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PITTSBURG —
The Pittsburg City Commission has three seats up for election, and eight candidates have filed for the open seats.
A series of panel discussions are being hosted by various entities in the community, and the Pittsburg Area Property Owners Association invited candidates to introduce themselves and voice their views on property topics Thursday evening at the St. Mary’s Activity Center.
Each candidate was asked for his or her take on whether housing is a reason that the community struggles to attract new businesses. They also were asked whether vacant rental housing should be subject to mandatory inspections and, if so, whether the same standards should apply to owner-occupied housing.
Candidates are listed below from left to right according to panel seating.
Dave Holloman said he is a small-business owner and currently is on the Pittsburg planning and zoning commission.
He said several of the commission’s recent decisions are of concern to him, including choosing to target trash during tough times and the passing of the International Property Maintenance Codes.
Holloman questioned the rumor that Pittsburg isn’t growing and said the sources need to be studied.
“Do you ever wonder why people will say, ‘We’ve heard businesses aren’t locating here because of housing?’” he asked.
“I think we should focus a lot more on helping small businesses grow,” he added.
Holloman also said inspections would be a hindrance to property owners, who inevitably would have to raise rent if an inspection required upgrades.
“If somebody is living in a $300 a month rental, $300 a month with a roof over your head is better than living on the streets,” he said, adding that inspections would infringe on rights. “I think that’s a violation of property rights and privacy rights.”
Ralph McGeorge is a lifelong Pittsburg resident with city and county commission experience and said he believes the trash issue is a codes enforcement program rather than a hauler problem.
“We need to sit down and have an open dialogue to find out what we can do to serve the community better,” he said.
He also said the city needs to continue to focus on small business, as well as larger corporations.
McGeorge also advocated for landlords to have input into codes.
“We’ve got 51 percent rental property and those people have the right to say what goes in these codes,” he said.
McGeorge said landlords take a lot of chances when renting and that no landlord would want to rent an unsafe house due to liability issues.
“I don’t think they need to be bothered by the city on some of these things,” McGeorge said.
The Pittsburg City Commission has three seats up for election, and eight candidates have filed for the open seats.
A series of panel discussions are being hosted by various entities in the community, and the Pittsburg Area Property Owners Association invited candidates to introduce themselves and voice their views on property topics Thursday evening at the St. Mary’s Activity Center.
Each candidate was asked for his or her take on whether housing is a reason that the community struggles to attract new businesses. They also were asked whether vacant rental housing should be subject to mandatory inspections and, if so, whether the same standards should apply to owner-occupied housing.
Candidates are listed below from left to right according to panel seating.
Dave Holloman said he is a small-business owner and currently is on the Pittsburg planning and zoning commission.
He said several of the commission’s recent decisions are of concern to him, including choosing to target trash during tough times and the passing of the International Property Maintenance Codes.
Holloman questioned the rumor that Pittsburg isn’t growing and said the sources need to be studied.
“Do you ever wonder why people will say, ‘We’ve heard businesses aren’t locating here because of housing?’” he asked.
“I think we should focus a lot more on helping small businesses grow,” he added.
Holloman also said inspections would be a hindrance to property owners, who inevitably would have to raise rent if an inspection required upgrades.
“If somebody is living in a $300 a month rental, $300 a month with a roof over your head is better than living on the streets,” he said, adding that inspections would infringe on rights. “I think that’s a violation of property rights and privacy rights.”
Ralph McGeorge is a lifelong Pittsburg resident with city and county commission experience and said he believes the trash issue is a codes enforcement program rather than a hauler problem.
“We need to sit down and have an open dialogue to find out what we can do to serve the community better,” he said.
He also said the city needs to continue to focus on small business, as well as larger corporations.
McGeorge also advocated for landlords to have input into codes.
“We’ve got 51 percent rental property and those people have the right to say what goes in these codes,” he said.
McGeorge said landlords take a lot of chances when renting and that no landlord would want to rent an unsafe house due to liability issues.
“I don’t think they need to be bothered by the city on some of these things,” McGeorge said.
