Serving with Courage in Platform Questions and Answers

Please tell us about yourself and why you are interested in running for elected office in Colorado Springs.

• BIO from Web Site: Jay Inman has been part of this community over 20 years. He and his wife of 40 years have 4 kids and two grandkids. Your candidate retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel and recently retired from Microsoft as an Enterprise Architect. In both roles, he designed and built data centers down the axis of the Euphrates River, in a missionary hospital in southeast Asia, the Rocky Mountain Front Range, and was the Architect at AF Space Command (Pre-Space Command) who helped move 700,000 AF end Points into the Microsoft Cloud. As a small businessman, he wrote and published 17 books ranging from Theology to Science Fiction, and helped multiple authors publish their books on marriage, leadership, and theology. He has a master’s degree in History and serves our community on the School District 20 District Accountability Committee (DAC).

• I am running because I want to see more citizens flourishing in our community. Because of that, The Hard that I Pick is protecting Life and Economic Opportunity as the central themes of my campaign. As a military veteran I am especially concerned and attentive of the families of those serving as well as those returning from duty. I’ve raised children here, serve on the School District 20 District Accountability Committee (DAC), and I feel the issues that I hear around Colorado Springs. This includes housing development, transportation, City as well as County services, innovation and business opportunity, and education of our future work force. Running for City Council is about serving my community, quality of life, and maximizing economic opportunity for my family, neighbors, and fellow citizens of Colorado Springs.

• A Hard fact is that Politics is truth applied to community. Common Sense Solutions are not all glitz and glamor but answering the questions of how we organize and sustain community so that together we work to promote citizen flourishing and economic opportunity.

What do you identify as the top three or four issues facing Colorado Springs, and how do you think they should be addressed?

Hard Tenet #1. Crime and Public Safety

Colorado Springs saw more murders in 2022 than in any year since 1985, FBI data shows, and the Gazette reported. At the same time, our city has a severe shortage in police recruitment and retention within CSPD. KOAA reports that CSPD hopes to add more than 100 officers by the end of the year, but even then, more officers will be needed, as the city's growth shows no signs of slowing down. CSPD told News5 it currently has 745 officers, but not all of them are on the streets at this moment. Some of those officers are currently in the academy. Resources continue to be stretched thin. The department told News5 it is down 84 patrol officers right now. It's hard to have a voice if you're not sitting at the table. As a Councilman, I want to have a voice, to step up and be a part of something great. Motivated additions to the police force will be crucial for public safety goals going forward, with the city seeing more than 300,000 calls for service coming in year after year. It hasn't been under 300,000 since 2016. That is about 800 calls for service per day. As a city, we face the important job of recruiting and identifying the city's next generation of police officers as call volume is only expected to increase. During the next 5 to 10 years, police department leaders project the city will need a new substation in the northeast part of town and a force of roughly 955 officers. At one point, CSPD required degrees and specific training. So, in that sense CSPD lowered the bar slightly, but CSPD is still a very tough agency to be a part of. The process is long, but it's very well worth it. When CSPD recruits get that final call and that final job offer, it's amazing as many officers before will tell you.

If elected to council, I will strive to sit at this table and be part of working and solving this part of the problem.

Hard Tenet #2. Housing and Development 

Let me take this in a little different direction with important analysis. In School District 20, their planning consultant, Don Smith, recently gave an excellent briefing to the DAC on In-District construction and development. Ten years ago, there was ¾ of a student per home in D-20 for a total student population of ~20,000 students. Today, there is ¼ of a student per home in D-20 and the total student population – in spite of a lot more homes – is still at ~20,000 students. In turn, the schools in place are not hitting the 75% threshold of students in seats to justify future school district construction. D-20 owns a lot of land for that potential, but at less than 80% classroom capacities, they can’t go to taxpayers for bonds or tax increases with that ask. There are a lot of reasons for this but rocketing home costs and people having fewer children are among them. Personally, I want Council and Developers to figure out – across the city, not just in D-20 – things that are Common Sense Solutions to build homes young families with kids can afford and to develop economic opportunity… I want all of us to be ‘forced’ with big smiles to build more schools. This includes Innovation in a Business Friendly Climate. Diving into something specific that reveals my heart for economic opportunity, I want us to figure out how to build and develop an ‘Interquest’ style business and project zone on the south side around the Airport. I want to also combine – perhaps extend – a Catalyst Campus type innovation center to this area, focused on south side and Airport business innovation, technical innovation, and education. These possibilities would support the Colorado Springs Airport as a hub that businesses and families frequent more often – Attracting more business, flights, and flyers rather than having them go to Denver.

