Q&A

• • Christina Williams (Christina Jo Williams Wimsett)

  • Age 41

  • 13 consecutive years in Joplin, 6.5 years at present address

  • Project Designer at Corner Greer Architects

I have been asked to run for city council in the past and I had always imagined it was something I might consider “when I’m older” or “when my kids are older”. With five seats open on the council for this year’s election, the need for qualified candidates is even more critical. With all of the positive momentum we’ve had the past few years, now is the time for me to step up and work to help Joplin stay on that trajectory of progress and improvement. We are at the cusp of growth and regional prosperity and I want to continue moving our community forward.

My interest in becoming a council member is the same for every position I have taken in my career and volunteering - and that is the opportunity to do meaningful work. I lead by example and want to teach my children that anyone can make a difference when we live to help others. I am running for council to ensure that voters have qualified and hardworking candidates to choose from with a history of leadership in impactful projects.

While serving on council is a big step and personal sacrifice, my experience and professional development have prepared me for this role. I have served our city in numerous ways through pragmatic creativity and advocacy. My career and body of volunteer work have contributed to the city we see today.

Most importantly, I bring a positive attitude and willingness to work hard. I am eager to listen, represent all voices, ask the question “why?”, learn from the past, embrace challenges to come, and celebrate the people and places that make Joplin our favorite city to call home.

The encouragement of my husband and the tremendous support of my coworkers and friends solidified my decision - I couldn’t go through this campaign process without them.

My vision for Joplin is to build a culture to be proud of. I have adopted the unofficial campaign slogan "Joplin is my favorite". Joplin can be our favorite for many different reasons and I wanted to encourage nostalgia for this place to cherish and nurture. If we believe it and fight for it, we will create the Joplin we all want to live in. To me, that looks like a collection of strategies, both simple and complex, such as actively caring for our neighbors, improving low-income housing options, choosing to walk or bike over gassing up the car, marketing our identity and attracting new businesses and residents, and building quality of life amenities that benefit everyone - no matter what your income.

At the end of my city council term, I envision a Joplin with continued economic growth, connected neighborhoods, protected bike and pedestrian infrastructure, more trees in the tornado zone, fewer homeless, and a bursting cultural hub... it might take a few terms and, of course, lots of collaboration. Hard work and collaboration is the legacy I hope to leave behind.

• • Rebuilding citizen trust with city leadership through continued transparency, including citizen input, and holistic decision-making processes.

  • Ensuring that our new city manager gets to know our city well and has a solid start to the new position by helping to introduce him to all the facets of our people, history, goals for the future, and emphasize our vision of a livable city.

  • Recruitment and retention of a workforce capable of filling the jobs we have open and future jobs to come by improving education offerings offered in Joplin to keep more students at school here. Once they leave, it’s harder to get them back.

  • Creating quality of life amenities in Joplin that enhance the lives of current residents, bring equity to all demographics, and attract new talent to become residents here.

  • Renewal of the Parks and Stormwater tax and Capital Improvements Tax and utilizing public input to prioritize projects paid for by those revenue sources.

Economic recovery from COVID-19 related issues will be the most pressing issue, yet it is still an evolving situation and the scope of the problems will take an unforeseen amount of time to fully define. The city’s sales tax revenue has taken a huge hit and we don’t know how long that downward trend will continue. As we reopen our businesses, hopefully that slow rebound, and being a regional hub for commerce, will help us avoid long-term financial problems caused by the reduction in revenue.

It’s hard to anticipate what the long-term effects of the stay at home orders and reopening process will be. We are already seeing our locally owned restaurants and retail shops struggle as they navigate this new normal. They’ve had to contract their business, shut them down, reopen at only 25% capacity, and wait for the next step of increased capacity. Watching them figure out how to stay relevant through social media and adapt their services to online, curbside, or other creative methods has been incredibly impressive to watch.

Many people have compared this experience to the time shortly after the 2011 tornado, and I agree that much of it feels the same: we have grieved the loss of our “normal”, feared for the safety of mankind, come together - while apart - for the greater good. Because of our past record of resilience, I believe that Joplin will come back as strong as before.

