Todd Kuhns on City Council

1. Who are you anyway? Tell me a little about yourself.
2. How long have you lived in Kirksville?
3. What is your job?
4. Do you have any hobbies?
5. I would like to know how you feel about the smoking ban in Kirksville.

1. Who are you anyway? Tell me a little about yourself.

   What do you want to know? I’ve written a quick biography of myself here. If you have any specific questions, just ask! You can send me an email or use the form at the bottom of this page to submit a question.

2. How long have you lived in Kirksville?

   I’ve lived in the ‘ville a grand total of almost eight years, but not consecutively. After my wife and I were married at Faith Lutheran in 2001, we left for Japan and taught English over there for 3 years. When we moved back to the States, we camped out with my parents in Warrensburg until a job opened up in Kirksville. We came back the summer of 2005 and have been living here ever since.

3. What is your job?

   I work on staff at Truman State University. My job is best described as “webmaster”. I lead a team of full-time staff and student workers to develop Truman’s web presence and lots of internal processes that we run through the web as well. My day-to-day work is not as technical as it may sound - I do project management, serve on committees, hold meetings and help our faculty, staff and student organizations figure out how internet technology can make their jobs easier.

4. Do you have any hobbies?

   Yes, I have a few. Since I was a little kid, I’ve been performing family-oriented magic shows for birthday parties, community events, schools and libraries. I’m active in Curtain Call Community Theatre, where I have both directed and acted in a number of our plays. My wife and I love to travel, both overseas and within the States. Wherever I am, you’ll usually find me with a book in hand. I also do balloon twisting, origami, photography and videography. I love to cook and bake, especially the challenge of making and decorating artistic cakes. I’d probably be a lot skinnier if it weren’t for my sweet tooth…

5. I would like to know how you feel about the smoking ban in Kirksville.

   I support the smoking ordinance, first and foremost because it’s what the voters want. The matter enjoyed vigorous and lively debate last year. The council (wisely, I believe) decided to take the issue to a public vote. It passed 60%-40% - numbers-wise, it was a 4-to-1 margin. This is a clear majority, and a textbook case of democracy in action. I strongly believe that, as a representative of the people, it would be my duty to respect this.

   That said, I also personally believe the ordinance is good for Kirksville. At a time when it’s difficult to find or change jobs, it protects the rights of service workers to a healthy work environment. I think this is an inevitability that, like it or not, we’re all going to have to get used to. By aligning ourselves with the growing worldwide list of countries and states enacting similar smoking ordinances, we show the world that Kirksville is a progressive city. And we must be a progressive city if we hope to attract grants, families and their businesses to move to our community.

If you have another burning question I haven’t addressed, just submit it below. I’ll answer it and post the answer here.