COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — News5 is taking the time to check in with Colorado Springs city councilmembers to share their voices outside of city council meetings and hear what their messages are to their constituents.
This week, we are highlighting Councilman Roland Rainey Jr., who represents District 6, which covers the Stetson Hills area and eastern parts of the city.
BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS AFTER FIRST FEW MONTHS IN OFFICE?
"Well, thank you for having me. And the biggest takeaway is how complex our city really is. You know, everything that you look at, from public safety to Public Works and public parks, but also utilities. Public Utilities, the significant role being not just a council member, but being on the board of utilities, is very unique, because now you're learning about natural gas and water. So it's a lot to take in, but it's definitely been an educational journey."
IS THERE A WAY TO HAVE UTILITIES RUN MORE EFFICIENTLY?
"Currently, we have committees like the UPAC that take on special topics and do a lot of research. I would like to see that expanded. I would like to see us maybe get a couple of more committees and be very specialized in water, in natural gas, or any other specialized topics that may take a little bit of the burden off of our utilities, but also allow some of our citizens to get a lot more involved."
ANY VISION CHANGES SINCE YOUR CAMPAIGN?
"No changes, no significant changes at all. Public safety is still my number one priority. We have to make sure that our law enforcement has the proper resources and budget so they can actually do the job that we as citizens need them to do so we can live safe and prosper lives here in Colorado Springs, also our fire department, we need to make sure that we keep their apparatus up to date, keep them modernized, make sure their staffing is up to par so they can actually take care of our city also, so that number one priority will always be there. For me, infrastructure has taken on a brighter light. For me, I continue to look at our roads, and our roads are horrible. We've got to do better in that arena. So I'm very much looking forward to working closely with Public Works and seeing what we can do to really get after these potholes. I listen to constituents all the time, potholes, potholes, potholes. We got to find better ways to... and a better system. Currently, we have a great app that a lot of people can go out and log on to that app and put the destination of a particular, maybe, a nasty pothole in their community, which I think is great. How does that translate over to the maintenance log within public works? That is something I think we got to get after and educate our community on that. And I will say the one thing I think we do need to tweak a little bit is one of my priorities, and that is keeping us Space Command here. We need to make sure our messaging is on point, but also we need to make sure it's very clear. Look, Colorado Springs is the Space Operations Mecca. So whether US state Space Command stays here, or if the President so decides to move it, space operations will always thrive right here in Colorado Springs."
EDITOR'S NOTE: This interview was filmed prior to President Donald Trump announcing Space Command will be moving to Alabama. Elected officials in Colorado are continuing their fight to keep it in Colorado Springs.
HOW DO YOU FEEL THE BUDGET IS BEING HANDLED, AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HANDLE POTHOLES BETTER?
"As you mentioned, the budget is under a major constraint. We have $11 million shortfall that we're working very hard to make sure that we can deliver the city a balanced budget. But I do think, you know, putting some more manpower in public works could potentially help get after some of these pothole issues. I do know that those folks work very hard around the city there, as we continue to grow and expand, they are stretched thin. So I do know there are some efforts to potentially get more manpower there to help them out, but in doing so, we also have to be very strategic from a logistics perspective on where are the main areas that we need to get after, first from a prioritization standpoint, and then maybe to some of the smaller potholes within neighborhoods. Start getting after those also, but we need to start really working the logistics of how to map out the main areas down to the small neighborhoods."
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE STATE OF CRIME IN DISTRICT 6?
"The state of crime in District Six, because we're in a northeast area, is not like maybe other areas in the city. I have seen an uptick, and let's say petty crimes, petty larceny, you know, car thefts, and a lot of that we definitely have to get after. We have to make sure that we're providing our chief of police the necessary support and resources, especially from a manpower perspective. One of the things that I tend to highlight is, you know, when we were a city of 400,000 personnel, it was okay to say, hey, our instrument was going to be 839, but that's not who we are anymore. Our city has grown tremendously, so our manpower, much like other cities our size, needs to grow, and I think that's something we have to really support our chief of police and the mayor to make sure that we can provide to staffing to actually support our communities."
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT STAFFING LEVELS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT?
"Much like the police department, the same thing applies with our fire department. We want to make sure as we continue to grow as a city... I know there's thoughts out there about how we should grow, smart growth, but people want to move here. They love what Colorado Springs is about, especially when you talk about building a family and a great community. But in order to do that, you have to have the support of our police department and our fire department, specifically with the fire department, we have to make sure that not just the staffing, but the apparatuses that they use, the equipment, a lot of the equipment, some of the machinery, some of the trucks, you're talking about 20 plus years old, they need modernized, up to date equipment, so they could be efficient to responding to emergency situations. So I would say. To the constituents, as we continue to grow, really think through.... is our police force... is our fire department at the appropriate level it needs to be in order to support a city our size?"
HOW IS DISTRICT 6 DOING WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS AND GROWTH?
