By RAUL GARCIA JR | Lansing News Wire
The Lansing News Wire had a chance to catch up with Randy Dykhuis, candidate for the City of Lansing City Charter General Revision Commission election slated May 7. Here is what he had to say in Meet the Candidate Q&A:
Q: Can you briefly introduce yourself and provide some background on your qualifications for this office?
A: I am a retired librarian with more than 30 years experience in the field. I’ve lived in the Lansing area since 1995 and downtown since 2008, when I bought a house in Lansing. Most recently, I was executive director of the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS), which is a nonprofit that provided a variety of services to support libraries and help them improve service to their patrons. I served as executive director from 1995 to 2019, when I retired. Since then, I’ve devoted myself to those activities that got short-changed when I was working, including advocating for environmental causes, genealogy, learning Dutch, and travel. Last year, I was part of a group that formed a nonprofit environmental advocacy group called “Capital Area Friends of the Environment” or CAFE. I am also currently chair of the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Sustainability.
Q: What professional or community experience do you bring to the table that makes you well-suited for this role?
A: Civic engagement has always been important to me. That’s why I spent my working life in libraries and nonprofit agencies. Over the years, I have been part of groups, both formal and informal, that have advocated on behalf of educational, social justice and environmental issues. In 1997, I chaired the millage committee for the then brand-new Capital Area District Library. It was not guaranteed that we would succeed. But we did. Twenty-five years later, CADL is a cornerstone of the cultural life of not only Lansing but many surrounding municipalities. More recently, I was part of a group of residents that advocated for the establishment of an environmental or sustainability commission in Lansing. I am sure that helped the mayor make his decision to form the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Sustainability a few years ago. I have been on the commission since its formation, and this year am serving as chair. Lastly, I’ll point to CAFE, of which I serve as president of the board. When it became clear that Lansing needed an advocacy voice for strong climate action and sustainability, it was natural for me to swing into action and bring the organization into being.
Q: What motivated you to run for this office?
A: The current charter has been in place since 1978. I would like to be part of the process to develop a new charter that can stand the test of time like that. The skills that I developed as a nonprofit leader will be vital for the commission to come to agreement on a new charter.
Q: Can you articulate your vision for the city and the key issues you hope to address if elected?
A: My long-term vision is for a city that values sustainable development and establishes a human and built infrastructure that serves the needs of all residents, regardless of socio-economic standing or neighborhood. The charter is not the place for specific policy solutions, but it should be the framework that ensures that all residents have a voice in their local government. With an inclusive, transparent local government, I believe it will be more vibrant and encourage involvement in all civic organizations, including neighborhood associations. The key issues to consider include reforming the appointment process for boards and commissions. I would also support term limits for appointed board and commission members. Many cities have environmental or sustainability board, and creating such a board in the city charter would give it the permanence and visibility that such a body needs. I would support investigating the way city council is organized, including the total number of seats and whether to change the number of at-large representatives.
Q: What are the top three priorities you would focus on if elected?
1. Reforming boards and commission appointment process 2. Creating a sustainability commission 3. Balancing city council & mayoral power
Q: How do you plan to address specific challenges facing the city, and what are the relevant issues from your point of view?
A: Many of the challenges facing the city, such as crime, infrastructure, and transportation, cannot be directly addressed by the charter commission. Rather the charter should create a solid foundation from which these problems can be tackled.
Q: How do you plan to engage with and involve the community in decision-making processes?
A: Charter commission meetings will, of course, be open to the public. I would be happy to meet individually with any community resident who has concerns about the city. Surveys and social media could be utilized the solicit input from the community. Neighborhood association meetings are also excellent places to visit in order to hear about worries and concerns among city residents.
Q: What strategies do you have for ensuring that all voices in the community are heard and considered?
A: During the charter revision process, I would visit every part of the city to meet with residents where they are in order to better understand their perspectives and views of the city.
Q: Can you provide a brief overview of the current city charter and its key provisions?
A: The charter is the foundation for the structure of city government. It determines whether Lansing has a strong mayor or a council-manager form of government, and it lays out the responsibilities of the mayor or city manager. The structure of city council is defined by the charter. It specifies whether there are wards and how many. Council representatives may be elected by ward or through at-large elections. The charter designates the number of ward representatives and the number of at-large representatives. Council responsibilities are delineated in the charter. The current charter specifies how residents can interact with city government through various boards and commissions. Some boards are created by the charter itself, while the mayor and city council are authorized to create other boards or commissions. The charter also has articles on city finances and taxation, city employees, and regulatory powers and contracts.
Q: What specific aspects of the city charter do you believe need updating, and why?
A: The article on boards and commissions is the section most in need of updating. The appointment process is opaque and vests too much authority in the mayor’s office. The power to make appointment should be shared equally with city council. There also needs to be more room for more members of the community to serve on boards and commissions, which is why I support term limits for members of appointed boards and commissions. Letting people serve for 12 or 15 years or longer is not healthy for democracy or citizen involvement in their local government. I would support the creation of a Sustainability/Environmental Board within the charter. Such a body could provide much needed guidance and input to city council. Finally, every member of every board or commission should have a vote. Currently, some members of the Board of Commissioners of the Board of Water and Light are not allowed to vote. This should change.
Q: Can you discuss any experience you have had with drafting or amending legal documents, such as ordinances or charters?
A: No experience working a charter revision or drafting ordinances.
Q: How would you approach analyzing the potential impacts of proposed charter changes on the community?
A: By gathering as much information as possible from other communities and learning what worked there. I would also look for unintended consequences of changes that were made in those other communities.
Q: How would you handle conflicting viewpoints within the charter update committee or the broader community?
A: The best way to diffuse conflict is to listen mindfully and attentively to what the other person is saying. By starting with listening, it is much more possible to get to a win-win solution.
Q: How familiar are you with local government laws and regulations?
A:I am quite familiar, of course, with the charter. I have a passing knowledge of city ordinances. As a former librarian, I know how to find what I need, when I need it.
Q: Can you highlight any specific innovations or improvements you would like to see in the updated charter?
A: As I said above, fixing the way boards and commissions are appointed and how they operate is most important to me.
Q: What are your favorite notable personal achievement:
A: Riding DALMAC four times.
Q: What are your favorite hobbies:
A: Genealogy, yoga, reading (especially mysteries & SF), learning Dutch, cycling
Q: Favorite Book:
A: Lord of the Rings
Q: Favorite Movie, or TV Show:
A: Once Upon a Time in the West
Q: What is your favorite food:
A: Bread & cheese
Editor’s Note: All of the candidates on the ballot for the City of Lansing Charter Revision Commissioner have been asked the same questions and have been invited to participate in the Lansing News Wire Meet the Candidate Q&A. The responses will be published as they are received until the election.
Tanya Garcia