Michele Hoyle for UA Council - Pencilstorm Interview

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 second candidate, Michele Montavon Hoyle, is featured below.

Michele Montavon Hoyle, Upper Arlington City Council Candidate

Michele Montavon Hoyle
www.Hoyle4UA.com

What makes you qualified to have oversight of the $72 million city budget?
My over thirty years’ experience preparing and reviewing  municipal budgets and working with all aspects of city finances make me uniquely qualified among all the candidates to provide the leadership needed to guide our city’s operating budget as well as our substantial and growing capital improvements program and bond portfolio.

What steps do we need to take so that the new community center is the best it can be for all Upper Arlington citizens?
The most important steps moving forward are those that continue the community’s involvement and engagement in the design of both the physical facility and the programs that will be offered.  The footprint will create some challenges that will be best met by ongoing communication between our residents and the professionals who will translate those conversations into the best possible facility to meet the needs of all members of the community.

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?
We have invested and continue to invest in our city parks and pools, as our recreation facilities are highly prized by our residents and a high priority to me and all members of the current City Council.  The many demands placed on our relatively limited park space require careful management of the turf and proactive maintenance of the facilities at all of our parks and pools.  I personally would like us to provide more amenities like year-round restrooms to encourage use all year.  I’d also like to look at creative ways to staff our pools (like older adult lifeguards – who needs David Hasselhoff?) to extend the outdoor swimming season.

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? 
Greater connectivity and walkability, and access to alternative forms of transportation. As Upper Arlington redevelops, we are seeing higher density developments that have exposed potential issues with traffic and parking in several areas of the city.  With these concerns comes heightened interest in transportation alternatives to personal vehicles, and in improved walkability and connectivity throughout UA and to other parts of our expanding metro area. To address connectivity and walkability,  this City Council has added funding to encourage neighborhood-initiated sidewalk projects and has incorporated connections to schools and parks in our capital improvements program.  A recent survey of seniors in our community also has indicated a need for transportation alternatives when driving is no longer an option.  Collectively these pressures will require work with our existing mass transit provider, COTA, to look at current routes to determine if other options provide better service, along with ways to extend the current network using  closed loop circulators and/or smaller or alternative vehicles.

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?
I am an eclectic music lover, so I look forward to live music in general.  I love musical theater and will see “Dear Evan Hanson” , “Hadestown” and “Hamilton” (for the third time) as soon as local tours come to Columbus.  I also love the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and can’t wait to hear Byron Stripling play his trumpet and Bobby Floyd on the B3!

Pencilstorm would like to thank Michele Montavon Hoyle for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Michele at her website: www.Hoyle4UA.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.

 

Pencilstorm Interview: Michele Hoyle for UA Council

There are eight 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 October and reposting all their answers together in the first week of November. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our fourth candidate, Michele Hoyle, is featured below.

Michele Hoyle
http://www.hoyleforua.com/

If the election were today, would you vote for or against the school levy and why?
For it  – our schools are our crown jewel, and whether we have children In the schools or- like me, have graduates - we need to invest in the future of our City by supporting our schools.   The schools underwent an extensive process over two years, engaging citizens all along the way to hear our input and solicit our opinions, so we all have had the opportunity to be as educated as possible about the levy.  The transparency of this process should serve as a model for community engagement.  I’m aware that the ask is pretty big – I had an older gentleman share with me that he may have to sell his home and move if the levy passes – and I understand that in some cases support of the levy may not be based on support of the schools but on financial realities.   But we all need to remember - a major reason why families are willing to pay for a home in UA is for the schools, so this investment also serves to protect the value of that which is our largest asset  for most of us – our homes. 

What qualifies you to be on Upper Arlington City Council?
My job for over 30 years was to develop balanced operating and capital budgets for presentation to City Councils in the Cities of Dublin and Columbus; therefore, I am well versed in all aspects of City government ranging from police and fire protection to street repair; from snow removal to recreation and parks.  Serving on UA’s City Council will allow me to use financial skills honed over those years to provide needed and valuable expertise to my own community.  Along with my professional credentials, I have a lengthy history of community service ranging from the Cultural Arts Commission to the Citizens’ Financial Review Task Force.  I believe we need a City Council that values our past, celebrates what we have become, and has a vision for what we can be in our second century. A third generation resident of UA, I am the only candidate who will bring a unique combination of deep community roots, extensive municipal finance experience, and community service to City Council.

If you had a magic wand and an unlimited budget, what infrastructure project you would implement?
In my work experience,  the two words “unlimited” and “budget” constitute an oxymoron.  That said, with unlimited resources, and assuming as per City Council ordinance the people have voted in favor, I would bring a community center to UA.  A community like ours deserves to have a community gathering place, as well as a place to encourage health and wellness. An inter-generational community center would provide residents of all ages with a place to meet and socialize.  In  our climate, our parks, while heavily used, are limited by weather for several months of the year.  A community center would allow residents to remain active during inclement weather months.  In addition, a lot of activities that by necessity go outside of UA to find facilities – such as swimming – would instead have a facility within the community. 

Looking around Central Ohio, give an example of a community you think is doing it right and one that’s doing it wrong. What could Upper Arlington could learn from both? 
Based on my experience, I have to say that Dublin does a lot of things well.   Dublin has a lot of advantages, including many businesses that generate substantial income tax revenues and open space in which to grow.  Specifically, though, I would like to bring the semi-annual cost of services analysis Dublin performs to UA; this process provides valuable quantitative data from which decisions as to funds allocated to specific programs and services can be made.  As to not so well – Columbus does not handle snow well at all.  They could in fact learn from UA.

At Pencilstorm, we all have a love of music. In that vein, what's your favorite album and why?
My favorite genres are jazz and Broadway musicals, but my playlists span a wide variety from Beyonce to U2.  Right now my most-played play list is heavy with music from Hamilton.  It reflects an expansive range of music types from rap and hip-hop to jazz to ballads, as well as telling a story that’s a powerful reminder of how we became the nation we are.

Pencilstorm would like to thank Michele Hoyle for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Michele at her website: http://www.hoyleforua.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.