One thing became clear during the League of Women Voters of Greater Verde Valley Clarkdale Town Council candidate forum, Thursday, Aug. 11, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church: Clarkdale has a complicated relationship with growth.
Asked what he hopes Clarkdale will look like in a decade, Tommy Nestor, a write-in candidate for one of two seats, said, “I’d like to see it look just like it does today,” adding that he wants the town to retain its current layout and character.
According to Nester, the only improvements that need to occur are internal, restricted to the administration of the town.
Incumbent Councilman Scott Buckley and Vice Mayor Richard Dehnert agreed that they would like to see Clarkdale’s small-town mindset preserved, but differed from Nester by calling for manageable construction and business growth.
Dehnert expressed a desire to increase agricultural opportunities — particularly for vineyards — and provide a few more options for locals to shop.
“We need more sales tax coming in,” Buckley agreed. “There are things that could improve. We need more businesses.”
The issue of water resources came up several times during the forum, with Nester lamenting the state of the water delivery infrastructure in old town Clarkdale. Echoing a shared concern among the candidates about vulnerable water sources, he once more called for an examination of the value of growth.
“My main concern is, where is the water going to go in a few years?” Nester said.
Dehnert said that during his tenure on the council he has seen many improvements made to the town’s water systems. “We’ve done a lot to tighten up,” he said, praising successful efforts to wisely use water previously lost through outdated infrastructure.
Buckley said that educating the public, beginning in grade school, is key to conserving water. He also endorsed xeriscaping, which eliminates the need to irrigate.
Asked if they would support a historic preservation commission for the town, Nester answered in the affirmative, while Dehnert and Buckley offered more circumspect perspectives.
“I’m not sure,” Dehnert said, adding that in his view Clarkdale already boasts robust volunteer and employee engagement to preserve historic homes and other monuments. At the same time, he cautioned against residents resting on their laurels, and encouraged civic engagement in history. “I think our historic district … if someone doesn’t use [those buildings], they’re going to fall down.”
According to Dehnert, historic preservation should be viewed as one of many economic tools available to the town.
Buckley praised the residents of Clarkdale, saying that they support and embrace the town’s history. He added that any consideration of a historic preservation commission would have to include a thorough analysis of the financial impact to the town itself.
“We may not have a commission,” Buckley said. “But we have a historical society already doing the job pretty well.”