I am proud to live in this version of Joplin after the tornado. We have become a model of recovery that inspires other communities. I am pleased with projects that were implemented with disaster recovery funds and understand the many stipulations on where and how those funds could be used. Overall, city staff has done an incredible job in overseeing these projects during trying times. Improvements to our sewer and sidewalk infrastructure would have been a significant burden to our city finances without disaster recovery funds. We are fortunate to have so many wonderful new amenities. My children are huge fans of the sidewalks and bike lanes on 26th Street that lead us to Mercy Park, and we really enjoy going to the new library.

The overall condition of our streets is good considering the mileage of infrastructure we have. Joplin’s Public Works Department does an incredible job with the resources and budget available to them. But, we know now that long-term maintenance of our infrastructure is financially unsustainable. We simply have too much of it.

Joplin serves a daily influx of population five times our residential population. All of those people travel here by car, and our infrastructure is necessary in most areas to serve their needs. Yet, in other parts of the city, roads are over-built for current traffic volumes and could benefit residents by implementing complete streets strategies.

Complete streets is a design approach that enables safe and convenient access for users of all ages and abilities no matter what their transportation mode. I am an advocate for transportation equity and I believe people should not be forced to rely on cars. Unfortunately, our infrastructure is car centric and largely unsafe for bikes and pedestrians.

Joplin actually has all of the right ingredients to transform our infrastructure into a complete and sustainable system. We have wide roads that can easily be restriped at a low cost to include painted crosswalks and protected bike lanes or multi-modal paths. This reduces the number of lanes used by cars resulting in greatly reduced maintenance costs. Another benefit is a reduction in vehicular accidents simply by reducing lanes and speed slightly.

We also have the backbone of a greenway just waiting to be connected. It’s currently in segments that require most residents to drive cars there to use: Frisco Greenway Trail, Landreth, Murphy and Campbell, Mohaska Trail, Mercy Park, the future Tin Cup Trail, all the way to Shoal Creek. All we need to do is connect the gaps and create safe street connections to the “greenway” East to West.

Imagine if that were to happen. Beyond recreation, people could safely walk more or bike more to everyday destinations such as their jobs or the grocery store. Imagine the improved health and reduced medical expenses of more active citizens. Imagine the quality of life improvements of elderly and low-income families if they could give up the financial burden of owning a car, or multiple cars.

The Joplin Area Transportation Study Organization has done an incredible job of analyzing traffic data and public input to suggest policy changes, projects recommendations, and implementation strategies. I think the solution to both Joplin’s poor connectivity and our unsustainable infrastructure costs is to listen to the research and our citizens, and move forward with these projects.

The use tax is a revenue source our city has been missing out on for years and it is important that we get it passed eventually. The messaging around the use tax has been difficult to understand. When it went before the voters county-wide in 2013, the message was related to sales tax for vehicles purchased out of state and seemed very complex.

In 2018, the campaign urging voters to pass the use tax did a better job by focusing their messaging on sales tax for online purchases. However, the timing was ill-fated with the unrest of our police and fire professionals seeking much needed improvements to wages and benefits.

If the use tax goes before the voters again, I think citizens would appreciate knowing what the city would be spending that increased revenue on. Just like when other sales taxes are on the ballot for renewal, such as Parks and Stormwater or Capital Improvements, the city outlines projects that will come as a result of those revenue streams.

Chapter 100 tax incentives can be an easy and valuable economic development tool, but it is essentially tax abatement. Land is purchased by the city for a company, construction for the development is basically done in the name of the city and is sales tax free, and no property taxes are paid on the future lease-purchase agreement.

Tax increment financing can be a very beneficial way to redevelop blighted areas that need assistance. Joplin has had a fairly good success rate, particularly with the early payoff of the disaster recovery TIF, which was the largest in state history. Even though several of the early redevelopment plans didn’t come to fruition, the area has seen tremendous increases in property values. Not all TIF projects are right for Joplin though.

