Q&A: Robert Fiester is running for Highland Village City Council Place 6

Robert Fiester is running for Highland Village City Council Place 2. He will run against Edward Paul Balboni in the citywide election on May 5. Community Impact Newspaper sent Fiester a series of questions on his candidacy. His written responses, edited for publication style, are below.

1. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Highland Village?

The biggest issue facing Highland Village is how to best manage the transition from the growth stage of development to a maintenance stage. It will not happen tomorrow or for the next few years, but eventually Highland Village will need to look at how to continue to provide the amenities and level of service that we as citizens have come to enjoy. The key word is sustainability, which I think addresses the core issue. However, everyone know that increased services will mean increased costs. The city cannot, or should not rather, anticipate rising property values to continue to fund the growth in the city’s budget. The addition of smart growth to the city coffers via tax revenue will help fund the current service level, but it will take a lot of effort to promote, attract and retain the type of development that will carry the community forward.

2. What are your plans to fix this issue?

I don’t plan to step into City Council, if elected, and have the answers to the questions that confront the city. I do, however, plan to listen to the citizens, consider the issues at hand, and use my experience and skill set to participate in decisions that hopefully benefit the citizens of Highland Village over the long term. I would like to balance the need to build up the tax base with commercial or retail development, but not at the expense of current homeowners who have bought into a certain quality of life. We have invested in our homes and communities and it is important that their value is maintained or enhanced by future development, or redevelopment that may occur.

3. If elected, what will be your top priorities?

If elected, my top priorities will be to assist and enhance local business and also look for ways to increase community support/involvement for and with local government. First, I think the role of local government should be to assist local business. I think they can do so by understanding what challenges our local businesses face each day as they are forced to compete against Amazon, Walmart, or Wayfair, for example. A recent Supreme Court argument may go a long way to addressing the inequity of sales tax for online sales, but until that point where business is on a level playing field, it’s important for our local government to do anything it can to assist the ‘little guy’.  I know that our current city management is doing so already, along with the Highland Village Business Association. No one wants government to pick winners or losers, but there are things that Highland Village does and can continue to do to increase the exposure of local business and encourage a ‘buy local’ mentality. Second, Highland Village does an excellent job informing local citizens about upcoming issues and items to consider. The inserts in the water bill, while unpleasant to get the bill, are nevertheless informative about current events. I would also encourage everyone to subscribe to the City Manager’s weekly update. It is more immediate and more direct information to know that our tax dollars are being wisely spent and that we all benefit on a daily basis from our local government. It is more than trash collection and sewer service. It’s parks, streets, water, sewer, roads, police, fire, code enforcement, and many more that enhance our quality of life and make Highland Village a quality place to live with a sustainable future.

4. Where do you see Highland Village in the next five years?

In the next five years, I see a few big things happening around Highland Village. First, I see Ladera Highland Village, the 55+ active living community, at or near final completion with the addition of new residents to Highland Village, or existing residents looking to ‘upgrade’ or ‘downsize’ into a managed community. I also envision some activity in the Transit Orientated District (TOD) in the northeast corner of Highland Village to be taking shape and working its way through the approval processes. Lastly, I see the expansion and widening of FM 2499 to either be within the strategic planning timeline of TxDOT or underway for schematic design. All of these have an impact on the future of the city; some good and some potentially harmful to our current residents. As a potential member of the City Council, I would like to relook at the TOD designation and see if it truly makes sense for that area of the city. Again, I don’t pretend to have the answers, nor am I privy to the previous discussions that were had with the designation for the TOD overlay. I also realize that IH-35 is a strong draw for potential commercial and retail development. I would like to see any development in that area to be part of a larger, cohesive development that can reach the goals of the district, but not just compromise for the sake of development. But it is difficult, because there are many dozens of homes, residents, families, husbands and wives with children, that would be impacted by any such development. When that time comes, if it comes, it will important to understand why families have bought into Highland Village as their community and make sure it works for them.

5. How can Highland Village better attract retail and restaurants?

If we want better retail and restaurants, then we as Highland Village need to support better restaurants and retails. To quote a movie, “Build it and they will come”. I think most of us would prefer to shy away from a franchise or chain development. I would love to support a local business that can offer what I need within my budget. If you think of ‘Keep Austin Weird’, it’s not franchise architecture that they are promoting. It’s small business. But small business is hard. We as Highland Village residents need to support quality small business within our community if we ever hope to attract ‘better’ retail and restaurants. The biggest selling point Highland Village can bring to the table of a company willing to invest is to demonstrate that the local community and culture supports local business and that the local business can thrive and act as a draw for the region. I understand that Highland Village has a fund to attract new business to the city. I would encourage the fund be continued or modestly expanded to assist with development or incentives that make sense for everyone. I would also inventory the vacant properties within the city and try to understand why those properties remain vacant. Is there something the city can do, expedite, or invest in to make the property more enticing to developers. I do not say that these items are currently not being done, but it is important for local citizens to understand what can be done, and what cannot, to attract new business.