Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan (left) and former mayor Dan Coody participate in a mayoral candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Washington County at Fayetteville City Hall on Wednesday night.
Photos: Todd Gill
About 60 people attended the first official mayoral candidate debate of the 2012 election season held Wednesday night inside Fayetteville City Hall.
Incumbent Mayor Lioneld Jordan and former Fayetteville mayor Dan Coody answered questions and delivered prepared statements during the 30-minute forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Washington County.
League president Mary Alice Serafini said neither candidate had any knowledge of the six questions going into Wednesday’s debate. A coin toss decided which order candidates would deliver their opening and closing statements. Jordan won both tosses and chose to speak last each time.
Included below are short videos of both candidate’s statements and their roughly two-minute answers to each question. The event was also recorded by the Fayetteville Government Channel and is available – with higher quality video and audio – at accessfayetteville.org.
Note: For more from Jordan and Coody, see our interview questions posted earlier this week.
Opening statements
1. Greatest accomplishment? Biggest regret?
2. Lessons learned on the job as mayor?
3. How do you define, envision and approach sustainability?
4. How will you address the future of parking in the downtown/entertainment district?
5. How should Fayetteville position itself to recruit businesses, industry and talent?
6. What question do you wish we’d asked?
Closing remarks
Next mayoral debate
Date: Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012
Time: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Fayetteville City Hall, room 219 – 113 W. Mountain Street
Hosted by: Fayetteville Council of Neighborhoods
Moderator: Fiona Davidson, Associate Professor & Director of European Studies in the Geosciences Department at the University of Arkansas
Wow. Thanks FF!
I think its absolutely hilarious that jordan could be looked square in the face and asked about the parking issue and decide to talk about recycling!! He has nothing better to say than we’ve talked about building one for 20 years and ‘we HAVE to move forward with building the deck ‘ What a great reply by Dan Coody! His vision, creativity, and leadership has been severely missed in Fayetteville during this last term. I want him back, and ANYONE who watches these videos should want him back as well. If you LOVE Fayetteville.
He’s obviously talking about parking, he misspoke one word. You’ve never done that? You deserve a lifetime achievement award.
I see Lioneld had been studying up on his politics and decidingly taken the “We’re all in this together…” stance right out of Obama’s playbook.
That’s just essential Lioneld, Dylan. He’s been that way since long before President Obama hit the national scene. Ask anyone who has ever attended a Ward 4 meeting or a Mayor’s Town Hall. Everyone is invited and respected.
Mr. Coody has definitely adopted the Karl Rove playbook of negativity, flaming fear, and pandering to single-issue voters.
He is dissatisfied with how the current administration is preforming and expressing that. I think he’s done so in a decent manner. He’s not spouting about flaming fear, simply expressing negativity. If you want to see Karl Rove-esque behavior, look at Razorback football fans. Anyways, both candidates have taken shots at the other in more ways than one. That’s politics. They’re playing on their strengths and trying to submerge weaknesses.
What’s wrong with single-issue voters? If it works on a national scale why can’t it work here?
It’s the single worst issue that this administration administered- it’s almost single handily destroying our entertainment district, of course it would be an issue to voters. jordan admin have no experience. Coody is cool, calm, and collected.. experienced, loyal, and who Fayetteville HAS to trust!
Dickson,
Could you please explain how the entertain district has been “destroyed”, in any way that is measurable, since paid parking was implemented? I frequent the Dickson St area often and, on weekends, most all available lots are near capacity. Additionally, the only publicly available data of tax revenues that we have seen indicate that business in the area has been growing, all during a severe recession.
Tex revenues only show one side of the story. Also, those tax revenues don’t account for inflation, which is extrmely common during a “severe recession”. Of course sales tax revenues are going to increase when the costs of goods and services increase…
Actually, inflation typically slows during a recession and it has not been a problem in the current economic downturn. Also, even with some inflation, that would mean that business on Dickson hasn’t been decreasing, which is what everyone who is up in arms about paid parking are trying to claim is happening.
I guess the threads only allow for so many layers of supplies. Anyways, I wouldn’t always say “typically” although you can claim you’re right to a degree, I won’t debate that. But, it all depends on whether a surplus is built up. Due to decreased spending, that can happen. If indeed it does happen, owners will need to lower prices to get rid of inventory. Which of course, would decrease inflation. On the other hand, without a surplus, decreased spending can lead to increased pricing to more than account for the decreased demand on goods and services. This of course would increase inflation during a recession. I guess a further analysis into the exact situation in Fayetteville would need to be done to determine that.
Oh Coody. We’ve already booted you out once and you came back. The city has grown and bloomed since you left and you want to take it back to the Fayetteville I didn’t like. No thanks.
So..you think we should credit jordan for making our entertainment district better..or something? Dickson street has always been THE ONLY place for real night life in Northwest Arkansas. This has been the trend way before little lioneld was growing up in huntsville.. now it HAS BEEN TARNISHED by his policy to inflict this parking upon the citizens who come to enjoy time on Dickson St. “Destroying” and “Destroyed” are not the same. It can be fixed, and must be fixed by someone who understands the problem. jordan has no understanding of the problem that the city created by implementing such a notorious parking schematic on such sacred ground to Arkansans. It’s my firm belief that no matter the economic crisis in which humanity faces, it is an innate trait for people – no matter their condition- to seek out and have a good time, listen to live music, and laugh with friends. This is, and has always been the place to do it -Dickson Street. No one can argue against that. I can board a flight in London, England and be talking to the next in line with me, and mention Fayetteville- Dickson Street -if they are familiar, will quickly come into the conversation. This has happened to me personally. We MUST protect it’s future. There are more people moving into the area everyday, these young 20 somethings working for Walmart, Proctor/Gamble, JB Hunt, Tyson – they’ve got $ to spend and one place to do it. How could the tax revenues not go up with the innate tendency to go out and mingle with your people? Now – If/when Benton county goes wet, which it will…and is easily accessible with no hindered parking along the way.. Fayetteville sitting with an huge 10.1 million parking deck and no one using it… we could say “destroyed” then… That’s the future I don’t want to see for our beloved Dickson St. It’s time to do something about it, and there’s ONE man right now to do it. Dan Coody!
