Election Profiles: Fort Smith City Director, Position 5

Editor’s note: Between Oct. 13 and Oct. 27, The City Wire will present information from candidates in 15 key races in Crawford County, Sebastian County, Fort Smith and area legislative districts. A schedule of races presented will accompany this article and each article in the series.

Juan Martinez and Pam Weber face each other in the race for Fort Smith City Director – Position 5 race. The seat opened when City Director Gary Campbell decided to not run for re-election.

Martinez works as a Spanish teacher at Northside High School in Fort Smith, and has lived in Fort Smith more than 26 years. He attended Ramsey Junior High and Northside High School and graduated Arkansas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree and is pursuing an educational leadership master’s degree at ATU. Martinez also served 24 years in the Army Reserve, and his last military assignment was as chief operations NCO for the 350th Civil Affairs Command in Pensacola, Fla.

Weber is an executive broker with Ramona Roberts Realtors in Fort Smith and has been with the company since 1979. She is a member of the Fort Smith Board of Realtors and was appointed to the Fort Smith Planning Commission in 2009. Her community work includes president of the River Valley Animal Welfare Coalition, past president of the Good Samaritan Clinic, past member of the Sparks Foundation Board, and a past member of the Bonneville House Association Board. She graduated from Southside High School in 1974.

QUESTION TO THE CANDIDATES
In 400 words or less, identify what you believe are the city’s top two problems and top two opportunities, and how you would address the problems and maximize the opportunities.

• Juan Martinez response:
Problems: The basic appearance of the city and economic growth.

As for the first problem I will address, we need to work on the appearance of our city. There are certain unsightly entries into our city that could very well scare a visitor away. I would like for every entry into Fort Smith to be made so attractive that each would give our visitors a welcoming feeling. We need to work with our merchants and property owners who have land along these entryways to make their properties more visually appealing. We may have to review our city planning ordinances to assist in that improvement.

The second problem is the need for economic growth. Fort Smith must get involved with surrounding cities to bring in more industry to our area. We also need to support the efforts of RITA and the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority in bringing industries to our area. It is also important to work with existing industries in order to retain current jobs in Fort Smith.

Opportunities for Economic Growth: U.S. Marshals Museum and the University of Arkansas Fort Smith.

I see the U.S. Marshals Museum as being a great attraction to our city and our region.  This attraction will bring visitors throughout the year, and these visitors will spend money in our city.

The U.S. Marshals Museum also provides a great opportunity for Fort Smith to establish an annual event in connection with it.  Everyone in the city must come together to support this project that will give us extensive national exposure, as well as economic growth.

Another opportunity for economic growth concerns the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Many years ago, our founding fathers made the mistake of turning down the chance to establish the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith, but now we can make up for that mistake. We need to work together with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith to provide its students with a positive outlook about our city. If Fort Smith makes a good impression upon these students, perhaps these educated young men and women will consider staying in Fort Smith after their studies are completed.

• Pam Weber response:
Top two problems
1. The city’s major role in economic development is supportive – building infrastructure, managing the water supply, tax incentives, bonds, nurturing existing business and fostering a climate attractive to business. Relationships created between the City and our regional neighbors strengthen our role as a regional economic engine.

The completion of I-49 and development of a port and rail system will attract business through transportation efficiencies. The City must also create zoning ordinances to enhance the appearance of the City, making it attractive to potential businesses and their families. Citizens should take pride in their properties. I support beginning a "buy local" initiative to encourage the city and citizens to support local businesses with purchases of goods and services.

2. Completion of the remaining federally mandated water and sewer projects, costing approximately $60 million, of the original $120 million dollar project. These projects were financed through the 1% streets sales tax, which I would ask the voters to extend. Approximately one half of all sales tax funds generated are from monies spent on goods by nonresidents, helping to ease the financial burden on the citizen’s of Fort Smith.

City administration and staff will meet with the EPA in the near future to receive a report on the progress. Failure to satisfy the federal mandates could result in the EPA taking over the project and making the ultimate decision on financing without citizen input. 

Top two opportunities
1. Downtown and Riverfront Development as a cultural, entertainment and living destination.

Downtown Fort Smith with its museums, art, history and music festivals is becoming a tourist destination for our region. The development of the Regional Art Museum and Marshal’s Museum will bookend a cultural community. Residential spaces in downtown have an extremely low vacancy rate. Attracting a corporate headquarters to downtown, riverfront development and support for the cultural and business community are opportunities we need to pursue.

2. Revitalization of neighborhoods and a new emphasis on beautification and curb appeal. How we look as a community to business is an important component of economic development. I support zoning to enhance the attractiveness of our city and asking citizens to lead these initiatives through neighborhood associations. Neighborhood parks, trails and the addition of sidewalks foster a sense of community. A refocus on being a city of neighborhoods as the Comprehensive Plan states would in the process improve the lives of our citizens with economic development as a bonus.