Local mayor serves customers at popular soda shop while listening to concerns
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Deanne Coffin, KPVI
INKOM (KPVI) — A community’s new mayor met his constituents at a popular soda shop Monday and took their orders at the same time.
Inkom resident Josi Baringa was greeted by her new mayor Max Shaffer as she went through the drive-thru at The Place.
“The mayor got to give my dog a treat personally,” Barinaga says.
Shaffer works the drive-up window the first Monday of every month for “Mayor Max Monday.” But he doesn’t just serve customers, he also takes the community’s concerns too.
“Some of the things that I hear right now is ‘how’re the guys plowing the snow.’ Are they getting cleaned out where they should?” Shaffer says.
Others had questions about city infrastructure.
“A lot of questions about infrastructure in our community, the roads, the sewer system, the water system. Things that people’s tax dollars go for and how we can improve those systems and best utilize their tax dollars,” says Shaffer.
He says he’s looking forward to addressing these and other concerns throughout his term. And while he supports the addition of new businesses like The Place, he also takes pride in Inkom’s small size and doesn’t want to see it grow too much.
“I don’t know that I want to see a lot of change. I love Inkom the way it is. I love the small-town feel. I love the one on one that I can have with each of the citizens of our community and so I’d just as soon keep Inkom the way it is,” he says.
Shaffer was sworn-in as Inkom’s newest mayor Jan. 9. He is a lifelong resident and has served on the city council for 10 years. Prior to that, he served on the Inkom Fire Department for 15 years, spending 10 years as a volunteer firefighter and EMT as well as five years as fire chief.