That was a nice, rambling statement, but it in no way answered my question. How has Dickson St. been “tarnished” and how is paid parking “destroying” it? Your feelings are not measurable and cannot be used as evidence.
You are aware that Mr. Coody has no stated intentions of doing away with paid parking, correct? He only dislikes the kiosk system….which seems to function just fine for the U of A.
rickyallen—
Dan didn’t get booted out. Look at the general election in 2008 -he had the most votes.. now tell me if you think having a runoff election 2 DAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING, in a city of over 70,000 people to have less than 9,000 people voting – shows a fair indication of the people. To me has no real legitimate value to the whole of the citizenry in Fayetteville. You need to vote Coody.
most people only voted for the presidential election. one shot votes.
Yes, look at the general election in 2008. Five people ran against Mr. Coody. Even if you discount two of the candidates, there clearly was a lot of dissatisfaction with Mr. Coody’s job performance..
While Mr. Coody got the most votes, he didn’t get the majority of votes: The top two opponents together got 32% more votes than he did (49% to 37%):
Dan Coody: 9,806 votes (37%)
Lioneld Jordan: 7,380 votes (28%)
Steve Clark: 5,528 votes (21%)
Walt Eilers: 2,189 votes (8%)
Adam Fire Cat: 919 votes (4%)
Sami Sutton: 338 votes (1%)
Almost two-thirds of voters indicated a preference for somebody– apparently anybody– else.
Mr. Jordan got a little over fifty-seven percent of that paltry runoff vote, but that’s what counts, like it or not.
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving is a Tuesday– parents at work, kids at school. Your complaint is largely an excuse rather than a reason for small voter turnout. It is more likely that the runoff vote is a representative sample of voters than that one candidate’s supporters were more motivated than the other’s, but if you must claim that the results are flawed, you should as likely blame it on apathy among Mr. Coody’s supporters as– what?– among Mr. Jordan’s supporters. Unless you want to posit that Mr. Coody’s supporters are more patriotic or something because they are more likely to allow Thanksgiving to interfere with their voting, and the results were skewed as a result, I think this complaint is irrelevant.
Andyman-
http://warrants.accessfayetteville.org/
look at the amount of warrants that have been issued currently for parking summons! Almost 90%!
http://nwahomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=368112
The Merchants are against it! Feltner Brothers, Georges, Kingfish, Hog Haus, Common Grounds! Comeon – Go drive a taxi on Dickson for 13 months and listen to the stories of boots, tickets, towings and all the people growling that they’ll NEVER come back..
This is happening, I’m not making it up. It’s not a biased opinion, yes my last name is Dickson, my fathers first name is Dick. So sure.. I’m the son of Dick Dickson.. my mother used to have a flower and balloon shop she sold to Bruce Walker to expand Flying Possum leather in the 90′s.. yeah, I’ve spent a lot more time down there than you, or almost anyone other than a small group of business owners and a couple rats…but this isn’t about you and I.. this is about Fayetteville. Get off your don marr, lioneld jordan high horse.. take it that it’s terrible and vote for Coody to do something about it! the other two are going to continue to give the WAC waaaay more $ they need through their bribe and count it as a loss to all of US, at OUR EXPENSE!
The majority of warrants in any city are going to be for the most common offenses, which are typically parking and traffic violations. Your list of business owners is underwhelming as only accounts for a tiny portion of businesses in the area (and two of those you listed have the same owner).
Anecdotes about disgruntled people who are mad about getting ticketed is also not very convincing.
RE “Go drive a taxi on Dickson for 13 months and listen to the stories of boots, tickets, towings and all the people growling that they’ll NEVER come back.”
Is this first-hand? Are you actually a cabbie? The towing and booting are on the private lots. That isn’t the city’s fault, but the people who are growling don’t know that. The city tried to coordinate the parking system with the private lot owners, and when the private lot owners weren’t cooperative, the city put up warning signs. The city parking is a much better deal.
From the Flyer’s excellent 10 questions article, quoting Mayor Jordan, who has his ducks in a row and facts to back him up:
“One source of complaint has been that the privately owned lot owners tow vehicles or place boots on cars, something that does not happen to customers in city-owned lots, so we have posted signs informing patrons. We are currently in discussions with private lot owners about the possibility of managing those lots, so that is one possible change in the future.
In 2005, the Coody administration recommended that paid parking hours in the Dickson Street area be enforced for 17 hours from 7:00 a.m. until midnight. The current plan is for 12 hours from 2:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m.
My opponent also has been saying the current $15 fine for overtime parking is too high; however, Mr. Coody and his Director of Operations, Gary Dumas, previously proposed in 2008 that the overtime parking fines be $40 in the Dickson Street area.
Mr. Coody has also made public complaint that enforcement for violations was too aggressive; however, the facts tell a different story. For example, in 2007 with only paid parking in the Downtown area, the City issued 16,912 citations and voided 823 tickets. Within the last twelve month period, for both the Downtown area and the addition of 431 paid parking spaces in the Dickson Street Entertainment District, we issued 18,801 citations and voided 2,839 tickets. So, even with doubling the number of spaces, the net citations issued were 16,089 in 2007 and in the last 12 months it was only 15,962 net citations.”
