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ONE-TO-ONE INTERVIEWS
with the
FOUR CITY COMMISSION CANDIDATES
April 24, 2015
 
In its effort to help the public become or remain as informed as possible, the Cedar Key News staff conducted face-to-face interviews with each of the four candidates vying for Cedar Key City Commission seats on April 17 and April 20, 2015.   Each interview occupied thirty to forty minutes.  Two CKN staffers and the candidate were the sole participants.
 
These interviews that follow resulted from some less than illuminating responses to the three original written questions posed to the four candidates and published on April 13, 15, and 17, 2015. Please re-read the original answers to the questions. You may recall the questions were:
  • How have you been involved, other than through your business, during the last two years in Cedar Key?
  • How many city commission meetings and budget workshops have you attended in the last year and what was your reason for attending or not attending?
  • If next year’s budget was based on this year’s budget, where would you cut or expand spending or services to keep the budged balanced?
We invite you to, indeed, read the following four interviews and judge for yourself the possible depth and breadth of city and CRA knowledge demonstrated in the interviews.
 
They are published in the order interviewed. We hope you find them informative. 
 
DIANA TOPPING
Cedar Key News staff interviewed Cedar Key Commission Seat Three Candidate Diana Topping on Friday, April, 17, 2015, for approximately one-half hour.
 
When asked why she is running for office, Topping shared that she considered it last the last time the opportunity arose, and is now, “less shy,” and more self-assured than before.   Her increased confidence, she related, stems from her presenting herself before the Suwannee River Water Management District applying to purchase property.  While there, she noted how well and courteously the meetings were conducted.  
 
Topping also shared, “I know a lot of people,” “I don’t have enemies,” “I help people I know in need,” “I try to be supportive of local businesses,” and she wants to “preserve the uniqueness” of Cedar Key. 
 
When asked about why she has attended Cedar Key City Commission meetings, she responded, “When I feel I need to go, I go.  The last time was not a good situation.”  Asked what she would change, if anything, about the commission meetings, she said that she would “keep it going.”
 
Cedar Key News staff asked the question, “Do you believe that by attending only a few commission meetings you will be at a disadvantage when making decisions  involving issues that are important to the City if you are elected?”  Topping responded, “Not necessarily.”
 
When asked what she would add to the commission meetings, Topping responded, “simplicity, rational decision making, without drama.”  She said that she can see the route to solve problems by drawing an analogy to her piloting a plane route.  Topping further explained that she is a licensed commercial pilot and boat captain.
 
Regarding the budget, Topping said that the commission has done “a good job with that” and she is “proud of them for that.”   She said that she has looked at the budget on line and has more research to do in that regard.  Regarding the budget, she sees “no priorities for now.”
 
   
JOHN BLOUSE
Cedar Key News staff interviewed Cedar Key City Commissioner Seat Five Candidate John Blouse on Friday, April 20, 2015, for approximately forty minutes.
 
John Blouse explained that he has been “doing charters in Cedar Key since 2004-2005” while he was living in Ocala operating another of his businesses.   He bought his Cedar Key home in 2006 and the Marina II in 2011; in 2011 he came to live full-time in Cedar Key.
 
Cedar Key News asked the question, “How have you been involved, other than through your business, during the last two years in Cedar Key?”  Blouse responded in writing earlier, “I work in ways that are personal to me in trying to help people.” Staff asked him what he meant by that response.  Blouse explained that he could not divulge that information because it was personal to the people whom he helped. He did not offer any other involvement in the Cedar Key community.
 
Blouse explained that he does not have much experience in city matters but hopes to bring his work experience to the meetings.  When asked if his lack of knowledge regarding these city matters would put him at a disadvantage, he replied, “no.”
 
In a previous answer to a CKN question, Blouse stated his belief that commissioners make some budget decisions “with not all the facts on the table.” When asked to explain about these “missing facts,” he responded that “it may have been past city council members.” When again asked what facts were not provided to the commission he said, “no, no, I think the facts were provided to the commission but for the commission to make the decision whether should they or should they not, maybe they didn’t have all of the facts collectively.” He said he felt that decisions were being “made on emotions rather than all the facts.” He believes that “professional people need to be in professional areas.”
 
Blouse’s comment “Spend! Spend! Spend!” from a previous set of questions was not explained 0ther than his relating it to a City Park kiosk costing approximately $20,000; he believes that this “is too much money and does the city really need another park Kiosk?” When asked whether this was to be paid for with grand money or city funds he stated that was not sure, then said it was to be paid for with city funds.
 
Blouse believes that grant monies are “needed.”  He claims to be a strong believer in the maintenance process.  “It is easier to stay healthy than to get healthy,” he said explaining that the same of true of machines and buildings.  He wants to learn more and be part of the city.
 