"District Six is growing fast, as you already mentioned. One. We're already the largest district in Colorado Springs, our population, and it's the largest in Colorado Springs, and we continue to expand, especially eastward. One of the things I think is very exciting is the expansion of Marksheffel and then going into the Banning Lewis Parkway area, also Dublin, expanding in certain areas from two lanes to four lanes. The reason why I'm excited about that is because flow of traffic. I think people here, as we continue to grow, they're getting a little frustrated with traffic. If you try to drive down Powers between three and five, it could be an adventure. Definitely, you want to plan accordingly, but I do believe expanding Dublin, expanding Marksheffel, will allow better flow of traffic around District Six. As we continue to grow, I think people are going to see more housing, affordable housing, in the region, but also businesses. I think you're going to see some businesses come to the region. Right now, we have a business that is investing in District Six and is going to bring 250 jobs. That is something that's going to be huge for our district. So for all the constituents out there, definitely keep your eye out for that. Get those resumes ready, because there's going to be some jobs available."
NEW BUSINESS COMING TO DISTRICT 6:
"So a lot more to come from that, if you're driving down Powers between Dublin and Woodmen, you may see some construction on the right-hand side, so just keep an eye out."
IMPACT OF YOUR TOWN HALLS?
"As I mentioned during my campaign, town halls were important to me. I didn't care if it was one or 200 that came to a town hall. I wanted to make myself available to constituents, and I wanted to make sure that what is happening on City Council is translating out to the community, so I promise to do one in the first 60 days. I actually did it in the first 45 days, and then I just did another one. My goal is to have a recurring quarterly town hall. Some of those town halls will be online to get more people involved, because I know people work, they can't always come in person to a town hall. So we're going to do a mix of in-person and online. I would say some of the questions that the constituents are bringing up are utilities... wanting to make sure that their rates are not increasing. Some other comments in regards to growth. Of course, growth is on everyone's mind right now. I think what people are seeing around the city is that, as we continue to expand, how are we properly managing that? And more importantly, housing. There's a difference between affordable housing and available housing, and a lot of people want to make sure that we as a city are being very smart in our decision-making, on making sure that proper housing is going in the proper areas. So those are things that were on a constituent's mind, doing town halls."
ANYTHING POSITIVE YOU WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT?
"I'm glad you mentioned that. Look, we have some great, phenomenal people in our community. One of the constituents I would like to highlight is Stacey Lane. She's a teacher. She is in the district, and she's doing some phenomenal things. She was just recognized with an award for her efforts, and those are the type of people in our community that make Colorado Springs special."
EDITOR'S NOTE: News5 is looking to gather more information from D-11 about Stacey Lane and the award she received. The spelling of her name may not be correct in this article.
ANY OTHER MESSAGE TO CONSTITUENTS?
"The one thing I do want to add is something that's being re-energized right now, and that's our sister city program. We had the opportunity, most recently, to host a delegation of students from one of our sister cities in Japan. Most recently, we were able to work with the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council, and we hosted a delegation from the European Union and NATO. Those are things that keep Colorado Springs, a globally vibrant city. We want to make sure those relationships stay intact. We want to make sure that we show the entire country that Colorado Springs is definitely morphing into a city that has significant global impacts."
ABOUT RAINEY FROM THE CITY WEBSITE:
City Councilman Roland Rainey, Jr., is a senior executive in the defense industry, entrepreneur, professional football scout and broadcaster, and a retired U.S. Air Force/Space Force Lieutenant Colonel. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University in Human Development (2003), a Master of Science degree from Troy University in International Relations with emphasis in Global Studies (2008), a Master of Arts degree from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in Counseling & Leadership Development (2017), and a Business Certificate from Harvard Business School in Entrepreneurship Essentials (2019).
Councilman Rainey also serves as a Commissioner, Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission where he vets, interview and nominate judges to the Governor. He previously served as an Adjunct Professor, Colorado State University-Pueblo Continuing Education and was Vice-Chair of the Colorado Springs World Affairs Council, whose purpose is to create and sustain study, discussion, and public participation in international relations. He also volunteered his time to the local community as the Vice Chair of the El Paso County Citizen’s Outreach Group.
His passion for the sport of football and business led to the creation of his very own Semi-Professional Football Organization, the Colorado Springs Cyclones (2009-2018). His focus was to promote the sport of football in the state of Colorado, while mentoring and developing the character of young men. He furthered this passion by receiving a Sports Management certificate in Professional Football Scouting and General Manager practices, where he was trained in NFL scouting techniques, statistical analysis, and the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement. Roland also started and hosted a sports talk show, The EXTRA Point, on ESPN Denver 1600. He has worked for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Denver Broncos.
Roland was a selectee for the Airman Scholarship and Commissioning Program and commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at Colorado State University. Roland was selected as the graduation commencement student speaker. During his military career, Roland served as a three-time unit commander, operations and staff officer in U.S. Space Force (formerly known as Air Force Space Command), U.S. Space Command, and the National Reconnaissance Office. He also served as the Commander for Cadet Squadron 15 at the Air Force Academy. He also helped stand up the Space Force by serving as the Deputy Director, Commander’s Action Group for the first Chief of Space Operations (the newest branch of the Department of Defense). Roland also deployed to the combat zone-Bagram, Afghanistan and Thumrait, Oman near the Arabian Sea.
His affiliations and accomplishments include: Recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, U.S. Delegate to the International Committee for Global Navigation, multiple Field & Company Grade Officer Awards, and the National Reconnaissance Office Government Employee of the Year Award, to name a few.
Hobbies: fishing, football, traveling, playing the trombone, and flying Cessna’s
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The difference between Space Force and Space Command
Do you know the difference between Space Command and Space Force?
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