Farmington Officials Interview First Round of Council Candidates

A senior citizen, a former Planning Commission member, an insurance salesman, an accountant and a devoted dad talked with Farmington officials Monday night in the first round of interviews for the City Council seat vacated by Mike Wiggins.

Council members will continue Tuesday, with Greg Cowley, Sean Murphy and Greg Sako on the agenda. In discussions Monday, officials indicated they plan to make the appointment after Tuesday's interviews.

On Monday, Margaret Crane, Kristen Kuiken, Bill Galvin, Jeffrey Taylor and Mark Maniewski answered questions that ranged from their opinion on shared services to their vision for the future of Farmington. Here are some of their answers:

Margaret Crane lives in Farmington Place on Grand River and admitted applying for the position got her out of her comfort zone. She said she has worked with people of all ages, from Farmington Hockey Association families to seniors in her apartment building.

On city finances: "I've lived on very little, so I know how to handle money." She added her son is an accountant and could help her.

On Farmington's economic problems and downtown vacancies: "That's where I think we have to work, is to get the shopping back. We need places for seniors to walk to. That's what I like about Farmington. I like that it's small, so you can walk to things."

On how the city could better meet the needs of seniors: "Give us fliers about what's happening in Farmington. There's a lot of things that go on ... sometimes, you miss things that are in the paper."

Kristen Kuiken was a member of the Planning Commission and has a background in engineering. Now a stay-at-home mom, her family has gone from two incomes to one, so she's had experience with cutting back a budget.

On why she'd be the best candidate: "I think I bring a lot to the table from the different experiences I've had. I think I'll bring a fresh perspective, and a younger perspective to the council."

On how she has gotten people with differing opinions to work together: "When I was in real estate that was definitely the case, working with sellers and buyers ... I kept reminding them of the greater goal ... The entire time I was in real estate, I never had a deal fall off the table."

On a possible merger with Farmington Hills: "I support the data being presented to the people. I think there are some valuable conversations to be had (based on information in a 2008 merger study) ... It is ultimately the decision of the voters."

Bill Galvin is a financial planner and insurance agent with a degree in economics. Now that his children are older, he feels he has time to step up to a greater level of community service.

On the city: "I look at the city of Farmington as no different than a small business. It's just this business has a different product, municipal services."

On how he would spur economic development: Galvin supports creation of an Economic Redevelopment Commission that would include representatives from the business community, Grand River Corridor Improvement Authority, Farmington Downtown Development Authority, Eight Mile Boulevard Association, property owners, City Council and Planning Commission. "(It) would probably start as a board of volunteers and see where it goes from there. I would look for those volunteers on the commission to say, 'Here's where we need to go.'"

On what he would cut from the budget: "I don't have my eyesight on any one area of the budget. I have my sights on a balanced budget."

Jeffrey Taylor has a professional background in accounting. His wife is a teacher, and his family has dealt with pay and benefit cuts for both of them.

On translating his accounting experience to city finances: "I think just having an overall knowledge ... I think I'd be able to help navigate balance sheets and funding."

On spurring economic development: Young researched programs in other cities, and cited examples in Selma, AL, where tax grants are offered to businesses that make improvements, and Nelsonville, OH, where the city subsidized rent for artists, who in turn worked to rehab store fronts.

On whether there's any middle ground to his position about not merging Farmington and Farmington Hills: "The only one I would really be opposed to is public safety. We have great response times, and I think having a separate police department and fire department would be a waste of money."

Mark Maniewski applied for the council position because his daughters are both in college and his work gives him more free time. He grew up in Farmington and lived for 21 years in Farmington Hills before moving back three years ago.

On shared services/merger: "When I grew up, it was Farmington and Farmington Township. I never really, in my mind, took the time to differentiate ... I think there's a lot of ways the two should work together. I think in this day and age, it makes sense."

On economic development: He'd like to see a business corridor developed on Grand River from Farmington Road to Orchard Lake Road, with the Winery/Powerhouse developed as a business and improvements to Farmington Plaza at Grand River and Mooney.

On downtown Farmington: "The Big Lots store (currently in Farmington Plaza) would be such a perfect fit for downtown Farmington. It would be a great bookend for T.J. Maxx." He'd also like to have seen move into the former Quizno's location on the southwest corner of the Downtown Farmington Center, adding a drive-through.

Maniewski and Crane are the only appointment candidates who are not also on the November ballot. Crane said she did not have the experience to run for office; Maniewski said because he was out of town for extended periods, he was unable to collect enough petition signatures.