy from timber and agriculture to eco-tourism and/or light industry?
A: “I believe that agriculture will always be a mainstay in the Klamath Basin, and I will continue to support these hard working people,” Hart said.
The city’s Airport Industrial Park is ideally situated to provide industrial support to defense and air industries, he said, adding, “I also see an exciting opportunity to look for solar industries in our Campus Industrial Park.”
He pointed to a recently added bachelor’s degree program at OIT – renewable energy systems – and the Klamath County Economic Development Association’s a goal of “Green and Green” for Klamath Sustainable Communities.
“Great potential exists for cooperative public-private partnerships in this area,” Hart said.
Q: Some of our oldest neighborhoods are in bad shape and need attention to infrastructure as well as attention from police and code enforcement. What will you do to encourage their revitalization?
A: “Infrastructure, especially streets is a major problem,” Hart said.
The city Public Works Department has identified more than $50 million in street maintenance needs to bring existing streets up to standard, he said, adding that a citizen advisory committee was established to address the needs.
“There is never enough code enforcement in any part of the city,” Hart said. “In my opinion, code enforcement could be more effective if it were administratively transferred to the police department.”
Jeff Ritter
Age: 43
Occupation: Magazine publisher (Explore Klamath County Magazine), photographer and owner of a real estate brokerage (541 Realty.com)
Political experience: Worked with all levels of government. 1993-2000 Oregon Community and Economic Development Department as an industry coordinator, business development intake specialist, Central Oregon Community Development coordinator.
Why he’s running: “I am running to provide voters with the option of recent private sector experience,” he said. “The City Council’s role is restricted to making policy decisions, but a council member can volunteer to develop grant applications, lobby higher levels of government and lead special projects outside of the administration.
“My mission in this role would be to preserve our local economy while constantly improving the quality of life within our neighborhoods.”
Herald and News questions:
Q: In what ways can the city council help to keep air service at the Klamath Falls Airport?
A: “As an economic development expert and the only FAA-licensed pilot on the council, I would add credibility to the airport policy framework,” Ritter said.
The best way to retain commercial air service is through a strong local economy that supports more business traffic, he said.
“The airport can participate directly by being more open and inclusive. This can be accomplished by applying greater creativity to operations, building better small business relations and improving property marketing, especially by partnering with the real estate community.
“For example, the airport was unable to secure tenants for its leased land even during the real estate boom. How many years must viable commercial land sit idle before the city recognizes that the strategies in place don’t work?”
Q: What new ideas can you bring to the position?
A: Nowhere in Oregon and few places in the country have such a large concentration of geothermal activity, Ritter said.
“This is hands-down the most viable and most efficient alternative energy resource. Because it is rare, most people who live elsewhere don’t understand how much more effective it is for offsetting global emissions. No one else will champion this cause on our behalf. We must do it for ourselves,” he said.
Q: What area of the city are you most proud of?
The Ella Redkey pool is a great example of how geothermal energy can be used, he said. Ritter would like to see other projects developed that could help bring in tourists looking to see how Klamath Falls is “green.”
Q: What area needs improvements?
The area of the Amtrak station is in need of improvements to make the area look more friendly, Ritter said. More lights could be installed, and the city could make changes to policies to make it easier for businesses, such as allowing a restaurant to move into the industrial area.
Opponent’s question to challenger:
Q: What is your feeling about the tax limitation measures and is there anything you can think of to do about it?
A: “I support tax limitation measures because they directly represent the will of the people,” Ritter said. “Oregonians have consistently voted to limit government spending. Our voters have consistently expressed greater support for limiting taxes than many other Oregon counties.
“We have plenty of alternatives for sustaining the city budget and should not use property tax limitation measures as an excuse for not efficiently deploying the peoples’ money. Nor should we use service and permit fees to make up the difference; such actions limit commerce and have a negative impact on investment,” he said.
Questions submitted by Herald and News readers:
Q: Why does the city annex county property so a developer can build more homes when it cannot find any money to pave streets that are already within the city limits?
A: “I don’t believe in mandatory annexing,” Ritter said. If the city does a good job and focuses on being more attractive, people will want to annex in, he said.
Q: What is your future vision for Klamath Falls? What changes would you make?
