Some problems have easy solutions.
If a road is full of potholes, the town paves it.
If the community building is in need of repairs, the town renovates it.
But some problems require more in-depth thought to solve. Two of those issues have been hot-button topics in recent months – increased childcare options and workforce housing.
While there is absolutely no question that Highlands needs more childcare options for working families and places for those families to live that are within their means, there is no simple town government answer.
Perhaps that’s why Mayor Patrick Taylor bringing citizens together to kick around ideas was a smart way to end his “Coffee with the Mayor” series on Friday.
While childcare is a complex problem, Taylor made it clear that it’s an issue the town can possibly help alleviate. By replacing the former Houston House behind the Rec Center with a larger and more modern facility, the town would be able to provide afterschool care for children whose parents work. Taylor mentioned that he hopes talks with the Boys and Girls Club continue to progress and the organization is willing to handle the operations of the afterschool program.
Will that solve all of Highlands’ childcare issues? Certainly not.
Will it be a big step in the right direction? Absolutely.
Even more complex is the topic of workforce housing.
While everyone agrees that the town shouldn’t build apartment buildings and become a landlord, no one really has a clear plan to add workforce housing - Or even what “workforce housing” really is.
Could the town buy land and work with a developer to build apartments/condos priced at a rate acceptable for working people? Possibly, but that raises additional questions as to the location, the logistical needs of such a development (roads, water/sewer, trash service, etc.) and how rent would be controlled to ensure what starts out as “workforce housing” stays “workforce housing?”
Childcare and workforce housing are two problems too big for the town government, or any private organization, to solve. It’s going to take collaboration to make progress.