Erik Altmann on the city's infrastructure: "If you look at our infrastructure, we look like a poor city and we are a not a poor city. We pay really high property taxes and yet we don't seem to have any money to do anything that makes the neighborhoods a comfortable, safe place."

Altmann said he is a cyclist and that he finds himself veering in and out of traffic due to the fact that the roads are "falling apart." Altmann also said sewers are backing up into resident's basements, which is lowering property values.

It is important to look at the policy implications of fixing the neighborhoods and infrastructure in East Lansing, Altmann said.

Shanna Draheim on environmental policy: "During my time on the environment commission we developed a climate sustainability plan, and its a pretty aggressive plan in many ways and I'd love to see the city pursue a lot things and we already have them doing a lot of things."

Draheim is currently a board member for Michigan Energy Options, was the commissioner of East Lansing Commission on the Environment for eight years and worked for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as well the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Draheim said she would like to push East Lansing to become more environmentally friendly and that she would work to bring recycling to residents in multi-family housing units that aren't serviced by the city's recycling program.

Nathan Triplett on the downtown: "In terms of downtown generally, I think what we have to be striving for is diversity. Diversity of housing options, dining options, entertainment and retail options that make East Lansing an attractive place to everyone from MSU students all the way through senior citizens."

Triplett said the key is to make East Lansing an attractive urban environment.

Altmann had a different stance on downtown. He said the barriers to entry in the downtown such as high rents need to be studied and addressed and that downtown East Lansing "has been (on) a long, slow slide for the past 30 years."

Draheim had a more positive outlook on the downtown and said East Lansing already has great assets to build on.

Steve Ross on City Center II: "I think laying out the entire history of the problem there — it's been 14 years. I talked to hundreds of people and very few of them actually know how this started, what happened five years ago, what happened seven years ago, what happened two weeks ago with the project."

Ross said in order to fix the the issue of vacant buildings located around the corner of Abbott Road and Grand River Avenue there needs to be a dialogue and residents and officials need to be on the same page.

It is important to know what the city owns and what is privatley owned, Ross said. He said he would hire outside legal council for advice on what to do about the City Center II problem.

Ross also supported the idea of having the president of ASMSU at City Council meetings to help council understand issues from student's perspective.

"We have city manager's report, we have mayor's report, we have city attorney's report at every council meeting," he said. "Why not have the ASMSU president do a report?"

Mark Meadows on the current City Council: "The way of making decisions is being (questioned) by some citizens. When I was on council we were careful to sort of work from the bottom up instead of the top down, and some of the decisions that have taken place in the community seem to have come from the top down and have caused destruction in the community."

Meadows has been involved in East Lansing politics since 1989, serving on the East Lansing Commission on the Environment, East Lansing Planning Commission, East Lansing's Downtown Development Authority and East Lansing City Council. Meadows was Mayor of East Lansing for nine years while on council.

Meadows was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives to represent the 69th District and served from 2006 to 2013. He was a sponsor of House Bill 4393 while serving as a representative, which allowed for medical amnesty for some incidents involving alcohol and minors.

Jermaine Ruffin on alcohol and MSU's campus: "First and foremost, we need to acknowledge that we don't have a diversity of entertainment in East Lansing. I think when you provide other options for students here locally where they don't have to get on a bus and go elsewhere. If you provide that diversity that will alleviate some of those things."

Ruffin said there is no "cultural issue" that needs to be addressed as far as alcohol consumption goes. He said there are legislative and education solutions that could be pushed, but the city needs to first look at lack of entertainment for students in the city.

Altmann disagreed and said alcohol is a cultural issue that needs to be addressed somehow.