Ryan Wells
Wells
Dover mayoral candidate
Education: High school graduate & community college
Occupation: Business Manager
Family: wife, Andrea; adult children, Sarah and Josh
Website: www.ryanwells.net
I enjoy helping others and making a difference, and with Dover losing many of its elected officials over the past year, I saw a need that I could fill with my energy and community-minded leadership.
BesiFor the past 25 years, I have successfully managed a business in Sandpoint and have been an innovative, focused, and hard-working member of a wide range of local organizations, from Bonner County Search & Rescue to the Sandpoint Elks Lodge. The experience and skills I have gained in these partnerships will help me to serve the entire Dover community well.
3.• Growth – Smart and supported by the correct infrastructure.
• Transparency – Better communication with residents.
• Working to get our newly elected officials working with our residents to address what is most needed in our city.
Ensure the city’s comprehensive plan appropriately addresses the areas of the community most affected by our rapid growth, including safety, infrastructure, and maintenance of the unrivaled beauty and recreational opportunities that draw people here. Communicate clearly, openly, and regularly with all community stakeholders. Work to establish solid, neighborly relationships between Dover City Council and all of its constituents.
With the city council, I would review current city procedures, processes, and plans to ensure that they are streamlined and that the city is responsive and accountable to the members of the community it serves. Work to address costly lawsuits that are happening with city hall.
We all seem to be on the connections page, connecting with our residents and working together as a community. The lack of exposure seems to be about one of our biggest areas in Dover. The Pine Street Woods public park complex seems to be something we as a city should be having more interaction with. I would like to rebuild that relationship and see how we can work together in a more productive manner to bring awareness and access to this gem in our city.
From Pine Street to the Pend Oreille River, our whole city is a neighborhood. As mayor I will work to connect us as the neighbors that we are. We need more dialog and information available to all residents through multiple channels. I will plan opportunities to socialize so that we can interact on a less formal basis to come together to discuss and bring ideas forward for our future.
Overall, yes, but I will work to improve the timeliness and transparency of communication and the involvement of residents from all of Dover.
Do you think politics should play a part in the election in Dover?
Absolutely not. We need to rise above. As citizens of Dover we are the grass roots that start the change. We can act as neighbors to work together to address any issue that confronts our small and beautiful city.
I will use my existing connections with other members of the Bonner County business and civic communities to continue to discuss and work with them to create solutions that are particularly focused on affordable housing, which is the most critical expense for our workforce.
Dover is not likely the first place that affordable housing could be started. Working with our neighbors would be a quicker way to facilitate more immediate projects. But with that said we have some interesting opportunities with larger land owners in the city to discuss what could be done if they were planning future developments.
I will establish regular get-togethers for residents from all parts of Dover to socialize and to discuss city business and concerns. I will also ensure that a variety of communication methods are used, including monthly newsletters, regularly updated city website, social media, and posted paper copies of agendas, information, and city news.