Streamlining permit process Schrag’s top priority

Jeff Schrag says his strengths as Springfield’s potential next mayor is a diversified background in all areas of the city.

“I’ve lived or owned property in all four zones of the city; I’ve built and rehabbed buildings; I’ve built businesses and bought businesses,” he said. “The notion that I could be mayor for all of Springfield and that I come with an understanding of lots of different disciplines, I believe, is the greatest strength I bring to the table.”

Schrag is perhaps best known as founder of Mother’s Brewing Co., where he continues as minority owner.

“Probably 95% of land-use questions – when you’re changing the zoning or platting or replatting – go through unanimously,” he said. “Man, that’s a really good record. It’s that 5% – a really small number – and you’re never going to get to zero.”

It’s worth it to try to do better, he says, because the issue is important to neighborhood residents and developers alike.

A step that would help, he said, is for residents to hash out in advance what they want to see in their neighborhoods – like being good with three-story developments but not four, for example.

“It telegraphs to developers and contractors and builders that if you’re taking this path, it’s going to be pretty easy,” he said. “And I’m even wondering if we can make it easier for them, if they’re following the neighborhood’s plan. If we could cut four to six weeks out of the process, that’s not a small thing for a developer.”

Schrag said some developers don’t do things the right way. He knows, he said, because he made similar mistakes himself in the past. “I look back at myself and I look back at some mistakes some developers have done, and I think, wow – that could have been me,” he said.

There’s something to the idea of knowing what you’re getting into as a developer, he said.

“If I want to get into a nice steady stream or pool and float a little bit, that’s different than surging the rapids – but I need to know in advance what I’m getting into,” he said.

Asked what more the city could do to attract business and industry, Schrag said it must be made easier in the city of Springfield to get a building permit and a certificate of occupancy.

“If I can do something to affect those two things in a positive manner, I will consider myself a huge success as mayor,” he said.

There’s a 10-day mentality in Springfield, Schrag said. Every review is a 10-day process – that’s two weeks – and on the third round of revisions, a final inspector can bring up something new not noted by the initial inspector. That’s a training issue, Schrag said, and not a problem with the contractor or designer.

“I wouldn’t mind if it took longer on initial review,” he said. “Then, as a permit moves through the system, it wouldn’t have to be 10 days – it could be faster.”

Schrag said if it can be made easier for businesses to try to build, rehab or expand, that will be a win.

Attracting growth
When asked if the city should pursue any specific industries, Schrag said not necessarily.

“I’m a small businessperson, so I believe that chasing large businesses isn’t necessarily the best thing you can do,” he said. “Taking care of your homegrown businesses, that’s where the job growth is – that’s where the job creation is.”

Helping a business to stay and grow in Springfield is preferable to luring big companies from the outside with tax incentives, he said.

“There’s nothing to stop an accountant in a basement in Des Moines from saying that space in whatever Springfield it is doesn’t fit our corporate goals anymore and we’ve got to axe it to save a few percent,” he said. “I believe the way you tackle that is through the local folks, and if they’re thriving – and if we do a good job of making it easy to do business – that in itself attracts business.”

Schrag added that livable neighborhoods are also a crucial part of the economic development mix.

“Businesses are comprised of people, and people liking where they live, liking their neighborhood – that really helps, too,” he said.

Schrag said the city should constantly be improving to remain competitive, with elected officials, the city manager and staff all working together with all pieces aligning.

“We might be improving by 2%, but if competitive cities are improving by 5%, it doesn’t take long to fall way behind, even though we’re constantly getting better,” he said.

Council action
Schrag said one issue that is very important to him is the three-quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters in November and going into effect in April.

He said he would like to emulate the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area Projects capital improvement program to upgrade the city without incurring debt. That program gets vast resident input for the use of tax funds, he said.

Public safety is another big issue for Schrag, and a necessary one for the city to become an employer of choice.

“If people don’t feel safe, nothing else works,” he said.

When it comes to gambling machines that have been made illegal in the city and are now resulting in a threat to business and liquor licenses for businesses that continue to host them, Schrag said he doesn’t want to be in the position of legislating morality.

“I’m unapologetically a small-business advocate,” he said. “My sympathy goes to small businesses.”

Council should not get in the middle of determining whether gambling is good or bad, Schrag said, though he added he supports the decision to close gambling parlors that caused other criminal issues.

He added that he doesn’t want to judge the city’s actions as an outsider.

“I haven’t been sitting there the whole time,” he said. “It’s like any sort of sports game. If someone does something in the last minutes, we say that’s what cost them the game, but is it? Or was it that play in the first minute of the game?”

Schrag said he is excited to watch the game from the beginning.

“Like issues with neighborhoods and developers, if the beginning is different, the end might be different,” he said. “We should be problem-solvers. We should be more flexible.”