When asked about code enforcement, he said that he thinks proactive is probably best but at present he is reactive, and if he becomes a commissioner, he would have to be proactive.
 
 
JAMIE GRIFFIN
Cedar Key News staff interviewed Cedar Key Commission Seat Three Candidate Jamie Griffin on Monday, April, 20, 2015, for approximately forty minutes.
 
When asked about his residency, Griffin responded that, though he has three houses, one in Dixie County. He said he has been living in the Cedar Key condo for about a year and a half, but still rents it out on weekends and holidays. When asked how much of his time was spent at the condominium, he furthered, “very much.”
 
Griffin explained that other than with his business, he does support the community whenever he is asked for donations such as the Fireworks on the 4th of July. He added that he supports the Cedar Key School with their requests for donations; he also supports the Lions Club. 
 
Griffin sees among the bigger issues now facing Cedar Key the Dock Street Bridge Project.  “I don’t want anyone to go out of business,” he said.  Lighting in the Marina parking lot he sees as a major concern.  “Something bad can happen there,” he declared.
 
Griffin explained that he is comfortable with city budgets, bringing some six years’ experience preparing the budget for the City of Bronson.  He believes he has been to some six to eight commission meetings and has attended FDOT workshops and grant workshops.   “If I win, I won’t miss a meeting,” he averred. He believes that grants are most necessary for the restoration of the historical district, the dredging of the Marina, and for parks and recreation.  He spoke about code enforcement saying that the codes either should be enforced or taken off the books. He says that some flexibility and discretion should be used when enforcing codes and laws.
 
 
SUE COLSON
Cedar Key News staff interviewed Cedar Key City Commissioner Seat Five Candidate, and current Vice-Mayor, Sue Colson on Friday, April 17, 2015, for approximately thirty minutes.
 
When asked about significant accomplishments, Colson considers Coastal Cleanup and Hazardous Waste Day among the top.  Coastal Cleanup, part of the international Ocean Conservancy organization, is an effort to provoke local coastal communities to keep clean their areas.  Colson believes the annual “report card,” which contains hard data and allows the city to compare and contrast its cleanup efforts to other years and other places, is very important.  “It tells us how we are doing and how we can do better,” said Colson. 
 
Coupling Coastal Cleanup and Hazardous Waste Day was a “great idea,” Colson believes.  “Processing all of our hazardous waste to the proper place, not on the island, before hurricane season furthers our commitment to clean water and clean air.”  “The last thing we want is those dangerous chemicals, like some paints, engine fluids, medicines, pesticides, etc., to be tossed into our water and air during storms.”
“The most exciting accomplishment,” Colson said, “was the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street effort.”  Some two years in the making, Colson believes that the project married Cedar Key’s marine, industrial, economic, historical, and entrepreneurial facets and lured thousands of visitors to the city.  “Working under Ken Young and an incredibly able coordinating committee was so purposeful and satisfying,” she said.  “All of us working together made me so proud.”
 
Asked about her goals for Cedar Key, Colson explained that the health of the area is her first concern:  people and environmental health.   Colson said, “People talk about Cedar Key being resilient and sustainable, and I think that is what it means:  people having access to mental and physical health care, all of us caring for each other, and all of us caring for our water, air, marinas, and trees.”  “That,” she said, “will give us a better quality of life.”  “Sustainability and resilience are not just economic issues.” 
 
Colson currently works with the Healthy Gulf, Healthy Communities initiative, a multi-university partnership of biologists, psychologists, social scientists and community members that addresses the environmental, economic and emotional health concerns in Gulf communities following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  The organization studies Cedar Key.  Colson believes that she will soon actualize a most useful product from this effort, online access to resources for the people in this area.  Anyone looking for eye glasses, hearing aids, mental health care, dental care, job counseling, resume writing, etc., would be able to go to this website and find the resources available to them; information would also come in written form as well for those without computer access.  On her wish list is a computer in the Cedar Key Library devoted to the resource website.   
 
When asked about the Cedar Key budget, she says, “It is an agonizing process.”  Colson believes that the most important need is a capital improvement plan that would put dollars away for maintenance, repair, and replacement of city buildings, structures, and equipment. 
 
When asked what she would change about the city commission, Colson reflected that “we learn to cope with each other, we need to understand everyone’s perspective.”  “It can be difficult,” she opined.   “But I wouldn’t change anything,” she said, “It’s America.”
 
Colson served on the Suwannee River Water Management District Board for years attending to water issues.  Colson served five terms on the Cedar Key City Commission.  
 
 
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