Robert Archibald, candidate for Hiawatha City Council at-large

Robert Archibald, Jeffrey Cater and Steve Dodson are running for the two at-large Hiawatha council seats. Marcia Correll had to withdraw from the race. The Gazette has not yet received responses from Cater. ► Get to know the other candidates

Name: Robert Archibald

Office sought: Hiawatha City Council at-large (incumbent)

Age: 39 (born Oct. 27, 1982)

Occupation: Health and Safety Specialist- Collins Aerospace

Email: robert.s.archibald@gmail.com

Have you held office before? If so, what office did you hold?

I have been a member of the Hiawatha City Council for the last four years.

Personal bio: I am proud to say that I am lifelong resident of the community. I am a graduate of Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Kirkwood Community College, and the University of Northern Iowa. I have spent the last 10 years working as a Safety Specialist at two different local companies. I feel privileged to be raising my three beautiful daughters with my wife here in Hiawatha. Raising a young family, I feel a vested interest in making Hiawatha a great place to live for the years to come — to grow a family, to grow a business, and to have fun!

As a lifelong resident of the area, I have been involved in many different local organizations. I am very proud to have been involved in the implementation of the Hiawatha community-based ambulance in 2005 and remain a volunteer firefighter/paramedic for the Hiawatha Fire Department. I am currently the chair of the Linn County LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee). My family and I are partners at St Marks Lutheran Church.

Why are you running for city council?

As a City Council member, I will continue with a citizens-first approach when making decisions. City government is a major player in citizens' day-to-day lives and decisions made should come from their input. Serving the citizens of Hiawatha is an honor and a privilege.

I have a goal to make myself available to listen to business owners and all residents about concerns and suggestions that would improve working with the City of Hiawatha. I will work with everyone in the community to create solutions that support the city and our residents holistically.

How do you rate the city’s current performance? What areas are going well, and what could be improved?

I think the city currently does a great job of providing the necessary city services to the residents and businesses. Like any organization it is important to constantly be reviewing its performance in all areas and make adjustments as necessary.

Currently the city does a great job of providing public safety to the community. This includes a community focused police department, a well staffed and reliable ambulance service, well maintained streets, and safe water. Public safety as a whole will continue to be my focus as a council member.

The city needs to continue to focus on encouraging the addition of housing units that meet all needs and budgets. Current research shows that we need to add housing at all levels in the city, county, and region to keep up with the demand of the corridor.

What are the three largest issues facing the community and what will you do to address them?

The three largest issues that face the city are continuing to provide the best possible public safety, addressing housing needs, and continuing to make the community walkable.

The city needs to continue to support the fire department which relies on both volunteers and career members. The fire department needs to have adequate facilities to house equipment, provide training to members, and meet the other needs of its members. The city also needs to continue investing in training for members of the police and fire departments.

The city needs to continue to focus on encouraging the addition of housing units that meet all needs and budgets. Current research shows that we need to add housing at all levels in the city, county, and region to keep up with the demand of the corridor.

The city needs to continue to invest in trails and sidewalks that make the whole city accessible by alternative means of transportation (bike, walking, etc). This means connecting all parts of the city internally and making connections to surrounding communities as well.

All city services need to continue to be provided at a consistent and affordable rate to tax payers.

If you were forced to cut the city's budget, how would you approach these reductions? What areas would you look to for savings and why?

Budget reductions for public organizations are difficult decisions because all programs provided are important and essential. If forced to cut spending the first thing to look at would be the delaying of any planned capital expenses. Pushing out capital expenses that would not degrade city services could be a major cost savings in the short term. The next thing that could be looked at to cut budget dollars would be by asking all departments to make small cuts equally. This would help to limit the impact to services provided. My goal as a council member would be to continue planning based on sound financial decision making that will keep Hiawatha in a position to be able to react to up and downs in the economy without impact tax payers.

What new policies might you propose for the city to enact? Why do you think they are necessary?

I would advocate for continuing to regionalize services where it makes sense. Cooperation not competition among corridor cities is important to allow for the continued growth of the corridor as a whole.

Are there quality of life improvements that could be made in the community? What are they and how would you fund them?

The city needs to continue to invest in trails and sidewalks that make the whole city accessible by alternative means of transportation (bike, walking, etc). This means connecting all parts of the city internally and making connections to surrounding communities as well.

Creating an accessible community adds a great deal to the quality of life of all residents.