IOWA COLONY — Nine candidates are running for city offices on the May 3 ballot, including challenges to the mayor and a council member.

Councilman Tim Varlack and Destinie Washington are running against each other for the District A seat. This area covers the southern portion of Sterling Lakes Drive and up to Sterling Lakes West. The other part is District B within the subdivision area.

A special election for Councilman McLean Barnett’s Position 1 seat is held for a one-year term, since he’s moving. Three candidates are running to fill the seat: Matthew Isenberg, Nikki Brooks and Steve Sanders.

Incumbent Mayor Wil Kennedy is being challenged by Douglas Chumley.

Two incumbents will receive new terms without opposition, Sydney Hargroder in District C and Kareem Boyce in District B.

Candidates gathered Saturday at Crossing Point Church for a community forum, addressing topics including growth, communication and infrastructure for homes, businesses and roads.

“There’s a number of things that are ongoing or not big flashy things,” Varlack said. “But we’re working on a number of different agreements that would allow for the city to move forward in a way that’s fair and equitable for everyone.”

Current solutions to sustain the growth included extending the finance department and hiring a city attorney, he said.

The council understands residents like a rural feel, so they work to address community wants and needs, he said. One need was building a sidewalk on a residential property in front of Iowa Colony High School for student safety. But it’s also important for them to avoid future problems, as more homes and businesses come into the city.

Varlack and Washington share a goal of attracting businesses for young adults and teenagers.

“There’s quite a bit of places full of parents and children, but I don’t think that we have a lot of places for our teens to go,” Washington said.

Such businesses can provide both enjoyment or employment opportunities, like parks or restaurants.

“I may not have all the answers to everything; however, I am good, and I am very resourceful at finding solutions to problems, finding resources that can help us,” Washington said.

Rural areas have needs for services such as water, sewer and trash, as well as first responders, that will increase as more people move into Iowa Colony. With this comes a need for better communication with residents, as many candidates touched on.

“It has to be a bridge built between citizens understanding what we need to know, what we got to understand and what we got to do,” Brooks said.

Isenberg would like to see more developer accountability for commercial and residential builders.

“When they build a road, we make sure they build it the right way,” he said. “It’s important that we take care of our area of our local businesses and that we hold everyone accountable who’s gonna be in our area.”

The city needs more staff for inspections instead of relying on outside hires, he said. Having more manpower as the city grows can limit any future problems, Isenberg said.

With growth comes traffic and construction along city roads, such as the Highway 288 projects by the Texas Department of Transportation. Brooks would like to provide a better way for the city to communicate project updates with residents. This can build a digital economy from city hall to companies, she said.

Brooks also highlighted the importance of having a city manager, city planner and finance manager to assist with city growth.

Sanders is the type to avoid traffic, going through neighborhoods and back ways, he said. By doing this, he realizes the need for more alternative routes for subdivisions, like Sterling Lakes, to decrease the traffic in the area as people wait on the state highway department.

“There’s a lot of residents, they are unaware, and I think that we need to do a better job,” he said.

Setting up mass messaging other than the website for residents during emergencies, road construction and project status, can be a step forward, Sanders said. Another proposition is more sidewalks and working with Alvin ISD to provide better safety because there are students who walk to school.

The candidates also briefly focused on open spaces within the city and how they should be utilized. One way is the Parks Master Plan and providing a library or an entertainment district for the younger generation, such as a skate park or bowling alley, Sanders said.

“It’s not just us in the subdivisions. Most of the parks are gonna be out in the rural areas,” he said. “This is an at-large position, and we can help make sure that our rural residents aren’t left behind.”

Brooks believes having a library can provide more digital inclusion to a community.

As the city grows, Kennedy faces challenges and sees room for improvement, he said. Part of this has been working to provide more transparency in city hall for concerned residents.

The city has one IT worker but needs three times more, and recently hired a Human Resources consultant. The city also asked Police Chief Aaron Bell for a five-year plan for city resources, worked on utility funds for water and wastewater treatment and collaborated with Alvin ISD.

“Continuous improvement is our goal,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy asks residents to be patient with the city as they work with federal grants, deadlines and specific resources.

Chumley also understands the need for more city services in the public works department, animal control and law enforcement, he said. Outside the city, he would like to provide a better relationship with the county commissioners, since Iowa Colony’s in two precincts, and the state highway department.

For city growth, Chumley wants to consider negotiating with developers. Another form of communication for infrastructure is communicating with other cities, such as Pearland, on what works for them, he said.

“We need to look at building standards, codes,” Chumley said. “I believe we need to build better-quality homes, not more homes. We need to take care of residents we currently have before we get so excited about residents we don’t.”

Collectively, the council works to be inclusive and collaborative for growth, Kennedy said. One way is having a Teen Advisory Committee for the younger generation to voice their needs and wants in the city.

“It is not my Iowa Colony, it’s our Iowa Colony,” Kennedy said.

Early voting begins April 22. Election Day is May 3.