Lowell City Council Candidate Profile: Greg Canfield

This is the first in a series of profiles of the five candidates running for Lowell City Council in November. Check back each week for a new profile, which are being published in alphabetical order according to the candidate’s last name.

 

Greg Canfield is no stranger to Lowell or its city government. The 59 year-old has spent practically his whole life in the greater Lowell community, and he has lived within the city limits for the past 28 years. Along with his wife Deb, Canfield raised five children – now ages 21-34 – in Lowell.

During that time, he also spent a decade on the Lowell Light & Power Board and the Downtown Historic District Commission. That was accompanied by shorter stints on the Board of Review, Downtown Development Authority, Planning Commission and other city bodies.

Last November, Canfield was elected to Lowell City Council to fill the remainder of the term left by recalled Mayor Jeff Altoft. Now that term is coming to a conclusion, and the longtime local businessman is hoping residents will return him to the seat for a full term.

Bringing Business Savvy to the Council

Canfield is an accomplished businessman, perhaps best known for opening Canfield Plumbing & Heating in 1994. That company has grown to employ nearly 20 workers and provides service not only in Lowell but in the surrounding communities as well.

In more recent years, Canfield rehabilitated a property on the Flat River that was slated for demolition and turned it into the Main Street Inn, the only property of its kind in the city limits. He also played a part in revitalizing the former Moose building and Superior Furniture Factory. Those projects brought to Lowell businesses such as Main Street BBQ, Big Boiler Brewery and Mi Hometown Furnishings.

“One of the advantages I bring is a business sense,” Canfield says. “I don’t know that we’ve had a lot of that experience [on city council] in the past.”

He says that experience gives him a different perspective when it comes to running the city. For instance, until this past summer, the City of Lowell placed all new workers into a defined benefit retirement plan, otherwise known as a traditional pension.

Canfield recognized that these benefits were a generous way to reward city workers, but the cost of the pension program would be unsustainable in the long run without a significant increase in revenues. Rather than risk having to increase tax rates for this reason, he helped usher in a new system that preserves pension benefits for existing workers while moving new hires into a defined contribution system that is similar to the 401(k)s many private workers have.

Focused on Moving City Forward

When asked about his future goals for the city, Canfield notes a need to address street repairs and suggests the possibility of revenue sharing agreements with neighboring townships where new developments are using city services.

However, he acknowledges the current council has been slow to act on some issues. “I’ve tried to push things back to the front burner,” Canfield says. “We just need to follow up on projects.”

His long-term vision for the city is one of it becoming a destination spot, bringing in visitors – and their spending money – from across the region. He thinks that’s already happening thanks to existing Lowell restaurants and breweries. People come to town to visit establishments and then stay to browse downtown shops, stop in the art gallery or walk the nearby trails. “I don’t think Lowell has ever looked as good as it does right now,” Canfield says.

As for the November election, Canfield hopes voters will recognize his deep love for the community. “I have a track record of trying to do the right thing for Lowell,” he says.

When long-time councilmember Jim Hodges retires this fall, he’ll leave behind big shoes. Canfield hopes he’ll have a chance to try to fill them.

Below are the questions we asked each candidate and Greg’s response to each one.

Biodigester

1. Would you support restarting the biodigester either as an energy producing facility or a water treatment plant for Litehouse waste if you felt assured there would be no odor?
   
   I don’t think it’s economically feasible to generate energy at a competitive rate with this facility. I would do everything possible to help out Litehouse, one of Lowell’s success stories, an employee owned company that provides employment for about 400 people but I don’t see how we can guarantee the neighbors and community that it would be odor free, when we the city, are not the operators.
2. If not, what do you think should be done with the facility should the property be placed back in the hands of the city? 

   The owners of the Biodigester are required under the terms of the contact to remove it at which time the property reverts to LL&P control.  I would hope that another tenant would be interested in the building, keeping it on the tax role and providing revenue to the city.

Showboat

1. Do you support removing the name Robert E. Lee from the Showboat?  If yes, what should the boat be named? 

   I did and do support removal of REL name. I sensed that it was about a 50/50 split with residents, so there really was no good answer from a political standpoint but I did not want to see picketing or demonstrations that would bring the news camera’s to Lowell again over a negative issue. The Showboat is scheduled to be disassembled soon in a month or three, so there really wasn’t a strong positive to leaving it up other than puffing our chest out and being proud of not allowing national pressure and situations to influence our decision making. The possible negatives heavily outweighed the positives in my opinion.I like “the Lowell Showboat” as it’s what we’ve called it for years anyways why not continue on with that tradition. The Blough family has confirmed Ivan did not want his name on it and we should respect that.