“Due to a combination of fuel, environmental and natural resource constraints, we will be faced with the greatest collective challenge to our well being in decades,” Ritter said.
“Immediate action must be taken to create a friendlier business and resident atmosphere. We need a comprehensive policy review in this regard that includes businesses, investors and homeowners on the team,” he added.
Q: How would you help shift the focus of our local economy from timber and agriculture to eco-tourism and/or light industry?
“It’s not viable to go after big businesses right now because we don’t have enough incentives,” Ritter said. Instead, he thinks it would be better to focus on small businesses and eco-friendly projects that would bring visitors to Klamath County. Moore Park could have a solar-powered ski lift, for example.
Q: Some of our oldest neighborhoods are in bad shape and need attention to infrastructure as well as attention from police and code enforcement. What will you do to encourage their revitalization?
A: “I think it’s time to return older neighborhoods to their glory days from the 1940s,” Ritter said. Establishing mixed-use developments where people live, recreate and work could help, he said.
He suggests having more police officers walk the streets of neighborhoods so they can hear things happening.
Voters on Nov. 4 will decide between Jeff Ritter and Hart for the seat representing Ward 2, which includes the south end of Pacific Terrace and portions of downtown and the Mills Addition neighborhood.
Hart has served 20 years on the City Council and is involved with the League of Oregon Cities.
Ritter has worked with all levels of government, primarily in economic development roles.
Both promote planned development.
Candidates responded to questions from the Herald and News, readers and each other.
Irving "Bud" Hart
Incumbent
Age: 69
Occupation: Professor emeritus, retired, Oregon Institute of Technology distance education and on campus professor of mathematics
Political experience: 20 years city council, board of director League of Oregon Cities, prior to being elected served on the city planning commission
Why he’s running: “Because I think I still have some experience to offer. I’m younger than John McCain,” he said. He believes he has public support and people respect his opinions.
Herald and News questions:
Q: In what ways can the city council help to keep air service at the Klamath Falls Airport?
A: Hart believes the council has done what it can for air service from the Klamath Falls Airport by offering a one-year guarantee subsidy for northbound service.
“It’s just going to take care of itself,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to see any draw on that guarantee at all.”
He also would like the Oregon Air National Guard to remain at the airport because of the benefits. “They do a lot of our maintenance,” he said.
Q: What new ideas can you bring to the position?
A: Hart hopes to bring new ideas for the city’s economy. There was a study completed by the League of Oregon Cities that showed city revenues were not keeping up with expenditures.
“We’ve got to grow the economy and see if we can get stable labor costs,” he said.
Most cities are negatively impacted by property tax limitations, he said. Though the city doesn’t have authority to make those changes, Hart believes his position with the League of Oregon Cities could help make a positive impact locally on the issue.
Q: What area of the city are you most proud of?
A: Hart is pleased with the East Main Street improvements that included planting trees and hanging banners.
Q: What area of the city needs improvements?
A: “I’d like to see the streets improved, but I don’t have the funds to do it,” Hart said.
Opponent’s question to incumbent:
Q: When, during the past 20 years, have you worked in the private sector (not including consulting or third-party contracts for government customers), for how long and in what capacity?
A: “I have been continuously employed at Oregon Institute of Technology teaching mathematics since 1972.”
Questions submitted by Herald and News readers:
Q: Why does the city annex county property so a developer can build more homes when it cannot find any money to pave streets that are already within the city limits?
A: Most of the “new” residential developments such as Southview and Ridgewater were already within the city for many years before any development plans were initiated, Hart said.
“Both of these subdivisions will have private streets that will not be maintained by the city,” he said.
Green Acres was a recent annexation, and the developer is obligated to pay a fair share of the costs of improvements on off-site improvements that will be impacted when the development is completed.
“It should be noted that Green Acres was zoned and could have been developed as a residential subdivision without annexation,” Hart said.
Q: What is your future vision for Klamath Falls? What changes would you make?
A: “My vision for Klamath Falls is a community that retains its pride in western culture and reflects our rural lifestyle and values, while at the same time enjoying the positive aspects of controlled, planned urbanization,” Hart said.