Hard Tenet #3. Cost of utilities

Over the past 5 years, the typical four-service Utilities bill has almost doubled. That is unacceptable! As a Utilities Board member, I will request assignment on the Utilities Finance Committee. I will put in the time necessary to pour through all documents related to cost. I will review in detail the Utilities external audits for the past 5 years. I will request forensic analyses if needed. In short, I will ensure the level of transparency that the Colorado Springs community deserves. 

- The most recent power grid outages prove we do not have an affordable or practical way for utilities' Resilience and Redundancy into the future for Springs ratepayers.

      o Tue, 7 Feb, 2023: Major power outage in Colorado Springs tied to crash (msn.com)

      o Dec 23, 2022: Power outage affects over 3,000 customers west of Colorado Springs, in Highway 24 area (kktv.com)

- Along the way, I will push back on the war on natural gas.

Hard Tenet #4. Partnerships

We have an environment where government provides services, but City government, non-profits, and other businesses must form partnerships around mental health, homelessness, and addiction. Homelessness – compared to many cities in Denver area, COS is doing well – but homelessness requires a comprehensive response to addiction, mental health, and poverty. This must be wholistic, not focused on one issue then another.

Local policies, codes, regulations, and impact fees add to the overall cost of housing. What role does residential development play in your vision for the future of Colorado Springs, and what do you believe is the appropriate way for the city to guide housing development?

• I am VERYpro-development... for projects that are Common Sense Solutions. Two years ago, before a single shovel hit the ground in a lot, home builders had already paid at least $60,000 in fees and permits on that lot. I want to look at how to streamline that and reduce that cost. Overall, this is one of those areas where Springs Citizens, neighborhoods, and Developers can find agreement on Common Sense Solutions. On council, I will weigh each proposed project and work with Developers and citizens.

Affordable and attainable housing is a major concern for our members and the city in order to address housing demand. Please share your thoughts on affordable and attainable housing and your policy ideas on this subject. 

• I mentioned this in my D-20 example above, but the affordability of housing in our community is becoming a crisis. I will propose a committee consisting of two City Council Members acting in their legislative and fiduciary role, along with two Utilities Board members acting in their regulatory and fiduciary roles, working with Low/Moderate Income lenders and other non-profits, to look for ways to cut through red tape, unnecessary legislative and regulatory requirements, and provide alternatives for our very real housing crisis. Individuals on this committee will be drawn from the same group of nine Council/Utilities Board members, but they will very importantly be wearing different hats for purposes of this committee. 
• I do not support direct subsidies of either taxpayer or rate payer funds for affordable housing solutions, but will wholeheartedly support innovation combined with streamlining processes, to find real solutions for our community. This is especially for military families who move to duty stations in our community.

New or infill development often creates controversy in surrounding neighborhoods and communities. How do you look at these types of situations, and what do you think is a successful model for community and developer interaction?

• I mentioned earlier that Springs Citizens, neighborhoods, and Developers must find agreement on doing things that are Common Sense Solutions. This includes community meetings, testimony in council, carefully reading plans and proposals… Essentially that is due diligence, but that’s a hard communication problem that takes time. As I weigh these potential efforts, I will study each one for their merits and decision for how to vote. There are processes in place for Council decisions that I will also consider to see if we can stream-line and improve.

Please address the role of metro districts in the development process and your view on these districts in the community development process.

• Colorado Springs has well over 100 different special financing districts created under Colorado Revised Statutes or City Code. These districts provide financing for public improvements costs and/or are responsible for ongoing services or maintenance of improvements that are not provided by the City, Colorado Springs Utilities of another entity such as a property owners association. 
• The roles and functions of these districts vary significantly depending on the type of district and their individually specified function and purposes. Most, but not all districts levy a property tax mill levy, which may be quite substantial. In almost all cases, districts levy an operational property tax mill levy to offset administrative costs and sometimes to maintain improvements or to provide services. In some cases, districts have a debt service mill levy to service debt that has been issued, or is expected to be issued (most often in the form of bonds).
• Metro Districts present layers of complexity and potential stove pipes that make communication and decision making harder, but it is the situation we must manage and work with on council. Here again, I will consider how to stream-line and improve how we manage this complexity to facilitate citizen flourishing and economic opportunity.

Water is a critical resource for our community. We cannot grow and have a strong economy without water. Please provide your views on the city’s water supplies and policies around conservation, future acquisitions, possible expanded service areas for CSU, and development.

