There are seven candidates running for four seats on Upper Arlington City Council. Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters. Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually throughout September and reposting all their answers together before the election. School Board candidates will appear in October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our third candidate, Andrej Rotter, is featured below.
Andrej Rotter, Upper Arlington City Council Candidate
Andrej Rotter
www.voterotter.com
What makes you qualified to have oversight of the $72 million city budget?
During my 40 years as a university scientist/educator, I managed an active research program with a budget of several million dollars. I was also the chairman of a National Institutes of Mental Health research grant committee which prioritized funding of millions of dollars for research in brain disorders including schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and depression. Fortunately, no single person has control over city expenditures. Oversight of UA funds is conducted by all City Councilors and city staff led by the Finance Director.
What steps do we need to take so that the new community center is the best it can be for all Upper Arlington citizens?
Planning for the new community center should include a wide range of input by residents representing the different segments of Upper Arlington’s population, including those who were opposed to its construction. The planning committee should examine similar centers in equivalent communities and make recommendations based on their findings. The planning process should be transparent, and the community should be informed frequently of its progress.
Much work has been done over the past two decades to improve the financial well-being of our city. What are the next steps we need to take for our parks and pools as we continually improve?
Our parks and pools are highly appreciated assets treasured by all residents. They contribute substantially to the sense of physical and psychological well being of our community. Continuing financial support for the improvement and maintenance of parks and pools is therefore of utmost importance. The Parks and Recreation department should, in addition to its current activities, engage in an aggressive fundraising campaign in support of the city’s recreational infrastructure.
Central Ohio is the fastest growing area in the state and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission projects we’ll have 3 million residents by the year 2050. What are two things Upper Arlington needs to do to maintain its position as one of the best places to live in Central Ohio?
The two priorities are interrelated. The first priority is to create and maintain a sustainable community by improving access to renewable energy, creating and maintaining our green space, improving our recycling capability, and increased bike and pedestrian access to shopping, schools and medical facilities. The second priority is to maintain the residential character of the city by preventing UA from becoming a throughway for traffic traveling from Columbus to outlying suburbs. This could be achieved, in part, by limiting road capacity by lane reduction, speed restrictions and construction of traffic calming road features.
Our chances of maintaining UA as ‘one of the best places to live’ would be improved by strengthening zoning regulations and making it more difficult to grant zoning variances. This should be undertaken with extended involvement with residents directly affected by new buildings and road modifications.
Here’s a fun question. We’re all musicians here at Pencilstorm and are excited about the return to live music. What band or performer are you most excited about seeing live again?
My greatest wish would be to see Pink Floyd again. Alas, they "faded" away in 1994 after "The Division Bell" tour (with a stop at the ‘Shoe’) and Barrett and Wright are no longer with us. However, Roger Waters, the lead behind "The Dark Side of the Moon", will be touring again and I hope to make it to his performance in Cincinnati in August 2022!
Pencilstorm would like to thank Andrej Rotter for taking the time to answer our questions. Learn more about Andrej at his website: www.voterotter.com. Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.
Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee.
Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.