Q: How would you help shift the focus of our local economy from timber and agriculture to eco-tourism and/or light industry?
A: “I believe that agriculture will always be a mainstay in the Klamath Basin, and I will continue to support these hard working people,” Hart said.
The city’s Airport Industrial Park is ideally situated to provide industrial support to defense and air industries, he said, adding, “I also see an exciting opportunity to look for solar industries in our Campus Industrial Park.”
He pointed to a recently added bachelor’s degree program at OIT – renewable energy systems – and the Klamath County Economic Development Association’s a goal of “Green and Green” for Klamath Sustainable Communities.
“Great potential exists for cooperative public-private partnerships in this area,” Hart said.
Q: Some of our oldest neighborhoods are in bad shape and need attention to infrastructure as well as attention from police and code enforcement. What will you do to encourage their revitalization?
A: “Infrastructure, especially streets is a major problem,” Hart said.
The city Public Works Department has identified more than $50 million in street maintenance needs to bring existing streets up to standard, he said, adding that a citizen advisory committee was established to address the needs.
“There is never enough code enforcement in any part of the city,” Hart said. “In my opinion, code enforcement could be more effective if it were administratively transferred to the police department.”
Jeff Ritter
Age: 43
Occupation: Magazine publisher (Explore Klamath County Magazine), photographer and owner of a real estate brokerage (541 Realty.com)
Political experience: Worked with all levels of government. 1993-2000 Oregon Community and Economic Development Department as an industry coordinator, business development intake specialist, Central Oregon Community Development coordinator.
Why he’s running: “I am running to provide voters with the option of recent private sector experience,” he said. “The City Council’s role is restricted to making policy decisions, but a council member can volunteer to develop grant applications, lobby higher levels of government and lead special projects outside of the administration.
“My mission in this role would be to preserve our local economy while constantly improving the quality of life within our neighborhoods.”
Herald and News questions:
Q: In what ways can the city council help to keep air service at the Klamath Falls Airport?
A: “As an economic development expert and the only FAA-licensed pilot on the council, I would add credibility to the airport policy framework,” Ritter said.
The best way to retain commercial air service is through a strong local economy that supports more business traffic, he said.
“The airport can participate directly by being more open and inclusive. This can be accomplished by applying greater creativity to operations, building better small business relations and improving property marketing, especially by partnering with the real estate community.
“For example, the airport was unable to secure tenants for its leased land even during the real estate boom. How many years must viable commercial land sit idle before the city recognizes that the strategies in place don’t work?”
Q: What new ideas can you bring to the position?
A: Nowhere in Oregon and few places in the country have such a large concentration of geothermal activity, Ritter said.
“This is hands-down the most viable and most efficient alternative energy resource. Because it is rare, most people who live elsewhere don’t understand how much more effective it is for offsetting global emissions. No one else will champion this cause on our behalf. We must do it for ourselves,” he said.
Q: What area of the city are you most proud of?
The Ella Redkey pool is a great example of how geothermal energy can be used, he said. Ritter would like to see other projects developed that could help bring in tourists looking to see how Klamath Falls is “green.”
Q: What area needs improvements?
The area of the Amtrak station is in need of improvements to make the area look more friendly, Ritter said. More lights could be installed, and the city could make changes to policies to make it easier for businesses, such as allowing a restaurant to move into the industrial area.
Opponent’s question to challenger:
Q: What is your feeling about the tax limitation measures and is there anything you can think of to do about it?
A: “I support tax limitation measures because they directly represent the will of the people,” Ritter said. “Oregonians have consistently voted to limit government spending. Our voters have consistently expressed greater support for limiting taxes than many other Oregon counties.
“We have plenty of alternatives for sustaining the city budget and should not use property tax limitation measures as an excuse for not efficiently deploying the peoples’ money. Nor should we use service and permit fees to make up the difference; such actions limit commerce and have a negative impact on investment,” he said.
Questions submitted by Herald and News readers:
Q: Why does the city annex county property so a developer can build more homes when it cannot find any money to pave streets that are already within the city limits?
A: “I don’t believe in mandatory annexing,” Ritter said. If the city does a good job and focuses on being more attractive, people will want to annex in, he said.
