Ward 4 City Council candidate Jim Ryan, 58, says his main focus would be representing the people of his ward as best he can. And candidate Brett Smith, 35, says his goal is to get to know everyone is his ward and learn their concerns.
One of the topics that was brought up during candidate forums in preparation for the first municipal election on Aug. 28 was the new 75-foot height limit for buildings downtown. In April 2018, the City Council voted to increase the maximum height limit that can be developed downtown from 65 feet to 75 feet.
Ryan, an English professor at Auburn University, said the problems that arose around the 75-foot height ordinance are exemplary of long-standing issues in the city.
“Promises were made to Auburn citizens about restrictions on height,” Ryan said. “And unfortunately, those promises were not kept. I think that issue really shows that it’s extremely important for a City Council and mayor, you know, who are responsible for many of the other commissions that are appointed, to be very, very reliable.”
The decision is hard to reverse at this point, but restrictions can be put in place to prevent things like this from happening again, Ryan said.
Smith said he thinks the reason why the height discrepancy is still discussed months after the Council made a decision is because of lack of communication.
“A lot of people said they want to know why we head in this direction, why do we need building height or taller buildings or shorter buildings,” Smith said. “That’s why the communication has been huge for me because I want to make sure that people feel that they can reach out to me and talk to me.”
The City of Auburn began working in 2018 on an ordinance to regulate short-term rentals, often done through companies such as Airbnb and VRBO.
Ryan said he is cautious of short-term rentals because they reduce the quality of life for the long-term residents if the rentals are not strictly regulated.
“What I’ve observed in many Auburn neighborhoods is that streets and neighborhoods have significant numbers of rental properties, and it’s short-term rental properties, and it’s easy to pick those out because they’re less well-maintained there,” Ryan said. “They’re less attractive neighborhoods.”
Smith is also concerned about quality of life for residents. He said renters sometimes do not respect the property and neighbors as much as a long-term resident would, which can cause problems.
“If property owners are going to use their home, similar to a hotel or lodging, then they (property owners) need to go through the procedure and the policy the way that a normal hotel would, whether that includes getting a business license and paying the particular taxes,” Smith said.
Getting young people involved in government, especially local government, can be difficult.
Ryan said he wants to encourage all eligible voters and community members, including students, to get involved in their city.
“I think that one way we can do it is by making sure that the City Council meetings can be watched on video, which is currently not possible,” Ryan said. “That’s something that I have suggested this year, and I think it probably will be adopted.”
Often times, young people come to Auburn for the University and stay after they graduate because they like the city. It’s important to get students involved as students, Smith said.
“I hear people talking about, you know, there’s Auburn University and the City of Auburn,” Smith said. “Well, if you look at it, we’re all together as one family. The University here is — it’s a humongous economic driver in our city.”
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Elizabeth, senior in journalism and political science, is the community editor for The Plainsman
