Springfield resident Bruce Stebbins is running for City Council. Following are his answers to questions I sent via email. The interview is part of an attempt to reach candidates for City Council and learn more about their background, unique qualities, and thoughts about the city.
INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE STEBBINS
About the candidate
Education: George Washington University, graduated 1987; graduate Harvard University Kennedy School of Government’s Commonwealth of Massachusetts Tier IV Management Program.
Employment: Currently Senior Regional Manager at New England for the National Association of Manufacturers, managing membership participation in public affairs activities to promote a pro-growth, manufacturing agenda with members of the New England Congressional delegation. Prior work: Massachusetts Department of Economic Development; Massachusetts Office of Business Development; staff of former Massachusetts Governor William Weld; and at the White House, in the Office of Political Affairs, coordinating the political agenda of the President of the United States in 12 Northeast states plus the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
Volunteer and civic involvement: Current member of the Springfield City Council; also served as an elected member of the East Longmeadow School Committee. Chairman of the Springfield Technical Community College board of trustees; also chairman of the board of the Forest Park zoo.
Who are some people you’ve most looked up to in life, and why?
My parents and my grandfather. I respected my parents and appreciate the sacrifices they made for me and my sister as well as their support to allow us to strive toward our own personal goals. Lessons I learned from my grandfather’s life (he was a Shriner and member of Rotary Club) taught me about the value of public and community service and maintaining a strong sense of humility through it all.
Neighborhoods
How has Springfield changed since you first moved to the city, and how has it stayed the same?
I moved to Springfield in 2005, but I grew up in East Longmeadow. My parents were both from Springfield, and a visit to downtown was an exciting trip for me as a child.
Like many other cities across the country, retail in our downtown has left for more suburban areas. Many of the stores, like Johnson’s Bookstore, are now gone, creating some of the biggest observable changes for me.
This dramatic change has also led to what I like best about Springfield right now; it has many opportunities for re-birth. Our museums, restaurants, convention center and symphony are all reasons for the private sector to continue its investment in Springfield. And that is just in the downtown—I think there are great opportunities all over the city.
On the whole, I have always liked Springfield’s neighborhoods because each is vibrant and unique. This has always been the case. Like my hometown, each of these neighborhoods has a small-town feeling where neighbors know and look out for each other. The neighborhood commercial districts, with their family-owned businesses, complete this atmosphere.
However, unlike where I grew up, we also have the luxury of big-city assets such as four colleges, numerous parks, two major performing arts centers, a world-class museum, and a major sports hall of fame, to name a few. It’s the best of both worlds.
How would you describe your neighborhood in the city, and how does it compare to other neighborhoods?
I live on Mattoon Street in the downtown. The historic architecture of the buildings makes it a special place. Here, unlike most neighborhoods, we have the convenience of walking to work or downtown to the restaurants, theater and hockey games. My wife and I like Mattoon Street because we would not be able to afford a similar rowhouse in other cities like Boston, Washington or New York. The same can be said for housing across the city.
There are some drawbacks. Because we have two small children, we miss having a yard and a driveway. But the nearby museums, STCC quad and Seuss memorial are great places to take the kids for a walk.
When we first arrived, we certainly saw more drug activity and prostitution, but that has cleared up considerably in the past year. The people who live on my street communicate frequently about what we see on the street, and we involve the police when necessary. By paying attention to the problem and being proactive, I think we have helped clean the area up.
Some people suggest Springfield needs to deal with small problems so they don’t become big ones. Would you agree?
I do believe that we need to deal with our small problems before they combine to form large ones. I support the public safety strategy of stopping the minor offenses (littering, noise violations, not yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk) that undermine everyday life. It is the “broken windows” theory and if there is apathy about such petty crime, the problems will only grow. New York City experienced success with this strategy by moving quickly to remove graffiti and make other repairs before they accumulated.
Since becoming a city councilor, I have met many people who are overwhelmed by chronic quality of life problems. As I mentioned previously, my own street has organized and met with the police and other city departments to find out what resources are available to us and what we can do to improve our area. I recommend that others do the same. Go to a neighborhood council meeting, get involved, and join with your neighbors so you are not a lone voice.
The wide variety of neighborhoods and housing types in the city is perhaps one of its selling points. In what ways do you think the city capitalizes on or squanders that variety?
The city’s historic housing stock is very helpful in recruiting new residents to the city. Historic homes found in Springfield are in a more reasonable price range than in cities such as Boston and Hartford. Recently, a couple from Boston’s North End purchased a home in my neighborhood and stressed that they could not afford such a home in the Boston area.
However, to answer the question, I don’t think we do the best job we could to capitalize on this asset.
I am often telling people about the residential opportunities in Springfield—like it’s a well-kept secret. It shouldn’t be a secret. We should find ways to work with the brokers and the neighborhood councils to market available properties.
I am disappointed to see so many homes, at one time simply majestic, now looking like dangerous, vacant, dilapidated housing.
I have a friend in DC who had a neighborhood party at each open house on her street. Each resident worked with the brokers to sell the properties to new owners. It would take work, but we could do that.
What type of housing stock do you think the city lacks right now, that it could benefit by providing?
I believe that quality single-family homes that fit into the neighborhoods around them are the type of housing stock the city needs. Homeowners are more likely to invest and provide upkeep to their property.
I have been impressed with the work done by the Housing Allowance Partnership and Habitat for Humanity in this area. Each organization has bid on city-owned parcels and constructed single-family homes. Moreover, the homes are well-built and well-designed, unlike some duplex construction I have seen in the city that appears to be made of duct tape and fiber board.
Read the rest of the interview here.
