Interview with Kathi Harness, candidate for Jefferson City Council Ward 4

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Kathi Harness, a Jefferson City Ward 4 resident, is running for Jefferson City Council. Harness plans to focus on economic development and collaborative work. Harness also wants to improve public safety and support youth recreation projects.

Harness also the principal of government relations at the lobbying firm Harness & Associates, LLC.

Harness is running against Julie Allen.

Moyer: Why are you running for city council? And what qualifications do you have?

Harness: Okay, I am running for city council because I am retiring from my lobbying career after 30 years, and I will have time to devote to this next endeavor. I've always been interested in government, city government, particularly. I've lived in Jefferson City almost 40 years. I've raised my kids in this community and I really like the community.

I plan to retire here. I do plan to travel sometimes in the winter when it's cold, but I don't plan to retire and move away. So I am running for city council so I can get back. My qualifications are I'm a registered voter, I'm interested, my plan is to be present and informed while serving on the council.

Moyer: And so what improvements do you think are necessary for Jefferson City's infrastructure?

Harness: Well, I think we definitely have some infrastructure needs. I think we have some that, like the city West Main viaduct, the water treatment plants. But right now, what I am hearing when I'm out knocking doors throughout Ward 4, are the city streets. And actually having driven on so many of them recently, I drive around my ward quite a bit, checking on my signs and everything, the potholes in this winter has taken a real toll on it. And so it's going to require, you know, some attention to that. I'm anxious to work with our new city public works person and hopefully, I did read in the paper recently where there is a plan to start, to get started on some of the roads. But, I think the most important thing and my priority will be the city streets. I do know that, you know, the budget will dictate a lot about what we can do. But I do think that that has to be a priority for the city, for the entire budget.

Moyer: And aside from city street issues, what it sounds like is potholes, that type of thing being a danger, when you mentioned the viaducts and water treatment plant, can you just say the issues that are happening there as well?

Harness: Well, I do think that there needs to be an overhaul; the viaduct probably needs to be rebuilt. I do know our our capital city improvement tax will probably be the biggest funding source of that. Right now, we renew that tax every five years. I was visiting with one of the county commissioners and other council people and I do think it would probably be important that we consider instead of a five-year renewal, that it should be a 10-, 15- or 20-year renewal, because in order to do major projects like that, you probably need to bond them and to make the bond work, it has to be a longer payout period because five years is not enough money that we can borrow or bond to get the projects done.

Moyer: And how will Jefferson City address the affordable housing shortage?

Harness: Well, I think they're working on that currently. The Jeff City Regional Economic Partnership I think has been working along with the chamber and the city and the county. I think they are making great strides. My understanding is there's been at least 20 new developments approved for zoning. And I think what we have to do is now work with our contractors, our developers and our builders to get them to invest in the housing. And I did read where, that the city has been offering a stipend for projects. I do not know exactly how that's funded because I haven't really looked at the budget, but I think that they're off to a good start on that. And I do know that, you know, the Wildwood Extension has been approved. I do know that overall for Rainbow, there's a new development going in.

And none of these developments come without some issues. I mean, residents, you know, don't want their streets disrupted, but long-term housing is a problem across the nation. It's not just Jefferson City. It's across our nation. But Jeff City has that problem and I am very interested in tackling that.

Moyer: I guess another question, kind of a follow up is kind of influencing builders and contractors to come. Do you know why we were kind of lacking that or what's kind of keeping them from coming?

Harness: Well, I don't know that they need to come. I think they're here. I think we have developers. I think we have builders here. I think the cost of materials has, you know, inflation over the last five years has, you know, has been very high. And I think that there has to be some encouragement there, but I think the demand is there and I think then when there is a demand, the supply will follow.

Moyer: And how should the city government trim its budget to pay for increasing health insurance costs?

Harness: Well, I don't know what the city's budget looks like. So those of us that are running currently that are that don't currently serve, we aren't really familiar. I mean, I am a little bit familiar with the budget, but ... I haven't studied it, I don't know it that well. I know that we have about an $80 million budget, I know we have various revenue streams that fund that budget. So how to trim the budget? I won't know that 'til I get in there and take a look at it.

But I do think that our health care situation, because we at some point in time made a decision to self-insure, and I mean, obviously we have a problem. And I was at a city council meeting a couple of months ago when one of the members, actually, Councilman Mark Schwartz, mentioned that they all have sat on their hands for at least the last year and just kept, you know, funding the shortfall. And instead of actually trying to find a solution, and I do understand that there was an attempt to maybe reach out and find a solution, there was some pushback. But change is sometimes hard, but we have to, we have to at least try and we have to find a solution. And if we have to make some changes, we'll have to make some changes.

Moyer: So at least specifically, like different projects or different, I guess, branches I assume, of funding, that's something that you'll be looking into if you get elected?

Harness: Yeah, I think all the departments have a budget. I think we have to look at all the departments' budgets and see if there's, you know, like any efficiencies that can be made, any efficiencies that can be had in the budget that we can use that shortfall or to use that to shore up the health care costs.

Moyer: And what are your thoughts on the conference center project? Big topic.

Harness: It is a big topic. It's been going on ever since I moved here. There's been lots of proposals, lots of attempts. You know, I think most of the projects have been, maybe private, privately done. I like the fact that the city is involved. I'm not a fan of the city funding it, but the city has to be a partner in it. And I did meet with the Jeff City Regional Economic Partnership, and they walked me through what the conference center planned project looks like. And I mean, after coming away from that meeting, I was much more encouraged than I was going into it. It still needs some study; I still need some questions answered. But I was impressed ... with what I learned at that meeting and hopefully that we can make something work.

Moyer: I have two follow-up questions. The first one is what are some of the hesitancies that you still have?

Harness: Well, I don't want the city to be on the, I don't want us to be on the end of if something, you know, if the hotel, somebody pulls out of the hotel, that we are left on the hook. Because the city is the taxpayers, all the money here does not belong to the city. It belongs to the taxpayers. And I don't want the taxpayers to be on the hook for a project that was built that should never have been built. So I think we have to be very careful that we don't leave them on the hook for something that can't be. The way that they're looking at it and that they're going the financing of it, I think they've got a really good start on it, and hopefully it can, you know, there's a lot of smart people working on it and hopefully something can get finalized and that the city will, you know, will move forward with it and and it will work for everyone.

Moyer: And then my second question is, what were the specifics about the project that you liked or I guess you felt positive coming out of?

Harness: Well, I really originally thought that the city was maybe thinking of owning the hotel. And I'm happy to know that we're not, that the city will own the property. That there would be a non-for-profit maybe set up that will manage it. But someone else will actually own it, not the city.

Moyer: I don't have any other questions. Is there anything we didn't touch on that you're really passionate about with your campaign or just anything in general?

Kathi Harness: I am passionate about the fact that I mean, I think Jefferson City has a lot to offer. I think, you know, our parks, we have done a great job with our parks and our like, the riverfront, the amphitheater there. I think we have a lot to offer people and I like to see us market it better. I think the new soccer stadium coming in will draw a lot of people. So, I think we have a lot to offer and we're kind of like a hidden secret.