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Holbrook City Manager Ted Soltis began his first week on the job and already has some ideas on areas to begin work. Soltis comes to Holbrook from Willcox where he served as the city manager, a city very similar to Holbrook as far as it’s needs and history and so for Soltis this is familiar ground.
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According to Soltis, he enjoys working in small towns and says they are the best places to be because anyone living there can take an active roll in shaping their community. “Some would use a position like this as a stepping stone but that’s not me. I love small towns, it’s where the real people are but they need a lot of help to get things done.”
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After a week of going through the city he noted that there are a number of things that need to be updated, much of which he feels can be handled by searching out grant funding. “I’ve done this quite a bit in the past and I think it can be done here.”
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In his investigation of Holbrook he noted, “There’s a lot of history here and it’s exciting to see what it could be.” But, Soltis added, it’s important to know what you have and not try to be something you’re not. “Holbrook will never be Scottsdale or Phoenix, and why would you want it to be? The quality of life here comes from it being a small town.” He believes the path to success for Holbrook is to improve what is working and remove what isn’t and as a result a strong community is built that not only attracts visitors but also business and new residents.
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In Willcox where there were a number of dilapidated buildings Soltis worked with the owners to bring those buildings up to code and the ones that were not salvageable were demolished and made into a truly marketable space for future business. He also encouraged and supported the owners of older buildings that could be salvaged to do so. “The history of a community is important and needs to be preserved.” More than once Soltis repeated a phrase almost as a mantra, “Good people, given good information, will make good decisions.
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“The city needs to look at what it can do to support those endeavors, what sort of incentives can we provide. I want to approach these owners and work with them, not battle them in court. If we approach problems with a positive attitude it can get done,” said Soltis.
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“We need to look at Holbrook as a tourist or a guest to the town would. After awhile, you don’t notice the things that need improving because you see it every day. I drove down Navajo Blvd. at night and looked at it as a visitor would, to see what would draw them in.”
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Soltis explained the importance of that first impression. “In Willcox, as you entered into town it didn’t look that great but people would drive through to get to where they needed to be. But when deciding where to go next, they just remembered what they saw coming in and went the other way. So we changed that.
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“You want to bring people into the community for festivities and events and then you want them to stay or know that they want to come back again,” he said.
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He said it’s also important to develop a comprehensive budget that is easily understood so that when people ask about it they can see what’s being done. He related the story of a man who was hesitant about purchasing property for development in Willcox until Soltis explained the budget and the plans and improvements the city was working on. “I showed him the budget and he bought the property. He wanted to be part of that success. People want to be part of the success if you do it right.”
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One of the first things Soltis will do is address the city-owned property. “Clean up government property first. Then work cooperatively and develop good working relationships with property owners. Do better at advertising the hotels, motels and local business and be as efficient and sustainable as you can for the project and plan for the future. There are no short-term decisions. You need to be on solid foundation to build and in doing that you need to honor the past and look to the future.”
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Soltis also plans to take an active roll at regional and state meetings that can improve Holbrook’s outcome and build important relationships.
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Soltis and his wife Susan and son Caleb, who is a high school senior, look forward to moving to Holbrook and calling it home. “I’m excited for what we have coming up. Holbrook is going to be seeing some great things happening.”
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