There was not a proposal to have $40. tickets. This was in regards to a conversation with a private lot owner with whom the staff was trying to conceptualize a management plan. The private lot owner wanted fines high so people would be inclined to pay the parking fee, which would go to the lot owner, instead of just getting a $5 ticket (the fine at the time) which would go to the City. There was never a “proposal” other than running the numbers to see what they looked like. Also, this issue was only for public and private lots. The on street parking was still free for two hours. Also, this conversation was about parking lots, including the PRIVATE lots. This would mean, if it had actually been presented and approved, which I am sure it would not have since I would not have supported that steep a fine, a $40 ticket would still be better than what we have NOW in the private lots, which is a $106 boot or a tow. We asked the parking staff for documentation to back up the 7 am- 12 pm enforcement claim, but there wasn’t any that they could find.
About the number of tickets…you may recall the price of a ticket being $5 before the new program went into effect. When the price tripled to $15 fewer people are willing to get a ticket so violations decline. The record that I saw was around 1998 (Fred Hanna was mayor) with about 22,000 tickets issued when they were $2. It was cheaper and easier to pay the fine than plug the meter all day.
If there were an open, unvarnished, unscripted dialogue between the citizens and the candidates a lot of this disinformation could be cleared up. Perhaps that’s why real and open dialogue is to be strictly avoided by the mayor and his supporters.
Well, you just got my vote good sir. I always appreciate such an openness in dialogue. Thank you
Your opponent?
I don’t have a warrant and have not been issued a ticket.. and this was not the Fayetteville way of warrants until the jordan administration implemented such a neanderthal way of parking…THAT IS HIS FAULT- HE IS ACCOUNTABLE.
What I like about Coody, as a candidate, is that he has a plan and a vision for Fayetteville’s inevitable growth. We need to implement urban planning in a way that will make sense ten, twenty, fifty years down the road.
Coody shares the alarm many of us feel at the sprawling, poorly-planned way University off-campus housing developments are being built. He’s looking to cities like Portland, OR and Knoxville, TN, which have walkable, bikeable, thriving downtowns, with functional public transit. I don’t see any cogent, sustainable plans coming from Jordan.
^^This.
RE “Coody shares the alarm many of us feel at the sprawling, poorly-planned way University off-campus housing developments are being built.”
But what about the sprawling suburbs that were built while Mr. Coody was mayor, and Mr. Coody’s lack of support for the hillside protection ordinance and developer impact fees? You can’t claim that Mr. Coody is against sprawl by citing “sprawling, poorly-planned way University off-campus housing developments”– most of which are infill, not sprawl– while ignoring the actual sprawl that proceeded apace during his administration, with his active assistance.
What about City Plan 2025? We would not have that plan without Dan Coody. It set out guidelines for infill and adaptive re-use. The primary purpose of the plan is to inhibit sprawl.
Yet Mr. Coody is complaining about efforts to follow that plan under the Jordan administration. Those “sprawling, poorly-planned way University off-campus housing developments” are within the spirit and guidelines of the master plan.
You can’t have it both ways.
Actually, Dan acknowledges that the City Plan 2025 doesn’t specifically address a student-housing overlay district.
See, that’s what intelligence and flexibility allows a person to do. The plan isn’t perfect.
Dan suggests a moratorium on these student-oriented developments until a new ordinance, tailored to these specific developments can be implemented.
In other words, it’s Mr. Jordan’s fault that Mr. Coody’s magnificent plan failed to address an issue that is, apparently, crucial.
No, it is Jordan’s fault for not having the wherewithal to address the shortcomings of the existing plan with regard to student housing.
Coody is at least willing to address the need for an overlay district. Denser, urban-style student development adjacent to campus is a relatively new reality in Fayetteville.
Again, you can be flexible and augment existing guidelines to fit a new reality, or you can charge ahead with what you inherited and blame others for the shortcomings.
So you acknowledge that there is a new reality. What would an overlay district change? The pressure to develop would still be in the areas that are being developed, and the outcomes would likely be the same as they are now. The developers of Sterling Frisco and the proposed complex north of campus have been very cooperative in addressing the concerns brought to them. This talk of an overlay district is essentially a sop to a small group of malcontents. (I believe that’s the phrase you used.)
Amen, Franks. The plan to put 6500 (something like that) residential units plus hotels, commercial strips, etc. on the former landfill tract was pro-, not anti-sprawl. Not only was it going to encourage, no, force more driving but it meant more paving and digging, some at taxpayer expense, and it wasn’t even in the city limits when the plan was hatched. In fact even after annexation it’s still so far from being in the city limits, that the (mostly foreclosed) property still doesn’t connect to city limits where it could. Mr. Coody knows “sustainable” territory and says good things that show he keeps up with green thought, but his drift is deflected by other influences and the proof of the pudding is missing. On the other hand, he is absolutely right that there was no outcry from other city leaders at the outset and, farther into the process, the only disgruntlement seemed to be over cost of cleaning up the landfill.
let me see…. pop Portland or 600k fayetteville70k… yea that really works…
You don’t seem to be “Informed” about how to communicate in English… but I think you’re trying to insult me by pointing out that different cities have different populations? Yes? Very good, you’re right. Knoxville has a population of 178,874, at last census. That, neighbor, is where we’re headed.
Our current municipal population is around 80,000, but Washington County is 207,521. We could end up with a severe urban sprawl problem, if we’re not careful, and now is the time to address it. How about some concrete solutions, rather than lame attempts at internet flame wars?
