AN ICON OPINION

In our lifetime of observing events in Bluffton several things are clear. Topics that sell newspapers and get heavy hits on the Icon include:

• Fantastic girls’ basketball teams
• Floods
• Mystery beasts roaming the countryside
• Issues of controversy involving Bluffton village government

The ongoing discussion of Bluffton government deserves a comment.

1 – The town hall water flood was a fluke. Anyone who thinks it serves to cover up any village shenanigans needs to have his head examined.

2 – Concerning the supposed need for new blood on council, please read on:

• The current council is the “newest” council in our lifetime. There couldn’t possibly be anything newer.
• Judy Augsburger became a new council member on Jan. 1
• Roger Warren became a new council member on Jan. 1
• Everett Collier was appointed to council in the past two years due to a council vacancy. He ran for an elected seat in November and is now serving his first-ever full term.
• Shawn Burrell was appointed to council in the past two years due to a council vacancy.
• Joe Sehlhorst is serving in his first-ever council term.
• Mitch Kingsley is the longest-serving council member and should he resign prior to the November election, Joe Sehlhorst will become the “oldest” council member.
• Dennis Gallant, mayor, has been in office slightly over one year and will probably resign on June 2.

Adding to the “new blood” situation, Judy Augsburger will more than likely become mayor on June 2. That means her council seat will be vacant and, more than likely another “new” council member will be appointed.

When and if, Mitch Kingsley resigns, his seat will become vacant and…you get a sense of the situation.

Quite honestly, this is a “rookie” council. We say that not in a critical way, simply in a descriptive way. In our opinion, given their circumstances, this council is doing a good job.

This council’s major problem is sidewalks. A more experienced council would have handled this situation differently. In our opinion, the current council didn’t know any better. This is their first confrontation with a controversy. Live and learn. They will be better prepared the next time.

Lest we forget: Approximately 10-12 years ago sidewalks in Bluffton were in crisis.

• You could not walk or bike to the Dairy Freeze safely.
• You could not walk or bike to Community Market safely.
• You could not walk or bike to Bluffton University safely.
• You could not walk or bike in the downtown retail section safely.
• You could not walk or bike on Grove Street, Jackson Street or Cherry Street safely.

Those problems are remedied for one reason: a sidewalk repair ordinance was enforced.

Then came the 2008 recession. Council, rightly so, backed off enforcing sidewalk repair. We could argue all day if the recession is or is not over. However, we all agree our economy is now much better than it was in 2008.

It makes total sense to bring the sidewalk repair portion of the sidewalk ordinance back to the front burner. We urge council to aggressively go after sidewalk owners who need to fix their broken sidewalks. There are few excuses today.

We also urge council to use the new ordinance to insist that any new housing development include sidewalks.

What will become of the “connectivity issue” of the sidewalk ordinance? The Icon suspects that it will die quietly. There’s no budgeted money for this project and little interest in anyone to push this project.

So be it.

There are, however, areas in Bluffton where sidewalks currently don’t exist and are needed simply for safety. Viewers may do their own mental calculations as to where sidewalks would serve the public best.

However, under the current mood, none of this will take place.

One way is to give it a Halloween test. What streets are safe for Halloweeners, and what streets aren’t safe because of lack of sidewalks?

Apply the above test to:
• children walking and biking to school,
• people walking and biking to the fast food area
• people walking and biking to Bluffton’s retirement communities

Give the current council a break. It is full of inexperience, but has a genuine interest in seeing our community succeed. This body formed under a series of peculiar circumstances controlled by no one. This body is in a learning curve.

Sadly, under the situation of the moment, we fear the only themes that may motivate potential council and mayoral candidates are personal agendas. Sidewalks are a personal agenda.

That’s unfortunate.

The path to becoming a true Bluffton public servant is to seek office embracing a much larger picture.  Persons must be able to have a desire for:
• public safety
• planned community development
• maintaining a vibrant downtown
• creating a positive job climate
• working with industry, schools, hospital, university
• focusing on community park and recreational opportunities
• attracting young families
• working with senior citizens’ needs
• and a continuing pledge to remember our community’s heritage

Sidewalks may cross several of those boundaries, but in our view sidewalks standing alone are still a personal agenda.