March 14, 2011

1. Should the City continue to fund the partnership between the City, County and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce for economic development?

Yes. However, I believe that many of the economic planning activities should be performed by planners working for the City and answering to the City Commission rather than to the Lawrence Chamber. In other words, some of these monies and activities should be reallocated to occur under direct supervision of the Planning Department rather than the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. I would suggest that a Citizen Review Board study how these monies should be allocated.


2. Do you favor other tax incentives to attract new business/industry, and to retain existing business and industry in Lawrence?

Specifically:

  • Industrial Revenue Bonds: YES
  • Community Improvement Districts (CID’s) or additional taxing authority: NO
  • Property Tax Abatements: YES
  • Educational/Training Incentives: NO

The City should prohibit the use of CID revenue for private expenditures and instead should only be approved for the use of special obligation bonds that do not place any risk upon local taxpayers.

Notice of an additional sales tax should be required to be posted at all current TIF [Tax Increment Financing] districts, CID’s or TDD’s [Transportation Development Districts], and these should not be allowed where they would add an additional tax upon groceries.


3. Should the City consider privatization of trash collection services if it is shown to have a cost benefit to citizens and business?

NO. I firmly believe that this service should remain as a municipally owned service. The taxpayers have helped to pay for its organization and infrastructure over the decades that also provides employment managed locally in Lawrence.


4. What incentives would you propose the City consider utilizing to stimulate job creation?

The City and the Chamber could collect data about which local businesses are growing and which ones could receive a Chamber and City New Job Award on an annual basis – the TOP TEN Awards, if you will, in job creation. These firms would then receive a small monetary gift certificate to distribute to all of their NEW employees.


5. Describe the type of jobs Lawrence should be pursuing and how the City should acquire these jobs?

The City of Lawrence as a community needs jobs in all tiers of the economy. From agriculture to service-sector jobs we need not only more employers but new types of businesses as well to stem the flow of monies spent outside of the city and county by local residents.

I have suggested that the proposed Lowe’s store at Bauer Farms, which was denied planning permission, should instead relocate to North Lawrence. Such location may result in bringing people in from Tonganoxie as well as Jefferson, Leavenworth and other counties due to the proximity to I-70, the former location of a lumberyard and the distance to the next Lowe’s store.


6. What would you do to create a more positive image outside of our community in the areas of planning and economic development incentives?

Firstly, I disagree with the rhetoric that the City of Lawrence or its planning staff is unfriendly to business. We have granted many tax abatements recently, for example, to Berry Plastics.

I am opposed to additional sales tax districts of any kind since they could become a disincentive to shopping here. Lawrence is a small-scale community and we should not damage our Downtown Retail with the perception that Lawrence has added sales tax districts everywhere.

A level playing field is the positive image that we must project. Right now, out-of-town investors typically discuss a project, meet with City staff and then find out that local developers are usually given the edge with waivers of private parking and height requirements, unusual setback variations or even the omission of the cell phone tower permitting process from portions of the review process. Requirements must be applied consistently. Both applications and inspections must be supported by fair and consistent processes.


7. What are your top three priorities if you are elected to the Lawrence City Commission?

Firstly, to focus on existing businesses in Lawrence and Douglas County, support their growth and interconnect local companies in order to strengthen our existing assets as a community. I am a strong advocate for Downtown Lawrence. I am opposed to new sales tax districts or TIF districts in Lawrence.

Secondly, I have suggested that an alternate location for a Community Shelter could be near the downtown area but possibly with two building locations: one for homeless children and families and the other for an adult homeless shelter with a training facility. This would reduce the shelters’ impacts upon neighbors.

Thirdly, I support adoption of the Environmental Chapter of the Horizon 2020 Comprehensive Plan. Setting goals in the face of Climate Change is necessary so that we can prepare for the years ahead when we will encounter significant changes in Food, Transportation, and Energy conditions. I oppose privatization of the City’s trash pickup service.


8. Assuming continued cuts in state, federal and local tax resources, rank from 1 to 8 how you would make up the deficit.

  1. I would first favor an across-the-board equal percentage budget cut.
  2. Following that I would group the cuts in the administrative areas of City Manager, finance, HR, planning and community development.
  3. Cuts in Parks and Recreation could be treated somewhat separately with some increases in user fees for large group activities and events.
  4. Increases in property taxes should occur before any core services or social service budgets would be cut.
  5. Cuts in social services is not desirable at all.
  6. Cuts in core services of police, fire and sanitation are not acceptable.


9. Do you feel the City should expend additional resources in the direct reimbursement of retail development for Lawrence?

No. I have proposed in a conversation with Chad Lawhorn of the Lawrence Journal-World that some 10-year tax abatement policies could be used to foster ‘Start-Up Retail’ zones at specific locations. The general idea is that if a property owner has a building that does not fully build out his site on Massachusetts St., my Start-Up Retail proposal would allow the owner to convert up to 50% of the ground floor area for an alley-side tenant with alley access for a reduced rent in comparison to the Massachusetts side of the building. The converted portion of the property would pay no tax as an abatement for up to 10 years in the interest of generating new economic vitality and new spaces, not only in Downtown but elsewhere in Lawrence. This idea is really a retail conversion abatement policy.


10. Do you feel the city should use additional resources for promotion of retail
development in Lawrence?

No. I do not feel that this expense is fair to other types of business. Promotion via the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Lawrence or other groups is, of course, encouraged but I would not spend scarce dollars on retail promotional activities.


11. The City and County are now reviewing the Environmental Chapter of the Horizon 2020 Comprehensive Plan. Do you support or oppose the chapter as it is now written? What changes would you propose if elected to the City Commission?

I support adoption of the Environmental Chapter of the Horizon 2020 plan as now written. I do not propose any changes at this time to this planning document.