MALDEN D. SMITH, WARD 8

Occupation: Retired major in the U.S. Army and GS-11 accountant.

1. City leaders and staff have been discussing new funding options to address city streets and bridges. What should the priorities be and what information should be used to make those decisions?

Funding for the maintenance, repair, construction and reconstruction of city streets and bridges should be prioritized. There seems to be an increase in the volume of traffic on the city roads along with aging structures, which may have dictated some creative funding source needs to meet improvement requirements. So it’s critical citizens become involved in the decision-making process. The timing of construction is important and should be engineered to lessen the impact on travel. It is said our city managers are doing a good job identifying needs, assessing costs and organizing a plan to ensure standards and deadlines are met.

2. Westwin Elements has a new local incentive package agreement with the City of Lawton and economic development entities, with some details still being discussed. What should the city’s role in this project be and what kind of oversight should the city be providing?

Lawton approved an economic development project in February to designate $24 million in local funding to bring the refinery here. The premise is that with the new incentivized package agreement, Lawton would see an increase in long term job opportunities and funds needed for continued growth. But Lawton and its citizens are potentially bound by actions taken by Westwin to advance future projects that must have a financial obligation. The city’s oversight should have been negotiated in the initial plans. I understand the emphasis placed on the growth of Lawton. I don’t have enough information to understand the environmental impacts.

3. What are your priorities for your City Council ward? How would you make them happen?

Ward 8 needs better lighting on light posts, an increased and regular police presence, more visible night reflective street markings on the roads and signs on the roadways, sidewalks and corners. Better road repairs, even if simply leveled patch work. Subsidized yard work such as grass maintenance at cost. Road work is already being done on Gore Blvd, between 67th and 82nd streets. Youth would benefit because they would have a safer environment and could benefit from flashing speed lights and speed bumps. In the long term homeowners could benefit from a unifying appearance to neighborhoods and increased safety awareness.