It’s interesting that you mention the population of the region– we’re all in this together– but Mr. Coody is campaigning on the notion that it’s Fayetteville against everybody else, and Fayetteville is losing.
So many strawmen, so little time…
Strawmen? How so? I am responding directly to points made.
You’re arguing for the sake of arguing. You suggest that Dan can’t cooperate within NWA while advocating for Fayetteville simultaneously. That’s absurd.
No, I’m just pointing out that Mr. Coody has made an issue of Bentonville’s momentum and other supposed failures of Fayetteville and Mr. Jordan compared to other cities in the region. He has made the race a competition among cities. The only mention of the region in his campaign is his graciously taking credit for making the Razorback Greenway a reality.
Washington county is 200k, but Knoxville metro is 1055k and Portland metro is 2226k. So, Do you want the apples or the oranges? Basically you are comparing grapefruit to walnuts. Do you think Portland or Knoxville do not have sprawl? If you love the big city life, why are you living in Fayetteville, Arkansas???
When I moved here in 64 sprawl was Evelin hills shopping center, 540 wasn’t a gleam in your daddy’s eye. Hwy 71 was the center of town and two lane past Autozone.
Concrete solutions. That is what we will have, everything paved over and over built for the infrastructure.
I love when people pull out the population card. Portland didn’t just come into existance with a population in the several hundred thousands, there is this term called “growth”. That being said, Northwest Arkansas is one of the more rapidly growing areas in the country and specifically the ‘mid-west’ or whatever term you would like to use for the area we’re a part of. What is trying to be explained is that we need “proper growth” which can only be achieved through well thought out urban planning and design. Yes, Fayetteville may only sit at around 80,000 now, but 50 years down the road? As the University of Arkansas continues to grow and bring in new undergraduates, as large companies in the area continue to experience steady growth and bring in new workers, etc. Where will we be then? The idea isn’t to copy, paste and downscale measures that are practical in cities such as Portland… but to draw inspiration from and seek the same type of growth that was experienced in the area. Smart growth. Would you rather see Fayetteville end up with the likes of Atlanta and Phoenix… because that is where lack of urban planning will take us, in the form of shopping center and suburbia sprawl.
Sounds like you have been reading all that “new urbanisim” BS. Just think, if we get Coody we will have another dose of Eva Klein and Duany Platter Zyberk. Lovely, your tax dollars at waste.
Yeah, that “new urbanism” that has been a part of much of Europe’s urban design for decades.
Yeah, the goal of Fayetteville should be to have strip malls from Lake Wedington to the White river. As long as none of these pseudo-environmentalist NIMBYs don’t have to be inconvenienced by other humans sharing their living space.
Growth will continue to happen in Fayetteville. The tone of that growth is the only thing the city can hope to manage. Coody’s administration did a much better job of managing that growth, IMO. And Matt Petty also deserves a lot of credit for understanding how a city takes shape over time with good policies.
700 acres of new greenspace acquired/preserved in Coody’s administration, as well as a comprehensive city plan to guide smart growth policies. Its amazing the accomplishments of the previous administration that so many people take for granted. Fayetteville was transformed under Coody’s guidance into a national leader in sustainability.
T-
Coody will implement free parking after 5pm and on wknds. He has definite plans to change the current system.
Has he said this?
Yes. Coody is for limiting the pay parking time period, lower parking fees, and lower parking fines.
As much as he might like everyone to believe, he cannot issue an edict commanding his wish. He might be able to implement it if he can get the City Council to reverse its unanimous decision and adopt his plan. Before that, it would require the majority of Fayetteville voters to elect him. He should keep talking about his paid parking plan and blame the 65 million dollar sewer plant debacle and the big crane in the mud hole on Jordan. It might work.
In other words, Mr. Coody wants to waste the investment in parking meters by not using them. And parking fines are already lower than they were when Mr. Coody was mayor.
No, Dan just doesn’t want to lock us into this parking fee structure by promising the funding for 25 year muni bonds for a parking garage. Dan didn’t get to choose the parking meter system. That’s all Jordan/Marr.
The bond issue for a parking garage is an entirely different issue from the costs to park.
It absolutely is not. The funding stream for payment of the bonds as currently proposed is directly tied to parking fees.
Its hard to have a coherent debate with someone who just makes things up.
That’s a casual relationship, not an integral one. The funding stream from parking will exist even if there is no bond issue. A bond issue could be instituted without this particular revenue stream, although at less favorable terms.
Leaving aside paid parking good or bad… I think the parking system itself is actually quite good. I don’t mind walking to a kiosk (although I prefer to use the gated lots, and walk to my destination) and I really like not having parking meters all over the place.
RE “Its hard to have a coherent debate with someone who just makes things up”
Oh, I don’t know…. Lioneld Jordan managed it last night
David that is not true. The parking fines were $5 when Coody was in office and now they are $15.
Also there were no $75 residential ticket fees. So the parking fines during Coody’s administration were clearly lower than they are now.
Thank you for the correction. I had misread something somewhere. As for the residential fines, I was under the impression that we were discussing the parking on Dickson Street. However, I suspect that residents in the area are glad of the fines. They are, after all, imposed in order to protect the limited parking for residents, and should have no bearing on Dickson Street parking.
The fines proposed in the Coody/Dumas plan began at $40. You are correct, there were no residential fines. There was no plan to protect residents in surrounding neighborhoods at all in the Coody plan.
FYI – You’re just spilling out Jordan’s word. He used something entirely out of context. Coody addressed the $40 above, it was in reference to a discussion about private lots.