I am interested in Opportunity Zones and the potential for positive redevelopment projects for Joplin and surrounding communities. I think we’ll be seeing more of that in the future.

Regardless of the funding method, each redevelopment project that comes before the council must be considered carefully and in context.

Would you consider downtown as healthy and successful?

Joplin’s downtown is a remarkable urban blight recovery story and really something to be proud of. We have many people to thank for their years of hard work to transform blighted buildings into what downtown is today. It’s a recovery that should remain an ongoing effort. To continue its progress, COVID-19 recovery, and grow its success, I think we could do a better job of promoting our downtown as a destination to non-residents that visit Joplin for work, restaurants, shopping, and services. The Downtown Joplin Alliance and Chamber of Commerce are doing an incredible job of creating a sense of place that is being marketed to our region and beyond.

What additional changes do you hope to see?

I hope to see a shift toward more positive attitudes and perceptions of our city and downtown core. I’m sure I am not alone in the fatigue of misinformation and disregard of facts on social media. So many people have perceptions of Joplin that are outdated, unfounded, or simply biased - for example, “there’s no parking downtown” - wrong. Our citizens should take pride in our city because we choose to live here and we should choose to step up and help make things better rather than complain about its faults.

Joplin has so much to offer already, but imagine what our city could be if we all chose to be less passive, more determined, more innovative, more grateful, and more caring. A city backed by people that care naturally becomes stronger and healthier.

I love to see existing homes/buildings renovated, adapted, and reused. However, working in architecture gives me the experience and insight to the associated costs with redevelopment. Unfortunately, rehabbing buildings can be more costly to the owner than building new, so the owner really has to be dedicated to the project for the right reasons. Finding grants or funding solutions for renovation of residential investment properties and commercial adaptive reuse projects would help incentivise owners to pursue those existing properties.

There’s only so much land to be annexed outside the city limits to grow Joplin, but we can look within our boundaries at the space we already have. Increasing population density is incredibly advantageous and the best way to increase density is to rehab existing structures. Dense neighborhoods that incorporate basic services like grocery stores and shops leads to reduced vehicular traffic and a more active and connected community.

Joplin does not have enough options for transportation, nor does our city’s infrastructure accommodate additional transportation options. The roads we have are overbuilt in many areas of the city. This is actually a good opportunity for road diets that can turn existing infrastructure into multimodal streets and make them safe for pedestrians, bikes, and cars.

Expanding the trolley routes and schedule for its users is a solution, but beyond that, I would like to analyze the destinations of those users and look at bringing some of those amenities and services closer to the neighborhoods where the users actually live.

I have not experienced what I consider to be traffic problems, but I have experienced driver awareness problems. Too many drivers are inattentive to speed limits, other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Implementing traffic calming measures would add to the safety of all users.

I don’t have a specific zoning code I feel needs changed, but I look forward to the upcoming review of the current codes. Amending zoning codes, or any other city policy, would require great consideration. If a project came before city council that required a change to zoning codes, that decision would have to be made based on the foundational purpose of the related code, and what future implications a change might have. We would also need to be careful about what precedent changing a code might set for future situations.

My hope is to be an open ear and to use my strengths of problem solving and strategy to hear citizen comments and be a resource for helping with their needs. I will be accessible to my fellow Joplinites by email and with my candidate Facebook page. I’m eager to listen!

I have two young children, a young adult son, and Joplin Schools is one of our clients at work, so I feel well connected with the issues of kids today. However, I will be looking for opportunities to get more involved with high school students. The Youth Council is a brilliant program and I would encourage more youth involvement on boards of various organizations.

Joplin's youth are critical to our future and my greatest desire is to make our city a place they can be proud to call home. Young voters should choose me because I see the huge gap in our local higher education options. I believe that our trade schools and university structure, curriculum, and tuition costs need to be reevaluated and drastically adjusted to meet the needs of future jobs. If Joplin's leaders want to retain our young people, we must offer education programs that will keep them here. We must also create more affordable and alternative housing options to keep young people living in Joplin, and continue growing our vibrant downtown culture and trail systems.

