Columbia City Council election: Nick Foster wants to be a 'servant to the people'
The wheels started turning in Nick Foster's mind after an email from Ian Thomas.
Thomas, the current Fourth Ward council member, announced he was not running for reelection to the Columbia City Council. Foster had long been interested in the position, but was not going to pursue it while Thomas was in the seat, he said.
After discussions with his wife, pastor and friends, Foster decided to go for it. He is running against Erica Pefferman for the council seat in the April 5 election.
"I know who I am; I know what my values are," he said of conversations that occurred while weighing a city council run that led to his decision. "I just have to find out what's going to be the avenue through which I live those values out."
Key issues he would like to address citywide include homelessness, affordable housing, and crime and policing — particularly in the Fourth Ward.
While he senses a fracture among the current council members, the end goal should be a consensus, not a unanimous vote, he said.
"I really will enter my service on the council, if elected, with a look forward and not a look back," Foster said. "... In every election that I have been here, there's been a change in the council. That means there are different personalities and characters at work. That group as a whole changes as a result."
More: Meet the four candidates vying to become Columbia's new mayor on April 5
His experience at Voluntary Action Center, where he served as executive director, prepared him to work with others in a setting like that of the city council, he said.
"I know how to provide services, that's really been my life's work," he said. "This is why I want to do this job. I want to be a servant to the people of our community."
Columbia's trash collection
"Everyone's unhappy with it," Foster said. "We need to find a different way to do it. I think this is an opportunity for the city council to have a win in terms of its work."
Foster favors lifting the prohibition on roll carts and finding a hybrid solution that works for all citizens, he said.
He reiterated a point that he made at the recent League of Women Voters forum, saying that he believes the issue of trash is more about a lack of trust in Columbia's city government than trash itself.
"This is about trust and confidence in the city, in the city council and in the city government to provide the services that the residents need," he said.
Once the issue is addressed, not only will it be less of a topic of conversation, but residents will be more pleased with how solid waste is managed and have a renewed sense of confidence in the council and city government, he added.
Relationship with the Columbia Police Department
The city council's relationship with the police department should be primarily through the creation of policy to be overseen by city manager De'Carlon Seewood, Foster said.
The council needs to reevaluate what the city is expecting the police department to accomplish in order to make clear what is expected of the officers, he said.
"The responsibility of the council, as it is with all city employees, is simply to oversee the work through the city manager," Foster said. "City council should not become involved in the day-to-day oversight of employees, police or otherwise."
More: Columbia City Council candidates discuss policing, affordable housing, mental health in forum
Affordable housing in Columbia
The question of how to address affordable housing is important to each candidate in this election cycle, Foster said.
"Our city is growing and we're going to continue to grow," he said. "... We need to be providing housing to address the shortfall we have right now. We need to be thinking about housing for those that are going to move here. We need to be thinking about housing for those who already live here."
If elected, he hopes to work toward creative solutions to the issue with fellow council members, whether it means additional construction or looking into zoning to facilitate and incentivize developers to work toward building the needed homes, he said.
Lauren Tronstad covers local government and politics for the Tribune. Contact her at LTronstad@gannett.com or on Twitter @LaurenTronstad.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: City council election: Nick Foster wants to be 'servant to the people'