Dylan, if Dan Coody has never to your knowledge attempted to revise history to suit his current purposes you must be new in town.
And if an opposing candidate has never used a numerical value or phrase out of context for his/her own benefit, you must be new to politics.
Nah, Dylan. But I am very familiar with both players in this race and their records. Ask Coody about the sewage treatment plant and then google the facts. Then we’ll talk.
Mr. Coody was once more honest about his mistakes and reluctlantly admitted he failed as a manager. Now it seems he wants to blame those mistakes on everyone else. We have many new residents who do not know about things so long ago as 2005.
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-3548820104794039121
So, by limiting parking fees to before 5:00pm on weekdays, Mr. Coody essentially plans to only charge commuter students, a group that is vital to the life and energy of Fayetteville, and who already have relatively little disposable income. Please tell me know that makes sense.
Shouldn’t that issue be with the school and not the city? The school is the one ripping students a new one..This summer in the Harmon deck it was $5 for 3 hours – 5 days a week and one class (6 hr course). Parking on dickson is substantially cheaper than on campus, I ended up buying a parking pass and soon after realized I paid for a useless pass that gave me access to parking lots that were filled majority with construction vehicles/equipment. I am now finished with school so its a non issue, but I would much rather pay city fees than University. I don’t think the student parking issue should be associated with Coody and his enforcement times.. heck I’d rather pay while I’m in class than when I’m out having a drink for who knows how long.
No, the parking times designated by the city are not an issue with the school. That makes no sense. There is not (and never will be, as the school continues to grow) enough parking directly on campus. That is pretty much the case of ANY large college. Students will have to park in city owned lots and on-street spots. It is indefensible to focus parking charges on these students, who are spending time bettering themselves (hopefully) and are using these spots day in and day out with little choice, and not charging people who are CHOOSING to go to the area to have a good time.
When is the last time you parked on campus during school hours..Go drive into the harmon parking deck…I’ve gone to school their for 5 years and have never seen that deck even close to capacity. Parking on campus is the same with downtown..some ppl just choose not to use whats available to them. Am I saying Parking isn’t an issue for students, no, but many students have other means of transportation (bicycle, TONS of scooters, or walking). Im not saying the parking times on city lots are an issue with the school (should have clarified that a little better), Im saying if you truly care about the students you should be complaining with the U of A, their fees all around are what makes the students have little disposable income (I’ve seen a buddy get a $20 ticket for parking crooked). IMO the parking times should not be changed just for students bc students parking in city parking are paying a substantially smaller fee than the university, city fees aren’t that expensive and if you can’t afford them then you shouldn’t be driving a vehicle to campus..hop on your bicycle and use the trails (Many ppl use that all the time as their only transportation to campus- I did on good weather days). I get what your saying about charging ppl who are just going to eat/drink vs students going to class, but as a student, city fees never bothered me. Like I said the fees are cheaper, but most students (like me) had busy lives (I had 2 jobs and went to school full time), I was so busy I didn’t even have time to park on dickson and make it to class b/c of the walk due to me going straight to/from work/class. All I’m saying is, I do not think that it is enough of an issue to change the times; I will add that I don’t think the times should start as early as 7am, maybe start them around lunch to capitalize on ppl going downtown for lunch, but still allow the ppl who have to leave their cars overnight the time to get bk up there and pick it up.
If you look around NWA and want to see what Fayetteville should be doing look at the Bentonville square. The are actively seeking out local businesses and creating a haven for avid locavores.
What happened with The Great Food Truck Race is a great example. Fayetteville had a huge outpouring of support for the mobile food vendors that came through town. We even brought out a Fire truck and closed off Block Street so the camera crew could get a good bird’s eye shot of the crowd. But the situation for local businesses wanting to try their hand at any sort of mobile business are immediately discouraged by rules and regulations for mobile vendors in Fayetteville. IF you want to encourage foot traffic support something like mobile vendors that encourage exactly that. Why do Greenhouse Grille and Hammontree’s have local food trucks that spend the majority of their time up north?
I am sick of seeing “Lioneld Jordan Likes This” on Facebook. I want to see more of Lioneld Jordan doing something in Fayetteville.
I’m ready for someone with a plan and a vision to take action and move Fayetteville forward. There is too much potential in this town to be stagnant like we are now.
I’m not certain on the details but I’m pretty sure the city council is developing policy to make life easier/possible for more mobile vendors. Seems like it came up this summer with the back and forth over the shaved ice stands, that they were working on new rules for mobile vendors.
This is in the final stages. It’s being reviewed now and I expect to have it through the Ordinance Review committee in October. The Flyer guys have expressed an interest in covering this for the readers, so I’m going to send them a copy of the draft as soon as it’s ready for committee hearings.
RE “Fayetteville had a huge outpouring of support for the mobile food vendors that came through town.”
Yes, people love reality TV. With any luck, that outpouring of support has become an organized, productive effort to weave more yummy food trucks into the fabric of Fayetteville.
RE “But the situation for local businesses wanting to try their hand at any sort of mobile business are immediately discouraged by rules and regulations for mobile vendors in Fayetteville.”
There is nothing unduly prohibitive in the applicable ordinances in Fayetteville; they are pretty standard stuff. However:
A post from http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2012/05/22/food-networks-the-great-food-truck-race-to-film-in-fayetteville/
“mpetty
Thursday, June 7, 2012 at 9:57 am
“Not sure how you got to blaming the Council. I sponsored the change to the ordinance that got Me So Hungry into business and have been actively pursuing a comprehensive ordinance since. We should see it this summer.
