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Dunsmuir candidates back revitalization plan but clash over enforcement and implementation
Summary
All three candidates said they support the council-adopted downtown revitalization plan in principle; Dwight Bailey warned that fines and liens could worsen vacancies while Sarah Sebring and Ahmed Tasi urged marketing, beautification and incentives to attract businesses.
Candidates at the Dunsmuir Chamber forum endorsed the council-adopted downtown revitalization plan but differed sharply on how to implement it.
"I do support the plan," Ahmed Tasi said, citing benefits to safety and accessibility and arguing that restoring downtown could "attract more visitors and boost the local economy." Sarah Sebring said she supported using grant money "to try and improve the town in various ways for not just tourists, but for citizens as well."
By contrast, Dwight Bailey criticized parts of the plan's current implementation and warned that relying on fines or liens could leave downtown buildings empty. "The current plan of putting liens on the buildings to enforce quote situations is not working for Dunsmuir...It is going to leave the town in a very bad shape," he said. Bailey urged more local involvement and said implementation should empower the council, planning commission or community rather than centralize tasks in a small staff.
Candidates proposed complementary tactics: Sarah prioritized improving the downtown environment and tourist-facing amenities; Ahmed emphasized small-business assistance, entrepreneurship training and marketing; Dwight emphasized preparing buildings for investors and using loan programs rather than fines. No candidate suggested rescinding the plan; instead debate focused on priorities, timelines and who should manage implementation.
