Candidate: Dave Inman, Camp Verde resident of six years
Age: 46
Current or past profession: “I have been a professional lighting designer for the last 25 years and am currently the specifications and employee development manager at Lighting Unlimited. Previously, I was director of specifications at West-Lite Supply, specifications lead at Facility Solutions Group and director of marketing and sales for Red Mountain Lighting.”
Q: Why are you qualified to serve on council?
A: “My work over the years in energy-efficient lighting design has resulted in the reduction of more than 1.4 billion kilowatt hours from the U.S. electrical grid. This reduction has resulted in the saving of hundreds of millions of dollars. I am a volunteer delegate with the International Dark Sky Association, a founding member and former board chair of the Camp Verde Dark Sky Community, Inc. I serve on the National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors Sustainability Committee. Further, I teach lighting best practices and their implementation to the Electric League of Arizona and the Independent Electrical Contractors Association of Arizona.”
Q: How would you help advise the completion of the Camp Verde Sports Complex?
A: “I would suggest the town explore the possibility of using municipal bonds and relevant grants to partially if not completely fund the remaining complex project. Other funding options that I think could be considered include infrastructure as a service and offering naming rights to bring in additional capital. However, the Sports Complex is not unique; there are other unfunded unfinished town projects that deserve the same level of attention. I also believe that overly relying on ‘volunteer’ project leadership and labor is not an appropriate strategy. Finally, any proposed future projects need to be carefully analyzed in terms of the extent to which they meet community needs.”
Q: How do you plan to balance growth while maintaining Camp Verde’s rural and Western lifestyle?
A: “I believe that over the next few years there will be a substantial influx of people moving to Camp Verde and surrounding areas … Therefore, we need to strongly focus on the development of additional affordable housing in our community before rising property values make doing so extremely difficult. We should also be alert to the downside aspects of additional RV parks and short-term rental properties.
“Finally, we should double our focus on what makes this town special and continue to celebrate our Western rural heritage, with festivals, town features and activities that bring people together, invigorate tourism and support local business.”
Q: What is your vision for economic development in Camp Verde?
A: “I would like to see smart, thoughtful, well-planned use of our already-designated Opportunity Zones. To bring businesses that generate tax revenue and not ones that simply produce products to be sold in other markets. We qualify as an Opportunity Zone due to our disadvantaged economic status. We can turn disadvantage to advantage by enticing businesses that create not only tax revenue, but employment opportunities for our community.”
Q: What kind of direction would you give to the incoming town manager?
A: “Hire well-qualified staff, hold them accountable for their performance. Provide well-developed plans and proposals for council consideration and fully support the council’s role as a policy-setting body.”
