Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Dan Holman says he has the time and he has the background to make him a good councilman.
“I’m just an honest guy with integrity and a decent citizen,” Holman said. He said he has no burning issues with the city, but with a background with building inspection and real estate, he has an aptitude for dealing with the issues facing Sweet Home.
“I will attend the meetings, and I would vote as I see the people need me to,” he said. “I don’t have a big burning desire to be in city government, but with my disability, I’ve got time to do that. With my educational background, it would be good to be part of the growth of Sweet Home.”
Holman, 59, is retired from the Clair Company where he was a special inspector in building construction, dealing primarily with structural steel and welding. His last job was a new Sacred Heart Hospital building in Springfield. He retired with a disability.
He is married to Julie Holman. They have six children and six grandchildren.
He graduated from Pacific High School in San Bernardino, Calif., and attended Chaffee College in Ontario, Calif. He earned a sales and broker’s license from Real Estate School in Fontana, Calif., and certification in computer-aided drafting from Westel College in Pomona, Calif.
“I think the important thing is Sweet Home is growing,” Holman said. “And the direction it’s going is important. There’s going to be a lot of building here in Sweet Home.”
That’s going to add stress to local services, including fire, law enforcement, education and infrastructure, he said, noting that in Sweet Home building permits are inexpensive.
“I think maybe something should be added to them to help with additional strain to city services,” Holman said.
He hasn’t read city codes to know what is feasible, but he points to Albany, where he said the city charges extra for “water reclamation.”
Sweet Home should also focus growth toward middle-income families, he said. “I don’t want to see a bunch of stuff in the community on the really high end that’s going to be difficult to sell or really low-income stuff.”
With Lowe’s Distribution locating in Lebanon, Holman said he believes Sweet Home will have an influx of residents, but he is concerned about the local economy where people work and shop out of town. He would like opportunities for people to “live and work in Sweet Home, in our community.”
People who live here will spend their dollars here, he said. To that end, he would like to see the city focus on economic development.
“I know that other municipalities offer some type of tax relief to industries that want to build in their areas to make it attractive,” Holman said. He thinks Sweet Home should too. It seems Sweet Home has few manufacturing jobs available.
He said he would also like to see the city devote resources to bringing some type of industry to town, he said.
Like other ratepayers, he also is concerned about sewer and water rates, he said. That’s why he brings up the idea of using building permits to help cover costs and help keep rates down.
“It’s (the rates) hurtful to people,” he said. “I know a lot of people are not watering their lawns this summer because of the water bills. You can look all over Sweet Home and see that happening.”
Holman moved to Sweet Home from Albany at the beginning of August. He has lived in Oregon and California off and on since 1974.