2. Should there have been a community discussion prior to removal before decommission of the current boat?  Should the City Council have voted on the name change or was it an appropriate decision for the city manager to make independently? 

   I don’t think there was time to have a public hearing on the subject and that would just attract more attention to something which didn’t deserve any attention. Although the city manager was responsible for the decision, the City Council was consulted and played a part in that decision.

Community Relations

1. How important is it for Lowell’s government to have a working relationship with Lowell Township and Vergennes Township?  If so, what should that relationship look like? 

   It is very important for the City and the Townships to work together. Period, in case there was ever any doubt.  We are a community , defined, practically, by our school district and we need to share our resources and personnel to benefit the greater Lowell community. I think that it really is a three way partnership, with equal say by all three, which means 2/3rds majority rules. There are area’s where the city should be more in control but we are not defined by physical borders we are a community.

Economic Development

1. What role should the Lowell government have in fostering business development within the city? 

   I feel that economic development is a key role for local government even though it doesn’t always end well, such as the biodigester.  Look at what the Flat River Grill has done for downtown Lowell. Before they were here you could shoot a cannon down Main Street, very desolate and deserted with shops’s opening and then closing. They made Lowell a destination for a great meal and soon you couldn’t find a parking spot within a block or two. Now the Downtown is even busier with more great restaurants, new and old, that make us a hot spot for dining. Other retailers benefit from the additional traffic too. Our City Administration needs to find ways to say yes instead of No when individuals want to invest in our community because a strong, vibrant business district is a great benefit to local residents not only in services available but in contributing to revenue to operate City Services and maintain our infrastructure.

2. Do you support allowing vacation rentals (such as those offered via websites like Airbnb) within the city limits? 

   I support businesses such as Airbnb in the right location. I recognize the problems it can cause for neighbors and am concerned about that.

3. Do you support passing an ordinance allowing for the sale of medical marijuana within city limits?  If so which type of facility do you support?
   
   Initially I was not in support of allowing Medical Marijuana but after testimony of individuals that received significant benefits that greatly improved the quality of life for them I feel that we need look in to this. We will be holding a public hearing and seeking more input from the community but I feel that a dispensary would be most needed.
   

Infrastructure

1. How should the City of Lowell address road maintenance and reconstruction?  Would you support putting a millage proposal on the ballot to fund road repairs? 

   I think we need to make it a priority to get on top of our street repair. I see significant growth and investment in our City that I would hope would provide the additional revenue to get us back on track in a few years without other funding sources if we are careful how we spend our money.I would not support a special assessment or millage because I think that puts an additional burden on our residents on fixed income that isn’t really fair. As stated earlier, I would rather see us work with what we have or consider an low city income tax which would only be paid by the working class, including those who reside outside our community but drive on our roads to get to their jobs here in Lowell. Also the CEO pays more than the janitor and the retiree’s don’t get hit with additional cost’s that they can’t afford.

Recreation

1. How should the city promote its recreation opportunities?  Do you support creating a connector within city limits from the Fred Meijer Trail that runs from Saranac to the Lowell Area Trailway? 

   We definitely need to promote our recreational opportunities here and we would be absolutely crazy to not find a way to bring the Frederick Meijer Trail near our downtown. Research shows revenues increase by 30% to local businesses when they become Trail Towns. More revenue to fix our streets, more local jobs for our residents, and increased values both for residential and business property.  We are poised not only to become a trail town but we have a TRI FECTA here of trails. North Country Trails nation headquarters, Frederick Meijer Trails and the Flat and Grand Rivers are water trails that meet here. Desirability of communities depends heavily on walkability and recreation and we are so close to having that. We just need to buckle down and get it done.

Misc

1. Why should people vote for you in November?I think my experience from serving on most the the boards and commissions here in my 28 years as a city resident is helpful along with decision making skills honed by 23 years of owning a small business. It’s important for City Council members to recognize the relationship between expenses and revenue and not live beyond our means. My background in construction is helpful in making decisions and selecting contractors for city projects. Lowell Community resident for nearly 60 years and hopefully have my ear to the ground about what’s happening in Lowell.