QC Times Questionare

  

Thank you for filling out the Quad-City Times city elections questionnaire. We’re sending this to each candidate who has filed for election in the City of Davenport and whose race is part of a primary. Please email Sarah Watson at swatson@qctimes.com with your responses no later than 5 p.m. Sept. 25. Please limit your responses to no more than 200 words per question. Email Sarah or editor Tom Martin tmartin@qctimes.com with any questions. These responses may be published in part or in full.

 

Name: Don Hesseltine III
Age: 38
Occupation: Owner/Operator American Landscaping and Maintenance LLC
Education: Davenport West Graduate, A.A.S. Scott Community College
Relevant local government or leadership experience: US Army Infantry Squad Leader, OEF Veteran who trained and worked with Afghan security forces , Information Technology Field Service Technician manager for multiple firms, Business owner, Team Captain Baseball, Softball, Dek Hockey,

 

For the following, please limit your response to no more than 200 words per question.

Why are you running for office?
I am running for  3^rd Ward alderman because I’ve lived in Davenport for the majority of my life and as a homeowner and parent, I want to help make this town a safe and wonderful place to raise a family. Not a city where you have to worry about your car being stolen the minute you turn around or have someone trying to break in your home while you’re at work, and have kids fighting and bullying in schools and then not being held accountable for their actions. I have experience in public/foreign security measures, I have a hard work ethic and the ability to bring teams together to accomplish goals, which to me would be the type of qualities necessary to be an effective city council member. I will work hard and work even harder to make sure that your voices will be heard in 3^rd ward!

 

 

What would be your top priorities if elected?

1. Financial Responsibility 2. Public Safety 3. Serving and Improving Davenport’s 3rd Ward

 What do you see as the city’s No. 1 problem? What do you think the city should do to address it?

Voting for and spending money on ridiculous projects like the 9.5 million dollar two-way conversion from the existing one-ways, a bike lane that runs from Marquette to telegraph (that basically acts as a turning lane now)  and last but not least… let us not forgot the ever-famous bridge to nowhere, the Skybridge! Yes, we the citizens spent $500,000 from city funds on it let alone the additional $3.5 million that came from state funds and the rest from the Casino. Then there was another $393,000 dumped into it for renovation. Now we have River Heritage Park, which hosts cruise line ships such as the Viking, the American Symphony and the American Melody. That’s nice and all but why don’t the cruise lines park where the old casino was and utilize the bridge to nowhere and make it a bridge to somewhere... sometimes?  What should the city do about these things?    The city needs to get out and vote and know who they are voting for. Vote for someone that will listen and reflect their ward’s voices.

 

What do you see as the city’s No. 1 strength?

Progress on the city’s infrastructure being made. Things such as, the roads being repaired (I know traffic stinks at times but it’s actually a good thing that’s happening. But maybe also see if we can do the repairs in stages, instead of closing up all the main streets at once and directing traffic to one main road) The sewer system being repaired/replaced (its old, it needs fixed and replaced) and The No-Fault Sewer Backup Reimbursement Program that goes along with it.  Last but, not least, we have residential fiber internet now!

 

What should the city do now that it has the investigative report on the cause of the collapse at 324 Main St.? 

 

First of all, my condolences to the families of the 3 lives lost, to the young lady who was able to be rescued but lost her leg, and everyone else affected by the building collapse. I would like to think that the city should look at the competency of the inspector who was working for them at the time and the contractor’s inspector. Then assess if the inspectors knew what they were doing or if the tragedy could have been prevented because the inspectors and landlord didn’t want to mess with the headache of displacing people for a short period of time while the repairs were being done and to ensure the overall building’s structural integrity and the safety of its occupants. The moment the building permit was to be issued, there should have been a scope of work plan from the contractor’s engineers to ensure that while the work was being performed; there would be better precautions in place besides a couple of 2x4 holding up a large load bearing wall on an already failing structure. I have been on plenty of jobsites were if an inspector or engineer had seen something like the Davenport building, with a load bearing wall and windows starting to pop out, that job would have been shutdown and the building evacuated until better preventive measures were in place for work to resume.