This is the second 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.
At age 23, Jake Davenport is the youngest candidate, by far, in the Lowell City Council race. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking he’s not serious about his run.
“I’m not doing this for me,” he says.
Rather, he wants to better the community he’s called home his whole life. He sees a current council that has been slow to respond to citizen and business concerns, and he’d like to be the one to change that. “My mission is to make the city government work for the people of Lowell,” Davenport explains.
He hopes to accomplish that by improving transparency, shifting funding and working with local businesses to help them thrive.
Political Science Student Who Understands the Process
Davenport may be young, but he’s no stranger to politics. He is currently a student at Ferris State University and expects to finish up his degree in political science by the end of the year. He’s been the president of two different student organizations and has served as an intern for the Michigan Republican Party. “I understand the complex processes that make government work,” he says.
According to Davenport, councilmembers need to be thinking and acting proactively. However, that’s something he says has been lacking in the current council and was the impetus for his running. “It took city council 7-8 months to make a decision [on food trucks],” he says. “It should not take 8 months to make a decision.”
When it comes to who is responsible for moving the city forward, Davenport says it requires a collaborative effort, but “city council should take leadership in setting direction.”
Outside of his interest in politics, Davenport enjoys art and hiking. “I do a lot of painting,” he shares. As a Lowell high school student, he played in the orchestra and was a member of the choir. He’s a longtime member of Boy Scout Troop 102, first as a scout and now as an adult helper.
Adjusting City Spending to Reflect Priorities
When it comes to the challenges facing Lowell, Davenport singles out unfunded liabilities for the city retirement system and roads as being two priorities.
“We promised our city workers we would give them these retirement benefits,” he says of the system for current workers. However, he worries that the council has not done enough to ensure there will be money to pay out these benefits once workers retire. Meanwhile, he is concerned crumbling roads will stifle business growth and deter visitors.
However, Davenport is not in favor of any sort of millage or income tax to raise revenue. “For the most part, I’m against raising taxes because we have some of the highest property taxes in the county,” he says. Instead, he would prefer to redirect current funds from other city services to these more pressing priorities. Specifically, he thinks recreation money should be cut.
“The city council seems more interested in putting money into parks than into streets,” Davenport says. “Parks are nice, but roads and unfunded liabilities are more important.”
When city residents head to the polls in November, Davenport hopes it’s his name people will choose. Not out of any desire for personal gain but because it would be an honor to serve the city in this way.
Below are the questions we asked each candidate and Jake’s response to each one.
Biodigester
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?
No, I would not support it. The people of Lowell have made it clear that they do not want this facility operating within the city. After all the issues we had with it the first time around, it would be foolish for the city to attempt to revive this project again, especially when city residents do not support it.
If not, what do you think should be done with the facility should the property be placed back in the hands of the city?
That land is zoned as an industrial zone. The land should be sold to a private company to be used as a place of business. The city should not take over responsibility of the land.
Showboat
Do you support removing the name Robert E. Lee from the Showboat? If yes, what should the boat be named?
I think the name should be more reflective of our community. Ivan Blough, who built the current showboat gave a lot of time and energy to our community. I think we should name the new showboat after him. I think it would be a great way to remember his legacy of helping to make Lowell a better community.
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 think there should have been some sort of community forum to discuss the issue. It was a sensitive issue no matter which side of the issue people were on. I think that there should have been more public input. I also think the timing was inappropriate. Since we will begin construction of the new showboat in the coming year or two, I think it would have been more appropriate to wait until the current showboat is decommissioned. I think it would have also saved on some of the controversy around the issue.
Community Relations
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?I
Governmentally, Vergennes township and Lowell township are separate from the city, but we are all part of the greater Lowell community. Because we are all part of the same community, we all should collaborate on how to grow our economies, how we can better serve our constituents and how we can better promote our community.
Economic Development.
Economic Development
What role should the Lowell government have in fostering business development within the city?
There are a few things I think we could do. Primarily, the city government needs to be proactive in helping businesses. Anything and everything the city government could do to help business should be path forwards. We should do things like reducing city regulation, streamlining governmental approve processes, even reducing property taxes to help businesses. What I also think the city could do is be better listeners. They need to sit down and listen to the concerns of businesses. There is something wrong with how government is functioning when businesses only last 6 months and close. We have seen this in Lowell many times over the last few years. One of the biggest complaints I have heard from businesses is the cost of rent in downtown Lowell. The city should try to do something to make store fronts downtown more affordable.
Do you support allowing vacation rentals (such as those offered via websites like Airbnb) within the city limits?
Yes. People should be able to do what they want with their property. I think there should be some sort permit process to hold people accountable, but other than that, people should be able to rent out their home if they so choose.
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?
No. Medical marijuana dispensaries have cause a lot of issues in the communities of which they operate. Even though marijuana has been legalized at the state level for consumption as medical treatment, it is still illegal under federal law. If one were to open a dispensary in Lowell it would be one of the few in Michigan outside of the Lansing area. I think that would cause huge disruptions. I think that would also discourage people with young children from wanting to live in Lowell. For the sake of the entire community I think a dispensary would hurt our community more than it would help, so I would not support it.
Infrastructure
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?
Local municipalities across the state are facing issues with infrastructure just like we are. The biggest cause of infrastructure woes is the decrease in revenue sharing from the state. The city of Lowell is no different in this regard. I think that raising taxes should be the option of last resort. We need to take a serious look at what are tax monies are being spent on. My idea is to go through the city budget, and decide what is necessary for the city to function. Anything that is not necessary for the city’s function would be cut from the budget and reallocated for roads. Some of the people running in this race have proposed an income tax and a value added tax to pay for our infrastructure. In my view that is the worst option to pay for roads. Once we have those taxes they will not go away. I am opposed to raising taxes, but if that is what it comes to, I would prefer it to be a millage rather than an income tax. Mileages [sic] are enacted by the voters and they sunset after a few years.
Recreation
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 have great parks, the Riverwalk, the north country trail. We have lot lots of great recreational opportunities. We need to get more use out of our parks. One idea I have had is to use the Riverwalk for a weekly flea market during the summer. When it comes to the bike trail, I would support the concept, but with the major infrastructure issues the city is facing, I would not support the city financing this project. I would prefer that the Lowell Area trailway authority raise money via donations and fundraising to pay for this project. Other than the monetary part of it, I would fully support it.
Misc
Why should people vote for you in November?
People should vote for because I have the vision, determination, and the knowledge to get things done. We want this to be a prosperous community. The decision makers of the past have failed us. Opportunities have passed us by that would have made us an even greater community than what we are now. The days of missed opportunities are over. The days of an apathetic city government are through. I will fight for the future of our city, and the dreams and aspirations of the people of Lowell. If elected I will do whatever I can to lead Lowell to a brighter future. For all the people of Lowell, I will fight for you, I will work for you, I will listen to you, and I will win for you.
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