“Also FYI, Bentonville copied our Mobile Food Vendor ordinance exactly and added one thing: permanent location for vendors on private lots. We’re going to leapfrog that and add a limited number of locations on public property.”
Gooooly David, y’all sure knows lots’a smart stuff. I’m a hoping’ y’all be bein’ ours next mayor.
Lots of opinions… How about action?
RE “Gooooly David, y’all sure knows lots’a smart stuff.”
Shucks– ‘taint nothin’. It ain’t knowin’ lots o’ smart stuff; it’s knowin’ where to find the smart stuff.
RE “I’m a hoping’ y’all be bein’ ours next mayor.”
Thank ye kindly, but that ain’t a-goin’ t’ happen.
RE “Lots of opinions… How about action?”
Sometimes opinionation /is/ action. But you’re not seeing the whole picture. Or should I say “pitcher”?
Goober says “Hey.”
On things mobile: The current administration drove the pedicab biz straight out of town, by giving them a limited route and no access to the bike trail. This admin could not handle mobile food vendors, pedicabs, parking.. these are minor issues to the major one’s. If in the current de-facto mayor system with marr and jordan getting the opportunity to be making decisions in our city any longer – there will be a fiasco for the residents and students alike.
You haven’t yet been able to argue convincingly that the Jordan administration has created a fiasco in his first term. What makes you think it would happen in Mr. Jordan’s second term? Do you also think that Obama is going to take our guns away and impose Sharia law in his second term?
The Parking thing is such a non-issue that it makes me laugh when people consider it an issue. Every single city in the United States has something similar. I wonder if they threw half as much of a bitchfest as the citizens of Fayetteville did when it was implemented.
Fayetteville is not just every other United States city.
Dan – which council members support your campaign?
Can you show how Mr. Marr’s personal life has had any effect on the operation of the city– outside of your imagination? Can you show that Mr. Marr has “alot to say in the Mayor’s decision making process”– outside of your imagination? Is there any evidence that Mr. Marr has given any advice that was for his own benefit and against the benefit of the people of Fayetteville– outside of your imagination? If any such advice was given, was it taken– outside of your imagination? Mr. Marr is the biggest fiasco– in your imagination.
Your imagination appears to be the biggest fiasco.
He signs any and everthing before it goes to the Mayor. He is in a position of trust. His trust has been broken.
Apparently not. Do you have any answers for the questions I asked about your previous assertions?
Once again David before I leave for work. He is in a position of trust. Before anything can reach the Mayor’s desk it must pass through him. If you trust everyone then there is no need for parking meters. We can just place inexpensive waste cans on the corners of streets and let all the people parking pay on the honor system.
Have a good night.
DF never addresses his claims when shown to be wrong. He likes to watch himself type.
Ethics are a big part of any job. I wouldn’t allow someone with a previous lawsuit alleging embezzlement run the cash register at my gas station. Better safe than sorry.
mmueller–
Actually the police and fire chiefs report directly to Mr. Jordan, and there is no law or policy that keeps other department heads from dealing with Mr. Jordan directly if need be. Mr. Marr is not in charge of any funds, and he cannot act unilaterally. Your parking meter analogy is irrelevant.
You made specific allegations and implied that Mr. Marr is not doing his job properly. I take it you are backing off now. Good for you.
glutenfree–
Other than Melanie, whose correction I acknowledged, and another correction a while back that I also acknowledged, who has shown me to be wrong? Be specific.
Mr. Marr had his job for over two years before the lawsuit was brought against him; it is not a “previous lawsuit”. Mr. Jordan continues to trust Mr. Marr in his job because Mr. Marr has not given him any reason to distrust him in his job. I’ll ask you: is there any evidence that Mr. Marr has been shown incompetent or untrustworthy at his job? Mr. Marr is not operating a cash register or handling money. If Mr. Jordan is willing to keep Mr. Marr on despite this imaginary appearance of impropriety, then so be it. If it costs him the election, then we’ll see if Mr. Jordan sues Mr. Marr.
Oh, I know: Mr. Marr is going to rob the city blind during Mr. Jordan’s second term, while Mr. Jordan creates a fiasco as a diversion. That’s the only reason they haven’t done these things already.
I don’t watch myself type as much as I used to. I’ll probably never be a touch typist, but try to cope.
This is a quote from Mr. Coody’s FB page:
“We ALWAYS had millions more in the reserve than our self-imposed minimum when I was in office. Mr. Garner is exactly right. If you brag about a big surplus in the bank, then you are just collecting our tax money and not investing it in our city. ”
Now I don’t claim to be the smartest person in the world, but isn’t this totally contradictory? I know Mr. Coody has accused Mr. Jordan of ‘hoarding’ the taxpayers money by balancing the budget and keeping too much money in reserves. But isn’t that exactly what he says he did when he was in office?
And one petty observation: On Mr. Coody’s website, why is there a picture of the Old Post Office with a caption that talks about the library?
jmo
You have to take the quote and apply it to what Coody is basically “responding” to and implying I guess. Jordan and others have claimed that Coody left the city in the negatives, or that he didn’t have a surplus in the reserves that would have been needed in times of emergencies, etc. Coody is also implying that he got a lot more done in office than Jordan has, and still kept money in the reserves. He’s implying that Jordan has simply hoarded the money and not used it to start large scale projects, etc. Hope that makes sense.
Coody – I can only imagine how you treated your staff members if you treated city council members this way on TV. You are a grown man and you are responsible for your own behavior.