Chuck Munsell also is a lifelong Pittsburg resident and the grandson of a trash hauler, and he said he would try to make his decisions to benefit all the citizens of Pittsburg.
“I think we do need to talk jobs, but we also need to support the departments we do have now,” he said.
Munsell questioned the area’s economic situation that has led to high percentages of rental housing.
“Why are 50 percent of homes rental property?” he asked. “I think the main reason is people can’t afford to build houses.”
He said people need jobs that pay, the small businesses need help and Pittsburg needs a better relationship with Crawford County.
Munsell also said renters take pride in their investments and expressed concerns about costs of repairs and raised rent rates from inspections when many of them are providing services the city can’t
“My hat is off to you rental people who are providing a place for some unfortunate people who don’t have a job,” Munsell said.
Bill Wilper said he would like to help bring balance to the city commission by looking out for the needs of others.
“My philosophy is that the present city commission is unbalanced,” he said. “Everyone on the commission seems to represent the same point of view.”
Wilper said housing isn’t a problem in attracting businesses and that he doesn’t like the IPMC because decisions should be made based on the local area.
“The people who live in that housing can’t necessarily bring it up to the standards we’d all like to see,” Wilper said. “We can make decisions here based on where we live and who we are.”
Wilper said he was concerned additional inspections would make the rental market more like HUD housing.
“I don’t think we need to create a small HUD in Pittsburg by enforcing inspections,” he said, adding that occupants should address concerns with their landlords. “The occupants need to be more responsible.”
Monica Murnan said she has been involved in the community as an employee at The Center for 17 years, and now at Greenbush, and also has served at CHCSEK, United Way, the library and the Mt. Carmel Foundation.
“I was raised to give back to the community,” she said. “Part of our responsibility when we came back was to give back to the community that was so kind to us in college.”
She said she doesn’t believe housing affects business growth, nor does she agree with the idea that the area is not growing. However, she did that there is a sense of disjointedness in the housing situation in Pittsburg.
She also said she is concerned about some rental situations in Pittsburg, although she said property owners present that evening probably are not the problems.
“I’ve had the opportunity to go to a lot of houses where kids live and especially poor kids,” Murnan said. “It’s not right where some of the kids live and it’s not OK.”
Leatha Bolinger said she is deeply invested in the Pittsburg community and addressed the property owners in the room.
“I have a lot of respect for property owners,” Bolinger said. “I’ve both rented and we’ve been property owners.”
She said the business attraction concern is more of a brain drain than a housing issue.
“I think we educate our children in Pittsburg and then they leave,” she said.
She also said a lot of questions should be raised about whether the community has the workforce to support a blue collar business.
Bolinger also questioned the common sense of mandatory inspections, but said there is a concern with substandard property.
“I think you can have a heart for people who are in situations, but at the same time I think you don’t legislate human behavior,” she said.
Michael Gray is running for re-election and said he would like to see through some projects that currently are in the works, including infrastructure and economic development.
“We’re not where we need to be because the infrastructure has been let go for a long time, but we’re on the right road.
Gray said infrastructure issues are much more influential on business growth than housing, although the topic is raised by businesses. He added that Pittsburg is growing.
“People aren’t running away from Pittsburg,” he said. “They’re building in Pittsburg. We’re actually growing in Pittsburg.
Gray acknowledged that some landlords do not care for their properties the way they should, but he praised the Property Owners Association for forming and for their discussions with the city on cost-savings options, renter accountability and other topics.
Cheryl Mayo moved to Pittsburg 17 years ago and said she hopes to serve the community by considering everybody’s point of view and making the decision that befits the most people.
“I’ve always wanted to be a servant to the people of Pittsburg,” she said. “We’re there to listen and hear everybody’s point of view.”
Mayo said housing is one of a number of issues that need addressed to sustain long-term growth,
“It’s not the only issue,” she said. “It’s one of a number of issues.”
She also said enforcement of current codes should take priority over new regulations.
Mayo said she isn’t concerned with appearances of houses, but does feel that interior safety issues should be addressed.
“I’ve been in many of these homes as well,” she said of substandard housing, but she praised the efforts for solutions. “I applaud the fact that this association has come together.”