I would need to consider these things: Why is the new infrastructure being proposed? Is the need valid and backed up by a traffic study and other pertinent data? How would the change in infrastructure affect nearby businesses and/or residents? Are the citizens generally in favor or opposed of the project? What are the long-range maintenance costs of that infrastructure versus the proposed/perceived benefits?

• Holistic decision-making process for infrastructure expansion and maintenance, and implementation of a complete streets ordinance to revamp the infrastructure we have to better meet the transportation needs of our community while reducing maintenance costs.

• Prioritization of projects that improve quality of life for our current and future citizens which in turn will provide economic development benefits and boost tax revenue for the city.

• Collaboration with local and regional entities with common goals, nonprofits such as One Joplin for example, to ease the burden on city resources.

I live in the Southridge neighborhood near 26th and Schifferdecker. We bought a barren, post-tornado lot there and built our home in 2013. I remember very clearly watching my husband stand on that dirt hillside and contemplate which lot to buy. Even in that wasteland, it was easy to imagine the future of the neighborhood and how amazing it would become.

Today, that hillside is full of homes and families. Children play with their best friends down the street and we LOVE living on Kingsdale. I have the luxury of bike lanes on 26th Street that lead to Mercy and Cunningham Parks and connect to the Mohaska Trail, and I can easily ride my bike to work and to my son’s elementary school.

A few of my favorite places to spend time in Joplin are: my home, my job at Corner Greer Architects, Mercy Park, Wildcat Glades Trails, Empire Market, the Saturday bread line at Forest + Field Bakery, and everywhere downtown.

Joplin is full of strengths and opportunities. We have a great energy and momentum from our rebuilding and recovery that can take our prosperity to the next level.

Our cost of living is an advantage and lends to recruitment of talent and economic development pursuits.

Our infrastructure is expansive and overbuilt in many areas and that is an opportunity for low-cost investments to increase livability through complete streets initiatives.

And most importantly, our people are our strength. We are resilient, hard-working, and friendly. That makes for a great place to live.

Working in the field of architecture and design, I see firsthand how environmental conditions affect occupants. Research proves that indoor air quality, quality of finishes, access to greenspace and reduction of exposure to toxins all contribute to the health of occupants whether that’s inside a residence or a place of work. People naturally take care of places that are maintained and well lit and that also helps reduce the incidents of crime.

Enforcing codes, first and foremost, so that neglected rental properties become safe and healthy. Unfortunately, poor neighborhoods are very profitable and help subsidize more affluent neighborhoods because of their density, so we should find ways to incentivise investments in rehabilitation in older neighborhoods.

Secondly, we should use the housing research done by One Joplin and other organizations.

I would also like to encourage housing projects such as agrihoods and pocket neighborhoods that create community for young professionals and combat isolation for those aging-in-place, and promote sustainable building methods to reduce home maintenance.

However, I want to be careful about future rehab plans that force low-income people out of their affordable housing. LMI families deserve safe and healthy housing, but it has to remain affordable and stable.

The council is unable to directly control rebuilding or the cost of those properties, but we can work with economic development mechanisms such as the Chamber of Commerce, to attract developers to those areas. Vacant areas in that zone are incredibly attractive simply because of the investments like new schools, KCU, parks, senior housing, and new home construction.

The City can help facilitate resident-driven projects, giving tools and incentives to businesses and developers in our community instead of awarding tax incentives to out-of-town financial interests.

And build our community pride - a successful, attractive Joplin with happy, motivated residents is a place where businesses want to expand, relocate, and create jobs.

We need to understand the needs and desires of the people employers are trying to recruit here. We need recreation and entertainment, trails, mixed-use neighborhoods with a variety of housing options - but we need to work harder at implementing projects that align with making our city more attractive. The city is really good at doing things the way they’ve always been done, so we need to move beyond that and try new things.

Considering how unsafe our streets are for bikes and pedestrians, expanding the trolley could be a good solution, but I would like to analyze the cost of a bus system versus complete streets projects and trail connections that create safe bike/ped routes.