This was absolutely disgusting to watch, but for those of you who have had the pleasure of never “knowing the real Coody” should watch this.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9186967112750633817#
mmueller, we get it. You either are a Coody, a blind follower, or you are a Coody wannabe. You spew personal attacks willy-nilly, hoping something will stick. Don Marr is overqualified for the position he holds and has performed professionally and well on the job.
I am still sickened by the video link above, though I recall the incident when it happened. Your guy looks behaved like an ass and it is on the web for everyone to see. Throwing aspersions at someone else neither erases that fact, nor distracts from it. Lioneld is the mayor, not Don.
That sewer plant came in tens of millions over budget and your candidate is now trying to claim it came in under budget. Neither you nor he can change the reality, only the perception of your guy’s ability to be truthful, for the few who are unaware of who he is and how he governed.
Once again:http://ecoarkansas.com/files/TMN082908.pdf
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2712878632084864981&q=&hl=en
And, thanks to Revisonist: http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-3548820104794039121
Fail, and low down dirty one at that.
It would be really refreshing if you and your idol changed the course of this campaign to include an occasional relevant fact rather than a bullshit tossing festival. Is that all you’ve got?
Coody owes the Fayetteville taxpayers:
$14,990,663 – Coody’s First Term
$82,042,681 – Coody’s Second Term
$97,033,344 – Coody’s Grand Total
Mayor Jordan threw him a bone and reduced Coody’s debt to $28,618,581.
Fayetteville cannot afford Mr. Coody and his “visions”. Anybody can have visions but most people are realistic about their “visions” and do not have the money. My vision is to build the most energy sufficient house in the country, but is that realistic for me? No way! Coody has champagne taste and after all the debt acquired during his years in office, Fayetteville is working with a beer budget.
By the way mmuellar, you probably didn’t offer the Times enough money to smear Mr. Marr’s name. Raise your price they might be willing to do it.
During our 30 minute debate last week, the mayor admitted he did not know how the budget worked. After reading his comments in this story, I don’t think he was kidding. Either he truly doesn’t know the difference between debt that has a dedicated funding source and the general fund, or he is simply misleading the public. The debt he continues to complain about was approved first by himself as an a
lderman, then by the general public. This temporary sales tax bond issue was to build necessary infrastructure like roads, trails, and sewer systems.That debt has its own dedicated funding source (3/4 cent sales tax) authorized by a public vote and is completely independent from general fund daily operations ( a different, permanent 1 cent sales tax). The scheduled payments are being made exactly as required by the vote. The money that is available for the operation of the city is totally unaffected by this obligation. New fire stations and the new courts building are from the capital portion of the budget and also do not affect the operations budget. The general fund during Jordan’s first term had $5.5 million more in new income from increasing sales and property tax, among other sources, than during my last term. Rather than making sure essential services didn’t fall behind demand, Jordan’s higher priority has been to take money out of our local economy and stuff it in a low interest bearing account and save money by letting essential services shrink. We now have $6 million above the amount we all agreed on as a reasonable fund balance minimum (about 16% of annual income). A total of $12 million dollars are essentially not available to do the public’s work. My administration left a very healthy city operational budget with a $9 million surplus and publicly approved infrastructure improvements. Collecting your tax money and not providing essential services and infrastructure improvements in return is not good management of taxpayer’s money.
In my two terms I increased the City’s net assets by $208 million (as per the City finance dept., not just made up numbers). Does this mean the city owes me $111 million? Why don’t you share with us what this debt was for? Oh, I know…”trips to ski resorts and foreign countries”, right? Some people will gladly believe anything. Gotta run. Aliens have landed in the front yard again.
Hogwash, Mr. Coody!
You’re the one who claimed that the mayor had nothing to do with city budgeting in the debates last week. Guess you’ve forgotten that the mayor not only presents the budget proposal each fiscal year and should preside over the meetings in which the council considers whether or not it is acceptable, then is responsible for overseeing that budget. Just because someone invites you to go somewhere exciting like France doesn’t mean you should shirk an essential job responsibility, does it?
Which is it? The mayor, when it’s not you, is all-powerful and of inferior intelligence. The mayor, when it was you, had no responsibilities and was infallible.
In your world, all things that turn out well are to your credit. Anything more complicated is to be blamed on the council, the public, or city staff.
We’re supposed to believe anything you say about money management when you are now preposterously claiming that the sewage treatment plant came in $7 million dollars under budget when fact is it came in at least $65,000,000 over budget?
What essential services do you allege to have been shrinking or not provided?
Once again I ask you: “…There was an audible groan when you got up to take the mic at the most recent legitimate Mayor’s Town Hall meeting. If you have all of these brilliant ideas about how things could be done better, and if you really care about Fayetteville, where’ve you been for the last almost four years these meetings have been held regularly?”
To buy those assets the city has to go into debt ($94 Million). You keep blaming everyone else (city council, staff etc…) for your short comings.
That makes me wonder… Were you were really the one in charge?
Let me guess it has something to do with the paid parking?
By the way you still haven’t answered my question: Where have you been the last 4 years?
“I expect the people on the council will always work for what is in the best interest of Fayetteville,” which is why they almost unanimously support Mayor Jordan. This is especially telling for those who have served with both Coody and Jordan. This is one that is hard to spin and blame someone else.