• Water is an ongoing challenge. Somewhere between ‘hunky dorry’ and a 130% usage threshold, City Council / Springs Utilities and Developers can discover and agree on threshold levels and conservation that meet Common Sense Solutions, while accommodating FAIR development.
• The Integrated Water Resource Plan (IWRP) (Our Sustainable Water Plan (csu.org) provides a long-term blueprint for water resources, however the Colorado River, which Colorado Springs relies on in part, is in trouble. The federal government is poised to step in and dictate solutions which may be suboptimal for our community. I will encourage and am willing to participate in discussions at the regional and federal level concerning the Colorado River and the real possibility of water shortfalls in the immediate and long-term future. We need to skillfully forge partnerships and develop win-win adaptive solutions for this challenge that are Common Sense.
• We are fortunate that our community has robust water delivery systems that will serve us for the next 50 years. Key is that we have the opportunity to continue building on the shoulders of past giants for our future. However, much of our water infrastructure is aging and represents a potential liability for future generations. I will push for a comprehensive plan to address water infrastructure using an asset management approach that will optimize both capital and maintenance efforts over a 20- and 50-year horizon.

What is your opinion of technical and vocational education and how could you and the City support workforce education and help school districts offer more vocational-learning opportunities?

• Our Schools must EDUCATE our students, inspiring them to thrive... NOT Indoctrinate them with current fads and venues that do not press our students into successful futures. Vocational education MUST be part of helping students discover that future.
• This includes ROBUST vocational education like what D-20 executes.
• Today, education is under attack. Often, its educators themselves who forsake truth for a politicized form of Indoctrination.
• Serving on the D20 DAC has been a wonderful experience with superb principals, teachers and District administrators. I have personally witnessed their love for their schools and students reinforced by the desire to educate… rejecting indoctrination that harms our students.
• The problem is that agendas that indoctrinate are creeping in. Some threaten vocational education. When children are encouraged to view historical, scientific, and mathematical facts as cultural artifacts that may be embraced or discarded without consequence, that crosses a line. Facts matter because reality matters. Few places reinforce Facts more than vocational education… Accidentally cutting off a hand with a circular saw during improper use is a good case in point.
• As a city council member, I will work with City School Districts to harmonize vocational education programs for students. That includes working with the school boards in our city – after all, their construction / development projects are among the largest long-term efforts when considered across the past decade. 
• I want our city school districts to do one thing for my grandkids – Teach the US Constitution to all grades and all students in city school districts one hour per week. 

If elected, what benefits do you see in involving and working with the HBA and homebuilding industry?

• I envision the entire gamut of housing young families with kids that they can afford, military families finding homes in our city, Parks, business opportunity, building more schools… 
• I have a vision for a city worthy of its founding, its beautiful location, and its amazing history. I will be a catalyst for building a healthy and robust community in ways that are Common Sense Solutions, well positioned for the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. 

If faced with a land use decision, which of the following is most important to you? What is least important to you?

- Concerns of neighbors

- Private property rights

- Planning staff recommendations/ code

- Economic impact

• I firmly believe all of the above. It will take work and time to figure out agreement on common sense solutions, but ALL of the bullet points above play a role in land use decisions.

What are your thoughts on the current governance structure of Colorado Springs Utilities? Any ideas on how to improve it?

• I mentioned the high cost of utility bills in my platform tenets above, and my response. Here's more:
• I will ensure the Community has real options for generation of power including the appropriate mix of generation to ensure reliability and best cost. I advocate an “all-of-the-above” strategy with respect to our community’s electricity future. That means using fossil fuels in an environmentally responsible manner. It also means providing low-cost hydroelectric generation by leveraging our municipal water system, and the Western Area Power Administration hydroelectric program. I support the inclusion of solar and other renewables, where it is responsible and cost-effective; meeting the resilience and redundancy tests without high costs our citizens cannot afford. I would also propose exploring a possible partnership with the DOD and others for nuclear generation.
• All electric portfolio options, building on the Electric Integrated Resource Plan, must pass the test for environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, and appropriate portfolio diversity, while delivering the best cost to every ratepayer. I will also request a review of the decision making behind the recent closure of the Drake power plant. That was primarily driven by the Governor’s emissions standards and threats of punitive fines, but the decision removed the ability to substantively use coal to generate electricity at 3 to 4 cents per kilowatt hour. Now paying an average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour on my bill, I think we at least owe a good answer to ‘Springs ratepayers.

If faced with a significant economic downturn, what department or category in the City/County budget would be the most important to protect? Where would you make cuts?

• As a student of history, I believe we are moving toward the historic ‘Great Depression’ event horizon that has happened every hundred years or so in Western Civilization. Before I weigh how council should collectively and effectively respond, I will promise that my responses will be with as much compassion as possible. Economic downturns – especially if as harsh as what we might face on the horizon – impact everyone. My responses will be shaped by my core tenets of flourishing quality of life and protecting economic opportunity.

Do you support the extension of TOPS (Trails, Open Space and Parks)?

• I love hiking, being outdoors, and using all our trails, open spaces, and parks. My beef is when these land in the arenas of agendas as opposed to practicality for citizen flourishing. I will weigh each proposal with the desire to not raise taxes on our citizens or waste the land use of these important spaces that add beauty and outdoor function to our city.