Q: What is your future vision for Klamath Falls? What changes would you make?
“Due to a combination of fuel, environmental and natural resource constraints, we will be faced with the greatest collective challenge to our well being in decades,” Ritter said.
“Immediate action must be taken to create a friendlier business and resident atmosphere. We need a comprehensive policy review in this regard that includes businesses, investors and homeowners on the team,” he added.
Q: How would you help shift the focus of our local economy from timber and agriculture to eco-tourism and/or light industry?
“It’s not viable to go after big businesses right now because we don’t have enough incentives,” Ritter said. Instead, he thinks it would be better to focus on small businesses and eco-friendly projects that would bring visitors to Klamath County. Moore Park could have a solar-powered ski lift, for example.
Q: Some of our oldest neighborhoods are in bad shape and need attention to infrastructure as well as attention from police and code enforcement. What will you do to encourage their revitalization?
A: “I think it’s time to return older neighborhoods to their glory days from the 1940s,” Ritter said. Establishing mixed-use developments where people live, recreate and work could help, he said.
He suggests having more police officers walk the streets of neighborhoods so they can hear things happening.
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of HeraldAndNews.com. Comment Disclaimer: The editors of heraldandnews.com reserve the right to refuse publication of any comment posted for consideration. We may refuse for any reason, including use of profanity, disparaging comments, libelous comments, etc. Any reader who notices a comment they believe is particularly offensive, should notify us at webmaster@heraldandnews.com.
To know him is to respect him wrote on Oct 19, 2008 9:46 PM:
" Bud Hart is a fabulous man with humility and great integrity. He has no arrogance and gives tirelessly of his time and education and experience. I have spent time around him in his official capacities as a professor of mathematics and working for the city. He is without a doubt the best person for the job and gets along wonderfully with everyone. He is breath of fresh air and has such a positive and quiet contemplative air about him. I hope he can retain his position. He is extremely bright also and, though very knowledgeable does not have an overblown personality. "
Jeff Ritter wrote on Oct 11, 2008 3:17 PM:
" In response to a reader question about why I asked a question of private sector experience to the incumbent...without such experience, politicians make the wrong decisions in regard to policies that impact private businesses. It was Hart's indifference and lack of awareness about private business issues that compelled me to run. I didn't want to, but someone had to step up to deal with the barriers facing businesses. The most difficult existence is to risk going into business, while government jobs are relatively secure. I've done both so I am qualified to make such a statement.
In regard to the lift proposal, the feds have allocated billions of dollars for renewable energy and sustainability projects. The money is there for free if the City would just organize itself better and lead the charge. The City needs to stop clinging to old projects that don't take advantage of new, largely free opportunities for improvement.
I have a plan and it will all be explained on my website: www.ritternow.com "
In regard to the lift proposal, the feds have allocated billions of dollars for renewable energy and sustainability projects. The money is there for free if the City would just organize itself better and lead the charge. The City needs to stop clinging to old projects that don't take advantage of new, largely free opportunities for improvement.
I have a plan and it will all be explained on my website: www.ritternow.com "
Confused wrote on Oct 11, 2008 11:44 AM:
" I don't know either of these gentlemen, but I'm slightly offended by Mr. Ritter's question to Mr. Hart. He's implying that there's something less than honorable in working for the public sector. I'd say a long career as a math professor -- training the next generation of engineers -- is certainly honorable and he shouldn't have to defend that.
Also, how on earth does a SKI LIFT in Moore Park fit into Ritter's no tax or fee plan? "
Also, how on earth does a SKI LIFT in Moore Park fit into Ritter's no tax or fee plan? "
bee wrote on Oct 11, 2008 9:29 AM:
" I like Jeff Ratters responses. If I was to approach him on say putting in a beach front at Veterans Park, I know he would be for it. The swimming area would have to walled off from the rest of the lake and sand would have to be brought in. But I think more should be done with our shore line around the park. He would even be inclined to have an enclosed water park that is geothermal heated. In other words he is not stuck in the paralyzing ways of " well this is the way it has always been" which just is so debilitating it is just pathetic. Jeff has a fresh vision and I'll vote for that. "
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Even more confused wrote on Oct 20, 2008 7:51 PM: