I've been asked by several influential people in our community to run for council. Its a small town, but very active community, above average wealth, development/growth pressure, etc.
I also own a business in the same community.
Anyone ran for town council or other elected position?
An architect ran for mayor last term. I know little about the inner workings of local govt, but I'm pretty active in community discussion. I'm also about ten years junior the next youngest council person. I don't want to do it at all, but I'm being told I should take one for the team. We'll see. I agree though careers I also wish more architects and designers participated more. I think everyone is so understandably skittish about losing business however. It's unfortunate. My philosophy is I just kind of say 'fuck it.'
A friend of mind who was an Architect before passing was on the city council some years ago. City council has its benefits and it is a double-edge sword. As a working professional, you will always have times where you will have a legally defined conflict of interest in which you MUST declare and often will either recuse or abstain from discussion or voting on agenda items where that may occur.
I said it is a double edge sword, politically. It can help you at times and goes against you. The political environment has its affect in both ways.
At times, you may be challenged by clients to do design that challenges or conflicts with the city code you had adopted a few months ago... for example.
Serving on zoning boards or planning commissions, or design review boards and being active in the community where you live can do a lot in public awareness. Remember, you get free media coverage for good or for bad. You have the newspaper publishing you regularly in connection with city meeting coverage and so forth. There is a degree of lure to being in a position of power and influence or even having been in such a role and knowing the 'inside information'. However, that can be good or bad.
Clients can even get a sense of who you are by your public role.
In other words you'd be playing someone else's hand. Everyone has fish to fry and there is a shortage of kitchen help.
True story: the local democratic committee invited me to a meeting where they asked me to run for town supervisor, probably because I was a vocal personality in the local paper. The very first question I asked was how did you get my name? From the voter rolls. The second question was how do I change my party affiliation? That afternoon I registered as a Green.
The current democratic supervisor has the blatant endorsement of the biggest spec builder here, who just hosted a republican fund raiser featuring by John Boehner. Now she's stepping up to the congressional races with his backing.
If you want to dip yourself in shit it would be faster, easier and a lot more fun to jump into a cesspool.
are you sure you want to jump in now? looks like the water is too hot and you will have to take sides on pressing issues, fighting a lot of nimbys in more than one front.
Although it's true that new and younger people need to take the helm, it always seemed to me that the only ones that could afford the time and effort where older, wealthier and heavy connected.
and you would have to campaign?
On the plus side, you will have a lot of support from the professional community, not sure if all of the people we know are within the town limits.
I know the town since the last master plan we did with DW, and it hasn't changed much in 12 years, but the opponents of anything new have grown exponentially. On which side is Jim Kent these days? I remember him being one of the most thoughtful agitators in those times.
I met with JK last night along with a larger group of 'concerned'--very intelligent, enlightened people. They are on the side of 'smart growth' which we have expressed as compact, concentric, walkable, attainable, sustainable, and of course socially just. I've been fortunate to have quite a bit of communication with that group over the last year or so.
You are absolutely right of course about the water being very hot. I am not sure I want to jump in, and in fact, I'm pretty sure it is not for me and I would be better suited trying to influence change from the outside, where I have been. Unfortunately, that probably means another open spot for the anti-change crowd.
This town could be absolutely amazing if given the space for a little improvement, but there is that side that wants to keep it exactly the way it was when they got here.
After a number of years of saying no most of the time I just got the feeling that I was losing work because of it, and started saying yes more often, then a segment of work started flowing from people I had never heard of before, and when I connected the dots it all flowed back to a connected engineer that did about 90% of the developments…the real clue came from doing projects that never got built…clever way of paying me off….I resigned quietly and the work disappeared.
Know architects that went into politics full time, but think doing it part time is problematic.
As Clint Eastwood said in High Plains Drifter….”….I’ll be more effective fighting at the perimeter.”
Sep 18, 15 2:47 pm ·
·
There is certainly a contingent of prospective clients that will only consider an architect or other design professionals because of their perceived 'connected-ness' and power of influence to pull strings and get things approved that may otherwise not be approved. There are those clientele market that wants to do something but the code as it is would prohibit what they want to do architecturally or zoning wise. So they want variances and such. Therefore, architects in influential positions are perceived to be able to get through those hurdles.
Political tides makes the proposition of serving in public office be it city hall, planning commissions, etc. is a double-edge sword. Just as it can help you, it can also hurt you.
Politics has its dangers as well as its rewards.
Clients are looking at trust, security and ability of those they 'hire' to be able to get them through the political barriers at the lowest cost. Therefore, perceived ability of the design professional to persuade or influence the other board members through their relationship with the zoning officers, planning commissions, building departments, city council, etc. It is public knowledge that an architect who has rapport with the people including being in positions of power and influence to nudge and sway the public employees and other public officers to support and approve the clients plans, vision, etc. for the project. An architect who doesn't have such would not have that ability to do so or effectively and likely do more to raise cost to get to the goal. It is money driven and clients look at that in their consideration for design professionals.
('hire' - remember, clients quite often sees those they pay as employees subconsciously... even though you are not.... that's not going to change.... EVER !!!!)
Sep 18, 15 3:09 pm ·
·
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Run for Council?
I've been asked by several influential people in our community to run for council. Its a small town, but very active community, above average wealth, development/growth pressure, etc.
I also own a business in the same community.
Anyone ran for town council or other elected position?
Great idea! More architects should.
Served on our zoning board for decades.... the only problem in a small market is saying "no" to people, because "no" isn't good for business.
An architect ran for mayor last term. I know little about the inner workings of local govt, but I'm pretty active in community discussion. I'm also about ten years junior the next youngest council person. I don't want to do it at all, but I'm being told I should take one for the team. We'll see. I agree though careers I also wish more architects and designers participated more. I think everyone is so understandably skittish about losing business however. It's unfortunate. My philosophy is I just kind of say 'fuck it.'
Careers= carerra .. Damn autocorrect
A friend of mind who was an Architect before passing was on the city council some years ago. City council has its benefits and it is a double-edge sword. As a working professional, you will always have times where you will have a legally defined conflict of interest in which you MUST declare and often will either recuse or abstain from discussion or voting on agenda items where that may occur.
I said it is a double edge sword, politically. It can help you at times and goes against you. The political environment has its affect in both ways.
At times, you may be challenged by clients to do design that challenges or conflicts with the city code you had adopted a few months ago... for example.
Serving on zoning boards or planning commissions, or design review boards and being active in the community where you live can do a lot in public awareness. Remember, you get free media coverage for good or for bad. You have the newspaper publishing you regularly in connection with city meeting coverage and so forth. There is a degree of lure to being in a position of power and influence or even having been in such a role and knowing the 'inside information'. However, that can be good or bad.
Clients can even get a sense of who you are by your public role.
I'm being told I should take one for the team
In other words you'd be playing someone else's hand. Everyone has fish to fry and there is a shortage of kitchen help.
True story: the local democratic committee invited me to a meeting where they asked me to run for town supervisor, probably because I was a vocal personality in the local paper. The very first question I asked was how did you get my name? From the voter rolls. The second question was how do I change my party affiliation? That afternoon I registered as a Green.
The current democratic supervisor has the blatant endorsement of the biggest spec builder here, who just hosted a republican fund raiser featuring by John Boehner. Now she's stepping up to the congressional races with his backing.
If you want to dip yourself in shit it would be faster, easier and a lot more fun to jump into a cesspool.
are you sure you want to jump in now? looks like the water is too hot and you will have to take sides on pressing issues, fighting a lot of nimbys in more than one front.
Although it's true that new and younger people need to take the helm, it always seemed to me that the only ones that could afford the time and effort where older, wealthier and heavy connected.
and you would have to campaign?
On the plus side, you will have a lot of support from the professional community, not sure if all of the people we know are within the town limits.
I know the town since the last master plan we did with DW, and it hasn't changed much in 12 years, but the opponents of anything new have grown exponentially. On which side is Jim Kent these days? I remember him being one of the most thoughtful agitators in those times.
good luck
I met with JK last night along with a larger group of 'concerned'--very intelligent, enlightened people. They are on the side of 'smart growth' which we have expressed as compact, concentric, walkable, attainable, sustainable, and of course socially just. I've been fortunate to have quite a bit of communication with that group over the last year or so.
You are absolutely right of course about the water being very hot. I am not sure I want to jump in, and in fact, I'm pretty sure it is not for me and I would be better suited trying to influence change from the outside, where I have been. Unfortunately, that probably means another open spot for the anti-change crowd.
This town could be absolutely amazing if given the space for a little improvement, but there is that side that wants to keep it exactly the way it was when they got here.
The side with the most money wins.
After a number of years of saying no most of the time I just got the feeling that I was losing work because of it, and started saying yes more often, then a segment of work started flowing from people I had never heard of before, and when I connected the dots it all flowed back to a connected engineer that did about 90% of the developments…the real clue came from doing projects that never got built…clever way of paying me off….I resigned quietly and the work disappeared.
Know architects that went into politics full time, but think doing it part time is problematic.
As Clint Eastwood said in High Plains Drifter….”….I’ll be more effective fighting at the perimeter.”
There is certainly a contingent of prospective clients that will only consider an architect or other design professionals because of their perceived 'connected-ness' and power of influence to pull strings and get things approved that may otherwise not be approved. There are those clientele market that wants to do something but the code as it is would prohibit what they want to do architecturally or zoning wise. So they want variances and such. Therefore, architects in influential positions are perceived to be able to get through those hurdles.
Political tides makes the proposition of serving in public office be it city hall, planning commissions, etc. is a double-edge sword. Just as it can help you, it can also hurt you.
Politics has its dangers as well as its rewards.
Clients are looking at trust, security and ability of those they 'hire' to be able to get them through the political barriers at the lowest cost. Therefore, perceived ability of the design professional to persuade or influence the other board members through their relationship with the zoning officers, planning commissions, building departments, city council, etc. It is public knowledge that an architect who has rapport with the people including being in positions of power and influence to nudge and sway the public employees and other public officers to support and approve the clients plans, vision, etc. for the project. An architect who doesn't have such would not have that ability to do so or effectively and likely do more to raise cost to get to the goal. It is money driven and clients look at that in their consideration for design professionals.
('hire' - remember, clients quite often sees those they pay as employees subconsciously... even though you are not.... that's not going to change.... EVER !!!!)
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