Wow… No wonder every sitting City Council Member (except one) and every former City Council Member that served in the Coody era (except two or three) have publicly endorsed Mayor Jordan. This blatant disrespect and demeaning tone towards Alderwoman Allen is telling. I admittedly have been complacent about the Mayor’s race but this reminded me of how Mr. Coody showed little or no respect for others that may have needed more information or disagreed with him. I now find Mayor Jordan’s “inclusive” rhetoric important. It is downright bully tactics for Mr. Coody to demean, belittle and pointedly question the intelligence of a well respected and well informed Council member such as Nancy Allen. Ms. Allen is the epitome of a well informed, experienced community and civic service leader and perhaps one of the most knowledgeable Council members due to her Fayetteville legacy (her father, Mr. Gordon, managed the Chamber of Commerce in its heyday and her mother was a retail store owner). She was a graduate of Fayetteville Public Schools, the UofA and was also a longtime and well respected teacher in our public school system. I guess he just can’t take it when one (especially a woman?) questions a sensitive issue that needs transparency for accountability. Thanks for the link. I now remember well this arrogance fostered by the Coody Administration, espoused by Mayor Coody and loathed by City Employees that I knew well (many former City employees canned for their opinion or they simply left as dissatisfied workers).
*Correction: Mayor Jordan threw him a bone and paid $28,618,581 on the $97,033,344 debt amount Coody acquired during his years in office.
Let’s not try and change the subject mmueller.
Comment removed. See our policy.
Mr. Coody
This question has been posed a couple of times with no response from you, who on the city council supports your campaign ?
Thank you
He hasn’t answered because the answer is: None.
Every sitting Council member with the exception of Mr. Petty has publicly endorsed Mr. Jordan. Many past City Council members have publicly endorsed Mr. Jordan. Mr. Petty has said he will not make a statement of support for EITHER candidate and has clearly stated why.
This isn’t junior high. I expect the people on the council will always work for what is in the best interest of Fayetteville. I don’t understand why anyone puts stock in who they support before the election. They all will support the city and good ideas after the election. We worked to get Adella elected and we are friends with Matthew Petty and Sarah Marsh. I’ve visited at length with every candidate who’s running in ward 4 They are all earnest people who hold no ill will toward me. Martin Schoppmeyer is a professional as is Rhonda Adams and Mark Kinion and I agree with them on most things. This not a a real issue. My first 2 years in office, I had replaced Fred Hanna who had deep and long ties to many of the Council members. One Councilman thought of Fred as a father. Even with that, we still got a lot done to take care of the City’s business. After working with so many elected people over the last 25 years, one forgets, or at least should forget, who supported whom when. That is immaterial to bringing new creative life and innovation to our city.
Mr. Coody, care to speculate just why the majority of sitting council members and Mr. Shoppmeyer, who will join them in January, and so many former alderpeople and other elected officials and longtime stalwarts of Fayetteville have come forward to publicly support Mayor Jordan?
How about the police and firefighters, many of whom have worked under both your administration and Lioneld’s?
And why won’t you answer the repeated questions about your notable absence from the frequent open public meetings until you decided to run for office again? You criticize ad nauseum and suggest that you know non-specific yet superior ways to have done pretty much everything that has been done. If that is your assertion, and if you want anyone to believe that you care in the slightest about the greater good of Fayetteville, you should’ve expected this question would come up.
Mr. Coody – Where have you been the last 4 years?
You know when it’s an election year when you see Coody show up for a Town Hall Meeting
Junior High, hmmm? That’s exactly how you seem to be treating this election, Coody. But, no, it is NOT junior high, it’s a major league city, and we have a current Mayor doing a fine job of running it.
(And, oh, would you and your wife please stop blocking a whole section of Farmers Market? That’s really irritating.)
Mr Coody,
If by some fate you were to get elected, would you continue to harass and threaten the citizens of Fayetteville in the city council meetings?
Will you try to have everyone who disagrees with you removed from the council chambers?
Wrong, again, Don. Of course, you are referring to the very unfortunate single episode of having to have a person, your wife, asked to be seated by the police. As you should recall, she started reading a thick document and was filibustering the entire meeting for about 20 minutes or longer. There were several people who were waiting to speak and she had refused to wrap up her comments aft being politely asked 3 times. When she continued to refuse, I was left with no choice to but ask security to have her cease so others could speak. Since there were no police in the room I had to call someone to come in to council chambers from outside. After I made the call she realized it was time to quit. I thanked her for her comments, as I recall. I know you are aware of the truth because you were there and the next day you asked to listen to the recording of the call. If you still have the recording, you should play it for everyone. Fortunately, in my 8 years in office, this is the ONLY time I had to resort to such a move. Painting false pictures may help win elections, but it corrodes the soul of the democratic process and everyone in it.
Sounds pretty dramatic, and possibly evidence of untreated mental illness. Here’s to hopefully having a mayor with vision and leadership ability, and not one that listens to the loudest, craziest NIMBYs only.
Glutenfree do you mean anybody that doesn’t see the same vision for our city is mentally ill?
It is amazing how you twist the facts to fit your version of the story. Everyone involved know the facts.
There is no painting pictures except by you. This was not your only time to have a citizen removed.
As you well know, she was not in the least disruptive. You had allowed your friends to go on and on well past the time she took at the same meeting. Your only problem was she did not agree with you.
Dear Flyer Staff, please post some new stories about all the interesting stuff going on in our city. You know, the real reason we read the Flyer. Try to find a fun topic that can’t be ruined by some arrogant politician compelled to tell us how wonderful he is and complaining how everyone else fails to realize it.
Mr. Coody – I saw on your Facebook page you had posted:
“As far as I know, there has been no discussion from this administration on other options to pay for or even building a deck.”
If you had attended any of the paid parking meetings over the course of a year you would have known that they looked into the possibility of a sales tax increase. That was vetoed because they felt that it was not fair to charge the citizens who do not go to the downtown area for a deck they will never use.
Also, you had said that there has been no discussion about a parking deck being built. Did I read that wrong or do you really not know what is going on?