It starts with attitude and perception. Our citizens should take pride in our city. We choose to live here and we should choose to step up and help make things better rather than complain about it’s faults.

Our city has so much to offer already, but imagine what Joplin could be if we all chose to be less passive, more determined, more innovative, more grateful, and more caring. A city backed by people that care naturally becomes stronger and healthier.

How and why do you think we got here?

Urban sprawl is natural and we geographically had the room to grow. At the time, that land was cheap and developers took advantage of that. Suburban life was also the trend. As incomes and families grow for a family, they tend to seek out larger homes, and those can be found outside of the city center.

What can be done to make these areas more financially productive so that repairing and maintaining this infrastructure will provide long-term generation wealth to offset costs?

I don’t have a complete solution for that off-hand, but an easy fix to ease the burden of road maintenance is to reduce the lanes used by cars and repainting to include protected lanes for multimodal transportation.

What can we do moving forward to not burden our city like this in the future?

Our chaos only needs a redesign. We need to think of creative solutions for infrastructure needs of future projects. I’m participating in the Missouri Complete Streets Coalition promoting the development and implementation of policies and professional practices that ensure streets are safe for people of all ages and abilities, balancing the needs of different modes, and supporting local land uses, economies, cultures, and natural environments. I would encourage the adoption of a Complete Streets policy.

I am a Joplin Schools parent, a former administration employee, and on their architectural team for the bond projects, so I have several perspectives on Joplin Schools as I have seen it from many sides. I am a huge supporter of public schools because I believe that children should experience a variety of social situations and meet people who are different from them to get a well-rounded view of their community.

As a parent of a 1st grader, I see dedicated and caring staff that love all kids. Even though Cecil Floyd is a larger elementary school, the principal greets students every morning, classroom sizes are small, and attention is given to all students no matter what their demographic or ability.

I worked for Joplin Schools from 2012 to 2016 and continued working for them on a contract basis as needed through 2018. Joining the district administration as a visual communications specialist was an incredible opportunity to do meaningful work that made a difference in our community. I worked alongside some of the most brilliant and dedicated people I have ever met. We helped communicate Joplin’s story to the nation through the post-tornado rebuilding efforts and accomplished some nearly impossible tasks to ensure that school went on as usual even through all of the transitions from temporary locations to new schools. I am grateful for the unique understanding of curriculum requirements, facilities management, and school budgets I gained while working for the district’s administration.

As part of the architectural team assisting Joplin Schools with the new elementary projects, my relationships with district staff have been an asset. I participated in the district’s last round of long-range facilities planning in 2015, so I knew how bad the issues were at West Central and Columbia even then. Having that foundational understanding adds to my passion for helping Joplin Schools create safe and equitable facilities for all students.

I think that Joplin Schools and the city should look for more ways to work together toward common goals. One of those goals could be the strengthening of our community identity. Pride in our community often starts with our youngest citizens at school - our eagles. When people take pride in their community, great things happen - the vibe changes, attitudes turn positive, and people care more about their neighbors and neighborhoods. People start investing in our city with new developments and upgrades to existing infrastructure.

Another way for the city and school district to work together is toward the development of Joplin’s future work-force. Our future economic development in part depends on the retention of our citizens, but we need to be educating our children for the jobs of tomorrow. I believe that will require implementing new technical programs at both the high school level and at our universities.

YES! Joplin Schools has been working for years to eradicate modular classrooms district-wide. This bond will finally achieve that goal. I’m also thrilled for the future West Central and Columbia students. They will soon get to experience a school that is safe from traffic, mining features, and structural issues, and it will be accessible for all students and equipped for 21st century learning. Our kids deserve equal opportunities to learn in the best environments possible - no matter where they live or what their demographics are.

YES! Joplin Schools has been working for years to eradicate modular classrooms district-wide. This bond will finally achieve that goal. I’m also thrilled for the future West Central and Columbia students. They will soon get to experience a school that is safe from traffic, mining features, and structural issues, and it will be accessible for all students and equipped for 21st century learning. Our kids deserve equal opportunities to learn in the best environments possible - no matter where they live or what their demographics are.